The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-08
BAPTISTS COMING
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO
GATHER IN SAVANNAH.
THOUSANDS ARE EXPECTED.
TO ATTEND FORTY-EIGHTH SEES
SION OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST
CONVENTION.

Convention VIII. Begin May S-Pre-
ParatiOns For. 1t Now Being Made
by Local Committees-Seven Gov
ernOrs May BE Among Delegates.
Thousands of Dollars Will he
Spent and Savannah Will he
Widely Advertised-GOv. Terrell
to Welcome Delegates to Georgia
md Rev. DIR. j. ID. Jordan to Sa-
vannah-RespOnse May BE Made
by Another Governor.
The forty-eighth session of the
Southern Baptist Convention, the
largest deliberative body in the world.
will be held in Savannah this year, be-
| ginning May s at 10 O'Clock a. M. Its
session will be held in the First Bap-
fist Church. 1t is anticipated that be-
tween 1000 and $500 people will be
drawn to the city to attend it.
Preparations for the care of this i'm
mense gathering are now in course of
| preparation. A room fo- the secreta-
| ries has been secured In the De Soto
and all delegates will be urged to reg
lister there so soon as possible after
they reach the city. One of the chief
matters of consideration is how to
house the enormous influx of visitors
that is expected.
This is now receiving the careful at
| tention of those in Savannah that are
| interested in the matter, and they re-
quest that every hotel, boarding house
and home that will receive a guest or
guests for a reasonable compensation
notify Rev. DR.. Jordan at the De Soto
| at once, giving name and address, the
| number of persons that can be enter
| tanned and the price at which they will
| be accommodated, stating also whether
| they will receive only ladies, only gen.
| tlemen, or both. az, ss.y cot.
A committee of ladies' will be formed
| within few days to canvass the city
| for homes for these visitors. Any per-
sons who may not respond to this no.
| tice by mail are requested to deal
| frankly and patrioticaly with these
| ladies when they shall call, as prompt
information is necessary, and favor
able action will be appreciated.
VIII Advertise Savannah.
One familiar with the Southern Bap-
| fist Convention states that Savannah
has never been so advertised before as
| it will be during the next two months,
| prior to the gathering of the delegates,
| or after these visitors have returned
| to their homes. The Baptist denoI1i-
nation is probably the strongest, in
the South, and in its ranks are num-
| bered many of the most prominent and
prosperous persons of that section,
men and women of the foremost rank
! in all pursuits of life.
What this gathering will mean in
the way of an advertisement of the
city may be better understood When it
| is known that notices of the conven-
ton will be published generally in all
/ the Baptist UNCONVENTIONAL papers, not
| only of the South, but of the country
and that many of the leading journals
| of this kind viii have their special rep
resentatives here in attendance. This
assures that the city will be written
up" from every possible standpoint,
and that many thousands of persons
| in this and other countries will read
these articles.
1t win doubtless be the more welcome
in that the convention will cost the
city very little, as all who attend it,
with the exception of the officers and
the returned missionaries, will pay their
own expenses. Asheville, where. the
| convention met last year, spent between
| 9ZoU anu @oUO 10 secure the convention,
| and pledged in addition all other nee
essary money. Through the efforts of
Rev. DR.. ]. D. Jordan Savannah Sc
cured the convention without any cost
! to the city, and with but a small cost
to himself. Savannah secured the gath
ering in the face, of the fact that other
cities offered as high as $1,000 to defray
such expenses as might fall upon the
| hosts.
A Profit to the City.
Between $500 and $1,000 will be need,
| ed to cover all incidental expenses of
| taking care of the conVenfion and
are expected to furnish, and probably
| will, without any consideration of
| creed. Many of, the leading men of the
| city have already and voluntarily ex-
! pressed a desire to assist in raising
this amount. All such contributions
may be sent to Mr.. w. c. Powell, chair
man of the Finance Committee, or to,
Rev. Dr. ]. D. Jordan, chairman of
the Executive Committee.
The coming of the convention means
the expenditure of an immense amount
of money by the delegates, and the
greater part of it will be spent where
Savannah will get the benefit of it.
The railroads alone, it is calculated,
will receive in fares $50, 900, for board
and lodging $4,000 a day will be spent
hacks, carriages, hansoms, etc., will
cause an outlay of another 81 900,
similar amount will doubtless go to
the street railway, and no little amount
to the various merchants of the city.
The roads generally throughout the
South have granted a rate of one first
class fare for the round trip and
great many of them have now in prep
aration handsomely illustrated adver-
60. exfx nKak
to Savannah and its various interests.
The advantages to accrue to the city
are so generally recognized that some
gentlemen have not only offered to
contribute to it themselves, but have