The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-11-16
GYPSY SMITH
Being an Account Of the Evangel-
ist Who is Stirring Up the State
ev a. 4. vERkcs
Seattle, Wash, Nov. 1O

oV -. ~ vEWNG8
Seattle, Wash, Nov. 10, 1911
AS very few of your readers ma,
get an opportunity to see and hea
G1psy Smith, the great evangelist
who has just concluded series o
meetings here and will be heard else
where in the state, possibly it ma.
interest them to know what on,
who has heard him without prejudice
for or against, may think of him.
Gypsy comes like John the Bap
tist. as one Crying in the Wilder
ness" clothed in righteousness, but
not in the skins of wild animals
not Gypsy. He wears good clothe!
and he stops at the best hotels
And II l am not nightly mistaken
he has fOndness for the good eats
But this is not to his discredit.
Gypsy is the product of England
that portion of England where they
take their religion seriously; where
they know the Bible from one end
to the other; for the reason that
they are compelled to read it COM
Ing and going. as a means of punish
ment when the child feels the chastan-
ing rod and on Sunt'y when they
are good, and cveA whlst!ng IL sin.
The Welch are seriously religious
people, and this rigidity reaches over
into parts of England. Gypsy is a
product Of that part.
His parents were gypsies, the
kind we used to see way back east
forty or fifty years ago. The dark,
swarthy kind, whose men traded
horses and spoke the peculiar dialect
of Romany, while the women with
large rings in their ears told fortunes
in their vans along the roadside. 1t
was in this environment that Gypsy
Smith was born. But out of the
usual run of things his father be-
came deeply religious and from
his childhood up. Gypsy Smith has
been a devout follower of the
Lowly Nazarene.
When but youth he became at
tracted to the methods of the Sal
walton Army and enlisted under that
flag. 1t was from the Salvationists
that he acquired his successful meth
ods of winning converts to his cause,
and he certainly does win them, as
was attested here, where thousands
came to scoff and remained to pray.
1t came about that Gypsy's popularity
became so great that upon an oc-
casion some appreciative followers pre-
sented him with watch. This COM
ing to the ears of Gen. Booth Of the
Salvation Army, he asked the re-
cipient to return the gift, as its ac-
ceptance was contary to the rules
and regulations of the army. But
Gypsy clung to his time piece and
sent back his resignation instead.
Since that time he has preached
his way around the world, in all
countries and climes. And he has
always found an audience awaiting
him in a receptive mood. And ne
has always successfully swayed that
audience and brought 1t to its knees
in contritiOn and prayer. His Is
wonderful power of persuasion. Ihe
timbre of his voice s"a'nS TO str'Ke
q tender chord, as does that OF Com
mander Eva Booth !;is methods arc
peculiarly Salvation Army. FIRST
comes the singing of the swinging
tunes. with which everyone Is fam
iliar. and by the way Smith has
wonderfully sweet singing voice
Then comes the attack on the sinner
II is not coarse or sensational NJ
tack such as Sundays, neither Is II
uratolical or .,igh toned. II Is direct
forceful, but yet simple. And theh
the speaker turns to the pathetic by
the recital of some story that DrihsS
tears This he follows up by MS ih'
vitation, and here his soft persuasive
voice, his energy aud enthusiasm
comes into full play and the hardes'
heart is melted and seeks solace IL
the inquiry room, though thousands
are there to take note.
1t is altogether wonderful this man
ner of bringing the sinner to re
pentance. Thousands upon thousahd'
were turned away from the doors. uh
able to get into the big building
during the week, and those VINO ai'
get In fairly fought for the privilege
1t was something like the old tim'
reyiyals, and yet different. for !"
did not partake so much OF the per
sonal persuasion. One man did a