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Life and Sayings 
 of Sam P. Jones 
 
 The Only Author- 
 ized and Authentic 
 Work 
 
 BY HIS WIFE 
 
 In Collaboration with 
 Rev. Walt Holcomb, a 
 Co-worker of Mr. Jones 
 
 
 » 
 
 1907 
 
 THE FRANKLIN-TURNER CO. 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 
 
 Those Wanting a Copy of, or the Agency for, this Book 
 will please address as below 
 
 A. N. JENKINS C& SCOTT 
 
 SOLE DISTRIBUTORS 
 Austell Building, ATLANTA, GA. 
 
- 
 
 
 
 
 LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
 
 
 Two Copies Received 
 JAN 9 1907 
 
 
 
 v^ Copyright Entry , 
 
 /w, 7, 1 Cj I 
 
 CLASS A XXc„ No. 
 
 / <* Us-3 
 
 COPY B. ' 
 
 
 Copyright 1906, by 
 
 MRS. SAM P. JONES 
 
 ai>;d 
 
 THE FRANK UN-TURNER CO. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Foreword 17 
 
 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 As I Knew Him . . 19 
 
 • CHAPTER II. 
 His Ancestry 33 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 His Early Days 42 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 His Conversion and First Sermon 50 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 His First Work in the Conference 57 
 
 CHAPTER .VI. 
 Other Pastorates and Revivals . .- 72 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Early Evangelistic Work and Last Pastorate 81 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 The Orphans' Home and Revival Work. 90 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 His Fame Spreading 100 
 
 (9) 
 
10 Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Revivals in Southern Towns 112 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 In Brooklyn With Dr. Talmage 124 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 That Memorable Meeting. . . . 133 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 That Memorable Meeting (Continued) 143 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 In Missouri and St. Louis 156 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 In Missouri and St. Louis (Continued) 167 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Cincinnati Revival 176 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Cincinnati Revival (Continued) 187 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 The Chicago Campaign 198 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 The Chicago Campaign (Continued) 208 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 The Baltimore Awakening 217 
 
Contents. 11 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 The Baltimore Awakening (Continue) 225 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 Indianapolis, St. Paul and Minneapolis 233 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 In Toronto and Canada. 237 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 Omaha and Kansas City. 24S 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 The; Great Work in Boston 254 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 On the Pacific Coast 263 
 
 I. — Los Angeles 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 On the Pacific Coast (Continued) 269 
 
 II. — Sacramento 269 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 On the Pacific Coast (Continued) 275 
 
 III. — San Francisco 275 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 Toledo Meeting 280 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 The Work in the South 284 
 
12 Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 The Work in the South (Continued) 295 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 His Life and Work at Cartersville 306 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 Mr. Jones — A Study 316 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 A Summary 333 
 
 The Fiftieth Anniversary ....*.... 333 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 Dead Soldier of the Cross Comes Home , 341 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 The Funeral Service 347 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 Body Lies in State in Atlanta. ....... 363 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Memorial Services 371 
 
 Tributes at Nashville 371 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 Memorial Services (Continued) 391 
 
 Service at Chattanooga 391 
 
Contents. 13 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 Memorial Services (Continued) 399 
 
 Addresses at Atlanta 399 
 
 Rev. A. W. Lamar 407 
 
 CHAPTER XLL 
 
 Appreciations from Prominent Ministers. . 409 
 
 Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald 409 
 
 Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D.D 412 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 Appreciations from Distinguished Men. . 414 
 
 Hon. John Temple Graves 414 
 
 Hon. William Jennings Bryan • 415 
 
 In Memoriam — Sam Jones. Hon. Thomas E. Watson. . . . 416 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 Sayings oe Sam P. Jones 423 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 Sayings oe Sam P. Jones (Continued) 428 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 Sayings oe Sam P. Jones (Continued) 433 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 Sayings oe Sam P. Jones (Continued) 43? 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 Sayings oe Sam P. Jones (Continued) 443 
 
14 Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued) : 449 
 
 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued) 455 
 
 CHAPTER h. 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued) 460 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Forty-eight pages of Illustrations, not page-numbered, plus 464 type pages, 
 equal to 512 pages in Volume. 
 
BOOK ONE 
 
 His Development 
 
Co i£)i0 CftilOren 
 
REV. SAM P. JONES. 
 
\ 
 
 y 
 
 MRS. SAM P. JONKS. 
 
FOREWORD. 
 
 While in the last meeting Mr. Jones conducted, which was in 
 Oklahoma City, in conversation with me, he suggested that we set 
 apart the month o<f December for the purpose of getting together the 
 material for a book containing the story of his life and work. It 
 was Mr. Jones's wish that we write the book, and he requested Rev. 
 Walt Holcomb, who was associated with him in evangelistic work, 
 to spend December in our home and assist us. Our plans were made 
 to do as he suggested. 
 
 But in the Providence of God, Mr. Jones was called to his reward ; 
 and Mr. Holcomb and I are left to carry out his plans. Acting upon 
 the advice of friends, we began the manuscript as early as my 
 strength would permit, and we have followed the best we knew how 
 what we believe would have been his wishes could he have spoken 
 to us. 
 
 For nearly thirty-five years I have preserved newspaper and 
 magazine accounts of his great meetings throughout the United 
 States. In order to get our bearings, and map out the best plan for 
 the book, it was necessary to get the material chronologically ar- 
 ranged, and do much careful and discriminating reading. 
 
 We have not tried to give a critical study of Mr. Jones and his 
 labors, but to present them in the simplest way, that those who 
 knew and loved him might have a true record of his long, useful 
 career. The book, however, will be suggestive to those who wish 
 to know the secret of his wonderful life. We have made free use 
 of illustrations, anecdotes and stories related by Mr. Jones to 
 
 23 (17) 
 
18 Foreword. 
 
 make the work characteristic of himself. As there is such a demand 
 for his "Sayings/' we have included many of them. The reader 
 may follow his development, his crowning ministry, and study him 
 in the many capacities in which he served. 
 
 Some of the tributes given at the funeral and the memorial serv- 
 ices have been used. We regret that we could not use all of them. 
 Other tributes prepared by friends appear in the volume. 
 
 Rumors of unauthorized books coming into the field made it 
 necessary for this one to be given to the public as early as possible. 
 
 Many friends have been very generous in supplying us with 
 valuable material for the manuscript, which we gratefully acknowl- 
 edge. 
 
The Life and Sayings of Sam P. Jones. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 As I Knew Him. 
 
 The saddest task my love could perform is this tribute to my 
 husband, in writing the story of his life, and when I attempt to 
 write of him as I knew him my heart is filled with sadness, and my 
 eyes with tears, for I knew him: in the most sacred relations of life, 
 first as his sweetheart, his wife, his helpmeet, the companion of his 
 youth, the mother of his children, whom he loved more than his own 
 life, and then when the frost began to fall as a mantle upon his 
 head, and the weight of care and the burden of years to bend the 
 precious shoulders that bore so many burdens for the careworn and 
 overburdened fellow man, whom he tried to help, and labored and 
 wore himself out in a life of service to save — we were all the more 
 to each other, and our love instead of diminishing grew and. grew 
 until it seems to me since he has gone from me so suddenly, slipped 
 away from me, leaving me the sacred charge of following him, 
 leading our children to the foot of the Cross — and finally reuniting 
 on the morn of the Resurrection — that until that day my life must 
 remain incomplete. I could not tell of him as I knew him; no 
 words, no language could describe him. 
 
 I have often heard him say in public life, as well as at home, "The 
 highest ambition I have on earth is to have those who survive me 
 say of me when I am dead and gone, 'Sam Jones lived up to and 
 died by his convictions.' That I was a true man, a good husband, a 
 good father to my children and a good neighbor and citizen, with- 
 out reproach." I believe the supreme wish of his life has been 
 
 (19) 
 
20 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 granted. The people of Cartersville will testify that he was a 
 neighbor and a citizen without reproach. His audiences all over the 
 United States and Canada will testify that he lived up to his con- 
 victions and was willing to suffer for them, and all his children 
 will unite in declaring that he was the most patient, gentle and the 
 tenderest of fathers, and I feel sure that I will not weary the readers 
 of this book when I declare to them that he was an ideal husband. 
 I have reason to know, for I have been his cherished companion, not 
 only in the privacy of our home, but in public life during all these 
 years of his noble career. 
 
 It was in the home of Mr. Austin Dupuy, whose father owned 
 the adjoining farm to my father's, that this young man was a 
 visitor during the eight months of his stay in Kentucky. He was 
 taken in as a son of the household and soon became the mosttalked- 
 of personage in the neighborhood, for most of that part of the 
 country during the Civil War was in sympathy with the North, 
 and this young man was the son of a Confederate captain, and he 
 created a good deal of interest among the people. 
 
 This family being such intimate friends of my father's it was per- 
 fectly natural that my brothers should very soon know this young 
 man, and he was invited to our home ; in fact, was a constant visitor 
 there during his entire stay in Kentucky. 
 
 It was on a Friday afternoon in January, 1864, that, in company 
 with one of my young girl friends, it was my privilege to come 
 home and spend the Sabbath, from the boarding-school in New- 
 castle, Ky., that I met this young man. When I g-ot home my 
 mother was full of praises for Sam Jones, the Georgia boy, who had 
 come home with Lieutenant Dupuy, and when my brother came we 
 were all delighted that he had brought him with him to spend the 
 night. And my first introduction to him was by my mother, who 
 said, "Laura, this is Sam Jones from Georgia.'' I looked at him 
 and saw a bright-faced boy with large brown eyes, and my heart 
 went out to him in sympathy, for I had heard something of his 
 history and separation from his family from my mother. This 
 was the first sight of the boy who was, in after years, to become 
 my cherished companion, and whose name was to become a house- 
 hold word all over the land. 
 
Sam P. Jonbs. 21 
 
 In the latter part of the year of 1864, it was made possible for him 
 to return South and join his mother in Lumpkin, Ga. I often met 
 him during the remainder of his stay in the community and grew 
 to like him. After he left us he corresponded regularly with my 
 younger brother, but it was quite a surprise when I received my 
 first letter from him, after he had been away several months, From 
 this time we corresponded regularly. 
 
 In 1867 Capt. John Jones, Mr. Jones's father, was commissioned 
 to go into the Middle States and solicit supplies for the people of the 
 desolated South, and traveling through Kentucky, he made it con- 
 venient to visit the friends of his son in Henry county. He came 
 to our home and made me very happy by chance allusions to his son 
 Sam, whose image at this time was deeply graven on my girlish 
 heart, and from whom I received frequent letters. In this time of 
 struggling poverty in the South Mr. Jones was unable to return to 
 Kentucky to see me, and for four years we corresponded, but were 
 not engaged until the spring of 1868. At this time he was studying 
 law, and expecting to be admitted to the Bar the first of November 
 of the same year. And we had decided on this time for our mar- 
 riage. After being admitted to the Bar in the courts of Georgia, 
 he took the first train for my home, and on November 24, 1868, 
 we were married very quietly, the marriage being witnessed only by 
 my mother, brothers and a few relatives and friends. My father 
 refused to witness the ceremony, because he had learned since Mr. 
 Jones's return to Kentucky that he had become dissipated — but, 
 thank God, long before my father's death he saw God's hand in 
 my choice, and learned to love Mr. Jones as his own son. My 
 brothers were not entirely willing to entrust the care of their only 
 sister, then a young girl of eighteen, to this young man of whom they 
 knew so little — but my mother, the high-bred, spirited woman that 
 she was, said, "Now, Laura, you've promised to marry Sam Jones, 
 he has come for you, and you are going to redeem your promise." 
 She never regretted this advice, and through the long years of her 
 widowhood he was a son in every respect, and she often said she 
 knew no difference in her love for me and her love for Mr. Jones. 
 
 In after-years the homestead came into my possession, but my 
 
22 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 mother made it her home as long as she lived, spending her winters 
 with us and her summers in Kentucky, and so it was made possible 
 for me to go and spend a portion of the time with her. And here 
 Mr. Jones would snatch a day or two frequently from his many 
 engagements, coming to the home of my girlhood to live over the 
 old scenes of happiness of our youthful days, when no thought of 
 the future, with its cares, responsibilities, perplexities, and, above 
 all, its increasing, abiding love, growing stronger each day, came 
 to us. When I was called to my home one day in August, 
 1895, to see my mother before she passed away, Mr. Jones was in 
 Baltimore engaged in a camp-meeting at Emory Grove, and our 
 eldest daughter, Mrs. Turner, was in the Johns Hopkins hospital 
 very ill ; he joined me to pay the last tribute to her whom he had 
 loved as a mother, and to whom he had shown every respect. And 
 when she left us, we went to the little church where she worshipped 
 and Mr. Jones made such a beautiful talk, thrilling those who 
 gathered to pay their last tribute of love; how my mother loved 
 him, and stood by him and had indeed been his mother since the 
 day he came to Kentucky in 1868 to claim her only daughter as 
 his wife. 
 
 After our marriage we left at once for Mr. Jones's home in 
 Georgia. In those days traveling facilities were greatly inferior 
 to those of the present day, and it took us three days to make the 
 trip from Kentucky to Carters ville, which was to be our home for 
 a time. We were welcomed by Mr. Jones's family and were en- 
 tertained for some weeks in his father's home. Never will I forget 
 those days. I was a proud, high-spirited Kentucky girl, who had 
 been raised in affluence, and these new surroundings were so differ- 
 ent to any I had been accustomed to. On the first Sunday after our 
 marriage Mr. Jones and I went to church with his father and 
 mother, and when we got to the door of the church a sudden shy- 
 ness seemed to come over him, and he left me, after starting up the 
 aisle with me, to walk alone and sit with his parents, and he went 
 back and sat near the door during the service. But, I am glad to 
 say, in all the thirty-eight years of our married life this was the 
 first and only time he deserted me. He said I taught him better 
 when I got home that memorable day. 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 23 
 
 Mr. Jones had been admitted to the Bar before our marriage and 
 his prospects seemed bright for the future, but for the South the 
 times were very straightened, and professional men of experience 
 often suffered from lack of employment and poor pay for service 
 they rendered; so a young man necessarily had little advantage. 
 Thinking he would be more successful elsewhere, we decided to go 
 to Dallas, and go into a little home of our own and live in a very 
 modest way, and there our first little girl, Beulah, was born October 
 31, 1869. We remained in Dallas only a few months, going from 
 there to Alabama, staying in Alabama until Mr. Jones's father 
 expressed a desire that we should return to Cartersville, as he needed 
 his son's assistance in caring for him in his sickness, he having been 
 an invalid for many months, having contracted lung trouble during 
 the terrible exposure of the war. 
 
 It was in August, 187 1, that God in His wisdom, saw fit to take 
 unto Himself our little Beulah, then twenty-one months old, and it 
 seemed to us in our young lives that the sunshine of life had surely 
 gone out, leaving all so dark and desolate. Never will I forget Mr. 
 Jones's grief. He loved this beautiful little girl so tenderly, and I 
 have never seen any man so fond of little babies as he. Each one 
 that came into our home brought joy and gladness to his heart from 
 the first to the last. A few weeks after the death of our little 
 girl, Beulah, our second daughter, Mary, now Mrs, Turner, came 
 into our life. 
 
 At this time we lived in a little cabin in Cartersville, which is 
 only a short distance from our present home, and it was in one of 
 the last sermons that he preached at the tabernacle meeting that 
 Mr. Jones gave a few pages of his life, dwelling upon the fact how 
 God would bless a man if he lived right and walked humbly before 
 Him, and spoke of the fact that when he was converted and started 
 out in the ministry that we were living in this humble home, and 
 how through the years of his faithfulness, as he believed he had 
 been faithful to God, how God had blessed him not only in a spirit- 
 ual, but in a material way. How God had, through friends, given 
 us this beautiful home wherein we now dwell, and how we had 
 dedicated it to God, and had tried through the years to be faithful 
 to our vows. 
 
24 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Mr. Jones at this time was not so dissipated as he had been for 
 the first two years of our married life, but he had abandoned his 
 law practice altogether, and it was by his daily labor that we were 
 enabled to live. He worked for many months, firing a furnace, 
 three miles from Carters ville, having his dinner at n a, m., 
 and returning home at i a. m. Often in after-years he would 
 say to me, "Wife, I never look up at the stars at night that 
 I don't think of the months I fired that old Bartow furnace. It 
 seemed to me that I counted hundreds of times each star in the 
 heavens and thought of the Great Beyond." Did any whisper of 
 his future greatness come to him ? Did he realize the undeveloped 
 power which lay dormant in him? The power which would sway 
 the multitudes as no other man had swayed them since our Divine 
 Christ lived among men? No man ever mounted the pinnacle of 
 fame more rapidly, and yet no man ever seemed so unconscious of 
 his greatness. 
 
 Through these years of trial and poverty we found that our 
 friends were not so numerous, but there was one of whom he always 
 loved to speak, who was ever faithful, and that was an old colored 
 woman, Aunt Ann Mickens, who lived near by (we having only 
 one or two near neighbors) . She was a woman who had given her 
 heart to God and was a faithful Christian. She and her husband 
 lived on the hill, and had known Mr. Jones all the years of his life 
 that he lived in Cartersville, and loved him devotedly,. She would 
 come night and morning during my sickness and minister unto 
 me and give me all the help possible, praying constantly for us that 
 God might lead us out into better and more useful lives. It was 
 our privilege in after-years, when God had blessed us, to minister 
 in turn to her and her husband, who was helpless for many years. 
 In Mr. .Jones's visits home she was among the number that he 
 always visited, and contributed to her support, trying to make her 
 latter years as comfortable as possible. It was during one of his 
 visits home that he went to see her before leaving, and she said to 
 him, "God bless you, Marse Sammy. When you gits back from 
 this trip I will be gone, but I will be sitting right inside the gates 
 of heaven when you come, waiting to welcome you, and will tell 
 the Lord Jesus how good you was to an old nigger down 1 here." 
 
GRANDFATHER JONES. 
 
GRANDMOTHER JONES. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 26 
 
 I have spoken at length of Mr. Jones as I knew him before his 
 conversion. His conversion, his call to the ministry, and his work 
 as a pastor in the North Georgia Conference are spoken of fully in 
 chapters to follow. His work as an evangelist is also taken up and 
 covered completely. 
 
 I shall now speak briefly of him as a husband and father, and his 
 social life, and in the hours of sorrow and bereavement. 
 
 Frequently his work while the Agent of the Orphans' Home took 
 him away from us, and perhaps a letter written February 10, 1881, 
 will show his great solicitude for his home, wife and children while 
 necessarily separated from them; also his faithfulness to God and 
 duty : 
 
 "My Dear Wife : I received your postal yesterday. I do wish 
 you would quit these postals. Are you out of envelopes, paper and 
 stamps? I want you to write me all about how you feel. Maybe 
 you say if I am so much interested in how you feel, I would go 
 home and see. Well, Laura., I had rather be with you this moment 
 than to be anywhere in the known world, yet I am here, and why I 
 came here and why I am still here, I can only feel is by the direction 
 of the Lord. It is only in the path of duty that I can walk safely. 
 You know, dear wife, that the Lord has done wonderful things 
 for us, whereof we ought to be glad, and whatever the demands 
 of duty are let us comply gladly and freely. I think often 
 of you all at home, 'Be it ever so humble there's no place like 
 home.' After preaching here last night some of the brethren came 
 to me and said, 'You must send for Sister Jones.' I really think you 
 would enjoy being here a few days. You never met a kinder 
 people, and it would be so nice for me to* have you come. I think 
 Mary and Annie, for papa's sake, would stay at home with Miss 
 Kate, and be good girls. After all I have written, wife, I want you 
 to do as will be the most pleasure and comfort to you. Let me 
 hear from you by return mail. Love to all. 
 "Your husband, 
 
 "Sam P. Jones." 
 
 While on the Van Wert Circuit, May 11, 1873, Annie, our 
 
2o Sam P. Jones. 
 
 daughter, now Mrs. Rouhs Pyrcn, was bom. Our oldest son, Sam 
 Paul, was born on May 31, 1875. Our second son, Robert W. Jones, 
 was born on Christmas Eve, 1876, while on the Desoto Circuit. 
 Our fourth daughter, Laura, now Mrs. B. C. Sloan, was bom in 
 October, 1881, at Social Circle. 
 
 With our five living children, and the added cares and responsi- 
 bilities which had been multiplied, and which were necessarily heavy 
 upon me, Mr. Jones felt that we must locate permanently, and buy 
 a little home where he could leave us in comfort. We considered 
 both Marietta and Cartersville, but Mr. Jones was specially drawn 
 to the home of his boyhood, where so many of his people live. In 
 our Cartersville home our youngest daughter, Julia Baxter, was 
 bom in April, 1885. No father ever loved little children more than 
 he, and the coming of our last child brought special delight to his 
 heart, as there had not been a child born in our home in the last 
 four and a half years. Our grandchildren, of whom five are living, 
 Laura and Eva Mays, Samuel Paul Jones, Robert Porter Jones, and 
 Sam Jones Sloan, were a constant source of love and pleasure to 
 him. When the last little one came just one year ago, we hesitated 
 when he arrived to name him Sam Jones, as the other boys had been 
 given his name in part. Mr. Jones was away from home at the time, 
 and when he returned after a few days the subject was mentioned, 
 and we saw that he was delighted with the idea of calling this 
 sturdy little fellow Sam Jones Sloan, and he was particularly de- 
 voted to this boy all the days that followed. He wrote the Atlanta 
 Journal, saying, "With the advent of another grandson in our 
 home comes great joy and rejoicing, and I am pleased beyond 
 measure with the fact that he is named plain, flat-footed Sam Jones." 
 Somehow he seemed to be endeared to this little fellow more and 
 more as the days went by. On the eve of our leaving home for 
 Oklahoma City he took the dear little boy in his arms and said to 
 me, "I would love to live to see the day when this dear child will 
 be grown, and will take up the work that I am doing." 
 
 The people of Nashville, where he had held a great meeting, 
 generously offered to give him a beautiful home, but after consider- 
 ing and praying over it, he decided to remain at Cartersville. Then 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 27 
 
 the citizens of Nashville made a generous donation for the purpose 
 of improving our Cartersville home, and through their generous 
 gift our home was completed. Mr. Jones was so* grateful to God 
 and friends for the home that he decided to dedicate it to the Lord, 
 and on Christmas Day, in 1885, the house was formally dedicated 
 at 2 130 p.m., Dr. T. R. Kendall, of Louisville, Ky., conducting 
 the service. After an appropriate hymn and prayer by Dr. Kendall, 
 Mr. Jones arose and, in a most touching and earnest manner, pre- 
 sented the home to Dr. Kendall, as a minister of God for dedication 
 to His service. The official minister then read several appropriate 
 passages of Scripture, and after commending the action, express- 
 ing the hope that many others must follow the example, he 
 accepted the home in the name of the Lord. He then called upon 
 Rev. W. A. Dodge, who offered a fervent prayer for God's bless- 
 ings upon the home and family. 
 
 Four generations of Mr. Jones's family were present, including 
 his venerable grandfather, uncles, brothers, sisters, mother and my 
 mother. 
 
 His beautiful thoughts concerning home and home-life, and the 
 blessings of God in the home, were so sacred and sublime that 
 every one present saw him in an entirely different light to what the 
 world had known him 1 . Some one who was present, in writing of 
 the rearrangement of the home, said, "I was struck with something 
 about Sam Jones's home which is typical of his life. When he built 
 his present home he had the old home, which was a one-story frame 
 building, raised and a new portion built under it. The old home- 
 stead is there, but it is elevated and made beautiful by the new part, 
 which is a handsome foundation. So it is with the life of the 
 owner. The old Sam Jones has been lifted up, with a new man 
 and a firm foundation, the maker and builder of which is God. 
 While the entire new structure is beautiful to behold, yet the old 
 Sam Jones is still there, with the humor and the boyishness and 
 the love for all mankind." 
 
