The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1918-03-14
Fred Waight Writes of Billy sunda.
Meeting at Washington.

Fred Waight Writes of Billy sunday
Meeting at Washington.
DR. w. F. Waight, of this city,
has received the following interest
ing letter from his son, Fred j.;
Waight, of Washington, d. O., and
as many Decatur people ;, are person person
they will read the letter with more
than ordinary interest:
Washington, d. c., Feb. 26, 1918.
DR.. w. F. Waight,
Leon, Iowa.
NV Dear Daddy
AS you know, Billy Sunday IS
holding series ESQ., OF ,d meetaags ar IN
held in a specially constructed tab
ernacle only about three blocks
from our house, so that we have all
been able to attend pretty regular
ly without inconvenience. was ap-
pointed an usher. but as / am now
on the night force at the War Risk
Bureau l have been able to- act on
While the meetings have been going
on for several weeks it was not un-
til a few days ago that l screwed
up courage enough to try to renew
my personal acquaintance with Billy,
which dated back to the time he
preached in Leon, eighteen years
ago. s At that ame h hm on r tae
Leon to Gravity, where he opened,
meeting. / had no idea that he
would remember me after all these
years of strenuous campaigning and
meeting thousands OF people, posi-
bly, some of them more prominent IN
the world, and perhaps few OF
them of more striking. personality
+bon R1t hp not On1V remember
ed me, but recalled many insignifi,,
cant details of his stay in Leon and
Gravity, even the fact that in the
latter place he went out and picked
dand eliOns.
He asked me about several OF the
Leon people and his remarks snow ln
than | did. He asked how Doc Lay
ton and Doc Waight were getting
along. He carries an especially
kindly feeling toward DR.. Layton
and expressed his regret that the
doctor had been sick recently, He
recalled a lawyer who dabbed IN
town and it didn't take him lone to
Calls name. He asked
about Senator Stookey and
Rev Bisgs, and remembered Ollie
Hull as an unusually bright young
man and a good fellow. Wood says
that probably the intervening years
had added a glamour to his impress
altogether warranted by the facts:
Your son-in-law is more or less OF
a camoufleur, though, and "yessed-
On Washington's birthday we, had
Billy and Ma. Sunday to luncheon
With With, US bt eve Men USUALLY We have ea' such
xryst1 NI,n
extra syllable). Billy had expressed
a preference for beefsteak, and if
Hoover knew how much ! paid for
the meat he'd starve me the remain,
der Of the month. We let Wood
hang around the edges and act as
butler. AS butler. however, he
make fine section hand: Biliy ACT,
Leon-came in like a Whirlwind,
pianp said sHeilo, folks and made
dash for the radiator. One would
have thought he boarded here and
had just come in from drive. lie
and Ma ate up strong and seemed
to. enjoy themselves. IN IA; iact, ma ma
She came to Washington. Wood
says It was the fine buttling he did.
but | know it was due more to my
steak and debonair manners.
| had thought to get photograph
If the group that ! could send you,
1ut the photographer ! engaged
'ailed to show up. 1t was showing
1ard all day and he probably
thought he would not be aoie 10 ger
With one of the members of the
party, he may have had
some regard for his camera. he
works in the office with your SON
n-law, by the way.
: Well, Billy and Ma remained
couple of hours and the first thing
we knew it was Goodbye, folks,
ind away he went, without any Tor
malities whatever. Anne has oeen
srieving ever since because . sng
stunt of following visitors to the
front door. down the steps, over
The sidewalk, and into the street.
She seems to think she is being de-
frauded il a visitor doesn't give her
4 chance to say goodbye half dozen
times.
about the people he met-dldn.t
seem to hear their names or care
anything about their relationship 10
years from now he can call them by
name and tell them all about it.
He is a remarkable man in more
Ways than one. Next Sunday the
meetings close here and the party
will 20 to Chicago, where they Will
conduct a ten-week campaign.
We are all well and very busy:
with love and best wishes to all,
am, ....,