The Washington times., 1917-05-03
TRANSIT employees
CHEER BILLY SUNDAY
Total Of 1886 Hit Trail at Two
Tabernacle Services.

NEW YORK. May billy Sunday
was host in his turtle backed tabernacle
last night to 5000 Of the Jnterborough
Rapid Transit employees. and since they
came as his personally invited guests
he had them nicely fixed out In the best
chairs In the postless section In the CEN
ter. But not to be outdone by BiIly's
Billy seems bound always to call In
terurban-brought along its own band.
all decked out In spick and span white
duck. and a group Of khaki clad soldier
boys who had served on the border. And
then there were flags and escorts-al-
together quite party.
The transportation people even carried
speaker with them, but in justice to
everybody concerned 1t might be Just
as well to say that he didn't spend his
three minutes on boosting the INTERIOR
ough, but In training the spotlight on
punchers and the rest OF the 1900 tucked
in the sides and corners showed their
approval by an almost constant inter-
rupting applause.
'1 was the first Billy Sunday rooter
In this burg" the speaker. s. d. Smith.
superintendent Of the system, said when
he had been introduced at the beginning
OF the meeting. And this Is the hap
piest moment OF my life-to stand here
and see that the Sunday bee that stung
me is inoculating all New York He's
the twentieth century prophet Of God
and he'll show you the way II you'll give
him a chance"
BILLY BIushes Like a Boy.
Billy stood at the other side of the
pulpit, first on one foot and then on
the other. tongue in cheek, blushing
and looking for all the world like q
bashful boy whose mother was de-
scribing to a visitor what a nice little
fellow he was. After all, Billy Is moth
ing II not a very human person who
laughs at his own jokes and lets
tears slip into his eyes when he tells
his sob stories, and gets peeved and
looks daggers when some one coughs
and then confesses that he's sorry
he has such hair trigger temper.
A half dozen times last night some
large darkey sister injected a flash of
the old fashioned camp meeting flavor
into the service. About the time Billy
would be shifting the devil with both
fists a great booming "HalleluJahi"
with a strong accent would come float
ing from away back one side. Now
Billy rather favors plain Northern
"Amens" when applied at the proper
time and In the proper places, but
there's nothing In his plan of cam
paign that calls for any unattached
Southern "Hallelujahs." So Billy
finally stopped, let one OF his famous
Sunday smiles spread across his face,
~ nd lAA f,an- -.
Ing one remarked: SISTER, IL you
don't mind I'll do all the talking. Now
hope you won't mind"
The special Invitation incorporated
In Billy's prayer to the interborough
delegation to hit the sawdust trail
brought several hundred of the men
forward. The soldier boys who had
been down on the border had front
seats and won the honor OF first TAX
Ing his hand, but q score or more
or the bandmen and other employees
followed quickly. In all 1,452 went
forward last night, making with the
444 converts OF the afternoon a total
OF 1896 for the two services. The
444 trail hitters established a new
record for weekday afternoons and
Is especially noteworthy when II is
considered that there were less than
1000 people at the service.
Sermon On .Repentanee.,
Today thirty prominent business
men OF Atlanta will arrive In New
York to complete arrangements for
the Sunday campaign which will open
there in November OF this year. The
delegation will attend the Tabernacle |
meetings until Sunday, when they
will return to Atlanta
nIIlxy Il In, he
pentance," choosing as his text II. |
Samuel. Kill, IL: And David said |
unto Nathan, Il have sinned against |
the Lord And Nathan said unto |
David, The Lord also hath put away |
thy sin: thou shalt not die.'
I'D rather be heather In darkest |
Africa worshiping a stone idol than a |
man or woman in New York who |
passes up all the golden opportunities
to be n Christian" Billy said. "And |
let me tell you people that anybody's
a heather who doesn't believe in God
and II doesn't make a snap Of diff
ference whether he lives in the South
Sea Isles or on Riverside Drive. And
I'll bet some OF you old fellows down
there are heathens even IL you are
presidents OF banks"
People today in New York are worse
ago. Billy contended. because they
have more religious light today than
they had then. God never put
sinner in hell without first sending
a preacher to try to keep him out.
Got IL Doped Out Wrong"
II know men here In New York
who are afraid to come here and put
under the influence and
spirit OF God that permeates this tab
ernacle because they fear they might
permit the devil to break his hold on
them and as a consequence do one de-
cent thing before they die. They say,
'Billy's vulgar and crude No, you
got 1t doped out wrong, bud-you're
rotten"
According to Billy. repentance Is
change Of mind that leads to Q change