 In his social life, Mr. Jones was always a marvel, and a source 
 of untold delight to the friends that gathered in our home. We 
 celebrated several occasions of note; among the first, was our 
 
28 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 twenty-fifth anniversary, thirteen years ago, the twenty-fourth day 
 of November. This was a notable occasion in our lives, and we had 
 begun to look forward to the fiftieth milepost, hoping to God, if 
 it was His will, to let us journey together these few more years. 
 Ke so often spoke of what a God-given privilege it was for a man 
 and his wife to journey together for fifty years, and at the end of 
 that time celebrate their golden wedding. It was on the occasion 
 of the fiftieth anniversary of our friend and neighbor, "Bill Arp" 
 that he said, "How glad I would be if God would let me live to 
 celebrate with you, my beloved wife, the fiftieth anniversary of 
 our marriage/' 
 
 Another, and the greatest occasion of the gathering together of 
 our friends, was on the occasion of Mr. Jone's fiftieth birthday, 
 just nine years before he celebrated his fifty-ninth birthday in the 
 glorious City where many of those who were with him on the 
 occasion of this celebration had gone on before, and I imagine 
 it was a reunion of great gladness and joy. Mr. Jones's happiness 
 on the dawn of his birthday knew no bounds. He was like a 
 schoolboy come home to spend a holiday. The day dawned clear 
 and beautiful. Forty-nine of his friends gathered with him and 
 we were happy indeed. We give in his own words a few thoughts 
 on this occasion. (Copied on separate page.) 
 
 We also had a. Christmas dinner for the boys of Cartersville, 
 that he might bring them in closer touch with himself, and also 
 a dinner for railroad men from many places. He loved these men 
 tenderly and wanted to help them, because of their great kindness 
 to him. And although Mr. Jones was a. very busy man, having 
 only a few weeks in the year oftentimes to spend with his home 
 people, he enjoyed beyond measure these memorable occasions. He 
 loved his home and his home people and his association with them. 
 
 While the past seems dim' before my tear-filled eyes, and present 
 great sorrow, it is still sweet to remember the gladsome look on 
 his face and to feel that he appreciated the efforts made in his 
 home to add this pleasure in various anniversaries. 
 
 But it was in the time of sickness and bereavement that his real 
 heart was seen. I was taken violently ill on the twelfth day of 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 29 
 
 November, 1887, in Rochester, New York, as I was traveling with 
 Mr. Jones on one of his extended lecture-trips, and I remained 
 in New York five weeks. At the expiration of this time the doctor 
 who was in attendance upon me told Mr. Jones that I would die, 
 and as my anxiety was so great to see my children he advised him, 
 if possible, to bring me home. The friend with whom we were 
 staying was the President of the Delaware and Hudson River Rail- 
 road, and he offered Mr. Jones his private car for the journey. 
 His wife, the physician and four other friends attended me. When 
 we arrived in Atlanta, having telegraphed ahead for Dr. Bizell to 
 meet us, he accompanied us home. Immediately upon our arrival 
 here he performed an operation which was of a very serious nature, 
 and my life hung in the balance for many weeks. The physicians 
 held out little hope for my recovery. Mr. Jones was well-nigh 
 prostrated, and his tender solicitude, as he watched by my bedside, 
 touched deeply the hearts of those who were near him. It was 
 the most sorrowful experience, as he often expressed it, in his whole 
 life, for no man, I think I may truly say, ever loved more beauti- 
 fully, more tenderly or sweetly than he did. He not only loved 
 me with all the affection of his nature but he depended on me. Out- 
 side of his love for God, I think his love for me was the greatest 
 tiling in the world. While my life was swinging uncertainly in 
 the balance he divided his time between watching by my bedside, 
 and praying to God to spare my life. 
 
 His suspense and sorrow was terrible. Calling his children 
 together one day, he told them that he had given up hope, and they 
 must be prepared for the greatest sorrow of their lives, although 
 he was still praying to God to save me, and he said, "I have prom- 
 ised God that if He will give her back to us, I will never while I 
 live give her a moment's pain or speak a cross or impatient word 
 to her." Soon after this an improvement was noted in my condition, 
 as though God had accepted the promise of my beloved husband, and 
 I believe He did. While Mr. Jones was always tender and thought- 
 ful before, it was literally true from that day to the last day 
 of his life he kept his promise to God. He was never heard to 
 utter an impatient word to his wife and his faithfulness to God 
 has been known to the people throughout the land. 
 
30 Sam P. JonSS. 
 
 There was another period in his life when his faith in God 
 was tested. That was when our daughter Mary was so ill for 
 many weeks at the birth of her oldest daughter, and he saw that 
 all human help was powerless. He went to God in prayer and 
 called upon some of his friends whom he knew lived close to the 
 throne to pray with him. Among them were Brother L. P. Brown., 
 of Meridian, Miss,, who gives a very beautiful experience in his own 
 life, when he took this girl to God in prayer, and how he had the 
 assurance from God Himself that her life would be spared. 
 Although many people came to Mr. Brown and told him they had 
 seen in the papers that Mary was dead, he said he knew it was not 
 true, for God had assured him that she would live; and it was in 
 answer to these prayers that she lives to-day. 
 
 In January, 1888, after the trying period of my serious illness, 
 Mr. Jones went to Kansas City to hold a meeting, which had been 
 postponed for several weeks on account of my sickness. Having 
 been there a short while, he became so homesick to see me that he, 
 leaving the meeting in the hands of some one else, came over a 
 thousand miles to spend one day with me. Although it was his 
 custom to write me daily, and keep it up till the end, at times he 
 was so homesick he would cancel his engagements to come to us. 
 
 I knew him as a sweetheart, a husband, a father, a Christian. 
 He was loving, kind, generous to a fault, and above all things, I 
 knew him in his faithfulness to God. 
 
 In the last tabernacle meeting after a hard summer's work with 
 great trials, tribulations, and temptations, he said to the people : 
 "It seems that this has been the hardest year of my life. At times 
 it seems that my grip on God was loosened, and then I went to 
 him in my great distress and poured out my soul in earnest prayer, 
 and God came into my room and lifted the burden from my heart, 
 and gave me assurance of victory, and I could hear him say almost 
 in audible tones as if the voice was clear from heaven : 
 
 'When through the deep waters I call thee to go, 
 The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow, 
 For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, 
 And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.' " 
 
Sam P. Jones. 31 
 
 So he went through life, bearing the burdens, yet filling life 
 full of kind deeds, and always giving pleasure and happiness to 
 others, until the time had come, many years ago, when everything 
 was dated from and to, "when 'daddy' comes home." We always 
 saved the best of everything for him, and when the time came for 
 him to come home we all met him at the depot, the children 
 scrambling for the first kiss. When the train pulled into our station 
 he would always be standing on the lowest step of the car, waiting 
 to step off to receive our welcome. I can see him now, in memory, 
 as his face would light up with that wonderful smile, so dear to 
 me, when he would catch the first sight of his wife, children and 
 grandchildren, waiting to welcome him home. Oh, those home- 
 comings ! they were so dear to me, and although we will be denied 
 the earthly pleasure of his homecomings, thank God, he waits at 
 the terminal station of Life's great railway there to welcome each 
 of his loved ones with joy that no homecoming could have given 
 him on this earth. 
 
 The last weeks that I knew him were in our Cartersville meeting 
 and his final work in Oklahoma City. After the strain and burdens 
 of the tabernacle meeting, I was quite unwell, and felt that a few 
 days, or a week's rest at home would benefit me greatly, and thought 
 I would remain at home, and not accompany him to Oklahoma 
 City, as two of the children were not well at the time. But Mr. 
 Jones seemed unusually determined to have me accompany him. 
 I hesitated at first, but finally made up my mind to go, and the 
 journey proved more pleasant than I anticipated. I improved so 
 much while in Oklahoma City and our companionship was so 
 delightful. We were together more, without the presence of others, 
 than we had been in the given time for years. Did God, in His 
 merciful tenderness give me those two happy weeks, to try to 
 soften the terrible blow He knew was coming? 
 
 The afternoon we left Oklahoma City, October 14th, it was 
 raining and so dreary, but Mr. Jones seemed cheerful and happy 
 and I never dreamed he would leave me so soon. But I do thank 
 God that He made it possible for me to be with: him to the very 
 last, and I know that His goodness arid mercy followed him to 
 
32 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 the very last days of his life, and he now dwells and will forever 
 dwell in the house of the Lord. And although I can not express 
 in words what he was to me or how I loved him, I want the world 
 to know, as many thousands already know, that although he was the 
 greatest man of the nineteenth century in public life — pure, true, 
 honorable and kind to all his fellow men — his greatness was in 
 greater evidence in the place he loved above all else — his home. 
 
 This departure is an inexplicable Providence as I see it now. 
 But for my faith in God, and my knowledge of his strong and 
 abiding faith in God and my profound belief in the excellency of 
 his character and the purity of his motives, all mingled with the 
 hope of a glad meeting in the sweet by and by, how could I bear this 
 great loss or be able to say, "Lord, Thy will be done/' 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 His Ancestry. 
 
 In tracing Mr. Jones's ancestry, we begin as far back as August 
 1 6, 1805. To Rev. and Mrs. John Jones, of Abbeville District, 
 South Carolina, was born a son, whom they named Samuel G. 
 Jones. Both parents died when the boy was four years old. He 
 was then taken into the home of an uncle, where he remained until 
 he was seventeen. Leaving South Carolina, he came to Elbert 
 county, Georgia, where he was apprenticed to a tanner for a term 
 of two or three years. At the expiration of this time he married 
 Miss Elizabeth Ann Edwards, a daughter of Rev. Robert L. 
 Edwards, who was for a number of years a member of the South 
 Carolina Conference, and later of the Georgia Conference. 
 
 He was married in his twenty-first year, and his wife was in her 
 sixteenth year. They lived together happily fifty-one years. They 
 reared eleven children ; nine sons and two daughters. 
 
 Remaining in Elbert county for a few years after his marriage, 
 Mr. Jones then removed to Heard county, Georgia, and from there 
 to Chambers county, Alabama, and later in life he returned to Geor- 
 gia and settled at Cartersville, where he died at the advanced age of 
 ninety years. He was converted and joined the Methodist church 
 at the age of sixteen and was licensed to preach at thirty-three. 
 For many years he had served the church as class-leader, Sunday- 
 school superintendent, steward and exhorter. After he was licensed 
 to preach, he was ordained deacon in 1843 by Bishop Soule, and 
 elder in 1848 by Bishop Capers. 
 
 From the time he was licensed to preach until his death, he was 
 an honored and an acceptable local preacher in the Methodist church. 
 In twenty-eight years he only missed three appointments, often 
 walking nine miles to preach after a hard week's work. 
 
 (33) 
 
34 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 He was a rather peculiar combination of manly and noble char- 
 acteristics. He stood strongly for his convictions. His common 
 sense was unusual. He was an old-time preacher. His preaching 
 was notable for its directness, clearness and simplicity. He was of 
 Scotch-Irish descent, and had much quaint humor. 
 
 To be with grandfather Jones and hear him talk was to feel a 
 holy inspiration, and to be impelled towards a better Christian life. 
 His conversation was on high and holy things, showing a remark- 
 able memory and a clear conception of the teachings of the Holy 
 Scriptures, of which his life had been a shining illustration. In 
 Mr. Jones we find some of the characteristics of his grandfather. 
 Much of the wit and humor in the grandfather, also the directness, 
 clearness and simplicity, were reproduced in the grandson. Here we 
 have some of the strongest elements of Mr. Jones's success. Mr. 
 Jones visited his grandfather on his fiftieth anniversary, and speaks 
 of him in the following way : 
 
 "Six years ago, I got a letter from my old grandfather Jones, 
 who lived across two counties from us, and he wanted me to come 
 and visit him. The letter said : 'You and your wife and children 
 must come to see us; your grandmother and I have lived happily 
 together for fifty years, and now we are going to celebrate our 
 golden wedding.' 
 
 "I didn't intend going, but I thought over it and conclucied to go, 
 and we went. After we had finished dinner, grandfather formed 
 all of us around him in a circle and told us this story : Away back 
 when he was sixteen years old, in the southern part of Georgia, 
 he was bound out until he was twenty-one; while he was trudging 
 away at his work, the little village was stirred up one day by some 
 Methodists coming through holding a revival meeting, and he, like 
 every one else, went to hear the preaching, but not like every one 
 else, he was converted to God, and was baptized ; a few years after- 
 ward he was ordained and has preached the gospel ever since. 
 'There are fifty-two members in our family, of these twenty-two 
 have crossed over on the other side, sixteen were infants ; and, with 
 God as my surety, I know they are in heaven, the other six died 
 happy (and one of these was my father). 
 
Sam P. Jones. 35 
 
 " 'There are thirty left, and all but one are in the church and on 
 the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven; but that one, 
 oh, I have wept over that brother; I have shed tears of bitter 
 anguish ; I have prayed for him and with him, and at last he surren- 
 dered to the power greater than he, and is to-day a powerful min- 
 ister of the gospel. Then the old man said, with tears in his eyes, 
 that he didn't care whether he stayed down here with his thirty 
 children and grandchildren, or went up yonder with the twenty-two 
 to wait for us all." 
 
 Grandfather Jones was also in the habit of having a birthday 
 celebration, which came on the fifteenth day of August. He would 
 have his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends 
 present. These were occasions of great grace, more like a revival 
 meeting than a mere social gathering. The day was filled with 
 songs, prayer, sermons and exhortations, and an exchange of Chris- 
 tian experiences. 
 
 The deep religious experience of grandfather, and his earnest 
 solicitude for the salvation of his children and grandchildren was 
 lived over in Mr. Jones. No man ever loved his home better and 
 had keener interest for the welfare of his children. 
 
 At the different anniversaries in our home and the great annual 
 tabernacle meetings, our home was more like a prayer-meeting or 
 revival than anything else. Some of the rarest and richest religious 
 experiences of life have transpired in our home during these gath- 
 erings. 
 
 As we have seen, Mr. Jones's grandmother, on his father's side, 
 was a daughter of Rev. Robert L. Edwards. Mr. Edwards was 
 one of the pioneer preachers of Georgia. He was a giant in his 
 day. He preached with unusual unction and was rather unique in 
 his ministry. While the gift of wit and humor was not so pro- 
 nounced, he was, nevertheless, witty and humorous when he wished 
 to be. He had a burning zeal for the salvation of souls, and was 
 quick to see an opportunity for preaching the Word of God. He 
 was admitted on trial by the South Carolina Conference, at Sparta, 
 Georgia, in December, 1806. After serving as an itinerant preacher 
 for five years, he located in December, 181 1. He was readmitted 
 
36 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 into the South Carolina Conference, at Milledgeville, Georgia, in 
 December, 1814, and remained in connection with that and the 
 Georgia Conference until his death in 1849. 
 
 The Conference Minutes say of him : "As a preacher of the 
 gospel lie was one of the most remarkable men that ever labored 
 in the Southern States. His preaching abilities were good; espe- 
 cially did he excel in the talent for extemporaneous preaching. 
 Upon the spur of the moment he could deliver a discourse, marked 
 not only with good sense and fervency but with system of thought 
 and power upon the hearers. He was dintinguished for his skill 
 in planning and conducting meetings in which the conversion of 
 souls was the special object. Nor was he ever satisfied with efforts 
 which did not result in this end. At camp-meetings he would often 
 preach from tent to tent with powerful and blessed effects." 
 
 Rev. James D. Anthony, who heard him preach several times 
 during the year 1847, describes a service held at the old Warsaw 
 Campground, in the autumn of that year, in the following words : 
 
 "All the preachers had left the tent and were on their way to 
 the arbor. Father Edwards, who always believed in being on hand 
 in due time, was leading the procession. He halted, and turned, 
 facing us, saying: 'Stop, brethren, stop! Tell me who is to preach 
 to-night.' 'Brother David Williamson/ some one replied. Then, 
 facing Brother Williamson, he said : 'Brother Williamson, what are 
 you going to preach about ?' Williamson replied, 'I thought I would 
 take a text in Isaiah 48:18: 'Then had thy peace been as a river, 
 and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.' 'Pooh, pooh,' ex- 
 claimed Brother Edwards, 'That won't do at all. Give 'em salvation, 
 brother, give 'em salvation. I tell you, you must give salvation.' 
 
 "Brother Williamson was not a man who could shoot without 
 taking a rest, so he preached on 'Peace as a River.' It was a very 
 pretty, smooth sermon of about thirty minutes. When he had 
 finished, old Brother Dunnagan, an exhorter, arose to conclude the 
 services. He eulogized the sermon in beautiful language, and began 
 to talk about the 'assize' in England, and the vast numbers that 
 attended on such occasions. 
 
 "Brother Edwards was seated in the altar. He rose up, groaned 
 
Sam P. JonSS. 37 
 
 in spirit, struck a bee-line for the pulpit, and placed his right hand 
 on the exhorter's breast, at the same time saying : 'Brother, I don't 
 care anything about the 'assize of England.' These people are 
 sinners, sir, big sinners, on their way to death. And if you won't 
 tell them where they are going, sit down and let me tell them,' 
 
 " 'I was going on,' explained the exhorter, 'to tell them about 
 the great assize of the general judgment day; but, my brother, I 
 will give place to you. I know you can do better than I can; and. 
 he took his seat. Mr. Edwards made an earnest exhortation, and 
 when he invited the unsaved to the altar, they came in crowds. 
 This moved the church, and the meeting lasted all night. Cries., 
 mingled with shouts of converts, and the happy hallelujahs of 
 Christians continued to be heard until the sun, full-orbed, rode up 
 into the heavens." 
 
 At another time he ran across a crowd waiting for a horse-race 
 to come off. He passed a few words with them, and finally decided 
 to preach, provided they would listen. Seeing that he had nearly 
 an hour before the races, he took his stand on the porch of a little 
 store, sang a hymn, knelt down and prayed, and preached a powerful 
 sermon. They asked him to stay with them, and preach that night. 
 The people were so impressed with his preaching that they urged 
 him to remain several days. The result was a wonderful revival 
 and a church organized. Thus he went from place to place 
 preaching. 
 
 He possessed great physical courage. It is told of him that after 
 preaching a very pointed and direct sermon a rowdy fellow waited 
 for him to whip him and kill him. if he did not retract some of his 
 utterances. Mr. Edwards was riding home when this fellow met 
 him in the road. He spoke to him, demanding that he take back 
 the things to which he objected. This the preacher refused to do, 
 whereupon he struck Mr. Edwards, and the preacher returned the 
 blow, but he finally got the sinner on his knees and prayed him 
 into the deepest conviction. The man went home and retired, but 
 his agony of conviction was so intense that his family, becoming 
 alarmed, sent for his pastor; he came and prayed with him and 
 led him to the Saviour. 
 
38 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 These incidents may help to account for some of the qualities 
 in Mr. Jones. He was possessed with such a consuming desire 
 for the salvation of the lost, and was always ready anywhere to 
 preach to sinners, and was possessed with such dauntless courage. 
 He used to say, "Fighting is the first instinct of a bulldog, and 
 the last resort of a gentleman ; yet you can not have moral courage 
 without physical courage as a basis." 
 
 Those who knew Mr. Edwards very well and who heard Mr. 
 Jones preach, used to say: "There is a streak of his great-grand- 
 father running through Mr. Jones, breaking out here and there." 
 
 His father, Capt. John J. Jones, was a man of many parts. He 
 was a lawyer by profession but a business man in every sense of the 
 word. In his law practice and business transactions, he made money 
 but spent it freely. He did an immense business, and was always 
 in a good financial condition. 
 
 Early in his life he was sheriff of the county in which he lived, 
 and took a lively interest in politics, but never held any other office. 
 He believed in office-holding for his friends. 
 
 His Christian life began very early, as he joined the church when 
 young, but it was not until his latter years that he became such a 
 devoted Christian. He always felt that he was called to the min- 
 istry, but unlike his son, conferred with "flesh and blood." He 
 didn't feel that the ministry offered sufficient financial inducement 
 for his support, and put off preaching until he could make enough 
 money to feel sure of the necessaries of life. Thus he turned to the 
 legal profession, and became a lawyer of note, distinguishing him- 
 self for his intelligence, integrity, justice, social qualities, and piety. 
 As a speaker he was wonderfully gifted, exercising great power 
 over a jury. At one moment he would have an audience angry 
 because of his invectives and sarcasm ; and, the next moment roar- 
 ing with laughter. 
 
 He was the soul of honor. In all of his trades and transactions 
 he never took the advantage of any one. 
 
 Some of these strongest elements in Captain Jones were in his 
 son. For instance, his honesty, his ability to make money, his great 
 generosity, his power over an audience, and the earnestness of his 
 Christian life. 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 39 
 
 His mother was a kind, painstaking, sweet-spirited woman. She 
 possessed rare gifts and graces. She was intelligent and refined. 
 Her sweet, noble nature was of the finest type. Her Christian life 
 was exemplary. When Mr. Jones was nine years old, she passed 
 away. He remembered her, and always referred to her as "My 
 Precious Mother." He never forgot the hour when his father took 
 him and the other children into the parlor, and as a little boy, he 
 walked up to her casket and kissed her sweet lips cold in death, 
 though at that time he was too young to realize the enormity of 
 his loss. She sleeps in the old cemetery at Oak Bowery, Alabama. 
 
 Ten years ago, Mr. Jones went to his mother's grave and to the 
 old home of his childhood, and preached to the people who knew 
 him in his boyhood days. In speaking of that visit, he wrote the 
 following to the Atlanta Journal: 
 
 "One incident on my trip brought up memories that are sacred 
 to me. I drove from Opelika, Ala,, out eight miles to the little old 
 village of Oak Bowery, Ala,, where I was born. I had not looked 
 upon the little village in forty-one years. Only a few houses remain, 
 and while I was only nine years old when I last saw the village, 
 yet I could identify and call the names of the people who lived in 
 those houses. The house where I was born has either been destroyed 
 by fire or moved away, but I knew the acre of ground on which I 
 was bom. I drove over to the old cemetery, just out of town, 
 where my sainted mother has been sleeping in the dust for forty- 
 three years, and as I looked upon her tombstone and grave the 
 memories they awakened I shall never forget. Memory carried me 
 back to childhood's hours. I thought of my mother as she was to 
 me, a little boy, kind, loving, beautiful mother! Lying near by her 
 was my sister, who died when but five years old. Then I thought 
 of my father, who sleeps in the old cemetery at Cartersville. Then 
 I wondered how long it would be before I should take my place 
 by their side. I was so glad as I looked upon the grave of my 
 mother, and felt that were I to take the casket from the ground and 
 remove its rusty lid, that perhaps, while I could take the bones of 
 my mother up in my hand, yet my Bible whispered to me in that 
 silent hour, saying, 'This corruption shall put on incorruption.. 
 This mortality shall be swallowed up by immortality.' 
 
40 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "I may not again look upon the tomb of my mother. Mother's 
 body is all that lies beneath the tomb. She lives and reigns above, 
 with the light and life dancing in her eyes and the glow of immortal 
 life upon her cheeks. A mother — a good mother — is immortal in 
 the memory of her children." 
 
 Mr. Jones descended from good and religious ancestry. There 
 was noble blood on both sides of the family. There were no better 
 born or better bred people than his. He came from a lineage of 
 ministers. His great-grandfather on his mother's side and his 
 .grandfather on his father's side were Methodist ministers. He had 
 four uncles who were licensed preachers : Rev. Robert Jones, Rev. 
 William Jones, Rev. Parks Jones and Dr. J. H. Jones. Not only did 
 he come from a preaching ancestry, but from, Methodist lineage. 
 He frequently said : "I am a Methodist just like I am a Jones, and, 
 if it is a sin to be either, it is a sin that is visited upon the children 
 from their parents." And also, he said: "Don't find fault with me 
 for being a Methodist, for my family have been Methodists, clear 
 back to Adam, for Adam was a Methodist — for didn't he fall?'' 
 He was proud of his ancestry and often said : "There is only one 
 thing which either man or devil has ever said of me that hurt me, 
 and that has stabbed me to the heart. When some little editor or 
 man wanted to be more than usually vicious, he said: 'Sam. Jones 
 is ill-bred * * * .' 'It is a lie. It is a lie !' God never made 
 a sweeter, purer woman than my sainted mother, nor a grander, 
 nobler, Christian character than that of my father. No, I am not 
 ill-bred. As pure blood flows through my veins as through any 
 living man." 
 
