The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-11-09
KEOKUK CHRIsT1ANIzED.
Bill Sunday Closed Up His Work There
With Thousands of Converts.

Inc heOkuK Da1ly GaLo Clby OF
Nov. 1st contains an extended ac-
count of Mr.. Sundays closing night
in that town. The reporter writing
the article caught Sundays embel-
lishments and is almost ready to
take the pulpit and follow Sundays
footsteps. Inasmuch as the great
evangelist is to appear here in De
cember extracts from the embel-
lished article will be of interest.
The converts came in crowds,
forcing their way through the jam
of 5000 people in the audience.
Nearly all were adults and some
were silver grays. Then to the
notes of that old hymn of joy, 20,
happy day that fixed my choice, ;"
they sang the meeting to close.
But the song was tremulo, for hun
dreds of voices broke, and eyes
were flooded with tears of parting,
and other tears of happiness.
AS soon as the invitation was
given hong file of men and women
came down one aisle. Down anoth-
er came group of people. Others
came down other aisles. Once the
movement stopped, and there were
signs that Mr.. Sunday was about to
close the service. And then anoth-
er long line could be seen making its
slow way down the west aisle. 1t
was all over in eight minutes, for
there was no canvassing of the audi
ence for converts.
"And then all present who had
come to Christ during these remark
able meetings stood during prayer.
1t was the first concrete idea of the
new regiment enlisted for the church
militant. It was an impressive sight;
but many of that regiment were not
there, after all.
'That was the last scene of the
great drama of humanity that has
been acted in real life in Keokuk
during this entire month of October.
1.-THE epilogue was asinspiring as
anything ever witnessed here. The
audience was dismissed but re-
NAMED standing on the seats and
singing God be with you till we
meet again.
With not the least sign of motion
toward the exits, still more. con-
verts came forward. A thousand
people tried to reach the hand of
Rev. William A. Sunday. Five
thousand people refused to realize
that his meetings were ended. Five
thousand faces were turned toward
the one man of magical power on the
rostrum. The long hand of a watch
moved half round the dial before
this remarkable demonstration end
ed. All through it all throbbed the
music of thousands of voices.
Applause rang out at times, and
sometimes rose to cheers as some
prominent man came forward as the
curtain was rolling down.
4
Finally Mr.. Sunday began his
slow progress from the pulpit to his
carriage. The rostrum was strug-
Cling, solid mass of people. all eager
to clasp his hand. Inch by inch the
magnet made it's way through the
mass, back and around past the
press gallery.
"There at the steps was an i'm
pervious wall of people, a hundred
feet thick. Almost imperceptibly
Mr.. Sunday edged his way through
it, and quarter of an hour after he
had started he reached the door
nearest Main, on Twelfth street.
Sunday apparently dramatizes his
appearance. On this last night in
Keokuk he screened himself from
view until certain time when he
broke out on the stage amid an ar
tillery salute ofapplause and wav-
ing Of handkerchiefs. The reporter
says that the applause rose crescen-
do, louder, fuller, deeper-and then
was stilled by the waving of a hand.
Three cheers from five thousand
threats were given for the religious
campaigner amid the waving of a
half acre of handkerchiefs.
Sunday s sermon on that occasion
was a final appeal-the last bugle