Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1915-04-17
4" BILLY" SUNDAY IS
ONE FREE G|VER
Evangelist Seldom SPEAKS cf People
He Aids Privately-left $500
In Bible.
tFrom the New York Americana

Q.)
Much has been said aud written of
what Billy Sunday may or may not
DERIVE III a financial way from his ef-
lOftS, Dut hardly anything concerning
his private charities ever gets into
print
This i because Billy Sunday so
wills il, and his secretary and others
On his personal staff are under strict
orders never 10 discuss this part OF
Billy Sundays work.
so 1t is only through roundabout
channels and from Intimate friends.
Of the beAetic&rica themselves. that
any insight into the charitable side
OF the evangcliat's life iscbtained.
and tHen only in meIGre detail
Bushels of Letters.
Every morning Bently D. Ackley,
the evangelist's secretary, wades
through a brshel Of mail Many of the
letters are never opened, but earnest
efforts are made to glance over all Of
them. One morning one Of the letters
proved to be from q woman who
wrote that she was blind--or a "shut-
IN as she put it. The letter was moi
an appeal for money, and did not even
hint in that direction, but simply stat
ed that the writer had heard from he,
daughter about Billy Sundays wor;
and wanted him to know that every
night she blessed him and prayed for
his success.
Inc letter was written in such
simple, Strai ghtf0rward way that {.
curiosity to sec tie writer took pcs
session Of Billy. He called MA" Sun
IoI OH
both decided to call on the little blin3
woman who had sent him such a kinn
ly message.
His Visit 20 Bind Widow.
They found the nome OF the writer
IT a Philadelnhia side street-for it
was while Billy Sunday was conduct
ing his notwithstanding camDaign in
that city that this inxident occurred
but as the letter had mentioned moth
1ng Of the pOverty-stIicken condition
Of the writer they were hardly pre-
pared for the scene of want and sut-
fering they came upon.
At the top Of a shabby house they
found the blind woman, living in two
rooms with her daughter who was
not in when the Sundays called. Billy
Sunday took in the situation at a
glance. He and MA Sunday thanked
the mother and then Billy sat down
by her bedside and read a CHAPTER
from the New Testament.
BE sure to get your daughter to
read you the next chapter" Billy ad-
Jured the invalid as he and MA"
SUNDAY were leaving. The blind wOm-
an promised aud told her daughter
when she returned from work. That
evening after supper the girl picked
up the Bible to read the CHAPTER to
her mother. and when she opened the
book a $500 bill fell out
Saved Pastors Farm.
The charity Of the Sundays how
ever, is more often extended to those
of their own calling. The Rev. John
Callahan, Protestant chaplain Of the
Tombs and superintendent Of Hadlev
Rescue Hall in the Bowery. has a
farm at Scarsdale- le-on-the-HudsOn. In
some way the Sundays learned that
the Galatians were in a fair way to
lose the farm because Of a mortgage
on it that they were hard pressed to
meet
While the Ca!lallans we're visiting
the Sundays in Scranton, Pa, "Ma"
spoke casually to Mrs. Callahan about
the farm, and bit by bit learned the
whole story, which included the fact
that the mortgage was for S2,7OO.
A few days later, after their return
to New York. Dr.. Callahan was hand
ed letter from Scranton as he stop.
ped at the desk in the Bible Teach
ers' Training School, at No. 541 Lex
1ngton avenue. He opened the letter
as he walked down the Bowery TO-
ward the Mission and found in it a
chech signed by Billy Sunday for $2,-
700.
These are two incidents OF Billy
sundays charities. There are prob
ably hundreds more that the public
will never hear about