 One of the most cultured and thoughtful men of Georgia gives 
 this fitting picture of his early life : "I am quite familiar with some 
 facts in his biography, and I have reasons to remember that section 
 of Alabama with peculiar vividness. Its physical conformation, 
 soil and climate early attracted attention, and the families that set- 
 tled around Oak Bowery and Lafayette brought with them the inter- 
 blended blood of Georgia, Virginia and Kentucky. Thirty-five or 
 forty years ago, I knew many of the old population, and especially 
 the Methodist families. The pioneers had even then become the 
 

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Sam P. Jones. 41 
 
 patriarchs, and a finer race of people I never saw. The pictures 
 of their saintliness, their tender home life and kind neighborliness, 
 the absence of city conventionalisms and the freedom of rural man- 
 liness, were very beautiful to me in those days, and more attractive 
 now in the mellowing light of later years. How far these home- 
 like forms of loveliness and easy habits of Christian intercourse 
 affected the young Sam, I can not say ; but I can say that it was a 
 line tonic and atmosphere for a boy to breathe in his early days. 
 Purity, fervor and buoyancy abounded in the atmosphere of these 
 hills, where the great oaks and hickories were symbols of the health 
 and vigor of Mr. Jones's ancestry. No doubt the roll and sweep of 
 the uplands and their wooded forests were felt in his hereditary 
 blood, but the blood itself is unmistakable. The grandmother, the 
 mother, the father of Sam, were people of marked character; and 
 we may well believe that in such instances heredity is among the 
 surest and best of Providential laws. I have no doubt that Sam 
 Jones is a large debtor to his ancestral blood. Blood dies, but blood 
 manages somehow to get into character and never quite dies." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 His Early Days. 
 
 Mr. Jones was born in Chambers county, Alabama, October 16, 
 1847. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Cartersville, 
 Bartow county, Georgia, where he was reared, and resided at the 
 time of his death. At his mother's death, the family consisted of 
 the father, an older brother, a sister, and a younger brother. The 
 children went to the home of their grandfather, Samuel G. Jones. 
 
 His grandmother exerted a wonderful influence upon his young 
 mind. She was one of the holiest women that ever lived. Her 
 spirituality was remarkable. She read the Bible through thirty- 
 seven times, on her knees. She was wonderfully gifted in prayer, 
 and spent much time in secret prayer having a time and place SQt 
 apart for this devotion daily. This made a great impression on her 
 children and grandchildren, and Mr. Jones was greatly impressed 
 by her angelic face as he saw it upturned towards heaven. She 
 would go to the church dressed in the old-fashioned way, wearing- 
 heavy shoes, and, when the Spirit of the Lord would come upon 
 her she would give vent to her feelings by shouting the praises of 
 God. As she would walk up and down the aisle clapping her hands, 
 she moved as lightly and gently as if she were not touching the 
 earth. Her wonderful example of piety, prayerfulness and study 
 of God's Word made an abiding impression upon Mr. Jones; and, 
 no doubt, helped to lay the fundamental principles of a deeply pious, 
 earnest and consecrated life. 
 
 In 1859, Captain Jones was married to Miss Jennie Skinner, and 
 moved to Cartersville, Georgia. As a stepmother, she was kind and 
 good to the children, and did all that she could to instill further into 
 their minds the principles of virtue and honesty. Thus guided and 
 controlled by her love, and strengthened and supported by a father's 
 counsel, Mr. Jones was protected and saved from evil influences. 
 
 (42) 
 
Sam P. Tonss. 43 
 
 In the home he was always obedient, having the utmost reverence 
 for his father and strong devotion for his stepmother. There was 
 nothing very extraordinary in his boyhood days, except that he was 
 always very bright and full of life. He was witty and humorous, 
 even as a child. In school he was. so full of mischief and fun that 
 he was constantly playing pranks and jokes on some one. 
 
 While Mr. Jones studied very little during his boyhood days, he 
 never failed to recite his lessons creditably. His mind was so alert 
 that it didn't take him long to get ready for a recitation. This left 
 him free to play, to tease the other boys. 
 
 One of the great events of those early school days was 1 the Friday 
 afternoon speeches. It was the custom of the teacher to select the 
 speeches for the boys, but Mr. Jones would never allow him to 
 select his, but would; make his own selections, and the school was 
 greatly surprised at his speeches. The other boys would have to 
 go to the woods, study and practice their pieces for a week or 
 more, but Mr. Jones would select his speech on Friday and commit 
 it to memory, and be ready for that afternoon. His style of address 
 was not boy oratory, but he spoke in an easy, conversational style. 
 He would create great interest when he arose to speak, and would 
 invariably bring the house down, and the school would always cheer 
 him. 
 
 While in school at Oak Bowery, Alabama, to W. F. Slaton, after- 
 wards Major Slaton, superintendent of the Atlanta public schools, 
 as a mere child, perhaps the age of five, he was even then a leader. 
 When the night came for the older boys to hold their commencement 
 exercises, they begged Mr. Slaton to let "Sam, Jones," as he was 
 called by them, take some part. Finally Mr. Slaton agreed and 
 himself wrote a parody on the even then trite : 
 
 "You would scarce expect one of my age 
 To speak in public on the stage." 
 
 He had committed these lines to memory, but when the time 
 came for the delivery of this speech, he was fast asleep. By the 
 application of a wet towel in the young orator's face, he was quickly 
 awakened. Professor Slaton carried him in his arms and stood 
 
44 Sam P. Jon£s. 
 
 him on the table on the stage, and there he made his speech. The 
 last two lines were: 
 
 "In coming years and thundering tones 
 The world shall hear of Sam, P. Jones." 
 
 Pie recited the speech in his peculiar way and was encored, and 
 recited it again, and then several times before the audience became 
 satisfied. The other speeches were made by young men who were 
 as old as their teacher. The contrast was so great that it added 
 special delight to the audience. 
 
 How true the prophesy. If there was ever a man who> literallv 
 shook the world with his preaching, it was he. For months after 
 the delivery of that little speech, he kept his little companions and 
 himself in candy, for everywhere he went, he was asked to repeat 
 it, and name his price in candy. The faithful tutorship of Professor 
 Slaton was worth much to him, as it laid the groundwork of educa- 
 tion before he was seven years of age. Like many wonderful 
 preachers, and great la,wyers and professional men, he built upon 
 the foundation laid, which is, after all, the safest and best education 
 to be had, 
 
 Mr. Charlie Jones, a brother, in speaking of those early school 
 days, says : "Sam was a most lovable boy. He was the most attract- 
 ive personality to me in my youth, and he remains the most attract- 
 ive person to me in all the world, of all the men I have known or 
 read of, and he was my brother true and tried for nearly fifty-three 
 years. 
 
 "In my youth, I loved to follow him wherever he went, whether 
 on hunting or fishing expeditions, as on such occasions he was 
 always joined by other genial spirits of our home town. He was 
 always the 'wit and the clown' of our party. Those were the bright- 
 est and best days of my life, At school he would often dispel the 
 tedium of study, and have both pupils and teachers in an uproar 
 by doing the unexpected and funny thing. When the teacher would 
 catch him in some of his pranks and begin to reprimand him, with 
 great dignity and serenity of manner for his misconduct, Sam would 
 look at him with a, twinkle in his eye, and a smile that would bring 
 
Sam P. Jones. 45 
 
 an answering smile from the teacher, which dispelled all of his 
 dignity to the extent that he could but order him back to his seat 
 amid the laughter of the school, and thus it was at home and in 
 school, he could always dispel a frown of disapproval from our 
 father's or the teacher's faces with some droll word or act, which 
 never failed to put them in good humor, and make them love him 
 all the more. 
 
 "When we would have our boyhood disagreements, and some- 
 times come to blows, it always ended by Sam putting a nice pocket- 
 knife or a piece of money in the latch of the gate as he left the lot 
 or yard, before me, and then he would hide near by and watch me 
 fed it, when he would look at me with moistened eyes and merry 
 laughter as we made up and became better friends than ever." 
 
 When the war broke out between the States in 1861, Captain 
 John Jones hurried to Virginia to join Lee, joining the ranks of 
 the Southern Confederacy, leaving his second son, Sam, to remain 
 with his stepmother and the younger children to assist her in caring 
 for the home, but when it was known that Sherman was making 
 his way towards Atlanta and would soon be in this part of the 
 State, acting upon the advice of her husband, his stepmother decided 
 to refugee to South Georgia, feeling that they would be safer there. 
 At this time Captain Jones had a livery stable in Cartersville and 
 his son Sam was sent out to take the horses to a place of safety, and 
 he was expected to come back and go with his mother. But Mrs. 
 Jones had to go earlier than she expected, hearing of the approach 
 of Sherman, and expecting to meet Sam, she started on her trip 
 south, but he had decided to come home another way and in doing 
 this he missed her. He came on to Cartersville, where he found the 
 old black woman, Mammy Viney, whom 1 he, as well as all the 
 family, loved very much, in the home. After spending a few days at 
 home with her he decided to go north, as Sherman had already 
 taken possession of the town and surrounding country. Here he 
 lost sight of his mother and did not know where to communicate 
 with her for several months. . 
 
 He made his way to Nashville, and while there he realized that 
 he had no means and no employment, and was at a loss to* know 
 
46 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 just what course to pursue. At this time the Sixth Kentucky reg- 
 iment was at this place, en route to Louisville, Kentucky, to be mus- 
 tered out of service, as they had served four years in the Federal 
 service. Most of this regiment was made up of boys from Henry 
 county, Kentucky, and among them were two young men, neighbors 
 of my father's, Captain Webb Owens and Lieutenant Dupuy. They 
 were much attracted to this young man and he opened his heart 
 and told them his story, and of his separation from his family. They 
 very cordially invited him to go home with them and remain until 
 he could get in communication with his family. He decided to go 
 with these new friends and remain until he could hear from his 
 father and be able to return to his Georgia home. 
 
 At the close of the war, he got into communication with his 
 father, and returned to Cartersville. He then took up his studies 
 which had been laid aside on account of the war. 
 
 In his eighteenth or nineteenth year, he entered the excellent 
 school of ex-Congressman W. H. Felton and his intelligent wife. 
 Under the tutorship of Dr. and Mrs. Felton he made excellent prog- 
 ress. 
 
 In speaking of him, Mrs. Felton says: "I first knew Sam when 
 a boy. I recall his fine physique. He never had an ounce of surplus 
 flesh in his life, and always had a springy step ; and those beautiful, 
 bright eyes, with a merry twinkle — that were so fascinating in those 
 early days. He was the life of any gathering, and had an independ- 
 ence of spirit and disregard for conventionalities that was apparent 
 the first time I saw him. 
 
 "Later on, when he entered our school, he was full of life and 
 spirit, and his original way of illustrating things or talking about 
 events, even then was a force in the town. He never copied after 
 anybody. Whether he took a pride in his originality, or otherwise, 
 the fact was discovered then that Sam Jones was a unique person- 
 ality. Although he was mischievous, he could be relied upon to do 
 what he said he would do, and in that early period of his life no 
 one who was closely associated with him failed to understand and 
 appreciate the tenderness of his nature. The nearer you got to 
 him, the better you understood that peculiar trait of his nature, 
 
Sam P. Jones. 47 
 
 which grew and expanded, and developed until he passed from 
 earth." 
 
 After leaving this school he went to Euharlee, Ga., and continued 
 his studies under the leadership of the late Professor Ronald John- 
 son. He was in line for a collegiate education, which his father 
 intended giving him, but it was at this place his health completely 
 broke down, and on account of this he was forced to relinquish 
 his hope of obtaining a college education. He suffered from the 
 worst form of nervous dyspepsia; and, in his sufferings, with his 
 health wrecked, with sleepless nights and restless days, he became 
 discouraged and despondent and sought relief in drink. Here is 
 where he began his dissipation. At times his suffering was so 
 intense that he would take a drink, believing that it was the only 
 thing that would save his life. Soon the habit was firmly fixed; 
 with his health gone, and disappointed because his education could 
 not be finished, he went deeper and deeper in intoxication. 
 
 Having reached the point in a young man's life where it is so 
 much easier to drift on with the tide than to heed the warnings of 
 loved ones, he soon became a slave to liquor. 
 
 It was in this great nervous state, with his health almost gone 
 that he began to study law. After one year's study, he was admit- 
 ted to the Bar and began to practice law. Judge Milner, of our 
 town, said to Captain Jones, in speaking of his son: "You have 
 raised the brightest boy ever admitted to the Georgia Bar." Soon 
 the speeches that he made at the Bar became the talk of the town. 
 They were bright, spicy, thoughtful and powerful. His words 
 were simply irresistible. Had he continued the practice of law, 
 his name might have gone down in history by the side of Robert 
 Toombs and Alexander Stephens, Georgia's most able and noted 
 lawyers. But, thank God, in following the path of his lowly Master, 
 he has the honor of being so like his Lord, which is far greater than 
 ranking as a statesman. 
 
 The new associations growing out of his legal profession made 
 it easy for him to continue his dissipation. The success that he met 
 with also helped to ruin him. The suppers, banquets and social 
 gatherings caused him to plunge deeper into dissipation, until finally 
 he lost grip upon his practice and abandoned it altogether. 
 
48 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 While many people are under the impression that Mr. Jones was 
 an habitual and constant drunkard, this, however, is not true. He 
 never reached such a point in his dissipation. Others have also 
 believed that his dissipation covered a period of many years, when in 
 fact this sad period of his life was of but five or six years' dura- 
 tion. People have thought that the sins that accompany drink had 
 a strong hold upon him. He was remarkably free from such sins. 
 
 Rev. Parks Jones, his uncle, says : "I was with him more or less 
 from our school days until his conversion. Pie was at our home, 
 and I was at his. I never heard him swear an oath or use a profane 
 expression in my life. I don't say that he didn't, but I never heard 
 him. I never saw him drunk or in a drunken crowd. The nearest 
 I ever came to seeing him drunk was the year that he was converted. 
 He was down on the corner of a street in Cartersville and walked 
 off towards a barroom. His father noticing him, called in pitiful 
 tones: 'Sam! Sam!' That attracted my attention, but he did not 
 hear him, or if he did, he paid no attention to his father's trembling 
 voice." To him in after-years the sin of drunkenness was so hate- 
 ful and enormous that he never forgave himself for his dissipation. 
 With such conception of the heinousness of drink he was compelled 
 to speak out in fearful denunciation of it, in his own life, as well 
 as the lives of others. 
 
 The world while hearing him failed to see, as he did, the hideous- 
 ness of drinking, and got the impression that he was a constant, 
 habitual and wicked drunkard. He was never anything but good 
 at heart, and it was physical weakness that made him dissipate. 
 
 As to my sympathy, prayers and devotion to him in those sad 
 years I shall let him speak : 
 
 "In November, 1868, at the age of twenty-one, only one month 
 after my admission to the Bar, I was married to Miss Laura McEl- 
 wain, of Henry county, Kentucky. I brought her to my Carters- 
 ville home, and continued in the practice of law with rich promise 
 of success ; but notwithstanding the remonstrances of my good wife, 
 notwithstanding her tears and pleadings, I continued my social 
 drinking, often returning home intoxicated. The habit of drink 
 was gradually established, and all the. ambitions and vital forces 
 
Sam P. Jones. 49 
 
 of my life were being undermined by the fearful appetite, which 
 was stronger than the tears of my wife, the advice of my friends 
 and the dictates of my own better judgment. 
 
 "My faithful wife, with a courage born of despair, with a strong 
 faith in God and with a bright hope for better days, clung to me in 
 the darkest hours of our married life, and never ceased her efforts 
 or surrendered her faith in the promises of God until the day had 
 dawned, and she realized that God is not slack concerning His 
 promises. Though her tears and prayers often moved me, and 
 though I promised time and again to give up drink, yet in spite 
 of myself and every effort to stop me, I continued in my dissipated 
 life until the month of August, 1872." 
 
 v 
 
 Sj 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 His Conversion and First Sermon. 
 
 This was the period of Mr. Jones's life when he temporarily 
 reformed and lived sober for eighteen months. Then he went with 
 some of the citizens of our town on the first excursion that was run 
 over the new railroad to Roekmart, and they persuaded him to 
 drink wine with them. This caused him to return to his former 
 habits, and for about six weeks he continued to drink, until he was 
 brought face to face with his dying father. 
 
 His father was sick for several weeks, and it was the custom of 
 the ministers to call and have prayers with him. Mr. Jones would 
 attend these prayer services around his father's bedside. As the end 
 came nearer, Captain Jones would tell of the presence of the Lord, 
 and speak in such a way as to make every one feel that God was 
 really present. He would take his friends by the hand and in a cool, 
 calm, delightful way say, "This little home that God has given me 
 for my wife and children is filled with the glory of the Lord. 
 I am physically very weak, but spiritually I am strong. When 
 every other prop fails me, then Jesus Christ stands firm." 
 
 Just before the end came, he turned to each member of his family 
 and spoke a parting word. Mr. Jones was standing at the foot of the 
 bed, looking down into his father's face. When his father came to 
 him for a moment he was speechless, while looking into his son's 
 face. Finally he said: "My poor, wicked, wayward, reckless boy. 
 You have broken the heart of your sweet wife and brought me 
 down in sorrow to my grave; promise me, my boy, to meet me in 
 heaven." Standing there, convulsed with emotion from head to 
 foot, he stepped around to the side of the bed and took his father's 
 bony hand in his and said : "Father, I'll make you the promise, I'll 
 
 (50) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 51 
 
 quit! I'll quit! I'll quit!" He said it in such a way that his dying 
 father had every assurance that he meant it. A change was seen 
 in his father's countenance, and the pledge from his boy, he be- 
 lieved, meant the reformation of his life. 
 
 Then and there Mr. Jones burned the bridges behind him, and 
 walked away from the dying couch determined to live for the 
 right. In after years, including some of his last utterances in Okla- 
 homa City, Mr. Jones said : "Thank God, I can say every wilful 
 step of my life since that moment has been towards the redemption 
 of that promise." 
 
 When Mr. Jones turned from the bedside of his dying father .he 
 was groping in darkness and in search of Jesus Christ the Savior 
 of sinners. While the promise he made his father was a step 
 toward salvation, and helped to bring about a speedy reformation, 
 he was not entirely assured of his acceptance with God. After his 
 father's death he went down to the home of his grandfather, Rev. 
 Samuel G. Jones, on Saturday, and spent the Sabbath. That morn- 
 ing his grandfather preached at Moore's Chapel. Mr. Jones was 
 under deepest conviction, and at the close of the sermon he walked 
 forward and gave his grandfather his hand, asking for the prayers 
 of God's people. 
 
 His conviction became deeper each day, and he saw his sins as 
 never before. While under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he had 
 a glimpse of the cross. As Paul said, "The cross was a stumbling 
 block to the Jew, and foolishness to the Greek" ; so it was with him 
 until the light of the Holy Spirit flooded his soul. Mr. Jones has 
 described his own experience in this illustration : 
 
 "I have walked out in the mountainous regions of my own State 
 an hour before daybreak : I have stood on the porch of some country 
 home and looked at the hills and valleys around me ; they presented 
 but the dim outline of something that I could not appreciate, I could 
 not fully see. I go back into that dwelling, and in three hours 
 more I walk out again on the front porch. The sun has risen on the 
 scene and bathed the mountains and valleys in a sea of light, and 
 now I look and beauties and splendors that never met my eye before 
 face me on every side. The light of the sun shows me the beauties 
 
52 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 of the world and helps me to understand largely its mysteries. 
 Brethren, I saw the cross erected, God's only begotten Son, the vic- 
 tim, suspended ; he suffered ; he died ; and yet I saw but the dim out- 
 lines of something — I could not catch it in its fullness ; I could not 
 take it in in all its beauty; and then the Divine Spirit rose on the 
 scene and bathed the cross in a sea of light. 
 
 'I saw one hanging on a tree, 
 
 In agonies and blood, 
 Who fixed his languid eyes on me, 
 
 As near his cross I stood. 
 
 'Sure, never to my latest breath 
 
 Can I forget that look; 
 It seemed to charge me with his death, 
 
 Though not a word he spoke. 
 
 'My conscience felt and owned the guilt, 
 And plunged me in despair; 
 I saw my sins his blood had spilt, 
 And helped to nail him there. 
 
 'A second look he gave, which said : 
 
 "I freely all forgive ; 
 This blood is for thy ransom paid; 
 
 I die that thou mayst live.' " 
 
 The revival in which Mr. Jones was converted was held at Fel- 
 ton's Chapel. This was one of the regular appointments on his 
 grandfather's circuit. Sunday morning we went out to the service, 
 and at the close of the sermon grandfather Jones opened the doors 
 of the church, and to my astonishment, Mr. Jones arose and walked 
 up and joined the church. In speaking of that gracious hour, Mr. 
 Jones says : 
 
 "I never shall forget the day when I walked up in the little old 
 church in Bartow county, with the only fear in my heart that I 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 53 
 
 would not be received into the church. That day the man of 
 Cod, my grandfather, stood up and preached, and when he 
 opened the doors of the church I sat back in the audience 
 and listened, and fear again came to me that I would not be re- 
 ceived, my condition was so apparently hopeless, my life and habits 
 had been so dissolute and so well known. Again I soon had the im- 
 pulse to go forward, and then an overpowering something said, 'No, 
 you are too weak and afraid;' and so it was until they had sung 
 one, two and three verses of the good old hymn, and it looked like I 
 would fail, but directly I got a new strength, and I said to myself : 
 
 'I can but perish if I go; 
 
 I am resolved to try; 
 For if I stay away I know 
 
 I must forever die/ 
 
 "And in that little country church, with my dear old grandfather 
 preaching the sermon, I went and gave myself to God. I went for- 
 ward and took his hand and looked up into his face and said: 
 "Grandfather, I take this step to-day ; I give myself, my heart and 
 life, what is left of it, all to God and to His cause/ He took me 
 and pulled me up and laid my head on his bosom, and wept like a 
 child, and said brokenly : 'God bless you, my boy, and may you be 
 faithful unto death.' And they received me into the church. And 
 I want to tell you, my neighbor, whatever else may be said, living 
 or dying, I was a reformed and changed man from that hour." 
 
 For a week or more he had been very sad and depressed. I did 
 not understand his condition. However, on our way home he said : 
 "I can't tell you just how I've felt the past week; I have been seek- 
 ing forgiveness for my sins. God has pardoned me. I shall not 
 drink any more. I am done with it. I have told you many times 
 that I have reformed my life, but you have a sober husband now. 
 It is now true." 
 
 As soon as the great change took place, he felt impressed that he 
 should preach. He did not know whence this impression came. He 
 sought the advice and counsel of several preachers, with this reply 
 
54 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 in substance from each : "You are called to preach ; you can come 
 willingly into it, or you can be whipped into it, or you will lose your 
 religion, if you refuse." The last point was always the most pow- 
 erful argument to him. He said he felt as did Gideon Ousnley, 
 when the voice said, "Gideon, go and preach the gospel." "How 
 can I preach, O Lord ; I can not speak, for I am a child." But when 
 his mind was fully satisfied that he should enter the ministry, he 
 began immediately to tell how the Lord had saved him. He spoke 
 as only a man can who knew the full saving power of his Lord and 
 Savior. 
 
 But, like Gideon Ousnley, again, he had discovered the disease 
 and found the remedy, and this gives the physician complete control 
 over the patient, so he took his Bible and went from his knees to the 
 pulpit with the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon him, and with an 
 earnest desire for the salvation of lost souls. While he had no the- 
 ological training, he was prepared to preach to sinners, because of 
 the anointing that God had given him. In after-years, in speaking 
 of theological seminaries, he said "that he wouldn't give a Georgia 
 circuit, a pony and a Bible for all the 'theological cemeteries' in the 
 world." 
 
 He preached his first sermon one week after his conversion at 
 the old New Hope church, two miles from Cartersville, his home. 
 In the afternoon grandfather Jones told him that he would have to 
 preach that night. We rode out to the church in a wagon, the party 
 consisting of Mr. Jones, myself and our little child. Mr. Jones had 
 not been licensed to preach. 
 
 Grandfather said: "I will go your security until conference 
 meets." So Mr. Jones agreed to preach for him. He was encour- 
 aged further by his grandfather saying : "If God has called you to 
 preach, you can preach; come into the pulpit." The church was 
 crowded with earnest Christians, who were in deepest sympathy 
 with him and supported him with their prayers, while there were 
 many of his old companions and others who were there through 
 mere curiosity. 
 
