Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-30
Billy Sunday
Shocked EN-.
Made II Pay
Touch Of World Series
in This Tale. Too
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
THIS one will have a touch OF
u World Series in II, too.

as Kansas ana COuIun nave
thrived as a preacher of religion
in any other country.
He had been a mediocre ball
player and, when he took to
preaching, used an exaggerated
baseball slang which, neverthe-
less. vowed the public.
gained momentum,
local ministerial councils would
get together and present induce
ments to bring him to town and
put on his show. which was loud
and vulgar. in the belief that he
would bring strays back to the
fold and, in whole effect, revive
religious feeling among the
people.
Some Protestant clergymen
held. however, that he only ex-
cited them and that soon after
he left town they would back
slide.
He also took out OF town lot
OF money, some of which could
otherwise be regarded as prob
able income for the local
churches under normal condi-
tions.
The Catholic clergy ignored
him. They had their own mis-
sions and retreats.
THE newspapers OF those days
l. were pretty yellow at best,
and even the good ones would
thunp the tub for Sunday, as
sign their best news reporters
and feature writers 10 cover his
meetings and publiciZe the
homely. or in the word Of the
day. folksy. simplicity Of Bill
and Ma.
And even some Of the report
ers. who were supposed 10 be
cynical. wouid go nuts toward
the end of the assignment and
hit the sawdust trail. with Bill
bowling out their names and
putting on the old Hallelujah.
In Des Moines. Ia, my ROOM
mate. - worldly kid but not a
hardened sinner, withstood Sun
days preaching until the last
day. when he got religion and
tossed his pay check, probably
$3.50. on the drum.
In Philadelphia. a great old
time reporter who liked to drink
little went up the pole for the
duration of the meeting and
would yell Homer Rodeheaver's
beautiful hymn. The Brewers
Big Horses Won't Run Over
Me-" with wild piety, and Bill
and ma were thinking they had
him saved for good until closing
night. when he reeled all over
the stage bawling:
THE Brewers Big Horses
Done Run Over Me-"
YOU never could tell how
l. much money Bill made, but
he used 10 get a guarantee and
all he could gather, and with
people getting souped up on his
intimate chats with God and the
Devil. he must have had many
emotional gifts like my ROOM
mates.
But once. in Tampa. along
toward the end of his career, a
head waitress in the old Tampa
Bay Hotel said he was the
cheapest Upper she had ever
seen, and she had waited on
many ball clubs, which don't run
a high score in this respect.
1t was a good furfong from
the kitchen to Sundays big
round table. where he fed his
staff. and the little girls would
lug in great tonnage of those
heavy. old-style hotel plates
and boats which went with the
American plan meals and cover
much mileage in the course Of
three meals a day.
The head waitress said Bills
standard tip was a dime head.
although. in his store. il the
people didn't shower down he
would give them the devil for a
lot Of cheap skates trying 10
mooch their way to Heaven.
DILL could be arrogant and
- abusive, as we'll as pious,
and often denounced startled
and unfortunate individuals con-
spicuously, but Uncle Ben At
well, who was out with an old
Winter Garden Passing Show"
outsmarted him in Boston.
Uncle Ben got a dozen cuties
out of the chorus and had them
hit the sawdust trail harmonic
ing Brighten the Corner Where
You Are" and doing the SHIN.
which was then regarded as a
very suggestive dance.
Bill roared, but they continued
down the aisle, made their turn
and went back up and out, still
barberizing his theme song.
Well. one night after one Of
those Cubs series in Chicago a
few years ago, l did some ex-
tensive sitting up with our sports
editor after the Tribune went to
bed. and as we neared home out
north we thought il might be
polite to buy some flowers for
his wife.
So we stopped in a little neigh
borhood shop, which had living
quarters in the rear, and a
woman in a ragged old sweater
jacket came out TO take care OF
lis