The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-15
1924 HIT TRAIL
AT FIRST CALL
IN PATERSON
Girl of 10 Is First to Re-
spOnd to Sundays Per-
spring ExhortatiOns.
MA PUSHES INTO JAM
TO LEAD CONVERTS

PATTERSON, ~. D., hprli lf--ror an
hour. for perhaps more than that, Billy
Sunday Numbered his gospel tonight
TO thousands and thousands-almost
1000 had been turned away when even
tho trails had been filed with women
sitting tailor fashion In the sawdust--
when abruptly he closed his eyes and
prayed in a horase voice. And then he
called to the crowd to come forward ana
hit the trail
Ushers. who knew that when lie began
the prayer B.lley would make this hrst
call to his hearers. hurriedly cleared
away the women sitting In the sawdust
directly beneath where Billy stood with
closed eyes. exhorting, shouting to God
and man, the sweat pouring from hin
as he swayed.
who'll come down here and give me
his hand and tell me, I'll live for Christ
the best l know how? Come on--come
on and give me your hands" cried Billy.
and there was stir.
The Rev George Mooney. william Ar
mold, the Rev Edward Einett OF the
sunday party. Fred Seiber, the ushcrs---
all pressed into the crowd.
Come on--come to me- Billy was
saying. and he waved them toward him
with swoops of his arms. Who'll lead
tho way? How many will grasp my
hand and say they'll make Jesus their
saviour? How many will let Jesus into
their lives? Come on-come'
Lord, Lord. for n week we have
labored in Paterson and we haven't
asked any one yet How many will
como to Jesus? How many will make
Z known"
stand on Benches.
A Rirl a young girl. wedged her way
out of the crowd eagerly. y woman
with a little girl beside her followed
after. Out into the press Billy's wife.
her dark eyes shining eagerly. worked
her way and grasped the arm of an
eldeRay woman blind and lame, and led
her forward
A trapdoor In front OF where Billy
stood was raised. He went down the
steps beneath the little trapdoor nimbly
and reached toward the groups OF girls
and women being led 10 him by his
workers. The press gallery was stand
ING on Its pine desks TO get better
view. Far In the rear men and women
stood on the benches by the hundreds
TO glimpse what was going on.
The great choir of more than 1000
sang steadily and Billy's lips moved
rapidly In prayer when he wasn't crying
70 the crowd to come TO God
Almost up TO the first cry he gave
to the crowd to come forward he was
not sure that the hour hath come" TO
ask them. And he fought 70 get them
forward harder than ever he fought
before, persons who had seen him do the
same thing before said. and more time
was needed to get them.
'Just as I Am" sang the choir per-
sistently through the commotion. Just
AZ I Am Without one Plea. Save That
Thy Blood Was Shed For Me-
A pretty young girl wearing a tailored
suit Of gray and with tiny rosebuds rim
ming her tiny hat dropped into front
seat A young woman In black ana
carrying n black hat In her hand went
TO a chair beside her. But as the
woman In mourning was about To sit
down she reached forward and lifted
the gray clad girl toward her They
spoke of something that could not he
heard amid the shouts of Billy and the
steady chanting OF the choir,
3.s hit the Trail.
The pretty girl in the natty .ailored
suit Kissed the young woman in black
ard sank down into her chair again,
sobbing. For twenty minutes her bosom
rose and fell convulsively while she
twisted her damp little handkerchief in
her hands as the hymns wen, on and on
and Billy shouted and prayed.
A middle aged man was the first Of the
men 10 come forward. Groups OF girls
mad preceded him. He sat IN the front
row calmly. When quiet had come
again 1, was learned tina, he was local
pastor, the Rev. William A. Littell OF
the United Presbyterian Church of Pat
c-son. The first OF all to come forward
was Miss Agnes Dejong Of Paterson.
who said she was 10 years DID, a mem
her OF the Baptist Church and worker
IN a shirt factory here.
IT left my father and mother back
here" she said. indicating where they
stood mo, they didn't come forward"
She gets 81 week. she added. No.
she never had gone on strike--'not yet"
as she put it.
At the end OF half an hour 324 trail
hitters were sitting in the benches
cleared for them. or these ffty-six were
men, II half dozen youths in their
teens" may be counted as men
stand up" screamed Billy. stand
up and repeat what ! say. say II after
me.
'T accept" he shouted, and they
stood and said the words In chorus after
him. II accept Jesus Christ as my Sa-
viour."
He wiped his dripping face FOR a mo-
ment and painted, Then he closed his
eyes and while they stood he prayed for
them, prayer in which he told God he
knew that God would bring thousands
into the fold during the revival here.
As he prayed women sobbed.
Billy and VIA Both Happy.
In moment all was system and
method again. Up and down the long
pine benches where the trail hitters were
grouped passed ushers and other cam
paign workers with cards on which were
dotted lines for names. addresses. tho
names of pastors and lines for church
preferences.
Billy had worked twice as long TO
bring his first Paterson converts for