 With much anxiety and fear, he took his place in the pulpit. 
 After the singing and prayer he arose and announced his text from 
 
Sam P. Jones. 55 
 
 the first chapter of Romans and the sixteenth verse : "For I am not 
 ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto 
 salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to 
 the Greek." 
 
 As he looked over the congregation, he realized that every one 
 present knew him. They knew his past ; they had seen him only as 
 a wild, dissipated young man. He didn't assume any pulpit manner 
 or attitude, nor did he attempt any analysis of his text, or give any 
 attention to its unfolding, but began to tell his experience of the sal- 
 vation that had come to him. God had saved him, and he was not 
 ashamed to proclaim it to the world. His deep earnestness and evi- 
 dent sincerity, and the power of the Holy Spirit upon him immedi- 
 ately got hold of the hearts and minds of the audience. As Mr. 
 Jones said, before he proceeded far into the text, he adopted the 
 plan of the good old Methodist preacher who got into the bushes and 
 closed his Bible, saying: "Brethren, I can not preach the text, but 
 I can tell my experience in spite of the devil." Out of his heart full 
 of love to God and to men, he told of the great things that God 
 had done for him. 
 
 Mr. Jones said he remembered only two things of this his first 
 sermon. One was "God is good," and the other, "I am happy." 
 
 The Holy Spirit was present to bear testimony and many were 
 melted to tears and deeply moved to a better life. 
 
 At the close of his earnest exhortation, he extended an invitation 
 to penitents, and many rushed to the altar and were happily con- 
 verted to God. 
 
 At the close of the service his friends took him by the hand and 
 assured him of their prayers and bade him God-speed in the great 
 work that he had undertaken. His grandfather threw his arms 
 around him, saying, "My boy, you are called to preach, God will be 
 with you." 
 
 Mr. Jones occasionally went with his grandfather as he preached 
 at the churches on his circuit. He had fully made up his mind to 
 join the North Georgia Conference, which was to meet in Atlanta 
 in about three months. At the quarterly conference at Moore's 
 Chapel he was licensed to preach, and was recommended to the an- 
 
56 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 nual conference. His grandfather in presenting him as a candidate 
 for local preacher's license and recommendation to the conference, 
 said: "You have heard my grandson preach; you have seen the 
 results that have followed his preaching; he wants to devote his 
 life to the ministry, if you believe that he is called of God to this 
 work, give him the authority of the church to preach." The con- 
 ference unanimously voted to license and recommend him to the 
 next annual conference. 
 
;'■-.. ..-:-: . 
 
m .. m 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 His First Work in the Conference;. 
 
 The time between his conversion and the meeting of the an- 
 nual conference was spent in earnest prayer, deep meditation and 
 constant Bible study. Here he laid the foundation for his great 
 ministry. He learned the secret and art of prayer. He learned the 
 blessedness and strength of meditation. He stored his mind with 
 God's Holy Word, and became charged with its peculiar power. His 
 wonderful memory retained the Scriptures that he learned in those 
 early days, which served him to his last hours. He had a wonderful 
 knowledge of the Bible, and Scripture was ever fresh in his mind. 
 Some of the most beautiful and striking illustrations that Mr. 
 Jones used in his preaching were taken from the Bible. His delin- 
 eations of Bible characters were the most effective of any illustra- 
 tions he used. 
 
 His consecration was deepened day by day, and he was so happy 
 at the thought of preaching that he lost sight of everything else. 
 While I was happy because of his conversion, and his friends were 
 delighted at the stand that he had taken, it was not clear in my 
 mind that it was the best thing for him to join the conference and 
 take up the regular work of the ministry. I was anxious for him 
 to be a local preacher, but was slow in giving my consent for him to 
 enter the itinerancy. However, God saw differently, and following 
 the leadings of the Holy Spirit, Mr. Jones arranged to go to At- 
 lanta in the fall of 1872 and join the North Georgia Annual Con- 
 ference. 
 
 He frequently related a little experience we had when I opposed 
 ;his joining the conference. He said: 
 
 "I was called to preach the week I was converted. I made up my 
 :mind at once, and I went to my wife and told her I was going to 
 
 Cs7) 
 
58 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 join the North Georgia Conference ; and she said : ''Look here, Mr. 
 Jones, when I married you I married a lawyer, and I'll never be an 
 itinerant Methodist preacher's wife in this world, never! So, if 
 you join the North Georgia Conference, you'll go without me/ 
 'But, wife,' I said, 'the Lord has called me to preach the gospel, 
 and he'll remove obstacles from my way.' 'Well,' said she, 'He'll 
 have to remove me, then.' 
 
 "That looked pretty hard, now didn't it? But I had my mind 
 made up; I did not have any trouble about that. I just said, I'll 
 join the North Georgia Conference, and preach in it, if my wife 
 never speaks to me again. I thought maybe she'd change her 
 mind; but, bless your life, she grew firmer; and the time for the 
 conference approached, and she didn't relent. At last, the night 
 before I was to leave home came, my wife and I talked long and 
 earnestly; and finally she said, 'Husband, as sure as you take the 
 train for Atlanta in the morning, I'll take the northbound train for 
 my father's.' And I said, 'Wife, my mind is made up, and I'll 
 join the conference and preach the gospel if I have to go traveling 
 about all over the country a grass widower.' 
 
 "Well, I was a good while getting to sleep that night, but I went 
 to sleep after awhile ; and sometime in the night my wife called me, 
 and she was suffering. I don't know what was the matter with 
 her. I got up and gave her something and she got better. In the 
 morning at six wife waked me, standing by the bed with the lamp, 
 and said: 'Husband, get up and get ready; train will soon be here.' 
 And I looked in her face and said : 'Wife, what's come over the 
 spirit of your dreams? What does this mean?' She said, 'Never 
 mind, you get up and get ready, and I'll tell you after awhile/ 
 At breakfast she said : 'You know when I called you in the night ? 
 You remember I said that if the Lord made you an itinerant preach- 
 er, He'd have to remove me; well, just then when I called you , I was 
 in the very agonies of death, and I just cried out, 'Lord, save my life 
 and I'll make the very best itinerant preacher's wife I can.' And 
 she's done it, too; every bit of it, for thirteen years now." 
 
 In making preparation for the examination of applicants for 
 membership in the conference, Mr. Jones pursued the course of 
 
Sam P. Jones. 59 
 
 study prescribed by the bishops of the M. E. Church, South. Rev. 
 Ceo. R. Cramer was his pastor and spiritual instructor at that time. 
 He assisted him very much in preparing for the examination. 
 
 When the North Georgia Conference convened in Atlanta No- 
 vember 27, 1872, he was received as a traveling preacher. He gave 
 himself with all his redeemed powers to the life and work of an 
 itinerant Methodist preacher. In making the appointments he was 
 put down for the Van Wert circuit. This was the poorest circuit in 
 the Conference.. While there were wealthy and influential churches 
 assigned to many of the distinguished preachers, who went away 
 happy because of their appointments, no man left the Conference 
 happier than Mr. Jones, and he never paused long enough to in- 
 quire about his appointment. He was one of the happiest men that 
 ever received a circuit at the hand of a bishop. His heart fairly 
 leaped for joy, and he shouted, "Thank God, I now have a place to 
 work for Christ." 
 
 Leaving conference for his home in Cartersville, in the most ex- 
 uberant spirits, a good old brother came up and shook hands with 
 him, saying: "Brother Jones, do you know what that circuit paid its 
 pastor last year?" He replied, "No, I had not thought of that." 
 "Well," said he, "it paid the preacher for his entire year's work 
 sixty-five dollars." Mr. Jones laughed and said : "I don't care what 
 they paid or didn't pay, I have a place to preach now, and I am going 
 to it happy." 
 
 The circuit was located twenty-two miles from our home in Car- 
 tersville. He went down and looked over the field before taking 
 his family. The brethren were kind in a way, and yet, as he said, 
 "Burns was right when he wrote : 
 
 'A man may take a neighbor's part 
 Yet have no cash to spare him.' " 
 
 But he was not discouraged. He had been reared in a Meth- 
 odist home, and an itinerant preacher's life had been pictured to him 
 as one of hardships and privations. There was no parsonage, and 
 the stewards were not enthusiastic over renting and furnishing a 
 house for him and his wife and child ; and finally they suggested to 
 
60 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 him a house that might be rented, but said nothing about paying the 
 rent, or becoming responsible for it. Instead of following the Meth- 
 odist rule to arrange for the preacher's home, they would not be re- 
 sponsible for it in any way. Many a minister with less courage 
 than he possessed would have become disheartened and gone back 
 to his profession, but instead of that he rented a house and gave his 
 individual notes, twelve in number, each one amounting to ten dol- 
 lars, to be paid monthly for the rent of the house for the coming 
 year. The rent amounted to fifty-five dollars more than the entire 
 salary received by the preacher the previous year. Two weeks later 
 he moved his family to this house, in the town of old Van Wert. 
 
 While Mr. Jones had a good law library, his ministerial library 
 was very small. He had just three books as he entered upon his first 
 appointment. One of them was the Bible — this was the dearest of 
 them all. No man ever loved the Old Book more than he. In one 
 of the last sermons that he preached he placed the Bible to his 
 heart and said: 
 
 " 'This precious book I'd rather own 
 
 Than all the golden gems 
 That e'er in monarch's coffers shone, 
 
 Or on their diadems. 
 And were the seas one chrysolite, 
 
 This earth a golden ball ; 
 And gems were all the stars of night, 
 
 This book were worth them all. 
 
 " 'Ah, no, the soul ne'er found relief 
 
 In glittering hoards of wealth; 
 Gems dazzle not the eye of grief, 
 
 Gold can not purchase health. 
 But here a blessed balm appears, 
 
 For every human woe; 
 And they that seek this book in tears 
 
 Their tears shall cease to flow.* 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 61 
 
 "Some men do not love God's Holy Book, and all that they care 
 for is to criticise and ridicule its precious teachings ; but, oh, I love- 
 it, and I want you all to love it. Yes, I do love it, and it makes my 
 heart fairly shout with gladness to think that my darling mother 
 loved it, too, and pressed it to her bosom, saying : 
 
 " 'Holy Bible, book divine, 
 
 Precious treasure, thou art mine/ 
 
 "This old book that has lain on your table all your lives ; that has 
 been in your pathway; that is a part of your household, is filled 
 with the wisdom of God. Oh, this blessed Book and its blessed' 
 consolation." 
 
 Another was the fifth volume of Spurgeon's sermons. This he 
 read and reread until his soul was stirred with the spirit of the great 
 English preacher. He always claimed that he owed much to that 
 volume. He would frequently read one of Spurgeon's texts and 
 see how he treated it, and then would ask how he should treat his. 
 
 The other book was a volume of Skeletons of Sermons. Some 
 one is always ready to hand such a volume to young preachers. 
 Some young preachers have been able to use the skeletons, but 
 these did not appeal to Mr. Jones. No one while listening to him 
 preach would believe that such a volume had made much impres- 
 sion upon his mind. Not for a moment did he ever follow such 
 plans in his sermonizing. His sermons were built and constructed 
 very much like his mind. He spoke out of the fullness of his intel- 
 lect and heart, and his style of sermon making was always peculiar 
 to himself. 
 
 Mr. Jones began his ministry as an exhorter in his grandfather's 
 meetings, and some of his sermons for the first few years of his 
 ministry were nothing more than earnest exhortations, but whether 
 he preached or exhorted, he was always in earnest, and the people 
 were profoundly impressed with what he said. He firmly believed 
 that poor sermons and earnest exhortations, with the spirit of sym- 
 pathy and zeal behind them, were more healthful and fruitful than 
 the most powerful logic and finished rhetoric without the spirit of 
 earnestness. He said, "Earnestness can not be feigned. It is just 
 
62 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 like the natural and healthful glow on a maiden's cheek compared to 
 the artificial coloring. Earnestness can always be distinguished 
 from emotional gush or bellowing hurrahism. Earnestness is a 
 thing of the eye and face more than of the voice or the words." 
 
 Among the greatest compliments ever paid him, and one of those 
 that pleased him the most, was that when people would say, "I^et 
 us go and hear him ; he is in earnest ; he is an earnest preacher." 
 
 The greatest compliment, and the one that he appreciated the 
 most, was that of a little boy on his first circuit. He was just 
 finishing up the year's work, and was getting ready to go to con- 
 ference. The little boy said to his father : "I want Brother Jones to 
 come back to our church. I can understand everything that he 
 preaches." To him simplicity and earnestness were two of the most 
 commendable elements in a minister of the gospel. With Mr. Jones 
 a multitude of other faults would be overlooked if he saw the min- 
 ister was plain and simple in his preaching, and had his heart in 
 what he was saying. 
 
 With him the earnestness of the pulpit was born of his experience 
 of conscious pardon and complete deliverance from sin. The gos- 
 pel had done so much for him that he saw what it could do for 
 others, and led him to press the gospel claims with pleading tones 
 upon the consciences of those who heard him. There are many 
 men who preach the truth, but they lack the earnestness which 
 helped to give his messages such efficiency. 
 
 At the time of his entering the ministry the devil had not only 
 bankrupted him morally, but financially. The money he had made 
 in the practice of law had been squandered through dissipation. 
 Everything that he had in Cartersville that would bring any money 
 he sold and paid his debts as far as possible. 
 
 In speaking of those trying days he said : "When I first started to 
 preaching I had a wife and one child, a bobtail pony and 
 eight dollars in cash. [In after-years, when urging the ministers 
 to tell the people the whole truth, regardless of who it hurt, he said : 
 "Why, what can they do to you Methodist ministers, anyway? 
 Nothing but move you, and it's no trouble for a Methodist preacher 
 to move. All he has to do is to pack his blacking-brush and call his 
 
Sam P. Jones. 63 
 
 dog/'] Besides this, I was several hundred dollars in debt. I worked 
 on as hard as a man could, my good wife ever at my side helping 
 me. I would work on the farm when I was not preaching and make 
 a few bales of cotton, carry them to town, sell them, and apply the 
 money on my debts. I could hear people say: 'Well, I like 
 Jones, but somehow he don't pay his debts,' and they kept at me in 
 this way until I was nearly crazy. During all this time, I was work- 
 ing myself to death almost, and paying a few dollars at a time on 
 what I owed, until at last I paid it dollar for dollar. How the un- 
 kind and uncharitable remarks did sting me to the quick. What- 
 ever people do, they ought never to say anything bad about a man 
 when he is trying his level best to do right. My wife's health was 
 completely broken down by the hard work of those years, when I 
 was struggling to get a foothold in the world. However, I paid the 
 last dollar, and I lived to see the day when I endorsed notes for 
 those who used to 'cuss' me for not paying my debts, and when they 
 fell down on me, I walked up and paid their debts like a little man. 
 The meanest men in this world are those old money-sharks who get 
 a man in their power, push him to the wall, and then squeeze him 
 to death." 
 
 He entered upon his work with a strong faith in God and in his 
 people, believing that if he would do his duty he should not want 
 any good thing. He made his first round of the circuit ; returning 
 home he was very much pleased with the prospect and the progress 
 of his work. The people opened their eyes when they heard their 
 new preacher, and immediately fell in love with him. After they 
 thoroughly understood Mr. Jones, and his work began to prosper, 
 they were unusually kind to me, and those first years were very 
 blessed ones in many respects. 
 
 The congregations increased wherever he preached. New life and 
 zeal entered into the services, and the old circuit took on new life. 
 The churches were greatly revived; the backsliders were reclaimed 
 and sinners converted at the regular services. Finally, great re- 
 vivals broke out all over the charge, and each church was visited by 
 a gracious awakening. His compensation for his first year amount- 
 ed to seven hundred dollars; six hundred and thirty-five dollars 
 
64 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 more than they paid the previous year. They requested that he be 
 returned to them, and he spent three very profitable years on that 
 circuit, the salary for the three years' work being two thousand one 
 hundred dollars. This was not all in money, but a great deal of it 
 was in corn, wheat, hay, and fodder. Some of it was paid in meat, 
 chickens, eggs, and butter. 
 
 In his early ministry he was thrown with his people a great deal, 
 and his keen insight into human nature and his close observation 
 of every-day life revealed a great many shams and frauds to him. 
 He always had an inborn, constitutional hatred for shams, and es- 
 pecially religious shams. Life and truth were absolutely real to him. 
 Heaven and hell were realities, and he didn't see how a man could 
 be a fraud or a hypocrite without first getting out of line with God 
 and truth, and if they didn't repent, they would go to hell, and that 
 the devil would make real fiends of religious frauds before he 
 would receive them. He had such a high sense of honor he could 
 not help from having intense hatred for shams and pretense. He 
 was compelled to strike a terrific blow which would reduce them 
 to atoms. 
 
 He never feared higher criticism and infidelity in a theoretical 
 sense, but was afraid of practical infidelity, as he saw it lived and 
 practiced by his church members. He used to say he would rather 
 be Bob Ingersoll and disbelieve the Bible than to be a professing 
 Christian believing everything, and living just like Ingersoll. After 
 he thoroughly understood his people, he was seized with the convic- 
 tion that there was either two kinds of Christianity, or else the ma- 
 jority of his people had religion, and that he did not have it, or, he 
 had it and they didn't. In his own heart since God saved him, there 
 had been no room for prayerlessness and indifference towards God's 
 work, yet he found his people indifferent, careless, and prayerless. 
 These were perplexing problems to him, and he spent hours in 
 prayer and meditation, trying to decide his duty towards his people. 
 The struggle that was going on in his heart was whether he should 
 preach to his people just as he thought about them. Finally, he de- 
 cided to do that, and with a matchless courage he talked to them 
 about their inconsistencies. His courage and earnestness gave him 
 
Sam P. JonivS. 65 
 
 wonderful power over the situation. Mr. Jones not only had the 
 courage of his convictions, but he had the courage to have convic- 
 tions. So many men fail to have the courage to have convictions. 
 This he settled once for all while studying his people. It was no 
 wonder that such apostolic results followed his preaching on his 
 first circuit. 
 
 Mr. Jones's style of preaching on his first circuit was character- 
 istic of his preaching until the day of his death. Some of his great- 
 est sermons were made the first few years he preached. Perhaps, 
 his greatest sermon was from the text, "What I have written, I have 
 written." John 19 '.22. His subject being, "Conscience, Record, 
 and God." While he gathered a great many new illustrations from 
 his travels and picked up incidents in his meetings that took the place 
 of some illustrations of those earliest sermons, still, the outline of 
 the sermon was changed very little. He always had results from 
 his preaching. Usually, people were converted and joined the 
 church in great numbers, but if he went to his appointment and no 
 one was converted and came into the church in the usual way, he 
 decided that his members were not living right, as he believed 
 conversions would follow when the church was living up to its 
 privilege. Therefore, at times, instead of opening the "front doors" 
 of the church, as he expressed it, he would open the "back doors," 
 and ask those who were unwilling to live up to the rules and regula- 
 tions of the church to come forward, and have their names erased 
 from the roll, and retire through the "back doors" of the church. 
 This unique way of dealing with his members frequently brought 
 them to themselves, and resulted in their consecration and future 
 activity. He was always equal to the emergency from the very 
 beginning of his work as a minister. 
 
 His support at times was irregular on his first circuit. When the 
 stewards failed to bring around the quarterage, and the provisions 
 gave out, and feed for his horse was exhausted, he would hitch up 
 his horse, and take me and the children and go to the home of some 
 of our members and spend a day with them. On one occasion he 
 went to the home of a leading member, and sent us in with the lady 
 of the house, while hitching his horse. When asked if the head of 
 
66 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 the family was at. home, he was told that he had gone away for the 
 day, and perhaps would not return before night. "Well," replied 
 Mr. Jones, "that's all right, as we shall spend a day or two with you; 
 he will return before we leave, and we will get to see him. We have 
 decided as we can not get our grub raw, that we will take it cooked,, 
 and will spend some time at your home." 
 
 At another time when the provisions had been exhausted, and I 
 was in the kitchen wondering where our next meal would come 
 from, he was at the woodpile chopping the stovewood, and whis- 
 tling, and when I went out on the back porch and said, "Husband, 
 what's the use of cutting the wood when there is nothing to cook?" 
 he replied, "Well, wife, the Lord will provide." It wasn't long then 
 until a wagon stopped in front of the parsonage loaded down with 
 provisions, and when they were brought in, we had as much, if not 
 more, than our home had ever had before. His faith in God to sup- 
 ply our physical necessaries never wavered in our direst poverty. 
 
 On his first circuit, there was a very amusing incident hap- 
 pened. One of our wealthiest members was taken seriously ill, and 
 thought that he was going to die. He sent for his pastor to come 
 around and pray with him. Mr. Jones called upon him, and when 
 entering the sick-chamber, the member said, 'I have sent for you to 
 pray for me." "Well," said Mr. Jones, "I don't see any good reason 
 for asking the Lord to heal you. If you can tell me any reason why 
 you should live, I'll pray for you ; so far as I know, you have never 
 done anything for the Lord that I can stand upon, while, praying. 
 You have paid absolutely nothing to the assessments of the church; 
 none of the missionary money for home or foreign cause has been 
 paid by you; the stewards can't get anything out of you towards 
 my salary; wife, children and myself have needed the necessaries 
 of life, and my horse has had nothing much to eat, and you have an 
 abundance of everything here in your home, and feed in your barn, 
 and could have helped us ; therefore, I don't see anything to stand 
 upon. There is no use in my asking God to restore you ; I can ask 
 Him to forgive and save you, and take you to heaven ; but, there is 
 no reason why I should ask Him to preserve your life; as you are 
 absolutely worthless to the cause." "Well," he replied, "you are 
 
Sam P. Jones. 67 
 
 light. There is no reason why I should live, but I will make you a 
 promise if you can stand upon that." "Very well," replied Mr. Jones, 
 "what is the promise?" He said, "I will see that my assessment is 
 paid in full, and that you have the things that you need for your ta- 
 ble and horse." Mr. Jones knelt down and told the Lord about the 
 man's promise, saying in his prayer : "Lord, you know all about him ; 
 he may deceive me, but he can't deceive you, and if he is going to 
 change his way, stand by your work, forgive him, heal him, and 
 save him." It wasn't long until the man fully recovered, and one 
 day a wagon turned into the street just in sight of the parsonage. 
 A crowd of men sitting on the front porch of the store, in the town, 
 said: "Whose team is that?" Some one answered, "That's Mr. 
 
 ; he is sending a load of corn to the parsonage." Another 
 
 one remarked: "Mr. will have to get nearer the other 
 
 world than he was, before he would turn loose a load of corn to the 
 preacher." A colored man was hailed by one of them, who asked : 
 
 "Whose team is that?" The old negro said : "That's Mr. ." 
 
 "Where is that load of corn going?" The old darkey replied, "To 
 
 preacher Jones." "How much does Mr. get for that corn?" 
 
 The old colored man said, "Why, God bless you, boss, Mr. 
 
 has done give that corn to that preacher." 
 
 The brother had paid his vow, and was one of Mr. Jones's warm 
 est friends and supporters during his stay on that circuit. 
 
 Perhaps as a summary of the results of those years on his first 
 circuit, and the general impression made upon every one has been 
 told as fully by a minister who was on the adjoining circuit and 
 who followed Mr. Jones on the Van Wert circuit. Rev. J. W. Lee, 
 D.D., now pastor of Trinity church, Atlanta, Ga., says : 
 
 "The first circuit to which I was sent after joining the conference 
 in the fall of 1874 was the Floyd, adjoining the Van Wert. During 
 the year 1875 I saw a great deal of Sam Jones. In 1876 I succeeded 
 him on the Van Wert circuit, and there I heard more of him than of 
 any preacher I have ever followed since. Every one had something 
 wonderful to relate either about his sermons or about himself. The 
 Van Wert circuit was made up of five churches, and these were in 
 parts of four counties, Polk, Bartow, Paulding and Floyd. From 
 
68 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 all I could hear this entire territory was in a state of constant ex- 
 citement throughout the three years Sam Jones served. He was 
 just as bright and as full of life then as he was afterward known by 
 the whole country to be. Think of Sam Jones confined to sections 
 of four counties with fire and force and overflowing humor enough 
 to fill the whole United States. People will not be surprised, when 
 they think of this, that his ministry was the theme of conversation in 
 every home in my circuit. He had magnetized everybody. Bap- 
 tists, Presbyterians, as w T ell as Methodists, grew eloquent when they 
 began to talk about Sam Jones. If I could put down in black and 
 white all I heard of him on the Van Wert circuit in 1876, the record 
 would make several books. He touched the people not only from 
 the pulpit, from the home, and on the street, but wherever he met 
 them. Every man, woman, and child was made the subject of his 
 humor. He saw something ridiculous in every situation. From 
 the time he entered a home until he left it, the whole house was kept 
 in an uproar. No one could escape the lightning-flashes of his kindly 
 wit. Even the old grandmother in the corner, too feeble to get 
 about, found herself laughing at herself, as Sam Jones pointed out 
 something absurd or droll in the connection with her attempt to 
 look younger than she really was or something else about herself 
 she had never heard of or dreamed of before. The head of the 
 house was represented before his wife and children in a way to 
 make the whole family shake with laughter. Then, after he had 
 paid his respects to the father, he would take the mother as a sub- 
 ject, and then one child after another clear down to the baby in arms. 
 All this running fire of fun was continued in the midst of cross- 
 turns about duty to God, and religion, that made every member of 
 the household cry when he was not almost splitting his sides with 
 laughter." 
 
