Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1915-03-27
SUNDAY LEAVES
PHILADELPHIA IN
GREAT TRIUMPH
Four Services esterday and
1858 Pledges Themselves to
Live Better Lives.
SIXTY THOUSAND AT
FAREWELL SERVICES

Evangelist Closes Greatest Revival
in His History-Sawdust, Tin Pans,
Bunting and Flags are Carried Off
as Souvenirs-Ye esterday's Contri-
buttons Went to Phi.adeiphia's
Poor.
The biggest single day in the big
SeSt revival the country has ever
known was Billy Sundays farewell
to Philadelphia.
-Four times Sunday the evangelist
preached TO audiences that overflow
ed the tabernacle, some $4,000 being
the days total. -Four times he called
1or converts and reaped a total Of L.
800 for the day. This number repre-
sents the actual number who signed
converts cards, though it represents
only a portion OF those who came
down and shook his hand
The number OF converts for the IL
weeks of the campaign totals ALTA.
SO far as results go, the country has
never seen anything like it. 1t not
only beats Billy Sundays record, but
that OF every modern evangelist.
So much for the figures. The tab
ernacle forgot them yesterday The
workers forgot to count in the whirl
and hubdub Of the farewels, the ova-
tlons and greetings that these 10000
persons heaped upon the little re,
Vlvalist who arrived here some 80
days ago.
: Audiences Stay Till Last.
-Four audiences went wild at his
nrst appearance and four audiences
stubbornly refused to leave the tab
ernacle until the evangelist himself
left the platform. Eleven weeks had
wound him around their hearts un.
TIL the hearts bled when he was torn
away.
Men and women pulled down signs
from the tabernacle posts and carried
them away. They scooped up big
handfuls Of sawdust from the shadow
or the pulpit, filled their pockets and
tnelr handkerchiefs with it and car
rled 1t home. They took the tinpans
which have gathered the tabernacle
offerings! they tore the bunting and
iiags from about the rostrum, the
hover from the pulpit. They carried
away everything loose that could
serve as memento Of the cam
paign.
Last night, while 1900 men in the
cnolr sang Goo Be WITH You Till
WE Meet Again." 1000 ushers, door.
keepers, policemen, fremen and 9TH
ers who have worked in the taber-
nacle day and night since January 3
hied past the evangelist like trail
hitters and gripped his. nand until it
was swollen and knotted at the Joints.
AT the court services they piled
some $4,000 into the collection pans.
thinking it was their final gift to Bill
ly Sunday. The committee had an.
nouDced that the days Offering would
go to him, personally, but the reyiy-
alist would not have it so.
Every cent you give today" he
said, goes to the poor Of Philadel-
phia.' And SO the committee ac-
quiesced.
Gets Draft for s51,136.s5.
Before he left the city, however,
the committee turned over to the evan
gelist a draft for $51,136.S5, the re.
suit of the free-will Offering which
Philadelphia gave to Billy Sunday. 1t
1s the largest offering he has receiv-
ed In any city.
There came last night to bid him
farewell representatives of 400
churches Of the city and a represent
atlve Of the city itself to thank him,
The Rev. DR.. George II. Buckley, vice.
chairman of the Sunday campaign
committee, speaking for the churches
which invited Sunday here, said he
had brought a crisis to the city and
to the state"
Cyrus D. Foss, Jr., secretary to
Mayor Blankenburg, spoke for official
Philadelphia.
philadelphia is today different
city from Philadelphia of last De-
cember," he told the evangelist. AS
4 token of his own appreciation. Mr..
Foss said he would chit the trail',
with the other converts, and he did.
AT the close of the meeting he nnarch.