The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-01-30
Religious Mork f.;


Inv tFaNcttH8 (uaPot
To further the missionary work in
country and isolated districts where
there are no Protestant churches the
Baptists are about to institute an
evangelical method Of preaching. which.
while not altogether new In this coun-
try. win be an innovation in itinerant
preaching and open up many districts
comparatively unknown, especially In
the western and southwestern parts Of
the country. The travelling chapel
which has at intervals been used by
different denominations, win solve
many OF the difficulties now encounter
ed by the missionary in sparsely set
tied districts and VIII enable him to
establish church centers, which were
n practical impossibility when depend
Ing upon the limited chain Of railway
systems. Districts which have never
seen q church will be Travelled over
ohd organized into congregations. and
rural sections which have had church.
es but have forgotten them because Of
the imp~ossibility in procuring ministers
will once more be provided for and
kept In touch with the government Of
the church.
The travelling chapel" while not
new In this country, Is comparatively
unknown because Of its use only In the
least populated states, and the difnculty
OF procuring the money and mission
aries. 1t Is said to have had its incep-
ton In Russia, where the Greek church
has established several chapel cars on
the Siberian railroad. Seeing one Of
these cars, Bishop Walker of the Epis-
copal church was the first to use one
In this country, and he turned 1t later
Into a roadside chapel. which ultimate
ly became a permanent church.
The chapel car looks quite like her
workaday sisters Of the day coach
family and is always neatly painted in
order that 1t will not detract from the
appearance Of the trains Of the rail-
road companies, which usually let her
form n part without any charge. As a
rule, the railroads welcome the COM
ing of the car, for they have learned
by experience the moral influence It
Yields. They o only carry the car
free, but frequently give the service
of the train crew In sidetracking and
cleaning. But the chief difficulty of
the chapel car system has been the
lack Of desirable workers, who were
discouraged from this sort of itinerant
preaching because of the i~nconvenient
mode Of living which 1t engendered.
Ministers who would have made a
phenomenal success as evangelists
could not be induced to undertake the
car tour, and much Of the possible
good of the system was lost through
incompetent preachers.
To overcome this difficulty the Bap-
list church will In instituting its new
moving chapel make an innovation
which is regarded as the most success
full effort in rural preaching. The old
type of chapel car will be abandoned
for a splendid coach Of unusual length,
which will consist of two sections, a
well equipped chapel and quarters for
the preacher, which in point of CON-
fort and practical usefulness will far
outrival anything Of the kind eyer
built. Instead of living In the rude
camping ont style the evangelist will
now have palatial quarters, living
room. parlor. bedroom, library, kitch-
en-, pantry, ETC., with a hot water sys-
tenn to keep the car warm in winter
and an acetylene gas plant to light it.
permitting him to take with him his
wife and family.
The chapel also will have a number
of improvements. Fine seats will re-
place the old fashioned benches, there
will be q preaching platform and pull
pit, and much of the singing will be
accompanied by a large phonograph,
by which also the country folk will be
taught the popular hymns. The new
cars will invite the services Of the
most fastidiops e~vangelists, who a
remain In comfort in their W quar-
tiers until they reach a town with a
civilized hotel.