 It is very evident from the words of Dr. Lee that Mr. Jones pos- 
 sessed in the beginning of his ministry the peculiarities and qualities 
 that were developed, in the highest sense, the longer he lived, mak- 
 ing him the most unique and marvelous evangelist that the world 
 has ever known. He began to be the talk of the ministry, and there 
 was no little jealousy aroused in the hearts of some of his brother 
 ministers. 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 69 
 
 However, he went about his own business and was always too 
 magnanimous to entertain an envious or jealous thought of a brother 
 minister, but the good and faithful preachers detected this in others, 
 and one of them under the title of "A" Glaring Fault of Good Men" 
 wrote the following letter to the Advocate regarding Methodist 
 preachers. Mr. Jones is referred to in the letter as "Brother A.," 
 "who gave us a fine sermon, but borrowed it from Spurgeon" : 
 
 "Four years of intimate association with itinerant Methodist 
 preachers have convinced me that for sociability, brotherly kindness, 
 and true manhood, to say nothing of the deep piety, earnest lives 
 and faithful work, which make many of them moral heroes — in- 
 deed, they have no superiors on earth ; yet some of us are possessed' 
 of an unhappy disposition, the moral aspect of which is bad enough. 
 A disposition to criticise each other unjustly. 
 
 "At a camp-meeting where many preachers were present and diet 
 faithful work for the Master, Mr. Jones was complimented more 
 highly than the others. At the close of the meeting the brethren 
 went to the railroad station, and there discussed the success of the 
 meeting and the merits of the sermons preached. One said : "We 
 had some good preaching. Brother A." (referring to Mr. Jones) 
 "gave us a fine sermon, but he borrowed from Spurgeon." 
 
 From his earliest ministry he always, to a certain extent, aroused 
 the jealousies of some of his brother ministers, and encountered op- 
 position wherever he went. I never saw him, a single moment, when 
 he was jealous of another man's success; but it always rejoiced his 
 heart to see a brother minister succeed. He believed that it was a 
 sure test of a man's sincerity and religion to be able to rejoice at 
 the prosperity of the Lord's work in the hands of another. He so 
 frequently said: "If the Presbyterians have a good meeting, the 
 Baptists will attend, take a back seat, look on, and reply, 'The thing 
 is too stiff, formal, and cold. The people are not being converted 
 — merely joining the church.' The Presbyterians attend a meeting 
 conducted by the Methodists, and you ask them if the Methodists 
 haven't a big meeting going on ; they answer, 'Well, they are mak- 
 ing a. great deal of fuss around there — it's all excitement, however, 
 and soon will blow over — very little in it; however, they've got: 
 
70 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 quite a stir among them/ Then the Methodists would attend a re- 
 vival at the Baptist church, go late and take no part, and, when the 
 people were converted, you ask a Methodist if the Baptists weren't 
 having a big meeting, and he would reply, 'Well, it's mostly water 
 — just talking water, water.' So you see," he would say, "it takes 
 a lot of religion for a fellow to shout at another preacher's meeting." 
 His soul was so free from such petty jealousy that he couldn't under- 
 stand it in other people. However, he never bore any ill will to- 
 wards those that were envious and jealous of him, but was always 
 willing to befriend them and help them in any way. 
 
 Mr. Jones completed the course of study and was admitted into 
 full connection, and elected a deacon in December, 1874, at the an- 
 nual conference, which met at our town, Cartersville. Bishop M. 
 Wightman ordained him to this office. 
 
 The first three years in the ministry spent on the Van Wert cir- 
 cuit were among the most successful years of his life. While they 
 did not afford the larger opportunities of later years, nevertheless, 
 the work accomplished there was marvelous in its scope. They 
 were, indeed, strenuous years, as he preached almost constantly, 
 and must have delivered on an average of four hundred sermons a 
 year. They were gracious years, in that he saw wonderful revivals, 
 great increase in church membership, and the family altar erected 
 in the homes of many of his leading members. Perhaps, the aggre- 
 gate increase of membership on the circuit was not less than two 
 hundred accessions each year, making in all five or six hundred 
 people who joined the churches on his first circuit. The friendship 
 formed and the mutual love of the pastor and people became strong- 
 er as the years went by, and some of his warmest and staunchest 
 friends are those who survive him on that circuit. The devotion 
 of the people to their pastor was something remarkable, and Mr. 
 Jones's great interest and love for them increased year by year. He 
 was of such a genial and social nature that he made friends wherever 
 he went, and it seemed to me that this people loved him with a de- 
 votion as I have never known other men to be loved. These were 
 three years of work and happiness and blessings in our own lives. 
 He not only blessed others, but in turn we received great personal 
 
Sam P. Jones. 71 
 
 blessings ourselves. It was during the first year on the Van Wert 
 circuit, that I, without even a solicitation from my husband, made up 
 my mind to go into his church with him, I having been a member 
 of the Baptist church, This was a glad surprise for him, but I 
 have always felt that it was a source of strength. Some of the 
 happiest days of my life were spent with those noble people, and 
 the memory of them will ever be sweet. 
 
 i 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Other Pastorates and Revivals. 
 
 From the Van Wert circuit Mr. Jones was moved to the DeSoto 
 circuit in Floyd county. There were nine churches on this work. 
 While Mr. Jones had preached in a straightforward way on his pre- 
 vious circuit, it was on the DeSoto mission that he began to preach 
 his convictions with all the strength of his mind and heart. In 
 speaking of the change, he said: "There is difference between 
 preaching the truth and applying it to the hearers. A dissertation 
 on mustard, where it grows, how it grows, and how it is prepared 
 ior market is one thing, but that one thing does not help the colic. 
 It is when you spread the mustard on a thin cloth and apply it to 
 the stomach that the aches and pains of the agonizing patient are re- 
 lieved. Abstract truth has influenced the mind to some extent, but 
 it's the consecrated truth vigorously applied to the conscience that 
 arouses the mind and produces the conviction which brings re- 
 sults." On this circuit by the aid of the Holy Spirit he sought as 
 never before to get the truths applied to the consciences of his hear- 
 ers. As he said, "The more conscience that I awake, the more peo- 
 ple will be converted; as you know it is the shoemaker who gives 
 the best fit that has the most customers." He believed then that 
 the people knew better than they did. He did not try to point out 
 new paths of truth, but sought to inspire them to walk in the old 
 ones. From that day his preaching was directed at the conscience. 
 Soon his official board and church members were greatly agitated 
 as to what the final outcome would be, but he continued his sermons 
 at their sins, saying: "The consciences of men form a vast plane 
 without an undulation from shore to shore, and he who preaches on 
 a level like this will move, not only the common people, but the edu- 
 cated and intellectual alike. The conscience of Daniel Webster is 
 
 (72) 
 
, 
 
 ...-\,,-:- '. - .. ■ 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 73- 
 
 on the same plane with the conscience of a farmer." This direct, 
 pointed preaching soon resulted in the conversions of hundreds of 
 people, and the quickening of every church on his circuit. While 
 the official boards cried out against the change, however, admitting" 
 that he was right, still they argued that he had a wife and children 
 that must be supported, and that the people would not pay their as- 
 sessments if he did not change his way of preaching. He replied 
 that he could not, and would not stifle his conviction for any finan- 
 cial consideration, or prospect for future promotion, but that he 
 would preach the truth as he believed it, if the whole world turned 
 against him. I remonstrated with him, telling him that he could be 
 successful to a marked degree without such pointed preaching, and 
 furthermore, I said, "Husband, we have to live by the ministry, and 
 the people will not support you if you continue to preach as you do." 
 He turned to me with a loving smile, and said : "Well, wife, if they 
 do not pay us, and we starve to death, we will never tell them what. 
 killed us, but will just say that we died with typhoid fever." 
 
 A year afterward at a district conference, Mr. Jones referred ta 
 the experiences of this time. It was while going through this great 
 change that he was in the crucible in which he was tested. The 
 refining fire had burned away all the self and had left the "vessels 
 meet for the Master's use." Standing up before the conference^ 
 when his circuit was called, in its order, for reports from the pastor, 
 he told how he had gone to this charge where drinking, gambling 
 and profanity were holding high carnival, and how indifferent, cold 
 and sinful his members were, and that there was no interest mani- 
 fested in religion, and that they wanted "women and children's re- 
 ligion," and the male members would support him if he would just 
 let them alone, but he saw that his conviction of duty would not per- 
 mit him to yield to them, he said : "I preached against the sins of 
 those people as I knew them to exist. I warned them of the dangers 
 as I saw the dangers ; I called many sins by their right names, and 
 told them they were guilty of those sins. With all my ransomed pow- 
 ers I denounced their unholy living. But it seemed, brethren, that the 
 combined powers of darkness had conspired to overthrow me. For 
 weeks I preached, talked and exhorted, without a sign of hope. At 
 
74 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 last, they began to desert me and refuse to support me. Finally, it 
 came to the point of almost hunger in my home. One man, alone, 
 stood by me. He was poor, but he was, and is, a hero. Going home 
 one evening from my work, my wife said: 'Well, Sam, it seems 
 like these people want to starve us out.' Brethren, it was surrender 
 or starve, it semed to me. I walked out into the darkness. I went 
 to the stable. My faithful old horse whinnied a welcome, and I went 
 in, and, in that stable, I fell on my face before God and prayed for 
 for light, for help, for direction. The answer came, 'Go forward !' 
 I did. I went to my next appointment and announced protracted 
 services. Single-handed, and alone, I went into my work, led by 
 the Spirit, I assailed the strongholds of sin among my people ; I told 
 them of their lost estate, and begged them to return. From the first 
 service, the congregation grew larger. The unconverted and the 
 backslider came together, and soon they were seeking pardon to- 
 gether at the altar. The Holy Spirit was at work. One by one the 
 last were redeemed, and, finally, as with a great awakening light, 
 God's power came down. Old DeSoto circuit was ablaze of glory 
 throughout its bounds, and one hundred family altars were burning, 
 where not one burned before." Mr. Jones sat down. Some brother 
 started the grand old song, "How firm a foundation, Ye saints of 
 the Lord," which was taken up by the conference and sung amid the 
 shouts and hallelujahs of God's people. The business of the con- 
 ference was entirely side-tracked and a glorious wave of blessing 
 swept over the people. 
 
 After the great work on this circuit the people were willing to 
 attend upon all the services of the church, so he made a request of 
 them regarding the prayer-meeting. Said he : "I want you to 
 promise me to attend the Wednesday evening prayer services, and if 
 you don't come, to send me an excuse explaining why you were not 
 there, and I will visit you and bring a doctor and look after the pa- 
 tient." A great many of his most reliable members made the prom- 
 ise. Then it was that they had a pretty good joke on the pastor. 
 
 One night there was a fearful rain, and the wind was blowing 
 hard. Mr. Jones said : "I won't go to prayer-meeting to-night ; no 
 one will be at church this evening." We got comfortably seated 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 75 
 
 around the fireside, and were reading and talking, when there was a 
 knock at the door. Mr. Jones opened the door, and the porch was 
 crowded with people. "What in the world does this mean?" in- 
 quired Mr. Jones. They answered : "We have come to see what's 
 the matter with our pastor. We have been to prayer-meeting, and 
 as he didn't come, we brought a doctor to look after the patient." 
 Mr. Jones took the reproof good-naturedly, and the prayer-meeting 
 was conducted that night. 
 
 A letter that Mr. Jones wrote to the Southern Christian Advocate 
 from this circuit shows how deeply interested he was in all of the 
 work of the church : 
 
 "Mr. Editor: The Rome circuit has nine appointments, includ- 
 ing DeSoto mission. We began this year with three hundred mem- 
 bers, the circuit very much 'run down,' as the brethren expressed 
 it, and its history for the past ten years fully justifies the expression. 
 
 "In the early part of the year I tried to persuade every member of 
 the church to be punctual upon the attendance of worship, and every 
 head of a family to subscribe for the Southern Christian Advocate. 
 I succeeded well in my first proposition, but received only about 
 twenty-five subscribers to the Advocate (several were taking it). 
 I wish more of the Rome district would subscribe for the Advocate; 
 if so, the itinerant's pay would not be so slim. I never knew a Meth- 
 odist to take and read the Advocate who did not pay his quarterage 
 liberally. 
 
 "I encourage my brethren to work, labor in the church, at home, 
 in the vineyard of the Lord everywhere. The more I can get them 
 to do, the lighter my labors are. Moody never told a 'bigger' truth 
 than when he said, 'The successful preacher is he who can get the 
 most work out of his members.' 
 
 "We have had good Sunday-schools all the year, prayer-meetings, 
 class-meetings, etc. The first of August we began our protracted 
 meetings, and for ten weeks we have had glorious old-fashioned re- 
 vivals. Every church has been blessed, and our membership has 
 been increased to near five hundred. The work was genuine, and 
 manifests itself in every father praying in his family (not ten heads 
 of families excepted on the whole work), reading the Scriptures, 
 
76 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 .secret prayer, building new churches, ceiling, painting and putting 
 stoves in old ones, etc. 
 
 "Our missionary assessments, foreign and domestic, were paid 
 by the first of May, in full. Our conference collection will exceed 
 the assessment. The pastor and presiding elder will go to confer- 
 ence without any claims against DeSoto circuit. All seem to be 
 hopeful, buoyant and happy. 
 
 "In conclusion, I will say that much more good might have been 
 accomplished if we had fewer appointments. Nine churches for 
 one preacher; like forty acres for one mule and man, will necessarily 
 give the grass some chance to grow. 
 
 "May I live and die among a people who love Jesus, then will it 
 be well with me here. And may God give us all a home in heaven, 
 where 'no ox is ever muzzled' and where the weary are at rest." 
 
 At the close of the conference year of 1876, he was elected an 
 elder, and Bishop George F. Pierce ordained him. 
 
 It was on this circuit that he came in contact with that unique 
 preacher, Rev. Simon Peter Richardson, who was his presiding 
 elder. He was, at that time, the most powerful preacher, and at all 
 times the most entertaining man that Mr. Jones ever met. He 
 would throw out great nuggets of truth in pulpit and parlor that 
 were food to Mr. Jones. He saw the great truths of the Bible more 
 to Mr. Jones's idea than any man he ever heard preach. He was a 
 father, brother and teacher to him. He received more help from 
 him than all other preachers he ever came in contact with. It was 
 from him that Mr. Jones learned that the pulpit was not a prison, 
 but a throne ; that instead of bars and walls for the boundary lines 
 he might have wings and space as an inheritance. Mr. Jones said 
 that he remembered as well when his involuntary confinement ended, 
 and liberty began, as any fact in his history, and, afterwards, he en- 
 joyed the liberty, and never consulted the theological landmarks or 
 visited the orthodox prisons again. The two years on the DeSoto 
 circuit strengthened his conviction as to preaching, and he followed 
 his convictions from that day, and never deviated from them a hair's 
 breadth in after-years. We had some friends at that difficult time 
 of our lives who were a tower of strength to him, and I may say, a 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 77 
 
 wall of defense in a time of need. Mr. Jones never forgot them. 
 The preacher stationed at the First church in Rome, Rev. W. H. 
 LaPrade, and our presiding elder, Rev. Simon Peter Richardson, 
 just the man, through God, to lead and guide Mr. Jones, helping him 
 shape his future life by constantly encouraging him. 
 
 From this work he was moved to the Newberne circuit in Newton 
 county, Georgia. There he spent two very pleasant and successful 
 years. He was more successful in building up his churches, and in 
 converting the unsaved than any years of his pastoral life. This 
 circuit had four churches, and it was possible for him to devote more 
 time to them. One of the most striking incidents on that circuit 
 happened at a country place where the unconverted people wanted 
 preaching. It was somewhat of a fifth wheel to his circuit. He 
 found only four members there ; a gentleman and his daughter, and 
 a lady and her son, constituted the church. He began to inquire 
 who lived in that neighborhood, saying that he would have to have 
 a quorum before he. could get down to business. On Saturday be- 
 fore the fifth Sunday in March he went to the home of one of the 
 best farmers, who was a graduate of Emory College. His name 
 was Gaither. Finding that he was not a member of any church, he 
 said to him : "I haven't enough members in my little church to work 
 with, and I want you to join to-morrow. ,, Mr. Gaither replied, "I 
 can't join the church. I always said I never would until I got re- 
 ligion." Mr. Jones said, "Would you know religion if you were to 
 see it coming down the road" He laughed and said, "I suppose not. 
 I swear, and drink sometimes, and I am not going to join the 
 church and do like others have done." Mr. Jones said, "The very 
 fact that you swear and drink is the reason that I want you to join 
 the church ; you have sense and honor, and if you connect yourself 
 with the church, you will quit cussing and drinking." His wife was 
 a good, charitable woman, and read her Bible carefully and attended 
 upon service regularly. Mr. Jones turned to her and said, "I want 
 you to join the church with your husband." She replied, "I will 
 never join the church until I am converted." He had a hard time 
 with this man and his wife, and decided he had struck two of the 
 hardest cases he had ever encountered. He went to the church and 
 
78 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 preached, and at close of the sermon he opened the doors of the 
 church, and they walked up and joined, with eleven others. Mr. 
 Jones went back there on the fifth Sunday in July, to hold a three 
 days' meeting. We spent Saturday night at his home, and his wife 
 and I and little child drove to the church that night while Mr. Jones 
 and he walked over the field to the church. It was a beautiful night, 
 and the moon was shining brightly. One of the men who had joined 
 the church with Air. Gaither was his brother-in-law, Watt Griffin, 
 Mr. Jones turned to his host and said, speaking of this brother, 
 "How is old Watt?" He replied, "He is doing his whole duty." 
 Mr. Jones realizing that such a man would have to be constant in his 
 religious life to succeed, said, "He couldn't be religious if he didn't." 
 Whereupon Mr. Gaither remarked, "Can any man be religious who 
 doesn't do his whole duty?" Mr. Jones said, "Well, I suppose not." 
 Said Gaither, "I joined the church three months ago when you were 
 here, and I haven't got any more religion (pointing toward us) than 
 that old horse that is pulling our wives to the church. I haven't 
 sworn or drank any, but I haven't done my duty, and I am willing to 
 go to work if that will bring religion to me, so if you want me as 
 a Sunday-school superintendent, appoint me; if you want to make 
 a class-leader or a steward out of me, I will do my best. If you 
 want me to pray, call on me — " then suddenly he exclaimed, "Glory 
 to God, I've got it now, I've got it now !" and out there in the open 
 field, with his mind made up to serve God, the Lord graciously saved 
 him. He was always one of the most godly -and influential mem- 
 bers at that little church. 
 
 It was while on this circuit that he began to get invitiations ask- 
 ing him to assist pastors in their revival work. He visited a great 
 many of the small towns within the bounds of adjoining circuits, 
 where there were many great and glorious revivals. One of them 
 was at Thomson, Ga. His appearance in that town was so unlike 
 the ministry of any one else that it was refreshing to both saint and 
 sinner. The Honorable Tom Watson was a young lawyer in the 
 town, and in after years he wrote his impressions of Mr. Jones and 
 the revival. 
 
 "In the good year 1877, Sam Jones lit down in this veritable town 
 
Sam P. Jones. 79 
 
 of Thomson, and began to go for the devil and his angels in a man- 
 ner which was entirely new to said devil ; also new to said angels. 
 
 "Some one happened to remark in my hearing that there was a 
 little preacher up at the Methodist church who was knocking the 
 crockery around in a lively style, and who was dusting the jackets 
 of the amen corner brethren, in a way which brought the double 
 grunts out of those fuzzy fossils. 
 
 "I was not ravenously fond of sermons. When I have heard the 
 same commonplaces droned out in the same lifeless manner, it 
 requires politeness to keep down yawns and nods. I did not yawn 
 the day I went to hear Sam Jones. 
 
 "There he was, clad in a little black jump-tail coat, and looking 
 very little like the regulation preacher. He was not in the pulpit. 
 He was right next to his crowd, standing within the railings, and 
 almost in touch of the victims. His head was down, as if he was 
 holding on to his chain of thought by the teeth, but his right hand 
 was going energetically up and down, with all the grace of a pump- 
 handle. And, how he did hammer the brethren. How he did peel 
 the amen corner. How he did smash their solemn self-conceit, their 
 profound self-satisfaction, their peaceful compartnership with the 
 Almighty, their placid conviction that they were the trustees of the 
 New Jerusalem! After awhile, with solemn, irresistible force he 
 called on these brethren to rise in public, confess their shortcomings, 
 and kneel for Divine grace. 
 
 "And they knelt. With groans, and sobs, and tears, these old 
 bellwethers of the flock fell on their knees and cried aloud in their 
 distress? Then what? He turned his guns upon us sinners. He 
 raked us fore and aft. He gave us grape and canister and all the 
 rest. He abused us and ridiculed us ; he stormed at us and laughed 
 at us ; he called us flop-eared hounds, beer kegs, and whisky soaks. 
 He plainly said that we were all hypocrites and liars, and he inti- 
 mated, somewhat broadly, that most of us would steal. 
 
 "Oh, we had a time of it, I assure you. For six weeks the farms 
 and the stores were neglected, and Jones! Jones! Jones! was the 
 whole thing. 
 
 "And the pleasantest feature of the entire display of human nature 
 
80 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 was the marked manner in which the c amen-corner brethren' en- 
 joyed his flaying of us sinners. 
 
 "Well, the meeting wound up, the community settled back into its 
 old ways — but it has never been the same community since. Gam- 
 bling disappeared, loud profanity on the streets was heard no more, 
 and the barrooms were run out of the county." 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Early Evangelistic Work and Last Pastorate. 
 
 There were quite a number of towns with a population from one 
 thousand to twenty-five hundred where Mr. Jones held meetings 
 while on this circuit. He was at Madison, Crooked Creek, Central 
 and other points. Perhaps the greatest one was at Eatonton.^ The 
 pastor had been preaching faithfully against the saloons of the town, 
 which had almost resulted in a division of the church.. Mr. Jones 
 took up the fight, and one of the most marvelous results of the meet- 
 ing was the closing up of the barrooms of Eatonton without an elec- 
 tion. It was done with a petition to the county commissioners, large- 
 ly signed by the citizens of Putnam county, requesting that the li- 
 cense for saloons be raised to three thousand dollars. This the com- 
 missioners did and closed all the saloons, except one. At the end of 
 seven months the owner of this saloon proposed to close at the end 
 of the eighth month if the people would pay him the one thousand 
 dollars back that he had paid license for four months. The sub- 
 scription list was opened at once and the one thousand dollars would 
 have been raised in a half day, but the word that the saloon would 
 close if the money was restored reached the county commissioners, 
 who promptly notified the owner of the saloon that if he would sur- 
 render his license they would pay the one thousand dollars he had 
 paid. He surrendered his license, and the commissioners paid him 
 the money. The commissioners then announced that the license 
 would be raised to five thousand dollars, and if any one offered to 
 take out a license it would be raised to ten thousand dollars. In other 
 words, there was to be no more legal sales of liquor in Putnam 
 county. On the last day of the eighth month the saloon was closed. 
 All the bells of the churches were rung and the citizens gathered in 
 the court-house yard in a thanksgiving service, which, after song 
 
 4j (81) 
 
82 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 and prayer, addresses were made by Judge W. F. Jenkins, Rev. M. 
 J. Cofer, and several others. It was a memorable meeting, and "All 
 hail the power of Jesus' name" was never more heartily sung. Put- 
 nam county was thoroughly revolutionized. Since that day the 
 question of saloons has never been discussed, and without ever vot- 
 ing on the question, the county has been dry, and is without saloons 
 to-day. 
 
