Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-07
the REVIVAL AND Billy SUNDAY.

THE REVIVAL AND BILLY SUNDAY.
Billy Sunday has come to Marshall
town and gone. It is the proper time for
an estimate of the mans work.
Mr.. Sunday came to his old home
under suspicion of many minds. Much
had been said, written and read against
him and his methods Il was at first
freely predicted that Marshalltoyn
would not build tabernacle. Men who
are not accustomed to see large enter
prises prosper Or succeed without
their aid and approval waited 10 re-
fuse assistance. The street sentiment
was that the church crowd couldn't do
1T alone. Delay added to this sentiment.
Then the church crowd simply got to-
gether, ignored all assistance ana
bought the lumber. The architect came.
The corner at Third and Main swarmed
with busy men. Soft handed office
men, merchants, clerks and profession
al people handled rough lumber with
hands unaccuston1ed to toll. The ring
chorus The tabernacle rose as by an
dncantation. Il heaved its bulk into be-
ing in less than week. Il blazed with
lights and the tabernacle was ready
for Sunday.
Sunday came. The big tabernacle
was crowded but the prediction was
made freely that Sunday nor any
other man" could raise the money
pledged by the churches to lumbermen.
electricians and others. Men opposed to
Sunday. others not in conscience o!5-
posed but who foresaw loss of gain
ana deprivation of unjust and inimical
privilege: others who honestly and
lin sincerity differed from the evangai-
DIST and the evangel he bore, We're ce,-
tain that hat the @vsass , would ,. fail
expenses of the meetings. The result
astonished. friend and critic. One
morning meeting brought the money.
The best men in the city. the lodges. the
church organizations shouted their con-
tributions The afternoon saw man
who had stood aloof and waited hurry
to get in" Monevo Why. the COM
nunity trod the scandal, the dirt and
the viliication of the evangelist under
$4,000 feet and man outside the
churches and who laid 10 claim TO the
christian hope wrote on checks good
as gold their appreciation and faith in
the movement that had come to Mar
shalltown
Night after night, Sabbath after Sab
bath the great tabernacle filed emptied
and filled again with congregations
that sat rapt and listening II was as
tho one OF the splendid prophets Of tie
elder time had been reincarnated. From
Tar and near men and women came
crowdins drawn by th@ force OF
the movement, the power Of the
preacher. The spirit that moved than
widened its circle about Marshallrown.
There We're times when thousands
turned away from the doors of the tab
ernacle unable to find standing room.
On one Sunday afternoon $500 men
sonnet intelligence and general char
acter that any man ever faced, gath
cred 10 listen TO Sundays Jeremia
against the saloon and the liquor traf-
fc. They heard the strongest protes,
against booze ever uttered by any
man and of that vast congrega ton
eight men out of ten Endorsed the SER
mon by publicly rising to pledge them
selves never to sign again petition OF
saloon consent.
Day by day, night after night, nler
and women came forward and accepted
the christian life. The meeting drew
to its close, a successful revival The
last night came and with it a sight tina
few of that congregation will ever b.
permitted to view again. The atnos.
phere was tense with the sense of cul
nination. When tho invitation wa!
given people rose in every part of tt'
building and started toward the plat
10TH. lu6 ellSleS llllSU, DuC IO6
peseful faces came crowding thru tn.
jam with hands outstretched toward tn
evangelist and new life. Here ant
there in the vast audience little eddie
of humanity marked where one ant
another rose. Still they came. A nus
band and wife gray with years rose
looked at each other and fell weeping
into each others arms and went han
In hand UP the aisle to make their Gov
enant Here a man tottered up. rack
ed and shaken by disease, supported b
The strong arm of a woman whose fac
was glorified. There a young mar
.s,ss..l!.<<s.,is. big, the picture of health an
strength and vigor came pushing for
ward. Women, girls. rich. poor, edu
sated.. ignorant young and old. tn
marvellous procession came
~Billy" Sunday has come and gone