Evening journal., 1916-02-11

Amid a gigantic shower OF post
cards and letters, which numbered
1855, and surrounded by gifts OF
every description. including gold and
silver money. flowers, candy. fruit.
ETC, DR. Milford Hall Lyon, evangelist,
stood in room filled TO Overlooking
last night following the evening tab
arnacle service and finished receiving
the hundreds Of congratulations that
had been showered upon him all day
iang by his many admirers and friends
of this city in honor OF his forty
eighth birthday anniversary.
Not for forty-eight years. asserted
the evangelist last night, has lie been
50 happily remembered on his natal
day.
Following the evening service last
e-ening, DR. Lyon stood with his CO.
workers in a room in the tabernacle
parsonage that was filed to overflow
irg with the generous number OF
Sits and birthday greetings. The
evangelist literally sparkled with wit
and humor as he talked and laughed
with those around him. and he did not
tNNhA oN oil AAnRANEcNn Will ldil tldti
another year had slipped past and tht,
being in his forty-ninth year he now
Tapped the Osler limit by seven years.
That the evangelist has completely
won the hearts Of his Wilmington au-
diences was fully evidenced by the
generous way in which they remem-
bered his birthday anniversary. From
the time the morning mail was de-
livered until the postofiice closed last
night the postman on the district was
busy delivering mail at the tabernacle
parsonage for the evangelist. Not in
the history OF the State has such a
large mail been delivered TO any in
divldual and it was the largest mail
ever received by the evangelist at any
one time.
Gifts began to pour in upon DR..
Lyon early in the morning. and each
service was featured by the presenta-
tiOn OF numerous presents.
At the evening service the first
gift the evangelist received was pre-
sented by Mrs. +. J. Rice, OF the
EAstlake Presbyterian Church. on be-
helf Of the prayer meeting captains
OF the city. In presenting the gift
Mrs. Rice recounted two incidents in
The life of the evangelist which in
some manner had just become known,
and following her speech she present
ed the evangelist with what looked
like a diploma. II proved to be
forty-eight one dollar bills sewed TO-
gether on a large card.
Another gift of foI'y-eight gold dol
lars was presented the evangelist on
behalf Of the big chorus choir. Among
some OF the other things he received
was a bouquet of forty-eight Killarney
roses from the ushers; a leather SER
mon bag from Eastlake M. f. Chris
tian Endeavor Society; flowers from
the Groenhill Presbyterian and Mt
Salem NJ h. Churches, and large
basket OF fruit from the Retail
Gfocers' Exchange.
David +. Nygren. on behalf OF the
Swedish Baptist Church presented
the evangelist a gift that was made
by Uncle Sam. II had forty-eigh'
stars on IT, The stars not only rep
resented the number OF years which
the evangelist had passed. but th'
number Of States in the union which
Mr.. Nygren added. meant that DIR
Lyon belonged to every State. Like
the other gifts. this one was no
opened until the evangelist reached
home. and there, with the assistance
of his co-workers, who crowded
around him in anticipation, the pres
ents were opened. It proved TO b'
$40 gold piece.
As each gift was presented durin
the services the large congregation
vigorously applauded. AT the afternoo
rervice a huge birthday cake was pre-
sented to DR.. Lyon by the prayer
meeting captains OF the district ives
Continued on Page Eleven.