Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-15
BY MALCOLM II. EDDY.

=
noted evangelist, better known the
SprId over as Billy" completed
the initial day of a six-weeks' sea
son in Rock Island yesterday, with
three remarkable sermons. All
services were conducted in the
tabernacle recently constructed at
Twenty-fOurth street and Fifth
avenue which seats Z. 200 people.
Near seating apacity audiences
attended in the morning and aft
ernoon. The evening crowd over
flowed the building and was esti-
mated at 5000, standing and sit
ting.
Wonderful choral music was
rendered at all three meetings BY
q choir of more than 700 voices,
led by Homer RodeheaTer. the off,
ciaI choirmaster Of the Billy Sun
day company.
Sundays picturesque idioms and
peculiarities of speech, his com
pelling personality. logical reason
ing. and, not least. his peculiar
mannerisms and speaking gestures
did not fail to impress the tri-city
audiences as they have those else
where. He is assured big crowds
daily as long as he conducts ser
vices in this city.
DR.. Frank Cole of Davenport
first occupied the rostrum at the
morning meeting. The great crowd
grew silent at his gesture. Homer
Rodeheaver. the director OF music.
was introduced. He acknowledged
the applause Of the audience and
made a number of remarks compli-
TDsshtary to the tri-Cities. In the
course of his speech he said:
Il know we arc to have an ex-
ceptionally fine meeting in Rock
Island, because of the things I
have mentioned I know this also
by an unfaifing sign-oUr friend,
the enemy. has already been busy
with his little plots against our
purpose. Whenever we enter
community preceded by :. program
of deliberate lying and plotting on
the part of the forces of evil. that
place usually ends by coming over
to the side of right unanimously
Such meetings have always proved
our most successful ones"
Rev. John McGowD Stevenson Of
Broadway Presbyterian church was
then introduced by Or. Crane. to
offer a prayer. 1t was a powerful
eXhortation
Skinner Welcomes Sunday.
Mayor c. p. Skinner of Moline.
in the formal welcome address to
Rev. Mr. Sunday in behalf of the
three cities, said that the evangel-
ist comes a visitor to whom voiced
welcome is needless. This is a
new game for me" he said, TO be
standing behind a pulpit"
~Durtng these preliminaTieS the
stragglers Of the crowd had been
coming in from The numerous en-
frances. and after the last infIux
there were approximately 5000, I
comfortable crowd, in the auditor
ium seats. There were 500 choris-
ters, members of the Sunday par
ty and others. in the gallery be-
hind the platform. This was the
gathering which greeted the eye of
the famous Rev. Billy Sunday as
he stepped to the front after the
by Mayor Skinner.
No depressing fOrmality Cumber- !
ed his opening words Instead. he
started out by claiming fellowship /
with every person in the audience
upon the grounds of former resi- /
dence in the tri-cities-
Sunday No Stranger.
Il was a barefoot boy and a real /;
kid when / used to run around the |
tri-cities on visits from the Sol !
diers' Orphans home up in Dav- /
export, where I was raised" he !
said. and l want TO tell you I'm /
proud to be a westerneT. No place /
else do you see the wholesome /
and whoIe-heartedness with which I
the middIe-western people enter |
into everything they do. l didn't /
expect the monstrous welcome /
which greeted me when I got OFF
the train in Rock Island Expect !,
ed something like it. OF course.
Might have known what I'd get.
that's the way you people
10 things-on hundredhOrse
power scale if you back it up with
your conviction.
He said he wished to thank and
compliment those working for the
campaign here for the erection OF
such a good building in which to
hold the meetings. In explaining
hat collections would be taken for
he sole purpose of paying this eX-
pense and running expenses of the
he said:
Collection for Campaign Only.
America is lousy with money,