The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-17

book. "1f Parsons can do it, others
cam" concluded the speaker.
Miss Carrie S. Pond Of ST. Paul,
state superintendent, spoke in the
recognition exercises for teacher
training graduates. She gave some
advice to the graduates, advising
them to follow closely the teachings
Of Christ. On behalf Of the Mime
sofa Sunday school association. she
presented the graduates with diplo,
mas. The name of DR.. H. G. Beise,
busy man, was applauded The
class advanced to receive the diplo-
mas. The song of conservation fol
lowed.
Those who have taken the course
were asked to stand. and did so.
Mr. Sellers rendered solo in his
artistic manner.
Adult Bible Glass Movement.
". C. Pearce gave IN address,
Adult Bible Glass Movement in
North America" which was illus
trated by stereOpticOn views. The
speaker asked all strangers in the
city to rise. and almost everybody
in the audience arose. 1t seemed as
though there were scarcely dozen
MankatO people in the audience, out
size the chorus.
Mr.. Pearce said that the lecture
could be given in any of the Sun
day schools. Ii was very interesting,
as showing how widespread the Bible
class movement has become Scores
OF pictures showed large classes in
various cities, in shops, mines, on
the plains, in foreign countries, etc.
II was a most inspiring sight for
those in the work. Some of the larger
classes shown were those at Cairo,
H.. the Canton, Ohio, class, with
over 1000 members, Sunday school
with over 5000 and church with over
1000: Rochester, n. Y, Bible class
of 957; Corinth, Miss, with over
900. The Chicago Gideons were
shown. and the speaker gave letters
to these Gideons from little boy
whose father had been led from a
drunken life, and from a young girl
who had been saved when on the
brink of ruin, when one more step
would have been fatal. AS this young
girl was in hotel room in Chicago
she opened one of the GideOns' BIZ
bles in a joking spirit, but it opened
at Psalm 20 and she read it and
was so impressed that she was
saved. The audience at this point
joined in singing this Psalm
Various types of the classes were
shown, including the first of the
! Baraca classes, organized at Baraca,
the first AgOga class, the first class
of the Loyal Sons, organized at Oak
land, Cal, class of $50 women at
Portland, Ore, the biggest woman's
class in the Loyal movement in the
world. A class OF 100 Japanese at
! Victoria, B. c., was shown, and Mr..
Pearce said that here was the So
luton OF the yellow peril as it is.
! A cowboy class on the western
plains was shown, with a college
graduate as leader. Before the class
was organized the cowboys were in
the habit Of riding around the church
and breaking up the services by
shooting. Twenty-Five were organ
/ lied into a class, and an old sinner
said scOffingly that he would be the
/ fftieth member, predicting that it
would not be possible TO get i'm forty
nine. Another said he would be the
fOrty-eighth. The cowboys accepted
the challenge and got forty-eight
members, and when the two old sim
ners were led into the church there
was a great demonstration.
! A class among the sailors on the
battleship Louisiana was shown, and
also classes among the old veterans
OF the Civil war, both Union and
India were shown.
Increase Sunday School Attendance.
! Mr.. Pearce said chat there are now
100000 more men in the Sunday
schools than there were five years
ago. The saloons had been put ont
OF business in some places where the
men had strongly organized into the
{ Bible classes. God help the church
and open places to go to it and close
the saloons and organizing Bible
classes will do it quicker than in
any other way. If you drive out
the saloons in Mankato, the savings
banks will take their places, and a
membership of 1000 in your mems
clubs would do it," said Mr.. Pearce.
THE churches have TOO long left
to others to provide plays for rec
reation. The day is at hand when
the church must guide the play.
Many of you people seek worldly
amusement because you cannot get
any other kind. Many a time when
boy ate green apples all day
and wished / had not all night"
One picture showed a town where
the saloons had been driven out,
and showed a savings bank on a
corner where a saloon had formerly
stood. Several times during this lee
ture, songs were sung. When the
pictures of the Bible classes among
the sailors and old veterans were