The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-05-14

lnlS paper mas Deen puDllShlng at
intervals some interesting letters from
o. E. Hamilton, the evangelist, who
with another young man has been
making trip around the world. The
Register and Leader of last Sunday
contains the following account of their
unique journey, and local interest is
added from the fact that Mr.. Hamil-
ton is a Decatur county boy, having
! been born and raised on farm in this
county. and after attending the country
schools was student of the Leon High
School, prior to entering Drake Uni
versity at Des Moines. He is the
grandson of Joseph Hamilton of this
city:
When J.P. Garmong, Des Moines
young man whose parents live at 1147
Twenty-fourth street, arrives home
about July 1, he will have sung his way
around the world.
Two years ago he left Des Moines
with absolutely no other resources
than his voice, enough money for
transportation to New Zealand, and his
full share of American pluck. Since
then he has travelled tens of thousands
of miles by land and sea, paying every
dollar Of his expenses through his la
bors as singing evangelist in associa-
tion with young preacher, o. E..
Hamilton, also a Des Moines man. Both
are graduates of Drake university and
both are we'll known in University
Place because Of their notable tour.
This remarkable journey was not a
new idea with Mr.. Garmong two years
ago. In fact he started on his tour
around the world as long as fifteen
years ago or SO, when he was lad of
II years, living at Harlan, la. 1t is
true that he did not get very far then,
for he travelled only to Omaha in the
company of his father on a pleasure
trip, and he had no other adventure
than to have his picture taken, but
this little excursion served to intensity
his boyish ambition to become a globe
trotter. 1t was beginning, and now
this boy, grown-up, is on the last stage
of wonderful two years journey in
which he will have travelled 10000
miles and have seen more of the coun-
tries beyond his own than in his fond
est dreams he ever hoped to see.
1t was in the autumn of 1905 that
young Garmong and Hamilton agreed
to undertake their evangelistic tour
around the world. Hamilton, the
preacher, proposed it, for he had been
in Australia once before as an assistant
to another evangelist and he had keen
desire to return. He found ready
assent in Garmong. 1t was a great
undertaking, but the two young fellows
had been out of college but year or
two and they still retained much OF
! their college days ambition and con-
tidence in themselves. They had
preached and sung together at various
meetings in the vicinity of Des Moines
with not d little success and they be.
lieved that even greater success might
be found in the island continent, to say
nothing of the value of their experience
amid new surroundings. Mnfeevar, they
remembered the command Of Christ tc
his disciples When they we're sent out
as evahseIists--the command not to
take purse of scrip. So they discussed
the matter and they prayed over it I'M
til finally they settled the matter by de.
Gliding on the journey. The succeeding
winter was filled with hard work OF
preparation. Neither had any more
money than the average young mar
who has supported himself through
college and there was no prospect ol
support from their own church or any
Other, for they were not going as mis-.
sionaries exactly. So they sang and
they preached, earning little, and
saving little more, until when spring
came they found that their cash re-
sources would provide them with ar
outfit and carry them to New Zealand
their chosen first field of labor.
The two young men left Des Moines
| mil 100R Thew orri1yo1 in
Francisco, where they were to set sail
and fire of April IS. That night they
went through the awful scenes anc
events of doomed and frantic city
last they saw of their native country
stricken San Francisco.
A bad start, but when they landed il
New Zealand they were obliged to for
themselves and getting into the worl
they had planned for themselves. The,
had letters to the churches Of tn,
man established there, Mr.. HASTE
who had formerly been preacher a
Colfax. Through the new friends thei
iCOUcTS ooCuECu lOE lucu dllu UuFOuRl
Mr.. HASTE, the two young evangelist
soon made arrangements to setup thei
Mt and open their campaign. The.
billed the town in true American style
they secured the insertion of new
stories in the newspapers, they inter
ested various local breaches in co
operating with them, and soon tn
American evangelists and their method
were the talk of Auckland. OF cours
evangelism was known in New Zealand
but not American evangelism; tn
novelty of the thing first drew man.
and the vigor of the young singer an
preacher, their enthusiasm, and thei
Interesting songs and sermons brough
in more to their tents every evening
From the very first they met with sue
cess and in their six or eight months
stay there, in which they visite
many cities and towns they secure