Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-10-13
The Two Days Meeting of Gideons
Closes With Splendid Gath
ering in the Methodist
Church.
LOCAL ORGANIZATION FORMED
Banquet, Campfire, Etc.-How the
Gideon Movement Started
Fifteen Years Ago.

The Gideon convention held in
this city Saturday and Sunday clos
ed Sunday night with splendid
meeting at the Methodist church. A
good attendance was marked feat
ure of the meeting and especially no.
ticeable on account of the rain.
One of the finest things about the
holding of the convention in this
city was the fact, not generally re-
allied, that state convention of
the order was held in a town which
had no local camp or organization.
Webster City has never had an Or
ganization until during this conven-
tion, when one was organized with
the following officers elected: Presi-
dent, j. w. Let's; vice-president, N.
F. Christensen; secretary and treas
urer; w. B. Dodge, and chaplin, j..
L. Peterson. Five new regular men,
bers Joined also and one associate
member. The association has total
of eleven members in this city and
is now actively launched upon the
work
Enthusiastic meetings were held
all day Saturday, and banquet was
given at the M. E. church in the ev-
ening at which over one hundred
were in attendance. A fine repast
was served by the 1auies of the
church and the tables beautifully
decorated in fall flowers, zinnias, as
ters, and dahlias, together with
vines used most effectively upon the
tables. F. Willis jerks of Water
loo, well known live man of the
road, was POSTMASTER, and five re-
sponses by as many different travel
ing men were given. After the ban
quet, a spirited campfire was held,
concluded by short two minute talks
on Gideon hopes and experiences in
which all present Joined.
On Sunday morning at least one
Gideon representative was present
in each of five local churches and
presented the plan of the movement,
it's purposes, etc. At the Congrega-
tional church one of the speakers
gave the story of the origin of the
Gideon movement. He said that one
night in BOscabel, Wis, in May.
1899, John Nicholson went to a ho-
tel and was unable to find room
alone, the hotel being full, and was
compelled to occupy room with s..
e. Hill. AS they were retiring, one
told the other that he was in the
habit Of reading a chapter in the
Bible and offering short prayer.
To his surprise, the other gentleman
was also in the habit of nightly de-
votions. They read their chapters
and prayed together and expressed
surprise that each was a Christian.
Neither had ever suspected the 9TH
er of being a Christian man. Both
then expressed a desire that there
might be some distinguishing mark
by which men of the grip might
know each other when on the road.
AS result three men hese two and
W. J. knights, all Of Wisconsin,
met in July of the same year in
Janesville and organized the Gideon
band. The name was not chosen at
the time and the three men knelt in
prayer, waiting for an inspiration
for the name. At last one man
thought of the Gideon of the old
scriptures and the movement was
thus named. This was fifteen years
ago and the 18th annual convention
was held in this city Sunday ...
Thirty-six delegates were in the
city Saturday and Sunday and one
national officer, the national presi-
dent, A. B. T. Moore of Cedar Rap
ids, having held that position for six
terms. At every church collections
were taken or there was a free will
offering for the buying of Bibles in
the Gideon movement. Approx
mately $40 was taken in during the
day.
At the Methodist church Sunday