 From the Newberne circuit Mr. Jones was sent to the Monticello 
 circuit in Jasper county. Here he spent the most successful year of 
 his life as a pastor. The people of Monticello were among the no- 
 blest in Georgia. Mr. Jones spent his time in faithful pastoral work, 
 going from home to home, visiting and praying with his people. 
 Wherever he went, he carried sunshine and joy, and was a great 
 comfort in times of grief and sorrow. In the presence of sickness 
 and death there never was a more gentle, tender and affectionate 
 pastor. The way he would lift his heart to God in prayer for the 
 sorrowing and bereaved always brought a blessing and a benediction 
 to those in distress. He had gone through the deep waters himself, 
 and always suffered with those who had lost a dear one of the home. 
 After he had entered the evangelistic field, and had preached to the 
 thousands throughout the United States, he would return to his 
 home, and would take pleasure and delight in visiting the poor, 
 sick, and sorrowing of our town. There was scarcely a home 
 where sorrow had come but what he went, not as the world's great 
 evangelist, but as an humble, prayerful minister of God, to spend a 
 few hours with those whose sorrows he shared. He seemed to be 
 hungry for the blessings and benedictions he would derive from 
 these visits. There was something in them that he didn't find in ad- 
 dressing the great multitudes in his meetings. 
 
 In connection with his pastoral visits, he always thought of the 
 Saviour's words : "I was an hungered, and ye fed me ; I was naked 
 and ye clothed me ; I was sick and ye visited me ; inasmuch as ye 
 did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it 
 unto me," and then he would say to me, "That's enough." 
 
 Mr. Jones said that when he began to preach that he was brought 
 to see that to succeed as a preacher, he must either be a great think- 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 83 
 
 er, or a great worker. Not appreciating his real ability as a thinker, 
 he decided to give some time to earnest work. He had his doubts 
 whether he could think above the plane where the masses stood, but 
 he knew that under God he could mix and mingle with them, and by 
 persistent work, influence them for good. 
 
 During the years of his pastorate, for weeks and weeks he would 
 preach three and four times a day, averaging about four hundred 
 sermons a year. His good friends would tell him that he was work- 
 ing himself to death, but he would laugh them off by saying that 
 Whitfield said that when a physician told him he must stop working 
 so much, that he must not preach more than four hours every day, 
 and six hours on Sunday, that he said, "Doctor, do you want me to 
 rust to death ?" No pastor ever did the same amount of preaching 
 and visiting that he crowded into the eight years of pastoral work. 
 He would remark to them, "Perhaps I would preach better sermons 
 if I would preach fewer, but a square or an oblong bullet will do as 
 much execution as a polished round one." 
 
 It is estimated that during his pastorates there were at least five 
 thousand people converted. All of his meetings were successful, and 
 the converts could be counted from fifty to five hundred at each 
 place. While this looked like it might be enough to make a pastor 
 proud of his success, Mr. Jones always felt, with the opportunities 
 and modern appliances of the day, that a greater number of souls 
 should have been won to Christ. 
 
 While he made a constant study of his people, and the Bible, he 
 did not waste much time in studying the systematized treatises on 
 theology. He so frequently said : "I despise theology and botany, 
 but I love religion and flowers." Nor did he waste much time on 
 creeds. He would say : "It is the skin of the truth, dried and stuffed 
 with sand and sawdust. If I had a creed, I would sell it to a mu- 
 seum." Nor did he claim to be a metaphysician, but he would say, 
 "1 can see a hole through a ladder, if there is any light on the other 
 side." 
 
 Perhaps Mr. Jones was more interested in the study of the natu- 
 ral sciences than any other branch of investigation. He was thor- 
 oughly familiar with those subjects, and some of his most striking 
 
84 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 illustrations were within the realm of natural science. He was a 
 great lover and reader of natural history, especially that part which 
 treats of the habits of animals, and what they feed upon. The 
 knowledge that he derived from the study of natural history fre- 
 quently helped him in understanding human nature. He was also 
 a great student of the history of our country, and many of his most 
 notable illustrations were culled from the history of the world. 
 Men of prominence in the educational world would listen with won- 
 der and amazement at many of the forceful illustrations gathered 
 from history, and would exclaim, "Wonder when he read that, and 
 where he found it?" With the great knowledge at his command. 
 he would go before an audience, selecting the most appropriate text 
 for the occasion, and concentrate his mind upon it, bringing before 
 them all available and suitable knowledge, ever keeping his eye upon 
 his congregation. While no man ever preached with more concen- 
 tration and conciseness, sometimes he would realize that there was 
 a possibility of his crowd not following him closely, then he would 
 leave his thread of argument, and stay with his crowd. This fre- 
 quently led him to say, "I may not always stick to my text, but I'll 
 stick to my crowd." The story told him by brother Richardson illus- 
 trated the point rather forcefully. "There is nothing like holding the 
 gun all over the tree," he would say. "As with the old, palsied father 
 who went out with his son squirrel hunting, the old man's part was 
 to shake the bush, and he had but to take hold of the bush and it 
 would shake without any effort. Oh one occasion when he was to 
 shake the bush and turn the squirrel, after he had turned the squir- 
 rel for four or five different shots for his son, all of which failed of 
 their mark, the old man said : 'Give me the gun, and you shake the 
 bush.' The boy gave up the gun and shook the bush and turned the 
 squirrel. The old man held up the gun in his palsied hands, and as 
 it 'wobbled' all over the tree, 'bang' went the gun and down came 
 the game, at which the old man remarked joyfully, 'I told you I'd 
 git him.' The boy replied, 'Anybody could kill a squirrel up a tree 
 who would hold a gun all over it, as you did.' " 
 
 The great truths of the Bible such as sin, repentance, faith, salva- 
 tion, heaven and hell were preached by him as no sectarian, theolo- 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 85 
 
 gian or metaphysician has ever done. He preached those great 
 truths with' a clearness of mind and an unction of heart that has no 
 parallel in history. He never tried to show his congregation the dif- 
 ference between evangelical and legal repentance ; he never dis- 
 cussed before them whether depravity was partial or total. He 
 never tried to prove to them that there is a God, or that Christ is 
 divine, or that there is a heaven or a hell. He took those great truths 
 as a fact, because the Bible stated them, and started his message 
 with those things in the background. The Bible was the basis for 
 all that he preached, and the inspiration of all his hopes. He left the 
 proof of these things to those who wished to speculate upon them. 
 His idea was that Christ meant just what he said, and he preached 
 the gospel instead of defending it, proclaimed the word instead of 
 trying to prove it. He never changed his belief about these truths, 
 and preached them as firmly and powerfully the last meeting he con- 
 ducted as in his early pastorate. 
 
 While on the Monticello work, Mr. Jones assisted more pastors 
 in revival work than he had been able to do before. Some of the 
 places visited were Barnesville, LaGrange, Griffin, and West Point. 
 
 At Barnesville there was something near one hundred persons 
 that were received into the church, while the entire church seemed 
 to have made a reconsecration and received a fresh baptism of the 
 Spirit. From the streets that had been so noted for profanity, pro- 
 faneness disappeared entirely. Two of the saloons closed their 
 business, and their proprietors were among the converts. A deep 
 feeling of solemnity rested upon every one, and the town was not 
 the same. 
 
 At LaGrange another mighty work of grace followed his preach- 
 ing. An intelligent observer said: "It is difficult to criticise Mr. 
 Jones's preaching. It is different from that of any other man the 
 writer ever heard. His methods are unprecedented, but always suc- 
 cessful ; his understanding of the human heart, and his analysis of 
 human motives and conduct are marvelous. His faith in God un- 
 bounded, and his zeal never flags. His illustrations are without 
 number. They are always sharply drawn, clear, and cutting. He 
 uses satire the keenest, and brings the audience to involuntary 
 
86 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 laughter, then startles them with a declaration of astounding truth 
 from God's words, then makes an appeal so touching that tears rush 
 unbidden to the eyes. He is, withal, a plain, honest preacher with 
 but one motive — an all-consuming desire to save souls for his Mas- 
 ter. The State of Georgia, with all its renowned ministers, does 
 not present a more attractive preacher than he, not one that can draw 
 a larger congregation, or interest them more after they are gathered. 
 He and his preaching are the principal subjects of conversation in 
 LaGrange." 
 
 At West Point there was a great revival, which resulted in many 
 accessions to the different churches in the town. There was a moral 
 reformation wrought that changed the aspects of the place. When 
 Mr. Jones went there, the people were so dead, religiously, that the 
 attendance was quite small. It was a morning service in a week- 
 day. It seemed the most hopeless outlook for a meeting. There 
 were but four people to hear him preach his first sermon. After his 
 sermon he said, "Now, I want us to have an altar service." M.r. 
 Jones and the pastor and two noble women knelt for prayer. After 
 they had reconsecrated themselves to God, Mr. Jones said : "I want 
 the pastor to go with me to every business house in this town, and 
 we will say to the men as we meet them, just one thing, and that is, 
 'You are going to hell/ and then we will move on. I want you good 
 women to go all over this town, ring the door bell, and when the 
 women meet you, just look them squarely in the face and don't say 
 but one thing, and that is, 'You are going to hell.' " They made 
 him the promise, and that afternoon practically every woman in the 
 town was so addressed, while Mr. Jones and the pastor met men 
 and warned them in that startling way. Some of the women 
 slammed the doors in the faces of the two good women, while others 
 had their curiosity aroused. The men got very angry, and it was 
 with much difficulty and shrewd reasoning that fights were avoided. 
 That night the whole town was out to church, and Mr. Jones 
 preached one of his most scathing sermons. A great revival broke 
 out which swept over the entire place, until finally the men who were 
 notoriously opposed to religion were in constant attendance upon 
 the services. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 87 
 
 At the morning hours the stores were closed, and the church was 
 always crowded. A writer declared that he was as striking and im- 
 pressive in his speaking as Talmage ; that he created sensation with- 
 out making sensation his end. He preaches the truth unvarnished, 
 straight, and strong, and in such a way as to captivate the common 
 sense of his hearers and go direct to their hearts. His denunciations 
 of sin are withering, and yet truthful. His illustrations cut some- 
 times like a knife. He draws pictures as clear-cut as a fine cameo, and 
 he has a pathos powerful at times enough to melt the hearts of his 
 hearers. The Rev. S. P. Calloway, in speaking to me, said : "He 
 is a phenomenal man. I never saw such a king of congregations." 
 
 In all those early meetings the lines were drawn. Mr. Jones 
 worked on the principle that there could be no movement without 
 friction ; no battle without an issue ; no issue without the drawing 
 of lines. He believed that it was possible for a man to preach the 
 gospel and live in peace with the devil with an armstice unbroken, 
 but said : "Woe be to the preacher when all men speak well of him." 
 In all those years as a pastor he was the object of a great deal of 
 criticism. If truth furnished the people with no material with which 
 they could assault him, there was no falsehood that the wicked could 
 conceive that they would not take and circulate against him. 
 
 The most remarkable conversion under the ministry of Mr. Jones 
 at Monticello was that of Maj. Jno. C. Key. Mr. Jones in speaking 
 of him said: "I think he is the grandest hero living for God in 
 America to-day. He is a lawyer with a splendid practice, and a 
 thorough gentleman. I was conducting a meeting in his town, and 
 on Sunday morning, the anniversary of his birth, and I think the 
 anniversary of his marriage as well, he called to his wife after 
 breakfast and had her to come and sit down by his side. She was 
 the sweetest Christian woman, and the best housekeeper, I ever saw 
 in my life. He called her 'Mary and Martha,' and she was 
 both. He said to her that Sunday morning, 'Wife, I am fifty years 
 old to-day; we have been married exactly thirty years; you have 
 been a Christian woman ever since we were married, and before 
 mat, too. I have never cared for these things, but I wish to say I 
 am going with you to church, and ask the preacher when he finishes 
 
88 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 the sermon to open the doors, and then I am going up to the altar 
 and join the church, and spend the rest of my days with you in the 
 Christian life/ With great joy she said, 'Husband, are you?' and 
 he answered, 'That's what I am going to do.' 'Oh/ she exclaimed, 
 'how I rejoice!' He went to the church with his wife, and sat by 
 her side during the service, and when the sermon had ended he 
 arose and said: 'Will the pastor please open the doors of the 
 church ?' The doors were thrown open and that man walked up 
 and joined. He turned to the congregation and said: 'Fellow 
 townsmen and neighbors, you all know me ; I have lived among you 
 from childhood. I am fifty years old to-day. I have been married 
 thirty years. I have a good Christian wife, but I have not been a 
 Christian. I said to her this morning, "Wife, I am fifty years old 
 to-day. We have been married these thirty years ; during all that 
 time you have been a devoted Christian woman, but I have never 
 cared about anything of the kind. Now, wife, I am going to join 
 the church where you have been so many years." Brethren, I do 
 not claim to have any religion, but I promise you this, there shall 
 not be a man in this church who shall beat me living right, or beat 
 me serving God, unless he has more sense than I have.' His state- 
 ment moved the audience to sympathetic tears, and there were many 
 hearty handshakes and shouts of God's people. As I was away 
 from my circuit a great deal the latter part of the year, frequently 
 it was impossible for me to return and fill my appointment on Sun- 
 day. I would write him, 'Dear Brother Key : I can not return ; will 
 you preach for me Sunday ?' and I always received this reply : 'Dear 
 Brother Jones : I can not preach much, but I will do the best I can. 
 You go on bringing souls to God.' He taught in the Sabbath- 
 school, and did everything which a true Christian man could do. He 
 was one of the finest Christian men that lived on the face of the 
 earth, and a few years ago he died a triumphant death and went 
 home happy." 
 
 Monticello and Jasper county were noted for their wickedness. 
 The people were intelligent, well to do, worldly and wicked. There 
 were seven hundred converted and joined the churches while Mr. 
 Jones was there, and a revival was carried on^by the converts which 
 
REV. SIMON PETER RICHARDSON, 
 His unique and faithful Presiding Elder. 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 89 
 
 revolutionized the county. The saloons were soon voted out. The 
 influence extended to adjoining counties, and the work abides to- 
 day, and there are no more religious and spiritual people to be found 
 anywhere, after a quarter of a century. 
 
 Another convert was Mr. Webb, who was a liquor dealer. 
 His little boy had become a Christian, and he and his wife were 
 greatly convicted and happily converted, at the same time, in their 
 "home. He went with Mr. Jones to his different appointments, and 
 did much to drive liquor from the town and county. He is to-day 
 a most earnest and godly Christian. 
 
 The work on the Monticello circuit closed his labors as a pastor. 
 The latter part of the year his presiding elder had given him per- 
 mission to spend some of his time in assisting other pastors in re- 
 vival work. His success while on the Monticello circuit and the 
 great revivals that he conducted gave him prestige at the coming 
 annual conference, and he was appointed to the agency of the North 
 Georgia Orphanage. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Orphans' Home and kevivai, Work. 
 
 In the previous chapter we have seen how the calls for evangelis- 
 tic work multiplied while he was serving the Newberne and Monti- 
 cello circuits. At the last place his presiding elder and the quarterly 
 conference decided that the calls from other brethren were so urgent 
 that he might spend some of his time in assisting them. Mr. Jones 
 had realized that he was giving almost half of his time to outside 
 work, and at the close of the conference his presiding elder recom- 
 mended that he be appointed to the agency, believing that he was 
 the only man that could raise the money to cover the indebtedness 
 of the Orphanage, and thereby enable him to do more revival work: 
 
 The Home was overwhelmingly in debt. It could hardly have 
 been sold for enough money to have cancelled the indebtedness. 
 Vincent R. Tourney, Judge Meriwether, and others, could not go 
 further with the debt and interest. They saw the rapidly increas- 
 ing popularity of Mr. Jones, and felt that as agent he should care 
 for the orphans and raise the debt, and have a wider sphere for his 
 talent as an evangelist. 
 
 In December of 1880, at the conference held at Rome, presided 
 over by Bishop McTyeire, Mr. Jones was made agent of the Or- 
 phans' Home. In view of his desire to devote more time to the work 
 of an evangelist, he received the appointment gratefully, believing 
 that it would give him larger opportunity to do revival work. The 
 demand for such service was so urgent, that he felt that the Spirit 
 was leading him in that direction, so this seemed to be a providential 
 opening. Instead of the Orphanage being in debt eight or ten 
 thousand dollars, as many supposed, he found by the time old notes 
 and debts were paid that the amount was nearly twice this amount. 
 In canvassing for money he found people were not very anxious 
 
 (90) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 91 
 
 to pay old debts, but his remarkable ability in raising funds over- 
 came the objections, and everywhere he went money came in by 
 basketfuls. Some of the collections were marvelous. He paid of! 
 all the debts and raised money to erect the handsome main building, 
 now known as the "Sam Jones Building." 
 
 In writing to the Christian Advocate, he gave an account of where 
 he had been, and what he had done, covering a period of several 
 months. In the letter he says : 
 
 "The eyes of the world are upon an agent, and their ears are not 
 open to his cries. Some respect him, some pity him, some despise 
 him, while on the other hand, an agent respects the generous, pities 
 the poor and despises the miser, so he strikes his balance-sheet, and 
 moves on. 
 
 "I began Friday night, sixteenth of December, at the old, but 
 trusty town of Lexington ; a fair congregation and twenty-five dol- 
 lars cheerfully given to the Orphans' Home. Thence to Winter- 
 ville, a good congregation and twenty-three dollars. I wonder if 
 that town will ever be as large as the great heart of Bro. John Win- 
 ter ? I spent a pleasant night with him ; left him Sunday morning, 
 thinking more of my race. Thank God for every oasis in an agent's 
 Sahara. Thence to Athens, a city made a hundred times larger than 
 its corporate limits by its noble men and their noble deeds. They 
 gave me cheerfully more than two hundred dollars, and kindly said, 
 ( Conu again.' Thence to Thomson, Christmas Sunday. I could 
 say much for this people — noble, kind, generous. A bad day, fair 
 congregation and one hundred dollars for my cause. Three p.m. at 
 Harlem; good congregation, twelve dollars contributed. The month 
 of December gave me nearly four hundred dollars. 
 
 "First Sunday in January I was at eleven a.m. at Pain's Chapel, 
 Atlanta. A good house, kind people. 'A man may take a neigh- 
 bor's part, yet have no cash to spare him.' Collection, thirty- three 
 dollars and sixty-five cents. Sixth church three p.m. ; the youngest 
 of the Atlanta churches, but grand in Christliness ; they gave me 
 fifty-one dollars and twenty-six cents. St. Paul church at night; 
 this church is noted for its heroic struggles against wind and tide, 
 and its patient continence in well doing. They gave me thirty-seven 
 
92 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 dollars. If, wherever there was a will there was a way, I would 
 have gotten one thousand there. At Oothcaloga, Calhoun circuit, 
 second Sunday, eleven a.m. ; they came through cold and mud and 
 gave me twenty-three dollars. I said, 'Thank you,' and left, feeling 
 good. At Adairsville, three p.m., I got one hundred dollars, minus, 
 ninety-four dollars and forty-five cents. Thence to Calhoun at 
 night ; I had a fine congregation, got twenty-two dollars and came 
 away wondering that I did not get more. Third Sunday I was 
 rained out. Fourth Sunday, Rome, Dr. Potter — how I love him, 
 how I prize his counsel, how his words impress me. (How that 
 turkey dinner depressed me. ) His church loves, reverences and ad- 
 mires (and I trust will obey) him. I have been nowhere and found 
 the people and preacher so universally pleased with each other. I 
 got over one hundred dollars there, mud or no mud, January gave 
 me about three hundred dollars. 
 
 "February, still in the mud ; can't say of my own knowledge that 
 the sun has risen but one time since Christmas, but through the mud 
 I will go until I am up to my chin. First Sunday, eleven a. m., at 
 Jackson's Chapel, Cave Spring circuit, seventeen dollars for the Or- 
 phan's Home; night at Cave Spring, good congregation, thirty- 
 nine dollars. Edgewood next, second Sunday, was pleased with that: 
 congregation ; they listened scripturally, and gave tolerably — twen- 
 ty-seven dollars there. At night I was with Brother Christian at 
 Evans' Chapel ; they are a religious people — kind, hospitable ; they 
 gave me sixty-three dollars. Third Sunday, Dalton, a fine member- 
 ship, a strong church ; they have a fine pastor, a good preacher ; he 
 is self-poised, successful. I got seventy dollars there. I would 
 have trebled that amount there but some of the good brethren were 
 prejudiced; they did not know that our institution had repented, 
 been converted, and was now a child of God, and on its way to* 
 heaven. We will outlive their prejudices. Fourth Sunday at Ma- 
 rietta; it was a benediction to be with those people; Brother Seals; 
 has his church in full sympathy with him in his labors of love, and 
 works of faith. You may soon chronicle one of the greatest re- 
 vivals, Marietta the place, Brother Seals the instrument. They 
 gave me one hundred and twenty dollars. Add to the above 
 
. Sam P. Jones. 93 
 
 amounts private donations and I have more than one thousand dol- 
 lars as the result of my first three months this year, in spite of rain 
 and mud, gloom and despondency. 
 
 "Now, Mr. Editor, we are taking all orphan children we can find 
 or hear of, placing them in good homes. We are paying for our 
 home, because we must have a place to which they must come, and 
 a place from which they go. We are now a success, and nothing 
 succeeds like success. 
 
 "Yours, 
 
 "S. P. Jones, Agent." 
 
 "P. S. — Please let me return thanks to the generous public and 
 the pastors who have universally been a help to me in my labors. 
 God bless them all, preachers and people. S. P. J." 
 
 In the year 1882, while engaged in raising money for the Or- 
 phanage, he conducted a great many meetings throughout Georgia. 
 Some of the greatest revivals ever held in the State were conducted 
 by him at this time. He preached in most of the leading pulpits of 
 Georgia. His fame soon covered the entire State. All of these 
 meetings were eminently successful, and hundreds of converts were 
 made wherever he labored. 
 
 At Newnan, Ga., he held a meeting and raised a good sum for the 
 Orphanage. The Newnan court was in session, and adjourned to 
 hear him preach. The result was the conversion of two members of 
 the grand jury, who had been unbelievers, and the meeting closed 
 with members of the grand jury shouting. 
 
 At Athens, Ga., he preached in the First Methodist church to an 
 audience that filled the first floor and the gallery. At the close of 
 this meeting he raised a collection of nearly four hundred dollars 
 for his Orphans' Home. 
 
 At Eatonton, in May, he visited the town again in the interest of 
 the Orphanage. The Messenger says: "He is of the people; they 
 like him, and he knows how to reach and touch their hearts. When 
 he visits the community he never fails to leave the religious atmos- 
 phere in a healthier condition. He is an honor to his State and 
 church, and thousands live to bless the day when they met and 
 
94 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 listened to his searching appeals in the great meeting he held here." 
 He received in money and first-class subscriptions for the Orphans' 
 Home about three hundred dollars. 
 
 He spoke in Atlanta in the interest of the Home to a crowded 
 house in the First Methodist church. A paper said: "Mr. Jones 
 rose and made a most pathetic appeal ; spoke of the good the home 
 had done, and was doing ; of the debt that had been carried, but was 
 gradually being paid; of the success he had met with in different 
 parts of the State, and the scenes of sadness and desolation he had 
 visited — mothers that had worked and labored for their little ones 
 and were ready to faint by the way, because bread could not be put 
 into their mouths, and how one had said to him that surely God 
 had sent him to her, in her sore distress, and had given her little 
 ones up — torn her heartstrings to part with those little ones — 
 rather than to see them starve, and blessed God that there was an 
 Orphans' Home. He said that last year his wife said to him : "Mr. 
 Jones, I don't want you to take that appointment again," but after 
 the good she saw had been done in the past year, her parting word 
 to him had been : "You run the Orphan Home in Decatur, and I will 
 run your orphan home here in Carters ville." Furthermore, he said : 
 "Friends, when I came from home, wife said to me: 'Come back 
 to-night so you may see our children when they open their stock- 
 ings in the morning.' When I am awakened, before day on Christ- 
 mas morning and see the expressions of delight on my little chil- 
 dren's faces, hear them blowing their horns and beating their 
 drums, I shall look at them and think: 'Will we all be here next 
 Christmas, or will they be orphans?' How many in my presence 
 can tell whether one or more may be missed before Christmas comes 
 around ; or, sadder still, how many may during this year lay to rest 
 some dear little one whose prattle made their hearts glad last year?" 
 There was not a dry eye in the house, and strong men bowed their 
 heads and were not ashamed of the tears that did honor to their 
 manhood. 
 
