The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-02-08
Bill SUNDAY SPECIAL
CARRIED LARGE CROWD
Over Five Hundred People Go on Spe.
cial From Here and Other Points
Along the Line.

Along tho Line.
What is said by those in charge of
the tabernacle in Spartanburg to have
been the largest single delegation to
attend the Billy Sunday services, was
that OF Laurens, when 526 men and
women from Laurens and the sur
rounding country filed in the taber-
naclc at Spartanburg, Thursday, Feb.
End.
| Shortly after eleven o'clock a small
crowd began to gather at the depot
mere and it appeared that holiday
Esprit prevailed throughout. Down
town, Mr. Moore at the Laurens Hotel
VIZ doing a land office business SELL
ing excursion tickets for the special
train, and long before it was antici-
pated he had to plead "all sold out" to
the anxious purchasers.
In the mean time the crowd at the
depot rapidly grew, and as twelve
o'clock approached, the reasonable
and optimistic estimates of those in
charge Of the Billy Sunday Special
were surpassed FOR instead of $50 or
200 people, there were more than $50
who boarded the train. The railroad
officials were thoughtful in having six
coaches instead Of three which was
drst predicted, but even with the adj
ditional seating capacity more than a
hundred of the party were compelled
to stand and that number was increas-
ed along the route when others from
Watts, Mills, Enorce and Woodruff
boarded, the train
at the tabernacle, seats were re-
served for delegation OF 300, and the
ushers, who were both pleased and as
tonished with the large Laurens group,
immediately roped off other sections of
the immense building thus providing
seats for the extra number but divid-
ing the delegation
The afternoon services were opened
with prayer offered by Rev. Edward
Long, of Clinton, who was one of the
ILaurens party. Mr.. Sundays sermon
In the afternoon was powerful and i'm
pressivc, taken from the text, "Wherc
there is no vision, the people will per-
ish."
At the evening services, better ia
cilities were provided for seating. the
various delegations, which included
besides the one from Laurens, several
from Greenville, Union and Forrest
City, N. G.
1t was an immense number Of men
and women that Mr.. Sunday greeted
when the Laurens delegation was re-
quested to rise, and as they stood, Mr..
Rhodeheiver praised Laurens for the
splendid showing they made. Miss
Asher, member Of the Sunday party,
said to an Advertiser reporter that
Laurens, by far, sent the largest num-
ber to any of the Sunday meetings in
}Spartanburg.
The prayer at the opening of the ev-
ening services was offered by Rev. c.
t. Squires, pastor of the First Pres
byterian church Of Laurens. It was
followed by Mr.. Sundays sermon,
which was from the text, "Be sure
your sins will find you out" It was
said to have been one OF the most con-
lyincing sermons the evangelist has de-
| livered in Spartanburg and it resulted
in several hundred persons hitting "the
saw dust trail"
On the return trip home, the con-
sensus of opinion was that everyone
who heard both sermons were we'll re-
paid for the time and expense in 60
ing to the meetings. Among those
who made the trip were Rev. C. r..
Sqrires, Rev. S. III. Templeman, Rev.
w. S. Speer and Rev. Edward Long of
Clinton.
| Conductor j. H. Partain, in charge
of the Billy Sunday Special, paid an
other tribute to Laurens when he told
an Advertiser reporter that in all his
railroad experience he had never con-
Quoted more orderly and accommo-
dating train OF passengers than that
which was on the special train to
Spartanburg Thursday. Though more
than hundred were compelled to
stand all the way in either direction,
every one was contented, and assisted
him In collecting his fares and other
wise handling the crowded train.