Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-09-22
BILLY SUNDAY is
STILL IN ACTION
BECOME FAMOUS AS PREACHER
SINCE HOLDING MEETINGS IN
AUDUBON YEARS AGO.

Billy Sunday, famous baseball
evangelist, has started a campaign
in Sioux City. He has never opened
4 campaign anywhere in this country
without criticism and this one is 40
exception to the rule.
The string on which Sundays crit
les harp most is the claim that he is
preaching for money. There are
other strings on the harp of these
harpies, but this is the one most
frequently touched.
We are inclined to the view that
most OF these critics talk without
knowledge and only on hearsay evil
dence.
This claim can easily be complete
ly refuted. II Sunday had been dis
posed to place money above service
20 his feilowmen he would not have
become a preacher OF the gospel in
the first instance. When he began
fitting himself for the ministry he
was one of the greatest stars in pro-
fessional baseball. He was the
fleetest runner In che old national
league He stood high as fielder
and batter. He had the prospect
of many years before him as an ath-
lete at big salary. And any man
who knows anything about athletic
sports knows that the exhileration
which comes to successful per-
former before thousands OF specta-
tors exercises a tremendous pull. 1t
is rare that a man classed as a star
performer ever quits the game OF
baseball as long as he can go the
pace necessary to hold his job. Sun
day quit baseball before he had
reached the zenith of his career as a
professional. He sacrificed both
glory and salary. He did this be-
cause Of his conversion to the chris
tian faith and his abiding conviction
that it was his duty to fight the devil
and save from perdition as many OF
his fellowmen as the limits of his
power would permit.
These facts alone should close the
mouths of most critics. But there
are others of greater weight.
Sunday had no fore knowledge OF
what he would be able to accomplish
as a preacher. When he started his
career as an evangelist he had diff
Guilty in making both ends meet fl
naneially. Something like twenty
five years ago Sunday conducted
meetings in such towns as Dunlap,
Glidden and Audubon. At that
time his assistants were two in num-
Der, ma" Sunday and the director
of his music, Mr.. Fisher. At the end
of his campaigns in these towns he
received a free will offering of few
hundred dollars. 1t required num-
Der of years OF tremendous pulling
before his income as a preacher
reached the annual proportions he
was paid as ball player. Finally
he began to grow popular in his new
field. In like manner he became more
effective. Today he has no peer in
the world as a successful preacher.
Sunday richly deserves every dollar
he has ever received as a preacher.
The story does not end here. Sum
day never fixes the compensation
for his services as preacher. He
puts on his campaign and takes what
people wish to give him. 1t is true
that business methods are used ar
ranging for the collection which is
to be the reward of his efforts. But
he is surely not to be censured on
that score. No man is assessed for
contribution to Sunday. And in all
the years he has been in this work
we have yet to find man VINO has
contributed to an offering for Sun
day who regrets his action.
Finally, Sunday is making good
use Of the money he has. collected.
He is a most generous giver. Billy
Sunday is one of the most worth
while men in America. 1t is not an
exaggeration to say that he is one
Of the most useful citizens America
has ever produced.