 When Mr. Jones had concluded his remarks, the treasurer arose 
 and stated that a few years ago the debt of the Home far exceeded 
 the value of the place, and its influence had been crippled much by 
 
Sam P. Jones. 95 
 
 this embarrassment, but to say that our property, which was val- 
 ued at ten thousand dollars, has only a debt of three thousand eight 
 hundred due on it shows a brighter day coming for us. The people 
 are helping us, and God's blessing is with us. If you could see those 
 children as I have seen them, join with them in their little games, 
 eat at the table with them, be with the boys while they work in 
 the field ; if you could see them thus, you would all contribute liber- 
 ally to their support. Mr. Jones then proceeded to take a collection, 
 and the congregation responded very liberally. A stranger gave a 
 check on the New York Exchange National Bank for one hundred 
 dollars. As a result of the collection one thousand dollars was 
 raised. 
 
 The Atlanta Constitution says: "We have never commended a 
 more admirable charity than the Orphans' Home. The care of help- 
 less little children, the providing of a home for homeless babies — the 
 reclaiming of waifs from the streets, from wretchedness and want, 
 or worse — appeals strongly to the sympathy of all fathers and 
 mothers. When this work is done without endowment, by heroic 
 appeals to the public, and faith in human nature, and economy and 
 efficiency, we fail to see how any man or woman can refuse it their 
 aid. The Orphans' Home stand's on its record. It has provided 
 shelter, a home, food, clothing and schooling to thirty-six orphan 
 children at a total cost of less than twelve hundred dollars, or less 
 than thirty dollars per annum to the child. This is marvelous in its 
 cheapness, and yet the happy faces of the children, their plump fig- 
 ures and rosy cheeks, show that they have had abundance. The 
 secret of the thing is in the fine management of the farm on which 
 the Home is located — of the poultry-yard, garden, dairy and barn- 
 yard, and in putting the children at work on the farm and in the 
 house. 
 
 "Mr. Jones, the agent of the Home, appeals to the public for five 
 thousand dollars with which to build an additional house in which 
 to put other children who are now applying for admission. The 
 managers are able to feed all the children who apply, but they 
 have no room for them. With five thousand dollars he agreed to 
 build a new house that will accommodate from fifty to eighty more 
 
96 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 children, and to begin the work when two thousand five hundred 
 dollars is subscribed. This amount ought to be subscribed without 
 a day's delay, and we believe our people will subscribe it when they 
 are called" upon." 
 
 In this chapter it is impossible to give detailed accounts of the 
 great revivals that Mr. Jones held during the first four years as 
 agent. Most of the meetings were held in Georgia, while some of 
 his great revivals were in adjoining States. He visited Louisville, 
 Ky., and assisted Dr. J. G. Morris in a wonderful meeting at the 
 Walnut Street Methodist church. Dr. Morris, in speaking of the 
 meeting, said : "From his first appearance he became identified with 
 the religious life of that rare congregation, and was enshrined in 
 their truest, tenderest Christian affection. My own heart knitted to 
 him, and to the sad day of his departure from among us I recognized 
 him to be the friend of God, and of his fellow men." 
 
 He held great meetings in Atlanta at the First church, with Gen- 
 eral Evans as pastor. The second was with Rev. Howell H. Parks. 
 Trinity church, that city, was also a field where he worked re- 
 peatedly during the pastorate of Dr. T. R. Kendall. Many promi- 
 nent members of those two great churches were either converted or 
 led to a deeper consecration during his ministry at that time. With 
 Rev. J. O. A. Cook as pastor of the St. Luke's church, Columbus, 
 Ga., he had a glorious meeting. For nearly a month great crowds 
 gathered at this church, and many were brought to the Saviour. In 
 Augusta, Ga., at the St. John's church, during the pastorates of 
 Rev. W. H. LaPrade and Rev. Warren A. Candler, now bishop, the 
 work was greatly honored of the Lord. In Savannah, Ga., there 
 were also great meetings held in the Trinity and the Monumental 
 Methodist churches. He visited Macon, Ga., and assisted Dr. Jos. 
 S. Key, now bishop, in a great work. His preaching made a pro- 
 found impression upon the people and the pastor, and in after-years 
 Bishop Key said : "He staid with me near a month in my home. I 
 came to know him thoroughly, and my opinion of him and my esti- 
 mate never changed, except that he grew greater and broader and 
 sweeter in his spirit and manner. His first sermon in that meeting 
 arrested attention and drew a crowd to hear him. I have told him 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 97 
 
 many years later that, like a mockingbird, his first song was as good 
 as his last." 
 
 Dr. A. J. Lamar tells how Mr. Jones's meeting broke up the one 
 that he was holding in the Baptist church. His meeting had started 
 off remarkably well, but for some unaccountable reason to Dr. La- 
 mar, the audience fell off Monday night to half ; on Tuesday to one- 
 fourth, and on Wednesday he had only a few of his deacons, and 
 the great congregation was gone. He was dumbfounded. He 
 turned to the deacons and said : "What has happened to this meet- 
 ing?" They looked at him with a quizzical look and said : "Did you 
 not know Sam Jones was conducting a meeting at the Mulberry 
 Street Methodist church?" "Who is Sam Jones?" replied Dr. La- 
 mar. The deacons were greatly surprised, and said: "You don't 
 know who Sam Jones is?" Dr. Lamar replied : "In South Carolina, 
 where I have just come from, I never heard of him." "Well," said 
 they, "Sam Jones is the greatest sensation Georgia ever produced. 
 When he is in town there is no use to try to run against him. All 
 our people are around to hear him to-night." "Well," said Dr. La- 
 mar, "let's adjourn this meeting and go over and see what manner 
 of man he is." He was introduced to Mr. Jones, and said : "Brother 
 Jones, you have taken my crowd from me, but I don't see that you 
 are getting many of them converted to-night." "Well," replied Mr. 
 Jones, "Brother Lamar, a fellow has got to catch his fish before he 
 strings them. I am just drumming up my crowd, and will string 
 them after awhile." Dr. Lamar replied : "Well, I am coming to see 
 you string them, and to help, if I can." Mr. Jones replied : "That's 
 the talk, we need the help of all good men." 
 
 During that meeting Dr. Lamar and his people were as enthusi- 
 astic as the members and pastor of the church in which it was held. 
 In many other places he preached and won souls to Christ, and the 
 friendship and love begotten in the hearts of the preachers whom he 
 met in those early days clung to him through all the years of his life. 
 
 The pastors of Georgia have been among the best and closest 
 friends he has had. For several years he took a nominal appoint- 
 ment, and continued to raise money for the Orphanage wherever he 
 was called to preach, and his work began to extend in all directions, 
 and he started out in the great work of world-wide evangelism. 
 
98 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 For eleven years Mr. Jones was the agent and bore all the ex- 
 penses of the Home. The treasurer drew upon him for whatever 
 was needed. Being out of the State in his evangelistic work, he be- 
 lieved that some one ought to keep the Home close to the pockets of 
 Georgians, and he joined with the trustees in asking that Rev. How- 
 ard L. Crumley should be his associate. He held a nominal appoint- 
 ment for two years. 
 
 At the end of two years Bishop Haygood decided that he had no 
 right under the laws of the church to appoint Mr. Jones to the 
 agency, as his time was not spent with the work of the Home, so 
 Mr. Jones located in December, 1893, in order to devote all of his 
 time to the evangelistic work. 
 
 There had arisen some technicality regarding his taking a regular 
 appointment, and devoting his time to revival work. A few heated 
 discussions before and after the action resulted. The brethren of the 
 conference were anxious for him to remain one of them, but Mr. 
 Jones didn't see how he could give up his large evangelistic field 
 and confine himself to a single pastorate. 
 
 His thousands of friends regretted very much that he severed his 
 official connection with the Orphanage, but until the time of his 
 death he was one of the most liberal contributors to the great work. 
 The institution was always very dear to his heart, and he looked 
 upon his services there among the greatest that he rendered to suf- 
 fering humanity. 
 
 Mr. Jones, at the Augusta Conference, in 1885, decided that with 
 a large board of trustees, the business could be more easily handled, 
 and had the conference to change the charter, and Messrs. W. A. 
 Gregg, Robert A. Hemphill and George Muse became the sole trus- 
 tees, the agent being ex-oificio trustee. The plan has worked ad- 
 mirably. The home has grown ; from two to three hundred desti- 
 tute children are helped each year; the babies, helpless cripples, and 
 even- grade of moral destitution finds a welcome in the Home, 
 which was rescued and supported by Mr. Jones for eleven years. 
 
 When Mr. Jones gave up the work of the Orphanage, the com- 
 mittee made the following report : 
 
 "Mr. Jones has severed all official relation with the Orphans' 
 
Sam P. Jones. 99 
 
 Home. He has been the truest friend we ever had. For about thir- 
 teen years he has been its father. Never did the cry of the orphan 
 go unresponded to. For many years he met the drafts from his own 
 pocket. He built the main building and chapel and stocked the 
 farm and met every claim. The orphans look with admiration upon 
 his life-sized picture that adorns the sitting-room. They love him 
 and with sincere sadness suffer the separation. This throws upon 
 the Home the additional expense of one thousand dollars which 
 Brother Jones has been accustomed to meet. The whole burden of 
 the Home, amounting to about five thousand dollars a year, rests on 
 the conference. They are your children, and you will furnish the 
 five thousand dollars needed. Brother Jones has so long raised part 
 of this outside the conference that it will seem heavy to you. But 
 
 LOFC, 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 His Fame Spreading. 
 
 Mr. Jones had preached throughout Georgia, and had already- 
 come into prominence as an evangelist. While he had not preached 
 beyond the boundaries of his State, yet his reputation had gone be- 
 fore him, and he was becoming known in adjoining States. 
 
 In the great meeting held in Macon, Ga., 1881, in the Methodist 
 church, with Rev. Jos. S. Key, D.D., as pastor, Mr. Jones became 
 intimately acquainted with Rev. A. J. Lamar, pastor of one of the 
 Baptist churches of that city. After this Dr. Lamar accepted a call 
 to the Central Baptist church at Memphis, Tenn., and when he had 
 gone there to his pastorate there was a meeting of the general pas- 
 tors' conference of that city to consider the question of holding a 
 great union revival, and after deciding to have the union revival 
 there came the more important question of who would be a suitable 
 leader. In former years they had had Earle, Hammond, Moody and 
 other celebrities. There was no man at this time with a great repu- 
 tation who was available, and the ministers were at their wits' end. 
 
 Finally Dr. Lamar arose and said : "Why not get Sam Jones ?" 
 And immediately the question came up : "Who is Sam Jones ?" Dr. 
 Lamar said : "I refer you to Dr. S. A. Steele, or Dr. R. H. Mahon. 
 Probably they can tell you about him, as he is a Methodist, and a 
 member of the North Georgia Conference." Both of these minis- 
 ters immediately spoke and said that they had never heard of Sam 
 Jones. "Well," said Dr. Lamar, "he is the most unique man I ever 
 saw. He is a sensation within himself. He can come nearer turn- 
 ing the city upside down than any other man upon this continent. 
 If you will get him and give him the middle of the road he will stir 
 up things. The only trouble will be to get a place big enough to 
 hold the audience." 
 
 100) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 101 
 
 After much discussion it was finally agreed by Drs. Steele and 
 Mahon to correspond with Dr. A. G. Haygood and find out some- 
 thing more about the Georgia revivalist. Whereupon Dr. S. A. 
 Steele, pastor of the First Methodist church of Memphis, wrote to 
 Dr. Haygood (afterward Bishop Haygood), stating the circum- 
 stances, and asking if the preachers of Memphis could afford to 
 "carry" Sam Jones. Dr. Haygood replied in this laconic manner: 
 
 "Sam Jones is a Methodist preacher 
 Good and true. 
 Give him a chance and he'll 
 Carry you." 
 
 The reply of Dr. Haygood was so satisfactory that the conference 
 unanimously instructed Dr. Lamar to write and extend to Mr. Jones 
 an invitation to visit Memphis. 
 
 Mr. Jones accepted the invitation; reported in Memphis on Jan- 
 uary 6, 1884. Dr. Lamar met him at the Peabody Hotel, and found. 
 Mr. Jones "joking" with some commercial travellers. He took him, 
 home with him, and after being greeted by Mrs. Lamar, Mr. Jones 
 said : "Sister Lamar, I never felt so far from home in all my life ;. 
 and aside from you and Brother Lamar, I don't know a soul in this 
 great city." 
 
 Sunday morning he preached in the Central Baptist church on 
 "Prayer," and captured the hearts of Dr. Lamar's people, which 
 made the pastor very happy. 
 
 The place selected for the union meeting was the Court Street 
 Cumberland Presbyterian church, that being the largest building in 
 the city. The first union service was held Sunday afternoon, and the 
 meetings continued for five weeks. 
 
 The first two weeks of the meeting was up-hill work, in spite of 
 the immense crowds and growing interest. The lack of co-operation 
 upon the part of the preachers discouraged Mr. Jones, and he felt 
 that the meeting was not growing in power as it should have done. 
 Dr. Lamar, his faithful friend and helper, went to his room on Sat- 
 urday night and found him — to use Mr. Jones's own expression — 
 "under the juniper tr$e." Dr. Lamar was surprised and grieved ta 
 
102 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 find Mr. Jones so discouraged, and after discussing the situation, 
 they resolved to take Christ at his own word when he said, "If two 
 of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, 
 it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." And 
 they went to prayer. 
 
 After that night Mr. Jones began preaching with renewed vigor 
 and force; and on the next Sunday afternoon (the third Sunday of 
 his stay in Memphis) his preaching produced a great awakening. 
 His manner, style and use of the language of the common people 
 began to make impression upon them. He gave full play to wit, 
 humor and pathos; sometimes his audience was convulsed with 
 laughter, at other times angry, then by his pathos he moved them all 
 to tears. The people went away talking, wondering and criticising, 
 for they had never heard the like. The preachers were shocked by 
 his plainness of speech and chagrined at his arraignment of them for 
 their lack of power. While they winced under his reference to them 
 they took it as good-naturedly as they could, and they, too, were 
 becoming more and more convinced of his way of thinking. 
 
 The crowds had grown daily until the building ceased to be large 
 enough to accommodate the audiences that gathered. Then Dr. 
 Lamar and Mr. Jones discussed the propriety and advisability of a 
 men's meeting, in order that they might have greater results. Such 
 meetings were not known in the South at that time. Perhaps in the 
 Western States and in some of the Northern States such meetings 
 had been held. A great many prophesied that it w^ould be a failure 
 in attendance and results ; but when the hour for services came the 
 streets were crowded with men going to the Cumberland Presbyte- 
 rian church. Soon the auditorium was filled and standing-room w T as 
 at a premium. When Mr. Jones entered the building and saw the 
 immense audience, he was inspired with the scene, and ready for 
 the services. The flash of his wonderful eyes and the great spirit 
 that imbued him with power made his words almost irresistible. 
 He preached that powerful sermon, "Escape for Thy Life," his text 
 being taken from the nineteenth chapter of Genesis and the seven- 
 teenth verse. 
 
 It is a strange coincidence that in his last great men's meeting in 
 
Sam P. Joisms. 103 
 
 Oklahoma City, when there were from six to seven thousand men 
 powerfully and tremendously moved, when thousands of men came 
 forward and shook hands with him, pledging God a better life, that 
 he should have used the same text that he used in his first great 
 men's meeting in Memphis. 
 
 Mr. Jones spoke but a few words before he had the undivided at- 
 tention and sympathy of all his hearers, and the interest grew 
 deeper as he proceeded ; and at times reached an intense degree of 
 enthusiasm. We shall, perhaps, not exaggerate when we say that 
 none present had ever heard the truth so fearlessly, so earnestly, so 
 tenderly, so faithfully preached. The common sins of men were 
 held up in all their wickedness and deformity, and strong men trem- 
 bled as they listened to the fullest exposure of their wickedness. At 
 times the audience roared with laughter. At times they burst out in 
 applause, and when the speaker closed, under the power of his won- 
 derful pathos, nine-tenths of all the men present were in tears. We 
 doubt if any one present ever saw so many men brought to tears. 
 As he concluded this wonderful sermon Mr. Jones said : "Every one 
 here who feels that he needs God's mercy and desires a better life let 
 him fall down and engage with us in this closing prayer." 
 
 Instantly the vast audience fell down upon their knees, and there 
 were not twenty men out of the multitude who did not respond to 
 this appeal. It was an inspiring scene. 
 
 This men's meeting was the turning point in the revival. The 
 backbone of opposition had been broken. The whole town had 
 been won by the evangelist, and the throngs that came to hear him 
 hung upon his words. 
 
 The newspapers took up the meetings and gave much time and 
 space to them. The services became the talk of the town. On the 
 streets, in the stores, at the shops, in the homes, "Sam Jones" and 
 the revival were the subjects of almost all conversations. 
 
 The churches in Memphis previous to this revival show that relig- 
 ion was at a rather low ebb. The C ommerical- Appeal says : "The 
 various churches in Memphis of late years seem too much disposed 
 to act upon the supposition that their respective denominations were 
 close corporations, intended for the worship of those already saved, 
 
104 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 instead of making new converts and adding new members to the 
 churches. ' 
 
 "Recently a Memphis minister, zealous in his work, deplored that 
 the ministers and the churches had not accomplished more in the 
 past, and expressed the startling opinion that one hundred thousand 
 dollars had been spent in Memphis by the various religious denomi- 
 nations, and that notwithstanding this vast expenditure of money all 
 of the churches had not gained more than one hundred converts. 
 But the minister of four weeks ago, who regretted that so little had 
 been accomplished by the expenditure of so much money for church 
 purposes, will find much consolation in the result of the union meet- 
 ings in progress in this city. It showed that in union there is 
 strength; for so soon as the various denominations forgot their 
 creeds and united their forces they accomplished what they failed to 
 do when divided. These meetings were a tribute to Christianity 
 from the different denominations engaged in the work. Much good 
 has been accomplished by their harmonious action." 
 
 While the weather was, perhaps, the most inclement ever known 
 in that latitude, with the rain, hail, sleet and snow constantly falling, 
 it did not prevent the people from coming out in great numbers. 
 There was a constant stream of wet and shivering humanity pouring 
 into the great auditorium day and night, until there wasn't standing- 
 room. This unique preacher, "the Georgia evangelist," attracted 
 and interested the people. 
 
 The Commercial- Appeal says : "The crowd increased as his repu- 
 tation spread over the city, and if he should continue his labors, it 
 would require the exposition building to hold the people anxious to 
 hear him. His power over the people is a mystery. Peculiarity is 
 said to be the primary quality of greatness, that the property a man 
 has in common with other men will never attract the world, and to 
 be distinguished one must exhibit some rare peculiarity. Mr. Jones 
 certainly has remarkable characteristics, but it would be difficult to 
 define them. He is no sky-scraper, but wholly devoid of fustin and 
 rant; never stands on tip-toe with hands stretched aloft as if he 
 would pull down the stars. 
 
 "His language is transparent in its simplicity, but all his intel- 
 
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 § 
 
 a 
 
(88) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 105 
 
 lectual powers so admirably mixed and blended are brought into 
 requisition in every sermon, and their action is delightfully harmo- 
 nious. There is neither too much nor too little of any given quality. 
 The judgment and the imagination are in perfect equipoise. As he 
 speaks his soul seems to be a fountain of living water. Much of his 
 success and popularity consists in understanding human nature, and 
 the emotions of the heart, and in saying what his hearers have often 
 thought but never before heard defined. It is this gift which enables 
 him to reach and move the multitude. 
 
 "Mr. Jones has a vivid imagination, but his illustrations and met- 
 aphors are simple, pointed and applied with a directness and pun- 
 gency which the most obtuse can understand. The imagination 
 which this eminent minister developed in his discourses shows that 
 if he were ambitious for fame as a popular orator he could go flam- 
 ing through the land, distributing meteors and rainbows while 
 striding from cloud to cloud, mountain to mountain, and star to 
 star. His eloquence, however, is simple and pathetic, reaches every 
 avenue of feeling and sympathy. The eloquent bubbles that float 
 and dazzle have no longer life than the cadence of the singer, but 
 the chords that Mr. Jones strikes continue to vibrate upon the soul." 
 
 Mr. Jones also held a service especially for the women. The 
 great auditorium was crowded to its utmost capacity, and the wo- 
 men of all walks of life were seen participating in the service. The 
 Commercial-Appeal in speaking of this service, said: "Yesterday 
 morning Court Street Church was literally packed with Memphis- 
 ladies — even the gallery was full, and there was not a vacant seat. 
 many were heard to remark that 'it was never so seen in Memphis/ 
 and there was probably no one present who had ever seen such a vast 
 audience of women. Except the pastors and Mr. Jones, there were 
 no men present. Although Mr. Jones was not feeling well, he spoke- 
 three-quarters of an hour, and held the undivided attention of the 
 audience until the last word fell from his lips. He was listened to 
 amid smiles and tears, and it could be easily seen that his simple, 
 earnest, tender, original way of presenting things was taking deep 
 hold on hundreds of hearts. He showed the auditors why they were 
 not better wives, mothers and daughters ; why they were not better 
 
106 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Christians ; and then showed how in all these things they could grow 
 and expand till they should sweeten their homes, save their husbands 
 and raise up children to call them blessed. Any child of ten sum- 
 mers could understand all he said. His illustrations were fresh, 
 clear-cut, very impressive and long-to-be-remembered. There is no 
 question that hundreds of mothers, wives and daughters went away 
 from the meeting with a resolution deep down in their hearts to be 
 and do better in all the relations of life." 
 
 When the revival finally closed, it was the concensus of opinion 
 that it was the greatest ever held in Memphis. Mr. Jones had estab- 
 lished himself as an evangelist with marvelous gifts, and had won 
 for himself almost national prominence in the religious world. The 
 conversions and reclamations ran up into a thousand or more, while 
 those who joined the different churches numbered more than six 
 hundred. The city received a great moral uplifting, and was great- 
 ly stirred religiously. The people began to take more interest in the 
 work of the church and religion seemed to be on the increase. 
 
