The Washington herald., 1918-01-29
TRAIL HTTTERS
REMAIN FIRM,
SAY CONVERTS
Effect Of Sunday Reyivals in
Other Cities Has Been
Permanent.
ny ARTHUR JOYCE.

day campaign meetings show any per
p,anent resuits7 Are those persons
who walk the sawdust aisles over at
the Tabernacle interested only In
formally shaking the hand of the
evangelist - or Is there something
definite behind 1t all?
Thousands who have seen approx
nately 5000 persons "hit the trail'' at
the Tabernacle In this city are ask
ing these questions. And about the
only way In which they can be an
swered with any degree OF accuracy Is
to look over the fields where the
evangelist has conducted revivais and
see what's the situation year or two
following the campaigns.
1 met yesterday at the Sunday home
two influential representatives OF
cities in which Billy has campaigned
and I put the questions to each OF
them. One is Gen. C.. Edward Muir
ray. quartermaster general OF New
Jersey, the other Is Lucius L. A.
Eddy, head of the Merchants Ma
tionai Bank, of Syracuse, N. Y. Both
were Billy Sunday trail hitters'-
Gen. Murray in Trenton, N. j., and
Mr.. Eddy in Syracuse.
Bix Sunday Club.
Gen. Murray Is president Of the
Billy Sunday Club, Of Trenton, an or
ganization Of trail hitters" formed
after the evangelist's Trenton cam
paign. That club now has a big MEM
bership and every member in It Is
personally interested In leading others
to Christ.
"The campaign in Trenton" said
Gen. Murray, awakened a remark
able interest in Christian work, es-
pecially among the men and women
who hit the trail Churches in
creased their membership to a re-
markable degree; booze got a swat
that keeled It over: Sunday schools
are crowded and everywhere there Is
being shown a wonderful interest In
things religious. I know many noted
poker players who passed up the chips
and joined the church and I know OF
one politician who formerly represent
ed the booze interests and who won
hands down at a recent election on
an anti-booze ticket.
"On the whole, / should say that the
Sunday campaign in Trenton has done
more to evangelize the city than any
other one happening In recent years.
| And I'm satisfied that 50 per cent OF
the trail hitters' are going right to-
day as they promised when they walk
ed the aisles for Christ"
Mr.. Eddy told of the workings OF
! the Billy Sunday Club in Syracuse.
Every member OF the organization was
trail hitter" and in the last two
years, he said. they have led more
than 10000 men to Christian lives.
1.-THE trail hitters' not only them
selves stuck to their decisions to
stand on Gods side" said Mr.. Eddy,
but they've inaugurated an active
campaign to bring others into the
| fold. And IL that doesn't show the
permanency Of trail hitting I've lost
my guess"
Senator vardaman, OF Mississippi
made the statement that IL the evan
gelist shall win only one person to
Christ in his Washington campaign
I'VE will have been well repaid for
our efforts in the revival cause here.
In Philadelphia-three years aftel
the Sunday campaign-there Is q
''trail-hitting" organization in virtu-
ally every evangelical church that as
sisted in the revival. There are prob
| ably 1000 members enrolled in these
organizations, and they're campaign
ing every day to bring others to the
church.
In Scranton, Pa, one church added
/ 1000 members to its rolls within six
months after the Sunday campaign
A Wilkesbarre, Pa. church increased
its enrolment by 1000 in a year fol-
lowing the meetings, and 800 persons
were added to the membership rolls
in a Carbondale, Pa. church.
Out in Wichita. Kan, the men OF
the town have banded themselves into
what they call gospel teams" These
teams" go at their own expense to
| any town in the Middle West tc
preach the gospel and tell Of the
great work of Billy Sunday and his
campaigns. Out of these teams has
been formed a National Federation
Of Gospel Teams" which are made
up Of leading men throughout the
country-all Of whom are either trail.
hitters" at Sunday meetings or are
in the church as a result Of the worl
Of ''trail-hitters" who have taken ul
personal work. These teams have q
record Of 11,o0o conversions to theil
credit.
Don't All Stay.
Detroit has a "trail-hitters' club" Of
nearly 1000 members; Los Angelo.
has one with about 500 men on it,
rolls: Atlanta has just finished or
ganization of a Billy Sunday Clul
| with several hundred members. AND
in virtually every city and towr
where the evangelist has campaigneC
there are similar organizations con
tinufng the work Billy began. Ant
nearly every trail hitter in thes.
places has associated himself will
these clubs.
or course. every person who ''hit.
the trail' isn't a sticker. But records
made by Sunday party experts |,
year after Billy's campaigns in lead
ing cities show that approximately 8
per cent of those who walk tn,
aisles'' represent permanent conver
| sions.
The object of the trail hitting /.
not only to bring to the 'front.' in .
public confession Of Christianity thos,
who have never before taken an,
stand in the matter. Billy's "invita
ton" is more general. He invite.
1 church members to ''reconsecrate'
themselves and asks for pledges fo
| a continued Christian life from thos,