McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-05-04

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could hear every word Billy said
There are forty entrances to the tab
ernacle. the building covering severa
acres, and each entrance is guarded
by stalwart ushers, of whom there
are hundreds. 1t was only because
was recognized as a United States
government officer that | got into thu
inner circle of hearers, where ever,
gesture and word of this extraordina
ny man could be seen and heard. The
thousands upon thousands of people
in the rows of benches further bach
could see the man, but could hear but
little of what he said, although the
roaring cheers and laughter of the
more fortunate ones told when he
made his humorous hits.
Hardly less remarkable than the
evangelist himself is the musical d.
rector, Homer Rodeheaver, a black
haired, silver-voiced young man from
the West. The congregation had
filled the tabernacle an hour before
Billy Sunday entered, and the young
director had to entertain them, which
he did right royalty. First he told
them how to cough: gently, in a
handkerchief, so that the germs
would not be scattered among the
others. He said every one within
forty feet of a coughing person was
endangered from the germs of lung
disease and other disorders thrown
out. Then the young man asked the
people to say what was their mothers
favorite hymn. Here and there a
hand was lifted; some said: abide
with Me" was their mothers favorite;
others mentioned Nearer My God to
.Thee;;" then some one said Sweet
Bye and Bye" and then another men,
toned my own mothers favorite,
Jesus Lover of My Soul" A man
from Boston named the song Il Will
Sing You a Song of that Beautiful
Land" and then Mr.. Rodeheaver took
his trombone, and in liquid tones that
filled all that vast space like a breeze
from paradise, he played that beauti-
full air; one that has always seemed
to me perfect one in its way. Then
came the other old melodies, and the
vast assemblage seemed to know them
all, so that they breathed them in
unison like one choir. And to hear
10000 people singing one of those
old-time songs is a rare privilege. 1t
seemed to make everybody happy and
tender-hearted; each singer bowed
his head as the music swelled up
through the rafters, and no doubt
each had in his mind picture of the
loved face of his mother, perhaps
long since faded away in the grave,
and had in his heart a wave of love
for that mother. and when a man is
renewing his affection for the woman
who bore him, he is not SO far from
the God who made them both. By
the time Billy came in. the congrega-
tion was fully warmed up to meet him
and follow his words.
Billy Sunday was dressed in plain
blush suit Of clothes which may have
cost him fifteen dollars. He does not
look to be over 45 years old, but must
be older. He has bald spot on the
rear of his head, is smooth-shaved,
and has wide mouth that grins al
most from ear to ear at times. His
voice is not very loud just now, but
has been strained by much speaking.
A six-winged scrolled sounding board
over his head throws his voice out in
various directions, but there must be
thousands who lose much of what he
says. He speaks with much rapidity,
and when he says Co." in calling on
some thing or person in his sermon.
he puts his hands to his mouth and
sends his voice much farther. He
starts in a quiet sort of way, but soon
one of MS legs is dangling in the air;
he hops, skips and jumps from one
side of the platform to the other, hits
his pulpit or nearby table resound-
ing whack; then, as he gets worked
up, he puts one foot on a chair; later,
he stands with one foot on q chair
and the other on the pulpit, and final
ly, both feet are on the pulpit and he
is as high as he can get; then he falls
to the platform on his hands and
knees, from the top of the pulpit.
His words are so earnest and interest
ing that one does not mind his antics: