The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-06-01
Correspondence Baltimore County Union. =.
A REvIVALIsT'S GREAT WORK.
The Wonderful Evangelistic Work That
CHIP Sunday, Former Baseball
Player, is Doing-Thousands
Converted and Money
Showered Upon
Him. Etc,
FORK, Md, May asth, 1907.

IHeSSTS. Ed9tO7S :-OurlnB receuI eIlP OhtVukh
the West and South had the privilege OF at
tending evangelistic services at Murphysooro''
ILL.,. which were conducted by Rev. William Sun
day. of Chicago. was there the last Saturday
night and Sunday the meetings were held. For
five weeks he had exhorted the people to live
better lives, directing his sermons the first two
weeks especially to church members, urging
them to give up card playing and attending the
theatre.
1t was necessary for the Ministerial Union of
Murphysboro' to make arrangements with Mr..
Sunday two years ago to conduct these meetings,
because of the great demand for his services.
Out of a population of about 5000 over 100 per-
sons professed conversion, among the number
being many leading men and women, Including
the mayor, who went at once to work IN the
meetings. the sheriff and the city attorney. A
noticeable fact was that the large majority OF
those who protested conversion were persons of
mature years.
Nineteen years ago Mr.. Sunday was known as
"Billy" Sunday, q Chicago baseball player and
athlete. and could run 100 yards In 10 seconds
from the crack of pistol" as he expressed it.
On one occasion when he wasin Chicago with the
baseball team to which he was connected, he, in
company with three other players, was attracted
to meeting held on the street by Harry Monroe,
of the Pacific Garden Mission, and under the
preaching of the evangelist he was convinced OF
mis- sinful condition and for ten nights intEst
mission he sought Gods favor. AS soon as
protested conversion he entered upon the worn
of the Young Mems Christian Association. For
two years he was with Rev. Wilbur F. Watkins
and for the last twelve years has been holding
evangelistic meetings in the Middle West, most
ly in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and
Illinois.
A large tabernacle was built at Murphysboro'
by the people and on the third Sunday he took
I'D collection amounting to 1900, for expenses,
not allowing any one give more than $40. On
the last Sunday the people took up free-will
Offering and gave Mr.. Sunday $S,9l1. never
before saw such collection taken. Every lodge
and society seemed to want to give. The post
office employees, Odd Fellows, Knights OF Py-
thias, Sunday schools, day school classes, Dusi-
ness men and individuals Joined In adding their
money to show their appreciation of the man
who had done so much for them.
The following Sunday saw ITO persons unite
with the Methodist Church, and at the same
time about 100 Joined the Baptist Church. 80 the
Presbyterian Church, and large numbers con-
nected themselves with the other churches.
Mr.. Sunday puts the same earnestness in his
work that he formerly did in ball playing and
| foot racing. He was ordained minister four
years ago by the Presbytery of Chicago. The
| following results at the last four places where
he conducted meetings will serve to show the
work he is doing and the way the people appre-
ciate his efforts. At Kankakee, I'LL, there were
| $500 conversions and the free-will Offering to
| him amounted to $1,000; at Kewanee. Ill, 3.0lS
| conversions and $500 given him; at Worthing-
| ton. Num-, 1900 conversions and $27cO given
| him. and at Murphysboro' ILL.,. 2l63 conversions
/ and $3gll given him. He has signed contracts
| for two and half years and enough conditional
promises to keep him busy the next five years.
| Efforts are being made to secure him for Ha-
| eerstowu. Nd, and he told me he was consider
ing seriously his going.
The last Sunday afternoon he preached the
| most powerful temperance sermon TO wnlcn
| have ever listened One of his illustrations was
that cotton mill took raw material and turned
| it into finished products more valuable than the
raw material; likewise the -four mill and paper
mill, and that they run by steam or electricity
or water. and that he liked them. But the GIN
mill took boys and ground them up and turned
out drunkards and that the finished product was
not as valuable as the raw material. The power
that runs it is the votes of the people-and add
most of the church people. Some OF the practi-
cal results was that the next Sunday every saloon
in the place was closed up tight. AtCaroonoale'
few miles away, where he held several meet
ings, the editor of the local paper was converted
and at once turned his paper against the illegal
licensed saloons and started the movement to
have those of his town closed up. When say
silleRal' licensed saloon do so upon the author
itv Of the Supreme Court of the United States.
During the time the meetings were in progress
at Murphysboro' protracted meeting was held
in the Christian Church at Idtchfield, Ill., not far
from East st. Louis. A little girl twelve years
old was converted. The night she was to be oap-
tized she begged her father. who was saloon
keeper. to 20 and witness the ceremony. AS he
loved his little girl he listened to her pleadings
and went He sat looking at the solemn cere-
mony of immersion, saw her and his wire join
the church and listened to the sermon. the
next morning he got dray, loaded on 1t all the
whisky, beer and other liquors, worth about S6OO,
drove TO the corner of one of the Streets mount
ed the dray and in the presence of the ministers
of the town and others emptied all in the gutter,
at the same time stating he had found out he
could be a Christian If he would give up his
saloon.
About the time these things were happening
protracted meeting was in progress In the Meth
odist Church at Granite City. Ill. For about
two weeks none were converted. At what was
intended to be the closing meeting OF the series
| a boy knelt at the altar and in few minutes
| fifty others were kneeling there and progressed
conversion. Surely the Bible statement Is De-
ing verified: "a little child shall LEAD tnem'"
In another letter will call attention 70 recent
sweeping decisions of the Supreme court OF the
Tinted States and other courts against the
saloon and give facts concerning the rapid over
| throw of the ssillegal'' licensed saloons Of the
limited States, which will go to show that the
night of darkness, despair and wretchedness
caused by them is far spent and the day Of de-
liyerence for the enslaved of the liquor business
is near at hand. H.
THE MARCH hot wave, according to one the
ory, was caused by the comet. If mature must
indulge in airships it ought to confne itself to
| something agreeable.