Evening star., 1947-10-09

cation of the death of that man in the Argonne
on September 16, 1918.
YES" said the man holding it, this is the
first documentary evidence of resurrection I
have SEEN"
He was slight dark man in dark suit. He
had tortoise-shell glasses. His black hair was
sicked back from part in the middle. He was
j. B. Held haberdashery clerk during the week
and on Sunday lecturer of the Secular League
of Washington.
The league had history, Mr.. Held told me. 1t
had held meetings in the park from the turn of
the century until 1886. Secular leagues pat
termed on it had been very successful in other
cities, especially that in London. Another fact
of historical interest he said, was that the great
agnostic orator, Robert G. 1ngersoll had lived
and died in house in K street facing the park.
Editors note: Interesting but not correct. Mr.
Ingersoll moved to Washington in 1879, but went
to New York three years later to live until he
died, ir 1899, at Dobbs Fer1y)
Mr. Held and others had revived the league
last year, he said ito break the religious monop-
oily in the park"
What are you going to speak on today, Mr..
Davidson?" he asked short baldish man of so
wearing gray herringbone suit and green
paisley tie
propaganda" said Mr.. Davidson.
Mr. Davidson, it turned out, was a photog-
raphy salesman who signs up church and educa-
tional bodies for group pictures. Mr.. Held took
the podium. 1t was no soapbox. 1t was fold
ing affair with platform only two inches above
the ground ana slanted board for papers. Be-
fore introducing Mr.. Davidson he said, Next
week I will speak on the positive contribution
of atheism to society"
But Another Meeting Begins.
Mr.. Davidson talked at length He spoke very
well. There must be something about shaded
walks that leads men to happy expression OF
their thoughts. 1t was no accident that Plato's
academy and Aristotle's lyceum were groves in
Athens.
About 30 men gathered about, stood around
listening. Mr.. Held soon withdrew and rump
meeting of about 10 men standing in knot
about so feet away began. I Joined the meeting.
1t was there met Robert G. Quirk, planner
at the Government Printing Office.
why quibble about it?" Mr.. Quirk was ask
ing. Lets look at the text"
He produced an interlinear Greek and Eng
lish text of the New Testament Mr.. Qurk was
of less than medium heightrand his shirt, under
his open coat ballooned above the belt. His
hair was little lighter than red and the Celt
was as evident in his face as in his name.
was right he said, when we got talking
his background was Irish Catholic.
But" he said, 'T can't go along with the
articles OF faith from the Trinity to Papal
Infallibility. You might call me First Cen
tury Christian. My subject is the historical
evidence of religion. It's rather difficult. This
crowd won't give me much time and the
denominations won't let me on their plat
forms"
Curtis Barr, good-looking man of about
80 with exceptionally blue eyes and wavy
brown hair, had succeeded Mr.. Davidson on
the stand. He was wearing freshly pressed,
new brown sui and a tieless sport shirt open
at the collar
Mr. Barr, one OF the group explained, had
been brought up a Seventh-Day Adventist
but had left that denomination to become
tent-show evangelist.
HE makes his living a roofer now.' the
man said. But on Sunday he always has his
Bible under his arm and he is always doing
his best to rip it to pieces"'
I'm laying for that man Barr" said the
First Century Christian. "He gets away with
murder here because his listeners aren't up
on the subject. I got tired OF his saying that
religion is superstition contrary to science and