Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-06
By RALPH NJ. MORPHETT.

CMr. Morphett, who formerly was
| connected with the editorial de-
partment of The Argus, has a
close personal acquaintance with
Rev. Billy Sunday whose campaign
in Rock Island opens Sept. Il. Mr.
Morphett has accompanied the
Evangelist on his tours and re-
ported several of his series OF ser
mons for the press.-Editor's
nOte.)
Like many other men who have
achieved distinction in various
walks Of life, Billy Sunday came
from a very humble home. He
often refers with pride to the fact
that he was not born with a pro-
verbal silver spoon in his mouth
{aIthough he could, If he so de-
sired, refer to a great ancestry on
his mothers side) but in a little
log cabin which only boosted of
two rooms He knew little regard
ing his father, who was in 1862
called away to the service of the
country when Billy was but four
months old. The father never re-
turned, and he lies in an unknown
grave Then it was that the widow
found it necessary to send him to
a government Orphanage. Here he
remained until IA years of age.
from there going with his brother
Edward to live with their grand
father on a farm near Anes. Iowa.
Their grandfather was a man char
acterized as big hearted and Billy
was his favorite grandson. 1t is re-
corded that on one occasion the old
man addressed the lad in some
such terms as, listen to me, SON:
ut is not what you wear on you
but what you have in you that
makes a man. Be honest and do
your work with all your might and
then some day you won't have to
wear a white collar to make folks
look up at you"-a prediction that
has been abundantly fulfilled.
1t was while employed as driver
Of a delivery cart for a firm in
Marshalltown that Captain Arson,
manager of the famous White
Stockings Baseball Club OF the Ma
tional league, heard of Billy Sun
day, who had been giving indica-
tons of his ability as a baseball
player while a member of the local
club Arson, ever on the lookout
for new blood, became interested in
him and at once planned a base
ball test This proved so satisfac-
tory that Sunday gave up his job
and came with Arson to Chicago
and commenced training for profess
sional baseball. Many interesting
stories are told regarding his life
as a player. His enthusiasm was
Arson speaks of him
as one who dubbed over and
sparkled with sheer vitality. [
might as we'll try to hold a fright
ened deer as undertake to restrain
when he made up his mind
to leave one base and fly to the
next"
The story of his conversion I tell
in his own language: "Thirty-one |
years ago." he states, II walked |
down a street in Chicago in COM
pany with some ball players, many |
Of them famous the world over, and |
we went into a saloon. 1t was |
Sunday afternoon and we got filled |
up and went down and sat by a |
vacant lot at the corner of State !
and Van Buren, streets (the spot |
now occupied by the Siegel Cooper
store). Across the street a com |
pany OF men and women were play |
ing some musical instruments !
while others were singing the Cos
pei hymns that l recalled were |
sung in our little log cabin and
school back in Iowa. The |
meeting was led by Harry Monroe. !
Harry has often told the writer F..
how, seeing the band of young |
men approaching, he remarked TO
his fellow workers, HulIo, here is |
a fiash-looking set coming. We |
must get something put up for !
hem and something certainly was
prepared) And then continued i
Billy Sunday. God painted on the
,anvss Of my recollection a vivid