The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-05-03
NOTED REFoRngR ADDRESSED
LARGE MASS MEETING
YESTERDAY
Court Theatre Crowded With Men to
near history % a cheekered
Career-Spesks in
ChurchcA


Churches
Ted" Mercer came. he talked 10 a
great multitude OF men yesterday al
ternoon al the Court theatre. and they
wept with him when he told Of his
Ieheckered career OF Down and Out
and Up Again" Nearly a thousand
men stood up when he asked them n
they wanted 10 begin right now" TO
lead better lives. as be brought his
a close.
IL was a great gathering OF men;
the largest since the mems meeting
OF Billy" Sunday. in Wheeling. over
Two years ago. Mr.. Mercer is small IN
statue but he Is strong and long IN
telling OF the curse OF rum: what
whiskey. cigarettes and women ala
FOR him; how he lost position after
position. friends after friend. driven
from home. wandered the streets hun
cry, peniless and homeless. stood ON
the banks OF the East River contsm-
plating suicide; how be was invited
TO the Jerry McAully Mission. Water
street. New York. by one OF the most
notorious ex-crooks in the county.
Mr.. Mercer embraced the Christian
religion. This was in 1904. and Ted"
Mercer Is only a. years old today.
since that time he has spoken TO over
four hundred thousand college men
and as many other men in ali walks
OF life. He has wrought much good
in these IL years
Ted" MERGERS Life.
This tells briefly. very briefly. Of
the lie OF Ted" Mercer. the man who
swayed the big crowd at the Court
yesterday when he told of his lifes
history: opened his very soul TO his
listeners. They sat without move
ment when he recited many startling
parts of his career. and men who have
his declarations. while others wiped
tears from their eyes when he appeal
ed To them that IL was their duty
their God-given duty. to their boys in
10 their confidence and tell them Of
things that boys should know; that
they should make their boys their
comrades. take them To clean
movies, take your boy with you,
make him your companion. l appeal
TO you fathers to do this. it's for your
/ boys sake. exclaimed Mr.. Mercer
with lifted hands at was because
my father did not take me into his
confidence. because | was ignorant OF
things | should know. that | went
down and down. step by step" said
The meeting was opened by sing
ing two hymns. lead by Mr.. Charles
:. Morrison. The Rev. w. C. Hart
niger, followed by DIR. John G. Dickey.
who introduced Mr.. Mercer. whom he
=.
Mr.. Mercer prefaced his remarks
by saying: Il don't claim to be per-
feet. ! am human. | have my faults
and my short comings: my blues
and feelings OF happiness and depres-
sion. | make my slips. but | don't
get drunk. But when | slip am
found with my face TO the cross and
not my back. asking for forgiveness.
What ! don't know would I'LL the Con-
gressional library. ! have no use for
cigarettes and whisky. Whisky is all
right in its place. but its place Is IN
hell j am not dogmatic nor shall 4
use bull dog methods. We have the
saloons on the :un. Never in the his
tory OF the country have they been on
the run as they are today. There are
hundreds OF men who want to sell out
their saloon business today for they
put out OF business. | know this. for
was recently in Cincinnati ana
Louisville" He then told of recently
Visiting the Ford automobile factory
at Detroit. Mich. He said be was
told by Mr.. Henry Ford that since he
had put ban on drinking in mis-
plant his men were able TO turn out
Loco more autos every six months
than when they drank. lie said he
had copy OF a letter written by a
mother TO Mr.. Percy Rockefeller OF
. the Standard oil Company. The
young man was discharged simply be-
cause h. was seen coming out OF n
saloon. Not that he drunk anything,
! but Just because he was seen coming
out OF such a place" declared Mr.
Mercer. He then asserted that he
lcandidly believed that within ten
years that there will not be a licensed
liquor shop in the United States.
II was a drunkard because | was
in sin. ] know a man in Wall street.
: New York. who boasts that he never
I TOOK drink nor smoked a cigar. but
that man has been the cause OF more
young men sent TO the penitentiary
than any one man ! know. | know
lots OF men who never took a drink
in their lives that ] would not trust
around the corner"
Physical Harm From Drink.
Mr.. Mercer. with voice full OF emo
ton, told OF the great physical harm
drink had done him: he spoke fire.
spent so many years OF his life use
Iessly. 1t has been a long while
since ] took a drink God has helped
me quit. but God cannot restore the
nervous system broken down "a
drink. One may extract a nail from
broad, but the hole will remain.
I On. don't think you can do as | have
done. quit and come back. I am one
man out OF 500 who has done so. Shun
snake.
am often asked. DO ! want a
SuIihK' OF course DO: ! am human.
: but ] pray for strength"
lie told about the ending Of three Of
MS boon companions ~ college. They
had thetr Photograph taken in a
group. with whiskev glasses in their
/ hands and Turkish cigarettes in their
NOUNS. One Of these men com
l mitted suicide. blew the ton Of his
7 head on With a gun. ono h. in an in
sane asylum. lost bis mind by Dis
case contracted tn his wild career.
! me other college chum Is diving a
I drunkard's death. and Ted Mercer
stands before You. ! am ashamed of
% hamnd fLnI L L..n -. q H....r..-.I