The Washington times., 1904-08-28
MEGAPHONE USED
FOR PREACHING
Washington Man Heard 1t
in Parkersburg.
A GREAT OPEN-AIR MEETING
Minister Stood 500 Feet Above His Con-
gregation and Shouted His
Sermon to Them.

Preaching TO 5000 people on a rock
900 feet above their heads. by means Of
a megaphone. is what I saw down in
Parkersburg. w. Va, last week." said
a well-knoWn clerk in the Treasury De-
partment who came In last night from
his summer vacation.
1.-The Devils Table was the queer pull
pit from which the Rev. John Joe COpen
preached to an audience Of nearly 5000
persons From a point 600 feet In the
air he preached to them. taking as the
topic. PauTs sermon on Mars Hill, and
using megaphone TO carry the sound
of his voice 20 the throng below. As n
means Of attracting the crowds he ad-
vertised for ten days that there would
be tightrope and trapeze performances
and swimming contests before and af-
ter the sermons. and big picnic dinner
for the thousands who were TO come.
Devils Tea Table.
The Devils Tea Table is a freak of
nature in Writ county, twenty miles
from any railroad, and overlooking the
Little Kanawha river. The rock IS some
200 feet high. on the top Of hill about
300 feet high. so that the preachers
pulpit stood 500 feet above the congre-
cation.
ITO ascend the pulpit the preacher had
to wind around the elevation for a dis
lance of about mile, and, after he had
climbed the rock almost to the top, he
had 20 climb fully seventy-five feet.
clinging TO q rope which he mad thrown
over the rock in order to reach his ele-
waited pulpit One of the features Of
the day was watching the preacher
climb the rock where he remained be-
tween the morning and the afternoon
sermons. eating his SOLITARY lunch so
high in the air that he looked like a
midget.
The Vaudeville Stunts.
Before the morning sermon, while
the people were gathering. the trapeze
and tightrope performances were pulled
of according TO program, and twenty
five small boys engaged in a swimming
contest in the Idle Kanawha River
The Devils Tea Table is at the
mouth Of Rock Camp Creek, while the
preacher lives over on Standing Stone
Creek. Not only was the entire neigh
borhood out, but people from adjoining
counties were there by hundreds. With
a megaphone borrowed from an Ohio
River steamboat Mr.. Copen talked for
an hour I'm the morning 10 the multitude
below, every word being distinctly
heard BIZ this immense congregation.
Again in the afternoon he repeated
the performance, and no larger congre-
cations were ever preached TO In West
Virginia. He Hkened himself TO Paul,
and after repeating the words Of the
apostle 20 the congregation spent some
time IN exhortation in his own peculiar
manner. he being called the Cyclone
Exhorter of West Virginia
His Method Unique.
Mr.. "OPENS exhortations are made in
his own peculiar way. and are very
effective among the mountain folk. He
is "A man without a great deal OF edu-
cation. tall and Raunt. with hair fall
ing over his shoulders He IS forceful
30 his talks. and breaches with a native
elouucnce which holds his hearers di-
rect attention. He breaches hell IRE
and damnati0n' and dwelt Tor a con-
siderable length Of time upon the fate
Of those who fail 10 accept the Gospel
Of Christ Many conversions are re-
ported as the result Of his days work
His methods are always unique. The
people Of Writ county are never sur
prfsed at any kind OF meeting he may
advertise for they have learned 10 eX-
pect the most peculiar conduct on his
part In explanation OF his latest in
novation in the way OF holding divine
meetings. Mr.. Copen said:
Purpose Of Advertising.
I do not advertise these innovations
for any purpose other than TO attract
and entertain a crowd. There are many
persons who are not reached by the
church for whom the church offers no
attraction. These are the people
want TO get at. II is not the good
church people who go 70 the house OF
God with regularity that 7 am trying TO
save. They are not in my flock.
The people 7 want 20 reach are the
sinners and some means must be de-
vised 10 get them into the church
They will not enter the house Of God.
They do not care for sermons But II
j can devise some means Of getting
them out I can preach 20 them and de-
liver them the message OF the Gospel
care not what means ] shall have en-
plOyed 70 save them. 50 long as j save
them 4 see no harm IN trapeze per-
formauces or tightrope walking any
more than in golf on Sunday. The
people among whom my work lies need
amusement and novelties 90 bring them
within reach Of the word Of God and
believe / am doing good work in
providing these attractions I propose
70 continue my religious novelties until
have caused an the people OF Writ
county 20 come within the sound OF my
voice -