The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
BILLY SUNDAYS MEETINGS.
An Eyewitness who Saw Incidents Not
Generally Reported.

Generally Reported.
To THE EDITOR or TUE SuH-Sir: A
| friend and myself, moved by the news
! paper accounts of Billy Sundays evan
/ gelistic exploits In Philadelphia. went over
to that city the ,ther evening to see the
| former baseball player shoe tho devil out
of Philadelphia. To us, good Methodsts
! though we are, the whole spectacle was
disgusting. although we CONFESS to HAVING
/ been highly amused. We occupied advan-
/ tageous seats and could see this so-called
| man of God from every angle. The place
| was crowded. a study OF the crowd con-
| WINGED us that those who came remained
| TO scon and not to pray.
Near us sat a delegation OF young men
| who made the objects Of their. prayerful
\ devotion bevy OF young girls who Occur
| pied seats In front OF them When the
| audience started to sing the young men
I launched forth in tones loud enough to
J be heard by hundreds OF people that we'll
known refrain How Dry | Am Nobody
Knows How Dry | Am" Everybody who
heard the song giggled and laughed. The
girls appeared to enjoy II as much
| their admirers. Al one incident OF the
hymn that was sung by the audience two
OF the young men started to do the tango.
The effect was contagious, judging from
the number of others whose bodies swayed
TO and fro TO the tune OF the hymn.
We were particularly amused by the
HtlnOuS eTnplOycu Dy bllly IN making con-
verts. or, as he terms IL, hitting the saw
dust trail" In old time Methodist reviv-
ais the penltents were led to the altar or
went there at their own voition Not so
with Billy.
There was no examination OF ones past
deeds, no solemn act of dedication. no
prayer, and consequently no sorrow or
promises to God to do better. There was
IA handshake, smile. Such is Sundays
method OF salvation. As far as the eyes
could reach men sat chewing tobacco and
eNpectoratinR upon the sawdust. Some
ate peanuts and popcorn purchased from
the takers outside. II was more like
a circus than a soul saving meeting
\ handshake with Billy is sufficient
unto salvation according to the pulpit eth
les Of this itinerant pulpit mountebank.
NV friend and I watched the whole spec
tacle with feelings OF sorrow for such a
man. who for the Lords own sweet sake
breaks chairs, tears of his collar and
necktie, dances and raves like maniac.
makes use OF talk that reeks OF the gut
ter takes the Bibles most beautiful
stories. strips them OF their sacredness.
vulgarizes them with the slang OF the
slums talks TO and Of Jesus Christ in the
language OF the longshoreman.
As, for instance. using telephone,
Hello. God. this Is -" An indescrib-
able shock came to us when Billy In the
midst OF "A prayer burst into a sardonc
laugh, jumped up from his kneeling pos
ture and said to the devil "Ha ha old
man, you're up against Il now. Come on
you----" Here he assumed the attitude
OF a prizehghter and punched AT an imag-
mary devil
Personally I doubt whether any good
will come Of these evanEelistic perform
ances II religion Itself becomes irrever-
ent, how can It teach man reverence,
which Is the very life OF religion? After
Sunday has decamped from Philadelphia.
taking wi'h him his well filled money
bags, II Is doubtful whether those who
hit the trail" will ever see the inside of a
church. No one should Judge Sundays
success by the size OF the crowds that go
to hear him. Thousands go to see this
man and laugh AZ his efforts.
After We left Sundays cIrcuslike meet
ing another shock awaited us. As the
hundreds OF persons filed out of the many
exits from the Tabernacle we noticed
that the men made straight for the sa-
looms, several OF which are IN the neigh
borhOod. The thirsty "hit the trail"-the
trail that ended at the brass rail. Here
was "A jocular situation, to say the least.
II consistently proved to Us that a major
ity OF those who went IN hear Sunday did
so out of curiosity
The several saloons were doing a land
office business. Two Of them had addi-
tions built to their bars and all of them
had extra bartenders to serve the crowds.
which stood four deep. At one of the
saloons the line extended from the curb
10 tine front ,ioUi.
The inconEruty OF the thing caused
much laughter from those who waited to
quench their thirst when the city proper
was reached. No doubt these saloon keep
ers would be willing to pay Billy "A bonus
to remain the rest OF the year.
There is one sure thing about Bnly, he
separates the crowd from their dollars,
reiCiously and successfully
LUTHER r. DAVIS.
NEW YORK. January %.