The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-24
Evangelist Squares for Battle
and Remains in Ring Forty
Minutes-Plenty of
Punches. a.
TABERNACLE WAS FULL
Estimated That Three Thous.
and Five Hundred Persons
Were Present Last
Night.

His face saturated WIN sweat tHat
coursed in little rivulets down his
cheeks, his collar limp about his neck
and his shoulders dropping with ia
tigue, Charles Reign Scoville last
night closed his first tabernacle SER
mon before crowd of approximately
$500 persons who had crowded into
the huge shed. ...
In front Of the revivalist sat 5000
ward, straining every auditory muscle
in order to catch every word of clos
ing illustration; back of him sat
chorus of nearly 500 singers. A brass
band occupied one portion Of the left.
We've got to get busy for God
right now If we are going to take
Keokuk for Jesus Christ" Scoville
shouted as he closed his Bible and
started to leave the platform. We've
got to work and sweat and pray and
suffer and bleed"
The crowd that assembled in the
tabernacle last night was perhaps the
largest that ever assembled for a re-
Hgious service in the history of tha
city. People began streaming into the
building at GAS o'clock. At 1880 the
place was filled and ushers. were hur-
rying additional seats into the shed.
One section Of benches had been left
out along the north side OF the build
ing for some reason, but before eight
o'clock most OF them had been placed
in position and in turn, filled with
eager men and women.
Electric lights twinkled merrtly
among the rafters Of the rude struc'
ture: blue and white bunting was
draped about the posts and braces;
hundreds Of American flags We're
tackled along braces through the cnolr
loft. The building presented an ap-
pearance entirely incompatible with
the somewhat "icy" reports that have
gone out about it in recent days. Ush'
ers had difficulty in keeping the a1sies
cleared, as the crowds filed into the
tabernacle. Hundreds of song books
were sold at twenty-five cents each,
and the crowd laughed when Charles
Stewart. chorister, told them that he
was going to make a special bar
gain" of "two books for fifty cents
The chorus was outc masse and
the great crowd, already in high good
humor. apparently. added its voice to
those of the singers in the loft on such
songs as Jesus Paid It All' and "The
Way Of the Cross Leads Home Stew
art caught choir and crowd alike WITT
his famous smile and the preliminary
song service was an unqualified sue
cess.
Mrs. Scoville was introduced by DR.
Thomas Penn Ullom, assistant eVange
list, and held the crowd deathly qu1e
as she sang in low, easy soprano
voice, the strains Of "Beautiful Isle o
Somewhere"
Fine Looking Sight.
This is the finest looking sight I've
seen in twelve years. said c. F. NC
Farland, as he introduced the evange
list. After short Introductory talk
Mr. Mcfarland presented Scoville.
The evangelist squared away Wit
sin early in his sermon and didn.
leave the ring until he had fought VII,
it for forty minutes. Apathetic churcl
members, booze. society men and WON
en- who have no time for church an
prayer meetings, all came in FOR
healthy swing or two. ScoVlile Ut
clared that there are a lot or OF
sissies who trot off to a card hgh
like a two year old mare. But star