The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-03
DR.. Slough Hears They
Have Been Inducing
Trail Hitters to Join
Their Churches
HE WARNS THEM
TO STAY AWAY
In His Sermon Last Night Evangelist
Declares That All of City's
Churches. Ministers and People That
Have Any Religion Are With Him

That women have for the past few
nights been working among persons
who hit the trail ait the tabernacle, in
ducing them to join the various churches
of which they themselves are members,
was the statement made last night by
Dr. Slough at the after meeting. The
evangelist loudly denounced such
schemes to increase church membership.
eff | ever find any of you women
around these benches for that purpose
he said, "I1l skin you. !"
The trail hitters must sign cards,
stating their church preferences if they
are not already church members. 1t
has been the indeeision of some of these
converts evidently, which active church
women have been trying to relieve by
suggesting suitable places of worship,
their own for instance.
Wants to Prevent Competition
DIR. Slough has been painstaking from
the beginning, in his efforts to prevent
competition among his cooperating
churches, and particularly to discourage
personal solicitation among trail hitters
by members of churches. In calling for
ushers to distribute the cards to the
converts, he made it clear that he want
ed 'honest - ushers, who would not
hasten to suggest their own churches
when signers of the cards were unde-
cided about stating their preferences.
The plan regarding cards ON which
no church preferences are stated, has
been to distribute them among the CO.
operating ministers according to locali-
ties The ministers then call on the
converts and speak to them concerning
church membership.
What Trail Hitting Does
In justification of trail hitting as
an agency for converting men, DIR.
Slough said in his evening sermon:
christianity is a miracle, and when
you see the changes that come in the
faces of those that hit the trail, you
will believe it, This is no side show
up here. We're doing the biggest busi-
ness in this tabernacle that s ever been
done at one time in Harrisburg. All
this city's churches, all its ministers,
and all its people that have got any re-
ligion are here engaged in savin~ sin
ners. Talk about your courts, VA il
this thing here would go on, we
wouldn t need that sort of business,
We could do everything on the sawdust
trail.
"This religion ism t a thing you put
on with your Sunday clothes, and about
which you We got to be as careful az
woman with her complexion. When
you get this religion it s good for sew.
en- days in the week, and as good in
the middle of the night as in the day
time.
''It keeps fellow straight. Why,
man can't love his wife as he should
until he's a Christian Come and hit
the trail men, and you III fall in love
with your wives all over again. A
man never understands his wife's deep
est heart until they pray out loud to-
gether.
Railroaders Respond to Plea
If you hit the trail tonight, the
appetite for booze will be taken away
from you, you II go home and kiss your
wife, you VI cut out cussing, and you II
get whole new nature. AS you are
now, you ain got no dad. Or to put il
more reVerently, you haven It a place
at the table of the father in Heaven
| say it's worth while to get into
Gods family tonight -
A number of the Pennsylvania rail.
io"l hiVH, VIM Nclc plescHl, cdHe lOr'
ward when the invitation was issued
and knelt with the hundred or more
trail hitters. During the personal
work, it developed than two-thirds of
the Pennsy men present were already
protesting Christians.
Big Bell Presented to Party
As momento of the occasion, the
railroad men presented the Slough
party with a locomotive bell, polished
to the point of reflection The presenta.
tion speech was made by Frank Greg.
ory and the gift was accepted by the
party by each member coming to the
platform and ringing the bell
Tonight will be flower night at the
tabernacle. The bouquets which are
brought will be distributed among sick
persons after the meeting.
Two big nights have been arranged\
for next week. Patriotic night on Thurs
day and Firemen's night on Friday.