The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-07-01

JULY /, 1915.
GAINESVILLE GOSPEL TEAM.
Visits Leon Sunday Two Hundred
Strong On Special Train.
Hold Four Meetings.
Leon capitulated, hands down,
Sunday afternoon to the peaceful in
vasion of the big Gospel Team of
Gainesville, Mo. Previous announce
ments had prepared the Leon people
to expect a possible delegation of a
hundred and fifty, but when the
special train from Gainesville pulled
into the station at 2:1O, it was pack
ed with men and women, wearing the
white badge of purity and peace, to
the number Of two hundred and tif-
ty and the number was probably
augmented to the three hundred
mark by several who drove through
in cars from Pleasanton and other
points. The visitors were met by
Leoa cars and they were driven up
Main street through the city and
north on Church street, thence re-
turning around the square to the
band stand where the band under
the direction of Prof. L. d. Wheeler,
played several selections. The Leon
people were out in great numbers
and the congested streets with foot
men and cars had the appearance of
a big festive occasion. After the
band concert, the men marched to
the opera house for the mems meet
ing and a capacity house of women
crowded into the Methodist church
for their service.
At the opera house the mems meet
ing was impressively opened by the
leader of the Gainesville team, Mr.
Chas. Oden, and at once it was evil
dent that the men were profoundly
impressed with the gravity of their
mission. Whatever impression OF
picnic or bizarre appearance may have
been suggested from the street, soon
melted away under the fervOr and
!evotion of these men. The service
was somewhat informal, consisting
Of prayer, the singing of gospel songs
and making personal testimony. Mr..
Oden briefly related the history of
their team, it having been organized
last February by the Leon Gospel
Team, when SO men of the home
team visited Gainesville. This began
then with ten charter members and
it now has a membership of over two
hundred. Besides the enlistment OF
so many of Cainesville's strong inf1u'
ential men, and many others who tes'
titled to immoral living, hitherto,
the team has been instrumental in
creating religious awakening in
Gainesville and decidedly changing
moral conditions in their city. The
open, frank confession and testi-
mony of these men gave unmistak-
able evidence of the change wrought
in their lives.
= The good men and women of Leon
did not fail to amply provide for the
temporal needs of the occasion, and
luncheon was served, cafeteria, in the
basement of the Methodist church.
Some five or six hundred people were
served. The gross menu being 500
sandwiches, pickles, cheese, coffee,
thirty cakes and twenty gallons OF
ice cream. The visitors were loud in
their praise of Icons entertainment,
and they gave the Leon Gospel Team
much credit for whatever their own
team had been privileged to accom-
plish.
Just before the evening service the
men gathered at the court house and
marched around the square singing
their songs The. opera house was
found to be too small to scat all the
crowd who had assembled for the
union mass meeting and an overflow
meeting was arranged for at the
Methodist church, by dividing the
team. Both places were then we'll
filled. The services were similar in
character to that of the afternoon.
This closed with an appeal for per-
sonal conservation, to which several
Leon men readily responded. Both
audiences in the evening were favor
ed with a solo by Mr.. B. F. Ford, OF
Kansas City, who is stopping in our
city. Mr.. Ford for sometime sang
in large church choirs. He has a
rich, cultured baritone voice and sang
to the delight of everyone.
The Gainesville team made a great
impression upon Leon-one she can
not soon forget-preaching some
thing of the achievement and posi-
bilitics of men who surrendered and
are unitedly committed to the Kings
business. The gospel team move
ment is IN outgrowth of Billy
Sunday meeting at Wichita, Kansas,
a few years ago and it has rapidly
spread throughout the country, and
has done marvellous things. While,
like all organizations of men, it is
not free from weaknesses and limita-
tions, yet it has great elements OF
strength. It's men apprcciating men,
weaknesses and man to man encour-
aging each other and uniting for the
realization of higher ideals, person
ally and in society. This object les
son should not be lost on the men OF
Leon. Certainly it reveals the bet
ter way for the honoring of the Sab
bath. Such organizations can do
much toward changing the moral at
mosphere and sentiment of a COM
munity. !,
The Gainesville people left on their
special train at 10:3O p. M, and we
can say with considerable honesty,
that they came, we saw and they
conquered.