The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1956-10-25

Having several times been converted from hea-
thern to only God knows what, the piece which follows
was of special interest to 1t written by Harry
Golden The Carolina Israelite Charlotte N c.
Before getting on with Harrys narrative, would
like to recall to mind one Gypsy Rose Smith who had
at the time went to hear him moved from the sawdust
trail uptown, Main Street. to Baptist Church He
giving all sinners hell from both barrels He was
pouring it
Just before what may well have been the shoutin'
time, infant began crying Mr. Smith, in the language
OF WeStbrook Pegler asked the mother to her
SELF and to take her baby with her Somehow that
occasion, failed to get converted AS matter of fact
have not been back yet to hear Gypsy Rose Smith,
being the narrow minded person that l sort of
figured that any mother who went to the trouble to
worry with infant just in order to hear preacher
had every right hear him True I'd still prefer Gypsy
Rose to Norman Vincent, the pablum pedder.
MISS THE HOLY MEN OF THE 1905
THE South is longer the Bible Belt
"The overthrow of agriculture as the dominant way
of life has accelerated the process of urbanization of
social life, culture, and religion
"The sawdust trail is slowly but surely coming to
end
There are two for this First, the tent
gelist could hardly hope compete with fellows who
spend $4,000 week for radio and TV programs but the
second reason is part Of tremendous development of
the past fifteen years which is worthy o. impor
tant survey.
More and more the Christians thinking of their
church great historic force which has to be respected
and maintained, and there is less emphasis dogma,
creed and ritual This follows the normal pattern AS
onomic STATUS increases there less and less
for an answer such a milworker gave Dr. Lis
ton Pope Dean Yale Divinity School, when he asked
her why she had changed one of the primitive
sects"I needed of the Holy Ghost than the Bap
lists could give me-"
Today that lady is probably member of two gar
den clubs, two book clubs and active the League of
Women Voters. STATUS There is nothing like economic
STATUS. tremendously xpanding middle class is
making the tent evangelist thing of the past.
"Now and then old Mordecai Ham pops up, but he
sticks to the unpaved country roads mostly and his
is half the it in 1885 Gone the days of Cy
clone Mack and Gypsey Smith. Even Hyman Appleman
the Hebrew Christian evangelist has gone fancy
and talks of signing pledge cards. while Brother Arm
strong in Gastonia is selling used in his spare
time Today DR. Norman Vincent Peae attracts many
people for Short short invocation old Cyclone Mack
used gather during whole weeks revival with two
Saturday nights thrown in and before he through
you could smell the smoke and actually hear the crack
ling of the fires below.
Il remember when the printers held convention
Asheville and Bill friend of mine, went out
to Cyclone Mack revival in the vicinity After listening
for minutes Bill inspired that he stood up and,
shouting prayer for forgiveness took the bottle out of
his hip pocket and pitched Of the open window
This was no grandstand play The bottle at least
two-thrds full The delegates slept two to and
roommate Fred sort of responsible for Bill They
went to bed at midnight but when Fred got up around
four o'clock Bills bed empty. Fred dressed quickly
and went out to look for his FRIEND and enough
there Bill with big stick in his hand beating the
tall grass around the revival tent looking for his bot
tie"