The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-28
The BALL STARTS
First Chapman Meeting at Audi
tOrium Tonight.
Preliminary Gathering Was
Held Last Night.
LARGE CROWD PRESENT
A Choir of 200 Furnishes the
Music.
How the City of Topeka Is to Be
Christianized.

The evangeIistfc services of the
united churches of the city of Topeka
began last evening when the big organ
In the Auditorium struck up the glory
song while chorus of 200 voices gave
volume to the music. The Auditorium
has undergone especial preparation
for the event. 1t was the preliminary
meeting for the opening gun by DR..
Chapman tonight.
On a series of raised platforms on
the stage chairs have been arranged
to accommodate the chorus of over
400 voices which viii be one of the
features of the meeting. Besides the
great chorus which will assist during
the revival meetings there is an or
chestra which is being added to each
day under the direction of DIR. Men
ninger. The crowd which gathered in
front of the Auditorium fully half an
hour in advance of the time set for the
doors to open attested to the popular
ity of the move. Fully 1,S00 people
listened to the opening Service last
night and if the crowd which attended
is to be taken as a sample of what the
next two weeks will bring forth there
is no doubt but what Topeka will ex-
perience the largest revival ever held
in the history of the city.
These meetings which commenced
last night ard are to last for three
weeks are a part of the arrangement of
DIT. Wilbur T. Chapman and his army
of workers to christianize the world.
There are IA members in this body of
workers who are in Topeka and their
plan of eyangelistic work is unique tL
say the least. The "a churches of To-
peka have united and are working as a
single body in this work AMI in this
manner they expect to accom- dish Il
vast amount os good. This movement
Is what DR.. Chapman characteriZes as
a simultaneous move on the part of
the churches os the city 20 .shrlstianize
the population OF Topeka. The city
has been divided into four districts and
each district has its seDarats and dis
tinct organization with a corps of will
ing workers. who are striving to win
the city for the church and religion
The meeting IN the auditorium last
night is the first of a series that are to
be held in the various districts of the
city. During the week meetings will
be held in the auditorium every night
conducted by DR.. WILDER F.. Chapman
assisted by Fred Butler, a basso soloist
and Charles F. Allen as director of the
chorus. In the second or southwest
district as the city has been divided
Dr. Henry Ostrom will hold services in
DR. Charles NJ. Sheldon's church, the
Central Congregational, assisted by Mr..
John Hills as soloist and director of the
choir.
On the East Side.
The third series of meetings, or the
East side meeting. will be conducted
by DR.. Daniel s. Toy, assisted by Ny
Frank Dixon as musical director, at
the Third Christian church. ThS
fourth. or North side meetings. will
be conducted by DR.. Grandstaff, as
sisted by his wife a soloist, and A.
B. Davidson as musical director. This
meeting will be held in a large tent
which will be erected on the lot near
the Quincy street school house in
North Topeka. There is no suitable
building of sufficient size on the
North side to accommodate the i'm
menSe crowds which are expected, s.
this large tent, which will seat 1900
people, has been procured for the oc-
casiOn. These meetings are all of a
similar character and will be called
at the same hour each evening and
work along the same lines. This is
one of the hobbies of DR.. Chapman
to hold these meetings simultaneously
and take the town by storm, and the
plan has been successful in the larger
cities of the United States in which il
has been tried. The city has beer
thoroughly organized by the local
forces which have been busy for, the
= past two weeks preparing for this re-
ligious campaign. Organization is an
other one cs the hobbies of DR.
is a business proposition and should
be conducted along the same lines that
would make any other bushes a sue
cess.
The organization so far as perfected
has 225 workers scheduled for places il
the Auditorium meeting alone anC
these workers are not scattered abou
in a haphazard manner but each mum.
her of this force which is referred tt
as a force of ushers has a particular
location and a particular work to dt
and it is expected that they do thi.
work even though the heavens may fal
alone to seat the audience but are wei
defined in the Instructions issued il
language so plain that there can b,
no MISUNDERSTANDING. No member o
the committee is expected to ask to b'
excused and all are to be on hand t.
occupy their places and assignment a.
made by the committee on arrange
ment which is under the direct super
vision of George Lerrigo of the Topeka
Y M. Q. A, as chief usher.
Will Begin at 1880.
The meetings in the various edifice
over the city are to commence at 7:3
each evening and hold as late as i
seems advisable.
These meetings promise to he consid
erably out of the ordinary and as IA
as the meeting at the Auditorium las
night was concerned there was hardly
semblance to the old time reviva
tic meeting was conducted
by G T. Schaffer, of the evangelist,
corps, Rev. W. {. Evans of the F'irs
Methodist church of Topeka and :
chorus of singers. and consisted largely
of views thrown on a large screen by :
stereoscope and represented the variou,
phases of life as encountered hy thi.
corps OF evangelists in their worl
which covered the country from on,
coast to the other One of the uniou,
features of the programme of the ev
eIling was the showing of the words O.
the songs to be sung by the audience OF
the carA,as hrt The ~ .e - -l--.