The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-01-15
CONVERTS SOW
SEED FOR BILLY
500 Visitors From Other
Cities Here to Pave Way
for Revival.
TALK IN $50 CHURCHES
Confess Past Sinfulness and
Tell of Good Accomplished
by Sunday.

by Sunday.
Gusts in advance OF that tornado Of
religious fervor. Billy Sunday, struck
New York yesterday morning, swept
through the towns length and breadth,
and before the day was over had left
storm warnings in thousands OF sinful
minds. These harblngers of Sunday
500 they were. trail hitters from Phila-
deiphia. Boston, Pittsburg. Paterson,
| syracuse and Scranton who had become
trail blazers for the force that had
caught them up--put New York In a re-
ceptive mood for the onslaught that Sum
| day will make next April against drink
! Ing and other worldly vices.
from all classes and grades OF life
this vanguard was recruited-bankers
merchants. industrial captains. police
men. To give New York hint of the
power and the persuasiveness of Billy
Sunday they inundated themselves on
I ESQ altars. With their pasts put behind
! them. they recited their former sinful
ness. their selfishness. their domestic and
IL u.
! 1t was a day OF wholesale confessions
| for the purpose of preparing New York
| evildoers to take their places on the
mourners' benches when Sunday comes
to town.
! All BOrOuRhs Invaded.
! To judge by the reception given to
these converts the Sunday trails will
leave the barrooms barren OF sawdust
Not only Manhattan was reached by
the visitors. They invaded every bor-
| ough of the greater city and Jersey City
! Hobokon. Bayonne and the churches of
! Hudson county.
With the wealth OF methodcal detail
| that has contributed much toward Billy
Sundays success, the delegations came
! TO town. They were divided into ESQ
I teams and every man bore the number
! OF his team. They were met at the sta
tion by church representatives most of
/ them clergymen, who also were num-
bered. Thus. instead OF confusion that
would cost hours in untangling, the well
! comers and the visitors were Joined
| through their corresponding numbers
! Yesterdays preliminary campaign. al
though lacking nothing in spontaneity
and sincerity, was hut "A part of the
Sunday method. Billy Is too keen a
: psychologist TO believe that his arrival
| will bring New York to him in the way
| he expects. He relies upon the van
| guard to sow the seed upon the pas
tors who have signed his invitation to
| bring the revival to bud and upon him
self to carry the movement to full BIOS
som.
No Time wasted.
The seed was strewn from the mo-
! I. laft haf,
o'clock in the morning. Singing in full
chorus brighten the Corner Where You
| Are one of the Sunday revival hymns.
! the teams got Off the cars. Before they
sorted themselves out the reception COM
mittee had caught up the refrain. Nat
urally the tumut of song halted every
one in the station.
I'VE are going to capture New York
for the Lord shouted one team cap
tain.
Gotham for God" was another deep
lunged slogan.
Manhattan for the Master" a third
exclaimed
Henry Magee. William Marshall. w. s.
Mills and A. III. kammerer We're taken
before the Bible class of John ID. Rookie
feller, Jr, in the Fifth Avenue Baptist
Church There they were introduced 10
the founder of the class. who has been
one of the prime movers in the revival
movement. Magce took charge of the
meeting and introduced Marshall, who
is superintendent in one of the du Pont
powder factories.
"For years ignored the church and
everything connected with it," he said
Then I saw the light and now nothing
else matters. The spirit of Gods love
, is the greatest thing in the world. Get
it,"
That's right" echoed Magce. land
, glory be to the Lord. have experienced
It,"
Thanked by John d., Jr.
'There is something coming to this
town the like of which has not beer
, known since Moody's time" said KAN
merer. Billy Sundays message to mer
turns them toward God. In Phiadel
phia $4,000 men were added to tn,
membership of 100 churches and 5000
OF them stuck. Only "a per cent. were
trail hitters the other IS per cent. were
brought into the churches through Billy
Sundays sermons. However, the per
centage Of trail hitters who have driftet
away from the churches Is very small"
: For years" said Mills. the fina
! speaker. II hated the church and nearly
lost my wife through my attitude. ono,
, came face to face with death, and
/ promised God II He would let me liv,
I'd mend my ways. But God doesn'
want reformcrs. He wants you to b,
born again"
Mr. Rockefeller expressed the thank
: of the Bible class to the team.
In Grace Methodist Episcopal Church
D West lOtth street. the team was headeC
by George T. Porter recent candidate
: on the reform ticket for Mayor of Phila
delphia. lie was for several year
Supervisor of Public Safety, so he wa
, able to give first hand knowledge OF tn
j good accomplished by Sunday. Will
: him were A. b. Davis, w. s. McBeth ant
+. George II. Callahan.
I Porter told the congregation that I so,
policemen in the City of Brotherly Lov,
had organized Il Bible Class as a resul
of the SUNDAY revival. In his churcl
Q there was a class OF twelve, seven o
whom were women When Sunday con
cluded his sermons there were 500 II
the class and 1t has increased since.
h Church TO Have Parade.
y To keep the appetite Of Grace Me'ho
dist Episcopal Church whetted for Sun
DAVIS advent DIR. Christian + Reisnei
pastor will have a preparedness parad
through the nearby streets with a bras
band leading,
a In the team that visited the Madison
{ Avenue Baptist Church, OF which Dr
: Charles \. Eaton Is pastor. were Wosle
: II. Hoot, superintendent Of the Brockle