River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-05-13


the Gregory factory. Students from the
Normal school and professors also,
were among the throng which chit the
sawdust TRAIL
The Courier devoted more than half
its space every day to reporting the
meetings. and religion was the sole
topic of interest in Bronson. Prayer
meetings were held every day in every
section of the city; shop meetings at
noon were addressed by scores Of min
listers and prominent laymen. Bust
ness men who had never before men
toned religion to their associates now
pleaded with them to accept the Chris
sian faith.
Elaborate preparations had been
made beforehand to insure the success
Of the great mems mass meeting that
Sunday afternoon. 1t was a beautiful
winter Sabbath, and Reginald Nelson.
who had remained faithfully at the
press table night after night, sat on
the platform and watched the regi-
ments of men throng into the taber-
nacle. When the multiplied thousands
self, This is an army"
After the opening singing and prayer
Billy Sunday began his address At
the opening sentence he caught the at
tention of all.
II am going to hit right out from the
shoulder today, men," he continued.
God knows l feel kindly toward you
| and that / have no other aim than a
desire to help you Before you leave
the tabernacle hope I shall have con-
| vinced you that l did not come here
today to pump you full Of hot air."
Here the speaker unlooSened his col
lar and tie and laid them on nearby
chair and also removed his coat.
Il am trying to practice what ]
preach" he exclaimed, 'for ] throw
too many rocks at other people to live
! in a glass house. l am trying the best
| know how to tote square"
There was a burst Of applause from
| the audience, and Mr.. Sunday contin-
ned with increasing animation:
II know what it is to work. | lived
on farm in early life, and from nine
years OF age have been doing a mans
work in the world. My father died in
| the war, and my mother was left
widow with a family Of small children.
| tell you | have crawled up out of the
sewers of poverty"
The great army Of men were now lis
tening intently, and the evangelist
plunged into his theme.
81 have been told good many things
about some Of you fellows here in
Bronson" he declared, walking up to
the edge Of the platform and glaring
out over the throng. II know that
some of you go home at night, you old
devils. from places where you wouldn't
| think of taking your wife for all the
world. And you young bucks, I know
about you too. Some Of you go down
| to the haunts Of vice, and If some one
asks you to go to the tabernacle and
| hear Bill you answer, oh, no, he is too
ID vulgar You miserable, little.
tow down wretches, some of you are
so low down that you would have to
| reach up to touch the bottom, and you
are so crooked you could hide behind
| a corkScreW."
These statements evoked roars Of
| laughter and applause, but Reginald
! could see number of young men flush
| as the speaker made these biting re-
marks. and among them was Roland
Gregory, VINO nad attended the meet
| ing for the first time that afternoon.
Il know the fellows who will find
| fault with my talk today" continued
Billy Sunday. Every fellow that is
not toting square, every fellow who is
| lecherous, false, dishonest and mean
will go away from here and cuss me,
| but you men who believe in what is
right and who want to see Bronson
| cleaned up you men who are trying to
| live the right kind of life l know you
are with me. | don't expect to please
| either fools or rascals, and l never
try to.
christianity appeals to strong men,"
| he shouted. 1T is the weak man who
is the sinner. Sin is too much for him.
! The Gospel makes the weak strong"
| Many of the older men in the audi
ence could we'll remember when the
| speakers name appeared daily in the
| papers as the fastest runner in one of
the champion baseball teams in Amer