Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-25
BLACK REVIVALIST
WILL HAVE A WHITE
AUDIENCE SATURDAY
The Rev. Alexander Will
banks Meetings Attract
ing Big Grow d s-Re-
quests for Reservation of
Large Section of Church.

AiuEobo lOI IN6S6I VI
Large Section of Church.
special sermon for white people
with reservations to accommodate hum
dreds who have asked for chance to
hear bin. will be preached Saturday
night 81 the varick A. NJ. Il. Zion Church,
18th and Catharine streets, by the Rev.
Alexander willbanks, the BLACK Billy
Sunday" Another record-breaking crowd
filled Narick Temple to the doors last
night BY the time wilbanks started
to preach every seat was taken and men
and women, among them more than 100
white persons, were standing in the aisles
OF the auditorium and gallery.
The subject of the sermon last night
was Excuse Me" Owing to tho size of
the crowd, Mr.. Willbanks confined his
acrobatlc demonstrations to the platform.
Again he demonstrated that he could
thrill and sway his people by his sermon
alone without recourse to gymnastics
Tweity-nlne men and women Struck
the pike" at the end Of the sermon. and
filed the two rows Of benches set aside
for nenitents. Many white men and
women participated in the picturesque
singing and praying over the peuttents
after the bulk of the congregation had
gone home. AS usual this ceremony one
OF the most interesting and time-honored
In all negro revivals, continued for more
than an hour.
The fame of the BLACK Billy Sunday"
80 called, has spread to many towns
surrounding Philadelphia, In tho line
that began to form outside the temple
at o'clock last night were people from
various towns in New Jersey. They wait
ed patiently until the doors were opened, |
shortly after o'clock.
"cHAUTAuQUA SALUTE"
The usual two hours of singing follow |
ed. wilbanks last night adopted the !
"Chautauuua salute to the Lord" He
had nearly everybody in the church wav- |
Ing handkerchief when he called for
this salute.
Brighten the Corner Where You Are" !
also has been adopted by the revivnist. as |
Wen as the plan of having one line sung |
by one section, with responses from |
others. The entire congregation Joins in |
the singing. SO far the choir at the |
Church has been small but plans are un- !
der way to form a choir of from three to |
five hundred voices in the expectation that |
larger place will be obtained for the
revival. big enough to hold at least 5000
persons.
EYANGELIsTS STOCK OF STORIES
Willbanks interspersed his sermon last
night with several of his stories Of the
South, as usual He seems TO have an
unlimited supply of them So far those
who have heard every sermon say he has
not repeated once.
He told his hearers last night that Phil
edelphia is full of sand -fiddlng Chris
uans Then he explained that at Gal
weston. Tex, large number of people
may always be found on the beach who
in the sand
The story of man who apologized to
. mule related by the evangelist con-
vnlsed his audience. He declared relig-
fon can make man do anything.
You know how some men hate mules"
ne said Well, there was man down
South who had a mule. The man was
stubborn and the mule was more stub
Dorm The man said Gee, and the mule
wouldn't pay any attention. Finally the
man jumped up on that mules back and |
BIZ piece out of his ear The mule 5
threw MIN on and jumped ON him.
AIter a while that man got religion
ne thought 1t over while, and then ne {
Went to his mule and said, Please, Mister J
Muie' forgive me. I'm sorry l bit off [
yeur ear" And | guess the mule for
gave him. because he didn't lash out with I
his heels" Y
ATTACKS SALOON AND POOLROOM v
tWillbanks again went after the liquor t
dealers last night and also included the j
poolroonis. lie said there are between I;
|, 900 and $1,000 Negroes in this city not y
members of any church. Then he declared I
as doesn't care rap for the politicians, $
whom he accused OF exploiting the Negro =
or his vote. He says he will get after u
hem all. o
The revivalist went after the "people d
fho can't walk straight In the streets of ;,
philadelphia while they're talking of |.
reading the golden streets of Heaven" -
Re said some of them would never get -
here, and If they did they'd steal the 81
ol1en paving blocks ~
t-Some people talk of going to Heaven oi
J sit by the side OF the Lamb" he said.
fhey won't get there. Where they'll 20
aerei y be some other kind of a lamb. a
off In lambs coat. You all know A
here that is. It's hell.
"GETTING RELIGION"
Two women collapsed when the evan. tit
alist reached the climax of his sermon. on
arionsly, all OF those who faint, or seem ch 81,
= at the negro revival recover without is
e services of physician, even without
drink of water in many Instances. with ~
.rdiy an exception, each adopts the Eli
me method. The Negroes call 1t get m,
lg religion" in line with the evan /
lists dietum that II religion doesn't tn
eve ones hands or feet or make one sci
10 gets II shout he hasn't got a. en-
The convert jumps up waving her arms an
q shFeklng She dances ecstatically, ha
aging and praying. and then half falls. de
II dives backward overs the bench is
ek. The only attempt at resuscitation We
2 fan II rarely takes the convert more lin
At rev minutes TO revive, and so far ! do
one has been injured. Vii
N appeal for funds has been issued nv
z Rev Sylvester l.. Corrothers. pastor
4arlek Temple He declares the negro
aple are poor and Il will be impossible | ~.
set larger place for the revival To Cll
sommodate those anxious to hear Will
'sks unless philsnthropic white people +
be'