Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-27
From "'sHiy sunday, the Man and His


that Sunday, with five of his baseba
team mates, sat on the curb stone of Va
Buren, street and listened to the mus
and testimonies Of band of workers frol
the Pacific Garden Rescue Mission. tn
deeps of sentiment inherited from Chris
tian mother and the memories OF a Chris
tian home were stirred in the breast {
one of the men, and Sunday accepted tn
invitation of worker to visit the ms
sion Moved by the vital testimonie
which he heard, he went aga"fi ana agali
and at length, after conversation an
PRAYER with Mrs Clark. he made the grea
decision which committed him to IN
Christian life. ..u;o
Sundays own story of his conyersilto
Is one of the most thrilling OF all III
messages u IS huL M H,, NC
ument, a leaf in that great book OF chris
tian evidences which God is still Writln
day by day. p,avArs
Twenty-seveR years ago / Walkeu
down a street in Chicago in company
with some ball players who were fam
GUS in this world-some OF them are
dead now-and we went into a saloon.
1t was Sunday afternoon. ana we got
tanked up and then went ana SAL
down on corner. never go ny 'H f
street without thanking Coo LOT
saving me- 1t was vacant lot at
that time. We sat down on Il curb1ng.
Across the street q company OF men
and women were/ playing on hnsCIu-
ments-horns, flutes and sllde from
bones-and the others We're singing
the posDel hymns that | used to near
nv mother sing back in the log cooln
in Iowa and back in the old chuFcil
where / used to go to Sunday School:
And God painted on the canvas %
my recollection and memory viVld
picture OF the scenes OF other DAYS
MANY have long since turned to
dust. I sobbed and sobbed and a
young man stepped out and SAD,
Garden Mission. Won't you come
down to the mission? | am sure you
will enjoy it. You can hear drunkardS
tell how they have been saved ana
girls tell how they have been saved
from the red light district.
I arose and said to the boys. m
through. / am going to Jesus CHRIST.
We've come to the parting or the
ways" and turned by. back on them:
Some of them laughed and some OF
them Knocked me; one OF them gave
me encouragement; others never SAID
a word.
twenty seven years ago / turned
and left that little group on the cor
ner OF State and Madison streets ana
walked to the little mission and fell on
and into the arms of the Saviour.
The next day had to get out to the
ball park and practice. Every morn
ing at 10 o'clock we had to be out
there. 1 never slept that night, l
was afraid of the rse-laugh that
gang would give ma because ] hsa
taken my stand for Jesus Christ.
walked down to the old ball
grounds. I will never forget It,
slipped my key into the wicket gate
and the first man to meet me after L
got inside was Mike Kelly.
Up came Mike Kelly. He said. bill,
I'm proud of pou! Religion is not my
long suit, but I'll help you all can"
Up came Arson, the best ball player
that ever played the game; Pfeffer,
Burns, Williamson and Dalrymple-
There wasn't a fellow in that gang
who knocked; every fellow had a; word
of encouragement for me.
Great Old Mike Kelly.
Mike Kelly was sold to Boston for
$4,000. Mike got half of the purchase
price He came up to me and shower
me a check for $1,000. John l.. Sui
lvan, the champion rgater, Went
around withxa subscription paper ana
the boys raised over $l2,UVo TO puy
They gave Mike deed to the house
and they had 81, 500 left and gave him
a certificate of deposit for that.
His salary for playing with Bos-
ton was 81. 700 year. At the end Of
purchase price and the 81, 700 he re-
ceiyed as salary and the $500 they
gave him and had a mortgage on the
house And when he dice IN Penn
sylvania they went around with a
subscription to get money enough 10
put him in the ground, and each club,
twelve In all, in the two leagues gave
a month year to his wife. Mike
sat here on the corner with me TWEEN
ty-seVen years ago, when / said.
Good bye, boys; I'm going to Jesus
Christ"
= go around the world. l was the sec
ond he asked to sign a contract and
Captain Arson was the first. was
Sliding to second base one day. l al
WAYS slid head first, and hit stone
and cut a ligament loose in my knee.
got Dr. Magruder, who attended
Garfield when he was shot, and he
said:
trip | will give you a good leg. |
oheyed and have as good q leg today
as i ever had. They offered to wait
for me at Honolulu and Australia.
3D. Spalding said, Meet us in England,
and play with us through England,
Scotland and Wales" l didn't go,
Ed Williamson, our old shortstop,
a fellow weighing 225 pounds, was
the most active big man you ever
saw. He went with them, and while
they were on the ship crossing the
English Channel a storm arose and
the captain thought the ship would go
NKTiIlia y,oSOp tied two life Dra-