The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
Mysterious Power of Former Baseball Player Who in
Philadelphia Recently Aroused 4OO 900 Persons
to Daily Prayer and Hymn Singing

SPAR, whereby they might be- assured
of immortality by trusting in Gods
mercy as though they We're little chill
dren. Given man OF energy and
strength of mind and body: set him
ailame with this consuming idea. and
nothing short OF death itself can stihe
his spirit, halt his progress This was
Billy Sundays position.
When the former baseball fielder first
began to preach he sought hearers in
small towns and villages of Iowa. III
nois and Wisconsin having a popula-
ton of from 900 to 1000. For added
to his fiery self on the platform is an
other self-that of shrewdness common
sense, in practical matters. He knew
years or practice were needed before he
was fitted to play baseball with the
White Sox. And ne realized that other
years of earnest effort would be needed
before he was fitted to play the Lords
game on the Lords team" before tens
and scores of thousands. SO he went
about the smaller villages and towns
ana little by little Crystallized in his
mind the idea which more recently has
made him known from one end OF the
continent to the other.
From the beginning furthermore, has
Deen growing the opposition to his
methods of eXhortatiou, to his wild i'm
agery, his almost unhe .ievable slang,
the familiarity with which he addresses
the Almighty, the vchemenCe with
which he attacks the devil the vitupera-
ton and sCorn with which he over
whelms those who he thinks need to he
sCarified. Multitudes of rcverent men
and women are violently shocked. their
most sacred ideals are outraged, by what
| Billy Sunday says and the way ne
says 1t.
For a decade religious papers have
| attacked or defended this evangelist
Some OF the most eminent clergymen in
the land are among Billy Sunday $
! strongest opponents: others, equally
eminent, are among his strongest up
| holders In all the turmoil of discussion
Sunday himself goes right along in thu
path he has blazed. Let 'em fight. II
they want to-God and are playing on
the same team" That seems to be his
attitude.
A number Of years ago Fred b. Smith
then head of religious work OF the In.
ternational Committee of Young Mems
| Christian Associations. was speaking
before a great audience In, city of the
middle West.
II any other enterprise were con.
Quoted with the careless, s.ipshoc
methods which mark the avera &,
church." he said, LIT would he in tn,
hands of a receiver within six months
Everybody is talking about the need Of
carrying religion into the world OF bust
ness. That's all right; but what
should like to see would be a little bust
ness sense carried into religious work
1t is possible that Billy Sunday hap
pened to read Mr.. Smiths words A
any rate, before long he began to pu
common sense business methods int
his own religious work. From tina
time on he made no attempt to gail
a hearing in one town or another.
II a community wanted him to con
duct an evangelistic campaign the com
munity not merely had to say so but |
had to guarantee in advance all the eX
pepses of himself and his associates
Furthermore, enough money had to b.
raised to build "A tabernacle seating ten
fifteen or twenty thousand persons
choir of from 500 to 900 voices had L
be organized. Lights, heating, ventila
ton, furniture, had. to be provided, al
well as hymn books, &c The initial eX
pense varies according to the com
, munity. but 1t Is said that on an. averag
from 100000 to 900 Is required 70
. a campaign OF six weeks.
A large part of this money is sub
: scribed in advance; most of the re
mainder is received in offerings at tn
meetings. where frequently so muc
is handed out by the audience that tn
I cash is collected in dishpans, basket
! and like receptacles. Mr.. Sunday take
= along with him a considerable compan
? Of assistants, and these are paid sal
: aries. For his support and theirs, in
: Guiding hotel and incidental expenses
= collection is taken up at the fina
4 meeting of the campaign. 1t has bee
r said that sometimes the final collectio
e approXimates 10000,
e Not few sincere men and wome
believe that Sunday is simply running
hppodrome In the gulse of religion
. His uphoders however, are correspond
a ingly uncompromising In defence Of hi
o methods. The lines are drawn strict!
d But Sunday goes on, not sereney-fo
o that would be Impossible In the case {
!. such an earthquake In human form
@ yet none the less strenuously
4 Nothing daunts him. His aim In Sc
Journing in city Is 10 compel the al
n tention OF the entire community;
3 make men and women and childre
e think Of what he has 10 say as God
messenger to them; and. furthermor
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