The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-18
CHILLY SUNDAY is So
YEARS OLD TOMORROW

BILLY Sunday, best known OF
modern American evaneglists, will
celebrate his f1fty-third birthday on
this Sunday. This spectacular and
unique preacher Of the Gospel, who
has become one of the problems" OF
modern religious work, is a product
Of Iowa, and, as is we'll known, was
for many years a professional ball
player. He has been engaged in re-
ligious work for a quarter of a CEN
fury, becoming an assistant secretary
in Chicago Y. M. c. A. in 1891, and
he has been an evangelist for "a
years. His proposal to invade New
York has aroused international inter
est. Many prominent Englishmen
have also joined, in inviting Rev
tBilly'' to hold a series Of meetings
in England.
During the course Of his long ca
reer as an evangelist the former ball
player has converted many thousands
and in his sermons he has also con-
signed to the eternal pit thousands
more. What the fncetious call his
census Of hell'' has always been an
important phase of his discourses
Sinners Of all sorts and "infidels' OF
all degrees from Unitarians to athe'
ists he consigns to- the internal re-
gions without suggesting even the
possibility Of a stay Of execution
Evolutionists and free-thinking scien-
fists go the same lurid way. With q
dramatic gesture he filings them al
to eternal perdition. There goes ole
Darwin or There goes old Bob
Ingersoll!'' he shouts. Hes in hell
sure!'' The audience applauds, fol
the burning of .infider' flesh has al
ways had pleasant SAVIOUR in the
nostrils Of the true believer.
In a great many instances Rev
BILLY has particularized in his cen.
sus Of Geherna-
Among the 'sinfidels'' and scientists
who are now among the damned he
has, at one time or another, named
Col Robert G.. Ingersoll, Thomas
Paine, Voltaire, Professor Huxley
Charles Darwin, Tyndall, Rousseau
and John Stuart Mill.
Jezebol Is the only queen Mr.. Sun.
day has cited as being in hell, with
the exception of Catherine de Medic
and the Marchioness de Maintenon
who was first the mistress and later
the second spouse Of Louis XIV. One
of the mistresses Of that monarch
the Marchioness de MOntespan, is also
included in Mr.. Sundays census
Nine Pompadour, who lived with
Louis XIV without the formality OF
marriage, is also sizzling under the
Sunday sentence.
| Judas occupies a place near the
| top Of the list of those who must suf
fer eternal and Internal anguish fol
sins committed in the flesh
If we accept Rev. .'Billy's'' word fol
it, Hadesi includes in its population
many brilliant men, aaong with the
common. run of sinners.
Perhaps the 'infideI'' who has beer
oftenest flung to the flames by thu
evangelist is Col Ingersoll. Mr. Sun
day admits that the Colonel, was {
man of unusual talent, and it ha.
been charged that on one occasion
| Mr.. Sunday. delivered as his own {
memorial address which was almos
word for word a repetition Of one
Of the patriotic addresses Of Ingersoll
| In refuting this base charge, Mr.. Sun
day declared that he had never know
ing1y read word Of IngersolPs, bu
added that it was his custom ito tucl
away for future reference" such clip
pings as were sent to him, and tt
| make use of ''such good stuff'' a.
1 come to him in this way.