Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-10-20

gathered in the college auditorium
listened to Gypsy Smith, the famous
evangelist, last Saturday afternoon.
The auditorium has a seating capac-
ity of about twelve hundred, and
the overflow crowd was accom- mo-
dated on the stage, in chairs placed
in the aisles, and even the stairway
leading to the balcony was packed,
! it being estimated that fully 1000
people listened to the renowned Eng
fish evangelist. Large delegations
came from Colfax, Moscow and other
nearby towns.
The evangelist, accompanied by
Messrs. Bloom, Cross and Preston
and Mrs. DR.. McFadden, arrived at
11:50 on the N p. train and were
met at the station by large dele
cation. The party took lunch at the
Palace hotel, after which they were
driven to the college auditorium in
automobiles. BY / o'clock the audi
forum was packed, although the
services did not begin until 1870.
DR.. Hayes, pastor of the Presbv-
terrain church, introduced the speak
err to the audience in a few well
chosen words. On the platform, be-
sides Mr. Smith were the members
Of his immediate party, who accom-
panied him here, all of the ministers
of the various Pullman churches,
and the Rev. DR.. Clarence O. Kim
ball, of Walla Walla, and formerly
of the Vincent NJ e. Church of Spo-
kane.
For his text Gypsy Smith chose
the kindly m essage which he re-
ceived in an ANONYMOUS letter, evil
IDENTIFY from mother in Spokane,
who asked him, while in Pullman.
to pray for her sons and daughters,
who were attending college here.
Without buster or excitement, he
besought the assembled people to
live clean lives.
"The best Christian on earth may
at any time loose Christ" declared
the evangelist. "Oh, people, | be-
seech you to have a care. Watch the
trail that you are following The
way of Christ is narrow, and it is
so easy to stray from the way.
when you lend your ear to listen
to filthy yarn you are in danger of
losing Christ; when you degrade
yourself to tell dirty story you
have lost Christ. Watch your mouth
and your ears. If you are a preach
err, or If you are one of the stays of
your church, your tickle heart may
lose you Christ, by one little act of
this kind"
Long before Mr.. Smith had con-
cluded his ardent appeal for the
souls of the people, to take up the
blessings of the simple life as taught
by the Savior, handkerchiefs were in
evidence everywhere. At no time did
he raise his voice to an excited pitch,
but the absolute simplicity of his
truths were by far the strongest APP
peal he could have made
In appearances Gypsy Smith is
very common and is just as he told
the audience, only plain man, who
loved humanity. AS he arose from
his seat and spoke the few words of
his text many were disappointed,
having expected to hear a sermon Of
blood and thunder and He'll. but
after he had spoken a few minutes
in that wonderfully low, musical
voice of his, there was no person
present who could say that they
were disappointed. The greatness
of the man grew with each word that
he uttered, and no one was sorry
that they had listened to his story.
The singing was led by Choirmas-
ter Naftger, but as the audience did
not take part in the singing to the
extent that the evangelist desired. he
stepped to the front of the stage
and asked the audience If he should
sing verse of the hymn himself.
The audience replied with heary
hand clapping and the evangelist
said: I'll sing a verse II you'll
sing the chorus. but mind, if you
don't sing the chorus I'll sing the
verse" Then. TO make sure that the
audience did its part. be had the
chorus sung first, and was SO well !