Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-06-22
EVANGELIST MCLENDON
Cyclone Mack" Tells Story Of His
Life.
REFORMED DRUNKARD and GAMBLER.

I'LL UnmLU DnUNnhnD hND uhmDLLh
Did All Kinds of Desperate and Dis.
reputable Things Until He was 2s
Years Of Age, and Since Then Ha.
Been Growing Famous as an Evan
seIist.
The city Of Anderson has been great
ly stirred for the past few weeks be-
cause Of the powerful preaching OF
Rev. Baxter F. McLendon. The con-
gregations are drawn from the city
and country and according to the
newspapers which are giving a lot OF
attention to the meeting, there are
frequently present from 1000 to 1900
people. The following is from the
Anderson Farmers Tribune Of last
Friday:
Although thunder roared, rain
poured and lightning flashed, great
crowd poured out to hear Evangelist
McLendon Wednesday night.
Rev. John w. Speake. pastor Of St
Johns Methodist church, who opens
the meetings and conducts them until
Little Mack" arrives, said that this
great outpouring on a night like this
Is sufficient proof that our people are
awakened as never before. You are
Drawing the storms to hear the word
of God preached, and God bless you
for your coming"
Evangelist McLendon does not
reach the tent until all the prelimi-
nary services have about been finish
ed. He is a very nervous man and as
soon as he reaches the tent, he jumps
into his preaching as If the altar was
on fire and he was trying to put it out
He is a unique preacher and Is not
only original in all he says, but he is
original in all his acts. No man ever
preached in Anderson and went
through as many acrobatic stunts as
this Cyclone Mack" And no man
ever preached in Anderson who cor
raled the sinners in herds like "Cy-
clone Mack" He Is original any way
you take him and has no set rules
about anything except to hit her
comm and gwine," and he is no re-
spector of persons. One minute he
will be standing in chair with his
knee on the pulpit, another he will be
up among the choir, then another
minute is likely to find him out among
the crowd or at the back Of the tent
among the crowds that can't get in.
No trouble to hear him all right He
has a good, strong voice and whether
he is on the platform or out among
the crowds, his every word Is eagerly
sought and heard.
For the first time Evangelist Nc
Lendon, Wednesday night, told the full
story of his life and in part, it fol-
lows:
When a boy, his parents lived on q
farm, 12 miles from Bennettsville, s.
C. At fourteen years Of age, he ac-
companied his father to tent meet
ing in Bennettsville one night and
then for the first time he felt the Lord
calling him. That night after re-
turning home, he could not sleep; he
was so worried that he began to cry.
This awoke his father, who came into
his room. He told him of his feel
ings and his father said to him: my
precious boy, IL you will only study
to be a preacher, I'll borrow money
and send you to college" The next
evening he told his father he wanted
to go back to hear more preaching,
but as the mules were tired, he de-
cided to walk. He still heard the Lord
calling to him, and at the same time
the devil was clinging to him. The
devil won and he turned his back on
God. Later on he was approached
by a Jewish merchant in BENEFITS
Vile, who asked him to work in the
store on Saturdays. This he consent
ed to do. He caught brother Of the
proprietor watching him, to see
whether or not he was stealing. He
said to himself: Now, bud, you
think you are smart. I am going to
take this dollar bill and buy quart of
Paul Jones'" And he did. Later on
he drifted away from home; he drift
ed from place to place. always making
dives his headquarters. In the min
ing towns in the dives Of New York,
Chicago and all the big cities he
"slung" beer and drinks and gambled
Everywhere he went he felt the Lord
calling him. Back at Bennettsville, he
operated a barber shop as a stall"
His gambling room was in the rear.
He had his fighting game chickens
and bull dogs.
Bennettsville was a great place for
drummers to stop over night and from
them he won most Of his gambling
money. One night the travelling men
did not show up. There was a tent
meeting going on in town and he de-
c.ded he would go up there, he might
find some Of the gang" hanging
around and he could get them to go
back to his shop where they would
have a few games. When he reached
the tent the meeting was nearly over.
AS usual, he was about half drunk
The evangelist seemed to pick him
out as he called for mourners. Coming
to the edge of the tent where he was
standing, the evangelist put his hand
on his shoulder and said: Young man,
your appearance seems to show that
the devil is doing you dirt" That was
all he said. He then beat it home.
Was nervous couldn't sleep. Went to
the closet and got out his bottle and
took a drink Of Three Feathers
That evangelist's face kept in front
Of him and he still couldn't sleep. Next
morning he went down to his shop and
took a drink with a friend that he met
there regularly every morning. They
had two or three drinks together. At
ter a while the other boys Of the shop
came in. He was cussing and kick
ing the negro bootblack around. The
boys asked him what in the world was
the matter. He couldn't Keep his eyes