Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-29

| The closest approach to q Billy sun.
! day meeting that Augusta has ever
| been favored with was held at the PEN
ney Memorial church Sunday evening.
| the Rev. William Il. Wood presenting his
| fine series of slides which portray the
noted evangelist in phases Of his won.
derful work. Added interest was gained
by the use of a concert Nictrola loaned
! by c. E. Downing for the occasion. with
records of the gospel songs used by Ho-
mer Rodeheaver in the great meetings
held in the Sunday tabernacles.
! The first picture was life-size repro
! duction of Sunday-"The face OF an in
telectual giant" said Mr.. Wood. who
personally acquainted with many Of Bill
ly Sundays corps of assistants and s
great admrer of the man himse!:. sun
/ day has preached to more people, won
more converts TO Jesus Christ than any
\ man now living" He told Of the birth
/ of Sunday in 1862 in Ames. Iowa. and
stated that young Sunday never saw his
! father, who was one Of the Civil war
soldiers who died of disease in prison
camp.
Mr.. Wood stated that sunday always
delights in giving the front seats TO vet
/ Grams He told of Sundays education
! in the common schools, and said that he
| studied at one time in college where he
was acting as coach to a baseball team,
! but that he never had attended "A theo-
! logical school or seminary of any sort.
| He told Of the ball players conversion
in the little Pacific Garden Mission, and
| fol N
verified meant getting busy for Cod" of
his meeting Miss Helen A. Thompson.
the future Ma Sunday" and OF their
wedding in 1855.
| With slides to illustrate the scope and
variety of the work done by the evangei-
list, Mr.. Woods story went on TO tell of
Sunday taking up Christian work for
salary of 1888 per month. throwing
down a baseball position where he could
make $500 q month in order to do SO
A fine picture of the Boston tabernacle.
long, low building built Of brick, with
| a sounding board over the speaker, many
! exits, the best of modern heating and
| lighting equipment. and a capacity OF 49,
| 900 people, was feature OF the lecture,
| and Mr.. Wood compared the work OF
! Sunday to that of Moody. each the great
| est evangelistic figure of his time. lie
! told of Sundays receiving the degree or
/ D. d. from Westminster College In lsl:
and said that Moody never was an or
(. dained minister.
I Pictures of the Is helpers in Sundays
corps were also a part of the lecture,
Mr.. Wood dwelling on the immense as
sistance lent by Mrs. Sunday in the
nf hor ITa ala Shn
pictures of the nursery in the tabernacle
and explained that mothers could check
their babies and leave them while they
attended the services, thus having a bet
! ter opportunity of hearing the great
worker than would otherwise be possible.
His booze sermon is perhaps the
greatest of ALL" said Mr.. Wood who
then quoted part of it, as follows:
1.-The saloon is a liar 1t promises
good cheer and sends sorrow. II prom
\ ises health and sends disease. 1t prom
Uses prosperity and sends adversely. 1t
promises happiness and sends misery.
1t degrades. 1t is Gods worst enemy,
and the Devils best friend. 1t spares
neither youth or old age. 1t is wait
ing with a dirty blanket for the baby
to crawl into the world. 1t lies in wait
for the unborn Yes. sir. I tell you. the
curse of God is upon il. II is on the
down grade. 1t is headed for Hell, and
by the grace of God I'm going to give
| it push"
| Mr. Wood told of the Maine dclega-
I ton at Boston. who sang brighten
Old Boston, Where You Are and said
that the crowd applauded thunderous-
ly at the close of the singing. Two of
hn farn aNyin u-h
Wood had flashed on the white screen
were as follows: Boys, I've been crit
icized for my methods OF fighting sin.
| think that a minister is Gods artil-
leryman. and it's his job to fire on sin
whenever and wherever he secs it," 81
wouldn't wipe my feet on that society
which makes a distinction between the
man who sins and the woman who
! sins"
| He explained that Sunday believes in
an actual, personal Devil, and stated
| that police statistics show that when
Sunday comes to town" arrests for
drunkenness and like offenses decrease
at a most surprising rate. A picture OF
Sundays right hand, caloused from
being shaken ofteher than any hand
in the world, was shown during the
lecture, and Mr.. Wood said, Not even
the war news or the sports of the day
got the space from the newspapers
that Billy Sunday has received. II IL
| estimated that advertising matter
which would have cost more than 81
100000 was given him free of charge
while in Boston alone"
| He stated that the majority of the
converts made by Sunday are not
merely emotional and unntelligent
! types. but college and High school
graduates, people of fine culture and
intelligent minds, won by the sheer,
undodgeable logic which Sunday puts
over in his magnetic and individually
striking way. A Rhodeheaver song
Brighten the Corner" closed the lee
ture-one of the finest which has been
delivered in local church for some
time. A large crowd attended.
| Gen. Phil Sheridan Circle. Ladies Of
| the G.. A. r.. will meet at 2.30 Tues
day afternoon with the president. Mrs.
Sanborn, for sewing. \ picnic lunch
will be served