Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-12-24
Burk and Hobbs at Piedmont.
tFrom the Piedmont Banner)

Piedment people awaited his COM
ing here with something more than a
jealous hope for great revival that
would leave the town BETTER and purer.
This hope was the actuating motive
which drew the churches into union
for the promotion of the union meet
ing; but added to it was the very
natural human feeling of curiosity.
What, asked the people, was the pow
er of this man who, in a six weeks
meeting at Harrisburg, Ills, brought
1,700 men to a decision for better
lives? Aside from his spiritual gifts,
what were the personal qualifications
which rendered him SO successful at
Bismarck, at Bonne Terre, at Flat
River, and at scores Of places in the
South and Southwest? Thus the
people formed questions in their
minds.
The celebrated evangelist, with his
competent helper Mr.. Hobbs, has
now been here almost two weeks, and
air eady evidences of his power over
the minds and feeling of men is mani
fest, and some of the personal quail
tiles of this remarkable man, different
from those OF other evangelists who
have been here, are being apprehend-
el 10 r,ot +.
He "scorches" the hypocrisy Of
people with the incisiveness Of a Sam
Jones; he relates folk stories of the
Southland with the tender pathos of
an Opie Reed; he turns from the
humorous to the pathetic with an
ease that is reminiscent of the one
and only Bob Taylor; he is at home
in any pose or sentiment, and he ac,
companies his aneadotal illustration,
whatever their sentiment, with some
of the histrionic ability of Keene.
Mr.. Burk, in word, is a master of
many Of the chords of that most diff
cult OF all Instruments, the human
heart. He reaches the apex of his
power in persuasiveness, and his
arguments for Christian "decision"
lay hold powerfully upon the con-
sciences of men.
Piedmont has visitors from all the
towns between Bismarck and Will
Evansville attending the meeting. The
big tent is crowded at almost every
meeting.
The zeal of the, church people has
increased from day to day, and there
has been corresponding increase in
interest among those who, because of
sin or for some other reason, are "un-
churched." Numbers of persons go
forward at each call, in expression of
their desire to learn the way of life.
The results Of the preparatory work
are expected soon to crystalize into
many conversions.
Rev. A. B. Hobbs has the choir we'll
organized. There have been good
singers here with other revivals, but
Piedmont has never had a better
choral director. Not alone as gos-
pei song leader does Mr.. Hobbs dis
tinguish himself, but as Mr.. Burk's
lieutenant his help is almost of the
sort to be described as indispensable.
He himself is preacher, and on Sun
day afternoon he addressed a wo-
mems meeting at the Baptist church
on "Great Women" Those who
heard the lecture declare it equal to
the efforts of Mr.. Burk himself.
/ At the same time Mr.. Burk held q
meeting for men at the tent in which
he told the story Of his life, depicting
the depths to which sin and error
lead him, and reciting also his "conf-
| ing to HIMSELF p like the prodigal son
of the scriptures, and his return tc
the old home and to a life of Christian
effort.