The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-31
Gypsy Smith
TO Speak Here
Sunday, Nov. 10
AT 10 O'clock

AuVlces have been received that
owing to a necessary change in
schedule Gypsy Smith will speak here
sunday morning, Nov. 10th, at 10
O'Clock, instead of Saturday night
as previously announced. The not.
ed evangelist will speak in the Park
and 1t is believed that at the day and
nour named there will be even a larg.
er crowd than would have greeted
MIN mad ne spoken Saturday night.
IL is unfortunate that the hour
may conflict somewhat with church
services, but it is probable that owing
10 the nature of this meetin, and the
time named being the only hour that
would fit in the eyangelist's itinerary,
the ministers may make some ar
rangement whereby their congrega.
lions can hear this gifted man.
There would be no special inter
est in the announcement that Rod
ney Smith would deliver an address
In Lakeland, but this is the real name
OF the man who as Gypsy" Smith for
40 years has been known as one of
the most remarkable evangelists in
the history of the church.
A gypsy encampment is certainly
not the place where an evangelist
might be expected to emerge, yet
Gypsy Smith was born in 1860, in a
tent near Epping Forest, England,
the son of gypsies, Cornelius Smith
and his wife, Mary WEIGH. He shared
the wandering life of his parents and
tribe until II years of age, when he
was converted to the Christian re-
ligion in little Primitive Methodist
church. Very soon afterward he Ell
tered the Christian mission of General
William Booth, the founder of the Sal
walton Army as boy preacher, and
it was there that he became known
as Gypsy" Smith After some years
OF service with the Salvation Armv,
in which he met with wonderful sue
cess as a preacher, some differences
arose with the officers as to rules and
regulations of the Army, which led
to Gypsy Smiths going out as an in
dependent evangelist. although he
says he will always be grateful for
his experience in the Salvation Army
and considers it one of the greatest
and most religious movements of
Christianity.
AS he has preached the world over,
and -eminently as a messenger Of
the gospel to the great cities, his
development has been nothing short
OF remarkable, until today he stands
at the forefront of the great speakers
of the world. Although his early
circumstances and lack of education
advantages would have seemed likely
to bar his progress, it is said that he
has acquired a style and delivery full
of force and beauty. Some of the
English papers say of him that he is
one of the finest opponents of the An
glo-Saxon speech since the days OF
John Bright.
1t is said that in his earlier preach
ing days he also sang beautifully and
those who are to hear him in Lake
land would be glad to find he has re-
tanned this gift. Even If he did not
come with a message direct from the
trenches, his visit here would be an
event of importance, because whether
preaching the gospel or addressing
audiences in the interest of the Y. M.
C. A., or as at present, speaking for
the United War Work campaign,
Gypsy Smith never failed to command
immense audiences and arouse the
most intense enthusiasm for the OBJ
ject he is seeking.