The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-10
EXPLAINS THE WORK
 OF GOSPEL CARS
Baptist Plan Gets Close to
 Railroad Men
HART MAKES ADDRESS
Tells How Idea of Using Railroad Cars for Gospel Meetings Was First COnceived-Services at
 Hunter Street Church

Vallie C. Hart, the state representative in Alabama for the Western. Casualty and Guaranty company of Dallas, Tex, ad' dressed the congregation of the Hunter Street Baptist church yesterday morning on the subject, Gospel Cars or "Bap- tist Churches on Wheels" The Hunter street church is at present without pas tor but a call has been extended to Rev l.. M. Bradley of Selma.
 MT. Hart is quite gospel singer and also has a happy faculty in knowing how to get other people to sing, so just pre- ceding his lecture he spent some 10 min- utes in a spirited song service, in which all heartily joined
 MT. Hart was born in Tuscaloosa, but went to Texas some 35 years ago to join Maj. w. E. Penn,- the great Texas Bap- tist evangelist, and for a number of years was his co-worker conducting revivals throughout Texas and the south, MT. Hart being the musical director. It was in the year 1877 that Evangelist Penn, now de- ceased. and MT. Hart held a meeting in this city under the auspices of the First Baptist church, Rev. Tendon being the pastor
 Speaking to the congregation yesterday MT. Hart said:
 ''The story of the Gospel Cars or 'Bap- tst Churches on Wheels is most inter- esting and thrilling one, and in order that you may thoroughly understand every feature of the work it is best that I re- late a little Baptist history in the begin ming of my story. Some years ago in the south an humble Baptist minister con ceived the idea of printing little gospel tracts and church notices and purchased a small hand printing press, and in this way was enabled to build up his work, and as time passed the work grew and expanded, and he found himself in need day he called on a Baptist lady and ex- plained his needs, with the result that the good woman made a contribution of $200 to this special work. To make long story short, the little hand-printing press and the contribution of the good sister
 
 izaton of the American Baptist Publica- tion Society, now located at Philadelphia Pa, said to be one of the largest printing and publishing houses in the world.
 When the Northern Pacific railroad was in process of construction MT. Bos- ton W. Smith of Minneapolis Minn., one of co-partners or missionaries of the fnt. while visiting one of the new towns on the railroad found that the people all lived in tents and there was no place for the people to assemble. He also noticed that every Saturday afternoon the passenger coaches would be carried some 10 miles to the terminus empty, and so he re- quested the station agent to take up with the railroad officials the propriety of side tracking the rear passenger coach and leaving 1t until the following Monday morning so he could have a place to in- vite the people on Sunday. The request was granted, and in this passenger coach was organized a Baptist church and Sum day school and thus began the organiza- tion of church and schools in that com munity.
 ''rhe results were so gratifying that upon MT. Smiths return to his home in Weyland Hoyt, his experiences and the thought suggested itself that it would be the proper thing if the Baptist brethren would build and equip chapel car so the missionaries could visit similar destitute fields, etc. The question was taken un- der advisement by Pastor Weyland Hoyt, and after inquring of MT. Smith what kind of car he wanted constructed. he conferred with his brother, who was as the time vice president of the Northern Pacific, with the result that there were found eight Baptist laymen that were willing to put 5000 each in the enterprise. Among the eight were Vice President Hoyt and John D. Rockefeller.
 The result of the meeting in the pas senger coach and the organization of a Baptist church and Sunday school has been the building of six gospel cars, costing complete about s10,000 each.
 "The railroads transport these cars free. These cars are about so feet long. having seating capacity of about 200 children or 16O adults, besides having ele- gant and ample living rooms for the mis- sionaries in charge. Every convenience for cooking and all essentials are pro- vided to make the missionaries happy and contented in their work. No Pull man sleeper has better running gear equipment. In the chapel proper every inch of space is utilized. Instead of the aisle being in the middle, like our pas senger coaches the seats on one side ars longer and three or four can be seated, while on the opposite side only two can be provided for. Under the pulpit plat form and organ stand is provided space to put books and literature. Overhead provision is made to take care of the childrens hats, while in the rear of tho seats are places to hold Bibles and hymn books Every time the society builds a chapel car the Estey Music company gives a beautiful Estey Organ, the Estey peo- pie being Baptists.
 "Eternity alone will reveal the great good that has been accomplished by the missionaries in charge of the gospel car. Thousands of railroad men, their wives and children have sbeen helped to a high CT and nobler life by the visits of the gospel cars Some eleven years ago I was employed by the American Baptist Publication society, along with the Rev c. B. Rogers, now deceased, and we were in charge of the Texas car, Good Will. The car needed overhauling and repair ing and we had 1t parked in the shops Of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe at Galveston. During the great storm that visited Galveston in September, 1900 our home and property were destroyed yet the car was not damaged to any great extent, and for some time thereafter Mrs. Hart travelled with me on the car in Texas. I will always be glad that we