The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-23
Hearing Billy Sunday.

Recently | had the privilege or
hearing Rev. w. A. Sunday, better
known as Billy Sunday, preach to a
crowd of twelve thousand in Trenton,
y. ]. The night was raw one; rain
had been failing and there was a
thick coat Of ice over everything.
reached the large tabernacle, which
was especially constructed for this
seven weeks revival, about a quar-
ter after five in the afternoon; the
meeting was announced to begin at
seven. The crowds were coming in
from every direction when | got
there. Large delegations from va
rious manufacturing enterprises and
nearby towns had great sections of
seats roped off as their reservations.
1t looked like good back seat, per-
haps two hundred feet from the
speaker would be my best hope. How
ever, after using some little push
and pleading my desire to hear Billy
Sunday for the first time, stating that
l was from North Carolina and had
only that one evening there, / was
directed up to the front where Rev.
Mr.. Elder, a Methodist minister, of
Trenton, was standing. To him
again l told my story; the first thing
l knew he had landed me in splen-
did seat on the stage near the choir
by a Presbyterian minister from New
York city. Mr.. Elder had been in
North Carolina some years ago, down
in Moore county on account of i'll
health; he had been completely re-
stored and could not speak too we'll
of this great State. He talked to me
for some time with an intelligent in
terest in this State; he seemed will
ing to show his appreciation of North
Carolina by doing what seemed to
him a very little thing for Tar Heel.
So for nearly two hours had the
pleasure of watching people, and
large groups of people, come in. The
immensity of everything, even after
a trip to New York, was the impress
sive thing. Large building, large
delegations, large choir, large-heart-
ed people, a great big sermon from a
great big text, without any great
large words; great numbers going
forward for prayer and great interest
on the part of the whole city. Billy
Sunday does things for the Lord on
a big scale.
The choir is directed by Mr.. Rode
HEAVIER; five hundred voices or more
occupy a stand just behind the
preacher. The meeting had been in
progress six weeks when / stopped
in. The choir was in fine working
order by that time. Strangely
enough as many of the old gospel
hymns as of any other kind were
used. It was not hard to discover
which songs were favorites OF the
choir or congregation. Delegations
were given opportunity to declare
their partiality for certain pieces.
This was in the preliminary service.
At this time also a novel feature was
witnessed; various kinds OF gifts
were presented to Mr.. Sunday by the
special delegations for whom space
had been reserved that night. The
men from a great bakery presented
a cake of good dimensions; others
sent gold pieces; one sent a very fine
cockerel for Mr.. Sundays poultry
farm Mr.. Rodeheaver acted as the
sneaker in behalf of the delegations
and Mr.. Sunday. The singing con-
tinued for some time; the offering
was taken and this proved to be one
Of the finest examples of the machln-
ery connected with the meeting. Usn-
ers who seemed to understand thelr
business passed pans through the
rows and in less than five minutes,
twelve thousand people had had an
opportunity to contribute to the ex-
penses OF the meeting. The ofterlng
on that Saturday and the next DAY
went for expenses; before that all
had gone for various other enter
nrises, some charitable, some beneVo-
lent and some otherwise.
With tGe offering out of the way,
Billy Sunday began his thirty-five
minute sermon, using a great text,
"Seek Ye the Lord" from Isaiah
55:6. Straight from the shoulder
clear cut and without effort at ora
torical effect, he spoke with convlnc-
ing power. Occasional use of some
slang expression always provoked ap-
plause. These two things stand out
as the things which differentiate him
from our usual preachers and preach
ing. However, from all l had heard,
T fu11v expected much more of these