The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-24
EVANCELISTS PRAY FOR RAIN
BROKE DROUTH IN Fl. WORTH
(By J. 3. Roberts.)

probable there always will be great
many Christians who do not believe
in the idea OF a special Providence
that is that prayer offered up to the
Almighty is directly answered. This
unbelief is sometimes shaken on
account of some particular happening
that may be a simple coincidence, or
Il may be something else beyond the
ken OF man.
There was case In point back In
Kentucky long years ago. boy OF
about 16 years of age got religion,
and Joined the church and his com
panions who failed to undergo
change of heart made sport OF his
conversion to the point that the new
made Christian made fight and was
ingloriously whipped by a boy big
ger than he was. He told the story,
himself. afterwards with tears run.
ming down his checks and said
II went home and prayed to God
that he would punish in some way
that would be awful. John, the boy
who licked me, and two days after
wards John was paralyzed in both
legs and had to go on crutches, and
II Is all because | asked the Lord to
punish him for whipping me because
got religion
whether or not the young Christian
was right in his conclusion Is neither
here nor there, but 1t simply shows
colncident. John may have been par
alyzed anyhow. There was a case In
Fort Worth that shook the unbelief In
special Providence of sinners and 9th
trshat many people now living In
Fort Worth will remember, when 1t
Is called to their attention.
Drouth in Early COS.
There was "A great drouth in Texas
in 1892 or 1898. that lasted three
months. not a drop of rain falling In
some sections fthe state for five
or six months 1t was especially Sc
we're in the country west Of Fort
Worth, and In the Panhandle where
the population was sparce and where
the people then did not have much
money. being compelled by circum'
stances to depend upon their crops
for something to cat. The crops fail
ed and were burned up by the hot
rays of the sun, water gave out and
cattle died from starvation on the
range. The general distress was grea'
ter than had ever been known, public
money was voted for the relief OF
the distressed. but still the suffer
ing was not relieved Farmers in West
Texas abandoned their homes, and In
She SUMMER Of lhat year brought
their families east and went to work
all over the eastern part of the state
in order to get bread and meat for
their children. Such distress had new
er been known in the state.
About the time that conditions were
at their worst, Rev. Dwight Moody
the great preaching evangelist, and
Rev. Ira Sankey, the famous singing
evangelist, came to Fort Worth and
began revival meeting. No church
In the town then was large enough
TO hold the expected crowds and q
fund was raised to erect atempor'ry
tabernacle to hold 5000 people, This
tabernacle was erected on the grounds
now occupied by the Majestic thea
tre on Jennings avenue, and night al
ter night It was packed with people
To its utmost capacity and then neo
pie were turned away from the doors
because there was no room inside
for them.
The tabernacle was a wooden, one
story, paralleogram structure with
flat roof, with parapet walls extend
ing about three feet above the roo
on the four sides, nothing but the earti
for a floor and platform at the souti
end for the preachers and the choir
and wooden benches in front for th'
congregation. Rev. Moody's attention
had been called to the preVailinI
drouth and the consequent suffering
and he announced that on certain
night prayer would be offered up TO
rain, and the people of Fort WORT
were urged and exhorted to turn ou'
attend the meeting and join in tn
prayers Tor rain. The result was the
the night named there was such
lam at the tabernacle as had neye
before been seen in Fort Worth Me-
and women stood up in the taberna
Gle. or sat on the ground floor, tn
night was intensely hot, and when tn
crowd began to gather there was no
cloud TO be seen anywhere. Tn