Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-10
mel TROTTER
MOVES HEARERS
GRAND RAPIDS MISSION WORKER
by STRONG PLEA CONVERTS
TWENTY-THREE.
TABERNACLE FILLED
TABERNACLE
Winning Personality of Speaker,
Whom Mr.. Sunday Brought to
Ranks of Christianity. Has
Good Effect.
CONVERSIONS.

CONVERSIONS.
Total previously announc-
ed .c......... ........ 2,t82
Monday evening (Trotter
meetinel ...,,............. 20
Total 70 date ......... 2.2o5
Fat, joviaI and winning, brimful and
running over with love for his fellow
men, possessing a vocabulary, pres
ence and delivery which sets him in
class by himself as an appealing force
for Christianity, Mel Trotter of Grand
Rapids. Mich. superintendent of the
Rescue Mission work in that city,
reformed drunkard and outcast. con-
verified eleven years ago. delivered
strong message last evening at the
tabernacle to which twenty-three men
and women responded and took their
stand for Christianity. MIR. Trotter's
plea was powerful because of its
unique character and originality coup
led with his intimate acquaintance
with sin in it's worst forms.
1t IS a difficult place to put strang-
erin the pulpit occupied blythe fam
GUS Billy" Sunday for four weeks in
succession not one man in ten
thousand would have the temerity to
attempt to face one of Sundays audi
ences with any hope of giving satisfac,
ton but Mel Trotter is the one man
in the country that could and did do
it. Whether 1t is his personal appear
ance. his tremendous earnestness
which appeals instantly or his winning
personality, certain it is that vast
crowd of people were given a treat
far ahead of the expectations, aroused
by Evangelist Sundays commentators
announcements of the evening. His
discourse abounded in humorous stor-
les, puns and witticisms, all spontalie
Gus but underlying the lighter vein OF
the address ran deep. solid strata of
truth and power which took hold of
the audience and made profound I'M
preston upon the listeners.
With Mr. Trotter was u V. Silla-
way Of Milwaukee, superintendent Of
the Rescue Mission work in that city
and one OF Trotter's converts. Both
men are BARRIERS. both have been
drunkards and both are tremendous
workers in their chosen field. Silla-
way is q at runnii1gSnate for his N,
teresting leader. He addressed the
converts last evening and made the
closing prayer. In referring TO Silla-
way, Trotter said. Il used to go down
to his old shop to get shaved and I
used to tell him that when he got
tired pouring slop into his hide that
Jesus Christ would take away the de-
sire and finally old Sill did get tired
OF feeding that hog in in stomach and
Jesus did Just what ] said He would
Butler Leads Choir.
In the absence OF Mr.. Fischer, Mr.
Butler took charge of the song serv-
ice and led the congregation and choir
through a number Of the older hymns
until the enthusiasm ran high. "The
Old Time Religion" was used for
about twenty minutes. followed by
yield Not to Temptation" and a doz-
en- more favorites. 81 Shall Not be
Moved a. selection written and com.
posed by A. II. Ackley, brother Of
B. D. Ackley, was introduced and
learned before Mr.. Butler got through
with it. The song service lasted for
nearly an hour before Mr.. Pledger took
the platform and made the announce.
ments.
A brief review of Mel Trotters life
and work, which is the founding aud
promoting of rescue-missions, by Mr..
Pledger was given as an incentive to
the audience before collection was
taken for Mr.. Trotter. Mr.. Pledger
told in faw words of the great
work Trotter had accomplish
ed in Decatur and Bloomington, Ill,
Sharon, Pa, ST. Louis, Mo-, where
vast sums had been raised for the mis-
sion work and climaxed the account
by stating that Trotter had raised
| s36 900 in Los Angeles, Cal. in one day
! for his chosen work
I'm all these cities Mr. Trotter has
given every cent of this money to his
MISSIONS Mr.. Pledger stated. "and to-
night want the people Of Ottumwa
to shell out and make a generous offer.
ing for Mr.. Trotter himself. Men II,
his work too often give too much away
until they are actually in want for the
necessities of life and I want Ottumwa
/ to be generous to Trotter tonight"
| The collection taken amounted To
S122.76.
| After the collection was taken M.
I iON6Ct saw n 3hStt pI dySl 0llu TWI
Trotter walked to the pulpit while the
audience greeted him with cheers. He
brought laugh with his first words
and his smile.
Not Fighting Saloons.
| | was Just wondering what you PEG
| pie we're thinking of me while Pledger
was shooting all that hot air into
you" Trotter led off. but guess he
| meant all right although he did stretch
things horribly. lisa pleasure for me
to be with this. gang again SUNDAY
| Fischer, Butler, Pledger, dear old
Fred Seibert and old Ackley here
| Ackley used to be SO crooked he could
| hide behind corkscrew himself.
| just want to say word about my mis-
sion work before begin We do =
1 work of rescuing that's got EN- al
skinned. Drunkards and buns car
come into our home and hear the old
time religion. The breweries always
get the best corner in q city. but be
lieye Jesus Christ is Just as good as
the saloon. and we have D. corner loca
ton. toe che trouble Is we have tor
4 Il ill, -oI<