Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-02
Billy Sunday Organization
True Marvel of Efficiency;
NOCom fusion IN TrGllH1 lifting
Five Hundred Secretaries As
SiSt in Handling Converts,
No Propositions Will Be
Made for Week or Ten Days
ny JAMES ID. OLSON.

From an organization which included
few people, visiting only IN small
towns, to which the word efficiency was
foreign, a vast organization using thou
sands Of people, with a program of eff
ficiency which has been improved from
year to year until it now seems as per-
feet as human minds can make it, is
the progress of the Billy Sunday evan
gelistic organization.
With it's card index methods, Bible
school promotion plans and countless
other departments, one feature in the
entire organization doubtless draws
more attention. and is tuned to high
er degree Of efficiency than any other.
This is the department of trail hit
ters"
So important is this department that
the structure in which Billy Sunday
will give his message to the people Of
Atlanta is constructed to conform with
the plan of the trail hitters" depart
ment.
In the great "turtle-backed" taber-
nacle are two aisles which can be
reached from all sections of the build
ing, and it is these two main aisles
that become the famous "sawdust' trail
as soon as Mr.. Sunday gives the invi-
tation.
About 500 men, between the ages of
twenty and fifty, all picked because of
their ability to write plainly and move
quickly. will occupy the seats in the
central section of the tabernacle, di-
rectly in front of the platform. These
men will be known as the secretaries"
When Billy gives the invitation to
hit the trail the five hundred secre-
taries will move quietly from their seats,
half going to the left and half to the
right, forming a human line in both
aisles.
Billy Sunday will open trap door in
the special platform that has been con-
structed for him in the tabernacle, and
with one leap will land on another plat
form, on which ne will stand with arms
outstretched. calling for the people OF
Atlanta to join the army of the Lord.
simultaneously. two men, especially
picked for the work. will take positions
on the sawdust floor below Billy. Here
they will stand. and as the trail hitters
reach the end of the trail each one will
be taken by the arm, which will be up
lifted until it is clasped by the hand Of
the evangelist, then the convert will be
quickly, but gently, turned about ana
guided by the secretaries iDSS a stream
Of humanity, which leads them into. the
seats vacated by the secretaries
AS the seats fill with the people who
the secretaries will deftly move into the
rows and working from the back of the
benches, will quickly secure the names
addresses and church preferences of the
trail hitters."
All this goes on without confusion
and never takes more than thirty min
utes even when the trail hitters reach the
1000 mark. The secretaries are trained
and the trail hitters are guided, with
the result that the entire trail hitting
program is carried on without hitch OF
any kind.
Names of the converts given to the
secretaries, are placed on cards. Minis
tiers of churches preferred by the trail
hitters will find these cards in their box
in the tabernacle postofflce. for each pas
tor Of each cooperating church has
postoffice box.
Billy Sunday will not extend his in
vitation ito hit the TRAIL to the people
of Atlanta until some night a week or
ten days after the opening of the cam
paign.
The night on which the trail will be
opened" will not be known to any one
except Billy and his wife Ma" Sunday.
Members of the party are not told what
night Mr. Sunday will select, but it will
be the big night of the campaign.
The eyes of Atlanta will be on the
tabernacle that night and the entire
Sunday organization will await Fhis
night to determine if the. personal work
of the preliminary campaign has had its
desired effct.
Cities in which the evangelist has
conducted campaigns will be watching
the telegraph reports, to learn how the
city in the south has taken" to the
famous evangelist and his unusual meth
DDS