The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-05-26
From The Daily Item, May "a.


Bob Jones has preached the last
sermon OF his remarkable thirty-day
campaign for saving souls in this city.
the big choir has sung it's last song,
the mammoth tabernacle has held its
final vast throng, sitting with eager
expectant faces and open ears TO
catch the words of hope and en-
couragement from the lips OF a man
with one purpose in life. to win
souls for his Master; Sumter has bid
It's official farewell to the Bob Jones
party. Perhaps the spirit of this re-
luctant farewell Is best summed up in
the brief sentence utter by Rev.
Truesdale, OF Trinity Methodist
church. when he said: Sumter will
never forget the voice of Bob Jones,
nor will she ever forget the illustra-
tion furnished by the Bob Jones party
of what consecrated experts in
Christian work can accomplish"
Three vast audiences, swelled by
delegations from nearby towns and
from the rural communities, heard
Mr.. Jones preach morning afternoon
and evening Yesterday. and had the
pleasure of participating i'm the giving
OF free will Offering to the evangelist
as an expression of appreciation of
his services rendered in this city dur
ing the past thirty days. At the morn
Ing service s1.193.S5 in subscriptions
and $273.12 In pan offerings were col
lected for Mr.. Jones, making the to-
tai Offering for the morning ST.
42O.s7 and at both the afternoon and
evening services good offerings were
received. While the total amount re-
ceived has not been ascertained yet.
II Is understood that Sumter's Offering
will compare favorably with any COM
pensation given MIR. Jones by a city
OF the same size as Sumter. Consid-
ering the fact, too. that such large
per cent. of the population with which
Sumter Is credited. is colored, the
handsome Offering which this city
made to the evangelist is all the more
remarkable. One of the interesting
facts in connection with the Offering
was the large number Of moderate
amounts received. showing that IL was
indeed free will Offering, and that
more or less everyone participated in
the giving. In accordance with what
their circumstances warranted.
Mr.. Jones preached three gripping
sermons under great difficulties yes
terday. AT the morning and evening
services seats were at a premium, tho
Tabernacle being packed to it's ca
pacity at each service. every avail
able bit OF space being pressed into
service. and many crowding about the
doors and windows. striving to hear
these final messages. At the after
noon service, for men only. the largest
gathering of men assembled i'm Sumter
filled the Tabernacle to its full seating
For blocks down each OF the streets
crossing at the Tabernacle corner au-
stretched in an endless pro-
cession, and it required a detail OF
three policemen To keep the traffic
straight and to prevent confusion
among the throngs that came from
every direction to the services yester-
day. A special delegation from the
Manning Bible Glass. who spent the
day i'm, Sumter as the guests of the
Wesleyan Mcleod Bible Class of Trim
ity Methodist church. marched with
the Trinity church men to the Taber-
nacle for the morning service and at
tended the afternoon service for men
only. also. a special train from Cam
dne brought a big crowd. and other
narby towns furnished delegations
which came on tho regular trains and
in buggics and automobiles. With n
solld mass OF humanity packed in the
and the temperature OF a
hot summer day to start with. Mr..
Jones needed tO summon all of his
wonderful energy and powers of en-
durance To his aid to keep him from
breaking down under the strain yes
terday. A rain which started short
while after the beginning of the morn
ing service gave the evangelist an en-
forced. hut needed interval of rest.
After he had again resumed the
thread of his sermon. the rain began
once more To pour. but this time Mr..
Jones announced he would finish with
out keeping the audience longer wait.
ms Tor the dowDpOur 10 cease.