The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-03-14
THE CITIZEN MAN HEARS
BILLY SUNDAY At HIS BEST
oContinued From Page one.)

In1S gives one the impression lot q
moment that he is gazing into the
faces of an audience of men; but
closer scanning shows that the sexes
are quite evenly divided.
All! The unexpected! To the left,
quite well to the front, is one face
that seems to be familiar. Yes, we
know that man. 1t is a Wayne coun-
ty man. 1t is John S. Welsh, the
Hawley merchant. But attention is
now directed to the platform. Hymn
No. 245 is announced, and almost i'm
mediately thousands of voices unite
in singing,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over lifes tempestuous sea-"
and as the great prayer in song roll
ed forth from the multitude of voices
there came the indefinable and in
describable sense of flying, of be-
ing waited up and away among the
fleecy clouds in the quiet blue of the
heavens.
The Memory of An
ApplauSeless Concert.
Billy Sunday made his own an
nouncements. Among other features
of the week he pressed home the fact
that Friday, (the day this article
in Wilkes-Barre as Mothers Day.
He urged that all people, especially
young people, clerks, students, en-
ployees-wear a white flower or a
white ribbon for mother.
Among the announcements was
one that certain individual who
was present, and whose name the
writer did not catch, would sing an
original composition of his own. A
fine-looking, tall gentleman sang
beautifully. There was something
that seemed familiar about the per-
sonage, but no, had never seen him
before, surely l had not, and so the
singing was enjoyed, and 1 was pre-
pared to dismiss the singer from my
thoughts.
What was the singers name?"
was the inquiry, made in listless,
nonchallant, matter-of-fact way.
I'D. B. Towner," came back the
answering whisper, and immediate
ly somebody sat right up and took
notice; but there was no further
opportunity to look at the man.
Yes, we had previously seen the man,
and had heard him sing. 1t was
thirty-nine years ago this winter and
we saw and heard him in the Pres
a strange experience Mr.. and Mrs
Towner were announced to give a i
concert in Rev. e. o. Wards Presby-
terian church. Both of the Towners
sang beautifully. They sang solos,
duets, and everything else that two
young people with trained, sweet
voices could sing. The audience ap-
preciated what they sang, too, but
for some reason, who shall say why?
no action of applause was made. !
There was no clapping of hands, and
no stamping of feet. Number after
number was rendered, and the sus-
pense became awful. Finally Mr. |
Towner said, If we sing anything
that pleases you, it is requested that
you give no sign of appreciation" or
words to that effect. The rebuke
was stinging, but quietly made. l am
sorry to say the concert closed as it |
opened, without applause; but every
body present felt ashamed, humiliat-
ed and humbled. Nobody could eX-
plain the reason for the action. Sure
ly it was not because they did not
appreciate the efforts of the Town
ers, and that l know, because the
next day heard through the schol-
ars, (I was the teacher), that the
people were all puzzled and genuine
ly sorry. Mr.. ToWner went out into
the world and became famous. Camp
meetings and conventions have sung
his beautiful compositions with Won
derful effect, and one of the bright
est and most effective Christian AL
lance conventions that Scranton ever
held was keyed to his wondrous gos-
pei song,
Years / spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me he died
o Calvary"
Billy Sunday Begins
To Preach His Sermon.
Billy Sunday is middle aged man.
He is of medium height. His hair is
of a brownish shade, and, like the
majority of men, he is beginning to
wear round bald spot on the rear of
his head His actions are very quick, .
and he thinks and speaks quite as
rapidly as he moves. He is in earn |
est all the time-intensely in earn |
est, and he acts out his subject in a
way that makes you see the picture
just as he sees it. At times he will
pound the desk in front of him as
if he were saying as rapidly as he
could, Take that! and that! and
that! and that" ETC., with every
blow uttering some decidedly plain
and telling truth.
Opening his Bible and standing
before the plain little desk that
stood on the platform, Billy announc-
ed for his text a clause from the 25th
verse of the 26th chapter of the Cos
pei of Matthew, Master, is it II"
He began his discourse by declaring |
that the words were uttered just pre-
vious to the greatest tragedy God |
ever saw or the brutality of man ever
countenanced, the murder of Jesus
Christ.
Although ten thousand people |
were present, absolute silence reign !
ed and every eye was directed to-
wards the speakers stand. / have
L n..n.