 Dr. S. A. Steele, pastor of the First Methodist church, wrote an 
 article to the Texas Christian Advocate giving some characterization 
 of Mr. Jones's preaching. Dr. R. H. Mahon, pastor of the Central 
 church, wrote to the Nashville Christian Advocate, calling attention 
 to his gifts and graces. His fame began to spread in every direction, 
 and before he had left Memphis he had received a great many let- 
 ters from various sources, asking him to conduct revival meetings. 
 He completely won the city before his five weeks had expired, and it 
 was with great sorrow that the people bade him good-by. The 
 Memphis Avalanche says : "It is not often that a strange minister 
 can ingratiate himself at once into the good graces of a community ; 
 especially is this true of the class called evangelists. As a general 
 thing the evangelist is a compound of piety and egotism ; offensive 
 in his mannerism, conceited with his prominence and affected in his 
 preaching. Those who have been looking for any of these points in 
 Mr. Jones are disappointed. His preaching is plain, earnest and 
 true. He is every inch a preacher ; he has a message to deliver and 
 he does so in words that reach the understanding and consciences of 
 his hearers." 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 107 
 
 ■ Cartersville had heard of his success away from home, and was 
 proud of the reputation that he had made. The Cartersville Amer- 
 ican had the following tribute to pay Mr. Jones upon his arrival 
 from Memphis: 
 
 "Sam Jones is the greatest revivalist the South has ever produced. 
 I never saw his equal. There is something very wonderful about 
 the man. He can jump on a dry goods box on the public square and 
 commence preaching, and in five minutes every barkeeper and street 
 loafer in town will be listening. He can go to the darkest corner of 
 Pickens county and the most ignorant man in the congregation will 
 understand and appreciate his sermon. He can stand up before the 
 finest city church, before the most intelligent audience and hold them 
 spellbound by his eloquence. He can appear before a mixed au- 
 dience in a theater and silence the hissing tongues and the loud 
 laugh by the simple story of the cross. 'I have known him since he 
 was a wild, rude, dissipated boy on the streets of Cartersville. Be- 
 fore he professed religion and commenced to preach, he was as 
 common as any boy I know. He has loomed into importance as an 
 evangelist and revivalist until he stands now second only to Tal- 
 mage and Moody. He is a pale-faced, spare-built, dark-skinned 
 man, and would not attract the second glance from a casual ob- 
 server. But when he speaks he catches the ear of everybody, and 
 touches the heart of every listener. He is strikingly original, and 
 his imagination is rich and fertile, his illustrations are forcible and 
 pointed, his language is terse and strong, his appeals are touching 
 and pathetic, and his powers of endurance beyond anything I ever 
 saw/ So talked a gentleman in the presence of the editor the other 
 day. Mr. Jones is a wonderful preacher. His recent visit to Mem- 
 phis was attended with the most gracious results. Everywhere he 
 met with a perfect religious ovation. We have read with much 
 pleasure the press accounts of his preaching. We are proud of Sam 
 Jones, not only because he is a Cartersville man, but because he is a 
 true man, an earnest preacher and a friend to humanity. His mis- 
 sion on earth is a grand one, and grandly does he fill it." 
 
 Mr. Jones visited Memphis a great many times during his life. 
 In all he conducted four or five great meetings in that city, an<i 
 
108 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 never lost his prestige nor power. He held another great meeting 
 in 1893 at the First Methodist church. This is one of the largest 
 and handsomest auditoriums in the South. It proved entirely too 
 small to accommodate the great crowds that went to hear him daily. 
 The doors had to be locked at an early hour, and there was always 
 more people on the outside of the building than could be accom- 
 modated on the inside. They kicked down the doors once or twice 
 trying to gain admittance. A great many of the prominent men 
 who are now members of that church were converted or reclaimed 
 during Mr. Jones's meetings. The Appeal- Avalanche published this 
 editorial in reference to his second visit : 
 
 "The Rev. Sam Jones during his sojourn in Memphis entertained 
 large audiences, and has stimulated the religious sentiment of the 
 -community in Memphis. It is understood that he has made more 
 than two thousand converts. He came among us and scolded the 
 people of Memphis for their derelictions. He spared none. He told 
 us of our sins of omission and commission. He spoke in plain terms, 
 and there was no mistaking his meaning. Let us hope that Memphis 
 will be all the better for his coming. Our faults have been revealed 
 to us and the vices to which we are given have been proclaimed. 
 This is Sam Jones's way. Memphis has been handled without 
 gloves, but the preacher has found a host of repentants to kneel at 
 the altar. Mr. Jones has won great favor, as the crowd which 
 flocked to the First Methodist church attested. His sermons have 
 been as lightning purifying the atmosphere, though it may have 
 been violent in its manifestations. Mr. Jones will go hence to spread 
 the gospel. He will visit other cities. His language may be rude at 
 times, but it will penetrate the hearts of men, and while the fastidi- 
 ous may complain as they have always complained, the fact that he 
 brings the sinful to confess their sins is sufficient to justify his 
 methods. Who shall dispute, then, when souls are saved. He reached 
 men who care nothing for creeds. He does not indulge .in doctrinal 
 exposition. He does seek to persuade by argument so much that he 
 actually moved the erring to acknowledgment of their moral ob- 
 liquities, and forced them to their knees by revealing their moral de- 
 formities. Who shall say that he does not fill a legitimate sphere 
 
* Sam P. Jonss. 109 
 
 as a preacher ? Other "preachers may find success in other means 
 for the form of humanity, but Mr. Jones attacks the citadel of sin 
 in his own way. It is simply a question of results. If the two thou- 
 sand converts or even a small proportion cling to the good resolves 
 made by them under the spell of his eloquence the world is so much 
 the better. Mr. Jones has had many hard things to say of Memphis. 
 He has indulged in denunciation. He has attacked evil in the ab- 
 stract and in the concrete. He has been general and he has been 
 specific. He has wounded our spirit of local pride. He has pictured 
 in vivid colors our wickedness. But he has done us good, and we 
 may have the consolation that he assails other cities in similar fash- 
 ion. We may not be quite so black as he has painted us, but no mat- 
 ter . He has caused the people to look to higher and better things, 
 and though he shall depart, his visit will be remembered as having 
 promoted and advanced the well-being of the community. He is in 
 some respects the most extraordinary preacher the world has ever 
 known. He has spoken three times a 'day almost for a decade and 
 a half. He rarely repeats himself to the same audience. Therefore, 
 as an orator he is without parallel, so far as sustained effort is con- 
 cerned. It is to be hoped that Mr. Jones will keep his eye on Mem- 
 phis, and that he may return whenever he finds that the city has be- 
 gun to backslide. Memphis seems to need Mr. Jones's preaching. 
 This is come to be a general opinion both at home and abroad. The 
 reformation that he has inaugurated should be permanent." 
 
 He held meetings in the great Memphis auditorium which were 
 truly marvelous in stirring up the consciences of the people and in 
 bringing about a much-needed reformation. The immense gather- 
 ings could not be taken care of at any time during his ministry in 
 Memphis. No building with seating capacity ever so large would 
 hold the great crowds that assembled to hear him. His last meet- 
 ing was held in the First Methodist church, just a few years ago, 
 and perhaps for religious fervor and deep conviction and bringing 
 people into the church that was as successful a meeting as any held 
 "by him in Memphis. Several hundred joined the First church on 
 Sunday after the meeting closed, while the other churches were 
 •strengthened by many accessions from the meeting. 
 
110 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 In closing the chapter on the work in Memphis, we insert the 
 testimony of the old sexton who commended Brother Jones's style 
 of preaching, as it impressed him during his first meeting in the city. 
 We will give the account as Mr. Jones told it : 
 
 "A very laughable, yet forcible incident occurred during the 
 revival at Memphis, Tenn., in Court Street Cumberland Presbyte- 
 rian church one morning. The services had been going on for about 
 three weeks with great power; hundreds had been converted and 
 the churches awakened. The meeting was a union meeting, thirteen 
 pastors and congregations, representing five different denominations 
 were united in the fight ; and on this occasion we had what we called 
 a talking meeting. The pastor of the First Methodist church made a 
 short, pointed talk, in which he told how the meeting had been a 
 blessing to him. Other pastors followed, and when the pastor of the 
 First Baptist told how he and all his church had been blessed, he 
 continued by saying that he had learned something about how to 
 preach also. He said that in three weeks' preaching of Mr. Jones 
 in that city he had not heard a single attempt on the part of the 
 preacher to prove that there was a God, or that Christ was divine. 
 There had been no hair-splitting on theology, or an effort to prove 
 that heaven was real and hell existing, and so on. 
 
 "After he sat down, old Uncle Ben, the faithful old colored sex- 
 ton of the First Methodist church, stood up in the rear of the church 
 and said : 'Brethren, you all know me. I have been trying to serve 
 God from my childhood, and I have been greatly exercised in the 
 last few years for the salvation of the perishing souls of Memphis. 
 On my knees I have begged God to send just such a preacher as this 
 to Memphis, though I didn't know who he was or cared who he was. 
 Now, he has come, thank God for him ! He preaches the gospel so 
 that every one can hear it ; he feeds me, he feeds the young and the 
 old ; the learned and the unlearned. Our pastors have been putting 
 the fodder too high. I remember when Brother Mahon was our 
 pastor last year, I looked into his study one morning and he had five 
 books lying open around him on the table, and I said : "Brother Ma- 
 hon, if you get one sermon out of five different books, you are going 
 to put your fodder up Sunday morning where I can't reach it ; for, 
 
Sam P. Jonss. Ill 
 
 I said 'I've gone to church hungry on Sunday morning and come 
 away hungry; fodder too high for me.' But this man of God 
 scatters the fodder on the ground and we all can reach it, and we 
 also relish it." And so Uncle Ben went on in his rambling talk until 
 he had made as fine an argument for homiletics, many said, as they 
 bad ever listened to." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Revivals in Southern Towns. 
 
 It was not possible for Mr. Jones to give his entire time to the 
 work of an evangelist during the years 1884-5. At that time he- 
 was the agent for the Orphanage of the North Georgia Conference, 
 and had to devote much of his labors to that institution. He held 
 revival meetings as often as his work at the Orphanage would; 
 permit. 
 
 In Georgia he held meetings at LaGrange, Newnan and Atlanta. 
 These were the second visits toi these places. In Tennessee he held 
 a remarkable meeting in 1884 at Jackson. After the first few days, 
 the building was so small that it would not accommodate a fourth 
 of the people who wished to attend the services. He was also at 
 Charleston, S. C, during this period, and held a meeting that stirred 
 the entire city. He visited Waco, Texas, and preached eight days, 
 when he was taken seriously ill with malarial fever. The meeting- 
 had grown in interest until there was no place large enough to ac- 
 commodate the audience, and a great arbor had been hurriedly 
 erected on the church lot, the money for the temporary building- 
 was soon subscribed, and in a short while it was ready for use. 
 The city which had: been so dead, religiously, was filled with re- 
 ligious enthusiasm, within one week from the first service. Tire- 
 conversions were many at every service, and sometimes there Were 
 more than one hundred penitents forward for prayer. 
 
 Mr. Jones had been preaching constantly for weeks and the heavy 
 work in the open air was too much for his strength, and he was sud- 
 denly attacked with fever and the meeting was postponed, but he 
 finally recovered his health and returned to Waco and completed 
 his work. There was an experience in his life, while in this first 
 meeting, which is worthy of note. He had been battling with the 
 
 (112) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 113 
 
 disease, and the devil was harrassing him day and night, as he did 
 Job of old. He seemed to say to him. "You will die right here; 
 you have not enough vital force to live." He seemed to be present 
 in bodily form. Mr. Jones replied, "Get out of this room ; if I had 
 to go over it all again I would not work any less, but would spend 
 more time and strength in my Master's service. I don't know but 
 that my work is ended, but I am happy, and if I die I shall be happy 
 forevermore." The devil left the room., and Mr. Jones in his suffer- 
 ing was happy at the thought that he had worked hard and faithful 
 to win souls to Christ. 
 
 He held several meetings between Memphis and Chattanooga, 
 which were remarkable in their results. At Corinth, Miss., there 
 was a great work. The towni was known for its wickedness, and 
 the meeting completely changed the tone of the place. Among the 
 converts were some of the most abandoned drunkards in the city. 
 The meeting took a strong hold upon the leading citizens, and 
 many of them were converted and became useful members of the- 
 church. Two-thirds of the population had been won to Christ dur- 
 ing the meeting. The Honorable Mr. Inge, the Speaker of the Mis- 
 sissippi House of Representatives, resided at Corinth, and was one 
 of the converts of the meeting. 
 
 Mrs. Inge had a son in Texas who was dissipated and; wicked. 
 She prayed God to save him, and before the meeting closed he came 
 home and was happily converted. He soori entered the ministry, 
 and all over Mississippi the name of Rev. George Inge became a 
 household word. He died a few years ago after a very fruitful 
 ministry. 
 
 One of the most thrilling experiences of his life occurred there. 
 He had become so wearied and tired from constant preaching that 
 one night going to church he said : "I am, so tired I can not stand 
 up and preach this evening. I shall ask the people if they will 
 allow me to sit down and talk to them," Upon announcing his 
 text the baptism of the Holy Spirit came upon him, and when he 
 had finished the sermon, and had concluded a long altar service, he 
 went away from the church, saying: "I feel as if I were the best 
 rested man on earth." That night in his room the Holy Spirit con^. 
 
 5 j 
 
114 Sam P. Jonks. 
 
 tinued to bless him, until he cried out : "This is glorious, the breezes 
 of heaven are sweeping in upon my soul.'' For ten minutes or 
 more these waves of blessing passed over his spirit, and for three 
 months or more he didn't know the sense of fatigue as he labored 
 day and night for the salvation of the lost. 
 
 At Iuka, Miss., another marvelous meeting was held. A large 
 bush arbor was erected in the grove. Seats were arranged for two 
 thousand or more, and yet there was not room. The people came 
 in on the trains from every direction, and the power of the Spirit 
 was evident at each service. 
 
 One of the most striking incidents of the Iuka meetings was the 
 conversion of Dr. Hodges. Mr. Jones met him at the Springs the 
 morning after he arrived. Dr. Hodges was a retired, wealthy 
 physician, about fifty years of age, and a perfect Chesterfield in his 
 bearing. His wife was intelligent and beautiful. They attracted 
 Mr. Jones's attention, and as they left the Springs the pastor said, 
 "Brother Jones, that man is an atheist and his wife is an infidel." 
 They were regular attendants at the meetings. After three days 
 Mr. Jones asked him to come to the altar and give his heart to 
 God. Dr. Hodges replied, "You go back to the pulpit and read 
 Hebrews n :8-9-io." Mr. Jones returned to the pulpit and opened 
 the Bible, and read as requested, "By faith Abraham, when he was 
 called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an 
 inheritance, obeyed ; and he went out, not knowing whither he 
 went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, in a strange 
 country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with 
 him of the promise. For he looked for a city, which hath founda- 
 tions, whose builder and maker is God." Dr. Hodges arose and 
 went forward, giving Mr. Jones his hand, and turning around 
 faced the audience and said, "I, too, like Abraham of old, will take 
 God at His word, and start out for a strange country, not knowing 
 whither I go, looking for a city, whose maker is God." The great 
 audience was powerfully moved, and Mrs. Hodges arose and went 
 to the front, throwing her arms around her husband's neck, and said, 
 "My husband's God shall be my God ; his people shall be my people, 
 and his burying-place my burying-place." They were both happily 
 converted. 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 115 
 
 In after-years, while Mr. Jones was preaching in California, he 
 received a letter from Dr. Hodges saying, "My precious wife has 
 gone on to 'the city whose builder is God,' and I am sojourning 
 alone in 'the tabernacle/ " It was only a few years afterwards that 
 Mr. Jones had a letter from a friend in Mississippi saying, "Dr. 
 Hodges died triumphantly, and has gone home.'' 
 
 At Tuscumbia, Ala., he held a large bush-arbor meeting. Three 
 and four services were held daily, and people came in from all parts 
 of the country. Some of the most remarkable manifestations of the 
 presence of God were seen in that arbor meeting. The people mar- 
 veled at the results, and perhaps the secret was not known to them ; 
 however, it can be attributed to the earnest prayers of Mr. Jones. 
 The great audiences that he preached to did not know how many 
 times he wrestled with God in prayer before preaching. Just before 
 the greatest manifestation of the Spirit's work, Mr. Jones had been 
 very earnest in prayer. He was always a man who went to the 
 throne of mercy for the anointing of service. His child-like faith 
 enabled him to take God at His word, and it was his custom to pray 
 briefly, unless he failed to get the assurance of victory. A friend 
 of his said : "Mr. Jones, how is it that you do not spend more time 
 in secret prayer, for I know you are sincere and honest, and a man 
 of deep piety, but you do not stay on your knees as much as some 
 other men claim to do." His reply was : "I go to the Lord in the 
 morning for my orders of the day, and, having received them, I go 
 about my Master's business. I don't run to the Lord with every lit- 
 tle thing, but the good Lord understands me, and when He sees 
 me drop down on my knees He knows that I want and need help, 
 and always supplies it." 
 
 There was a great crisis in the meeting, and he met it by a long 
 season of prayer. 
 
 The people had made all kinds of threats against him., so after 
 the night service he walked out on the second-story of the porch and 
 knelt down in a corner, the thick vines almost hiding him. He 
 remained there until midnight, and yet no assurance of victory. 
 The morning hours came, and he was still on his knees. He had 
 not undressed or been asleep that night. The great audience as- 
 
116 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 sembled for the six o'clock service ; perhaps there were twenty-five 
 hundred present. He arose to preach, and such power came upon 
 the people that the town was won to God. 
 
 Another meeting was at Huntsville. A marvelous work of grace 
 resulted. All the churches cooperated very earnestly in the work, 
 and were greatly built up by the direct accessions from, the meeting. 
 Here Mr. Jones had much to say about the liquor traffic. He went 
 personally to a leading barkeeper in the town and said: "I will 
 steal before I will sell whisky." The barkeeper got angry. Mr. 
 Jones said : "Over there on that hill lives a poor woman. You sold 
 her husband the liquor that made him a drunkard. He died in a 
 drunken condition, and went to a drunkard's hell. One of her boys 
 is now in prison, and the other one has left home because of his 
 waywardness. I want to ask you, sir, which is the worst, to damn 
 that husband and ruin that family, and break that mother's heart 
 as you have done, or to steal money?" The saloon-keeper could not 
 resist such logic, and turned away, saying : "I don't want to discuss 
 the subject w T ith you." 
 
 The conversions multiplied from day to. day, and the meeting 
 reached a climax in a great service for the men. After Mr. Jones 
 preached to them he extended an invitation, and one who was 
 present said: "There were from one thousand to twelve hundred 
 men bending their knees before the altar of God. It was the most 
 remarkable event that ever occurred in the history of Huntsville. 
 -It was a grand sight, and its solemnity impressed the most wayward 
 that there was a God, and that He is ever ready to save and bless 
 the unredeemed." 
 
 One of the most remarkable conversions was that of a leading 
 citizen, who took Mr. Jones aside and said : "I want to be a 
 Christian, I want to love God and do right, but I can't believe in 
 the divinity of Christ to save my life." "Shut your mouth/' said 
 Mr. Jones, "don't come to me with talk like that ; do just as Christ 
 told you to do, and if you don't make the landing I'll swim out to 
 you and drown with you." "Well," said the man, "what would 
 you have me to do?" Mr. Jones replied: "Come to the meeting 
 to-night, and when I call for sinners you be the first one to come 
 
Sam P. Jones. 117 
 
 forward. When the doors of the church are opened you join." The 
 gentleman replied: "What, join the church when I can't believe!" 
 "Now," said Mr. Jones, "I told you to keep your mouth shut, I am 
 prescribing for you, and you take the remedy, and I'll warrant the 
 cure.'' That night he walked up and joined the church. Mr. Jones 
 said to him; : "Go home now and have family prayer, and come back 
 to the service to-morrow, and I'll ask you to pray in public; I'll get 
 you straightened out if you will just keep' your mouth shut." That 
 night he had family prayer, and started right ; then Mr. Jones called 
 upon him to pray in public, and he offered a very earnest prayer. He 
 had started right, and a few months afterwards, when Mr. Jones 
 went back to Huntsville for a special service, he said: "How is 
 Brother Ford getting on?" The pastor replied : "He is one of the 
 best members we have." "How is he on the divinity of Christ?" 
 "Oh, he has quit all that long ago." Mr. Jones always believed 
 that if a man would put himself in the right attitude for salvation 
 that God would lead him into the light. It was true in this man's 
 life, as in many others under his ministry. 
 
 One of the ministers wrote a letter to> the editor of the Christian 
 Observer, of Louisville, whereupon the editor answered in a very 
 uncharitable manner. This called forth another letter from Rev. 
 Flake White. It is such an unusual letter that we use a portion of 
 it. Addressing the letter to the editor of the Christian Observer, he 
 said : "Yes, I got your letter telling me not to write you any more 
 rhapsodies of Rev. Sam Jones, revivalist, that when you wanted 
 theology you preferred taking it out of deep old wells with a Greek ' 
 bucket and Hebrew windlass. Of course I know that, and how 
 scholarly your defense of a learned clergy has always been, but when 
 you hear that almost every friend you have in Huntsville has come 
 to Christ through this man, I know you will want to learn more of 
 his ways. When Mr. Jones (I wish his name had been Thomas 
 Aquinas, for your sake), came to us last night there was silence in 
 the air, then there was a keynote from no uncertain trumpet, and 
 we were all at his feet. There was such simplicity and unhesitating 
 straightforwardness in his manner, as if the act itself was the law 
 of God. It seems 'foreordained.'. Suddenly the man, who has 
 
118 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 quietly thrilled you, is making you laugh, and some roughs over 
 there in the corner are applauding, and a moment later they are 
 weeping. You can't help either the laughter or the tears. He makes 
 Heaven so sweet and apostasy so sad, and tells the story so simply 
 that our humanness bubbles over without measure. Suddenly he 
 lifts his arm like a cleaving wing and Heaven opens, and he shades 
 our eyes from the light as he tells us in panting words of its glories. 
 You remember 'Old Martin' of the coal-mines. He says, as the 
 tears run down his dark face, 'Mr. Jones has got sympathy for 
 folks.' This is about the truth of the matter. He loves, pities and 
 pleads with sinners, on his knees, and on his feet, while speaking to 
 them, he is like a warm gulf-stream which melts them from their 
 anchors and floats them past the tide of mortal to the sea of 
 heavenly love." 
 
 At Knoxville, Tenn., he conducted a marvelous meeting. While 
 he was not in the city very long, the work was far-reaching. In 
 order to make room for the people, he would preach to the women 
 in the morning 'and to. the men in the evening. Some of the papers 
 said foolish things in the beginning of -the meeting, but finally gave 
 faithful reports of his sermons, which helped the work much. The 
 ballrooms and liquor traffic received dangerous wounds; while 
 they were not killed, they were considerably crippled. All pastors, 
 except the Catholic and Episcopal, rallied around him to a man. 
 Before the meeting closed the conversions numbered over five hun- 
 dred, and more than four hundred had joined the different churches. 
 There were great numbers who joined churches after the meeting 
 closed ; however, the figures do not indicate a tithe of the good done. 
 Knoxville had been converted, and the leaven of the Divine in- 
 fluences had permeated the entire community. 
 
 At Chattanooga he held one of the strangest and most peculiar, 
 yet powerful, meetings in his life. Dr. G. C. Rankin, who was 
 pastor of the old Market Street church, tried to get the ministers 
 of the other denominations to join him in an invitation to Mr. Jones 
 for a union revival. Not one of them was willing to enter into such 
 an arrangement ; then Dr. Rankin invited him to hold the meeting 
 in his church. The newspapers were soon full of the proposed meet- 
 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 119 
 
 ing, and no little excitement was created by some of the stories 
 circulated. One of the reporters said : "If Sam Jones cuts and 
 slashes into society people, as we understand he does, during his 
 meeting, we are going after him without mercy." Dr. Rankin said : 
 "All right, I will have tables inside the altar railings for the re- 
 porters, and they can have a fine chance at him." The day arrived 
 for the meeting, and Mr. Jones and the pastor started to the church 
 and found the streets packed for one hundred feet with people try- 
 ing to crowd into the building. Finally they reached the pulpit, and 
 after a song and prayer, Mr. Jones was introduced. He referred to 
 the singing, saying: "You can stop that singing, I could take two 
 or three negroes down in Georgia and beat all such music as that." 
 (Laughter.) Then leaning on his hand and resting with his elbow on 
 the stand in his inimitable style, he stared at the reporters for two 
 or three minutes without a word. The congregation began to laugh, 
 and for five minutes there was an uproar. Then, without changing 
 his position, he said : "My! my! I would not mind being swallowed 
 by a whale, but to be nibbled to death by such a lot of tadpoles as 
 you reporters is enough to give a man the jimjams." The con- 
 gregation was convulsed. Then he said : "Boys, I know the threats 
 of some of you, and if you bother me you will hit the ground run- 
 ning. I will have four shots a day at you, while you will only get 
 one nibble a day at me, and if you can stand it I can." He preached, 
 and at the night service the 'audience was still greater, and he said : 
 "Now, the next service will be at six o'clock in the morning." The 
 people went away feeling that no one would be present, but next 
 morning before good daylight people were seen flocking towards 
 the building and the church was full, and you could scarcely find a 
 vacant seat. He preached four times a day, and the people were 
 being converted at every service. The newspapers, instead of carry- 
 ing out their threats filled the papers with his sermons, and editorials 
 rang with his praises. The Associated Press took up his sermons 
 and sent them broadcast over the land. 
 
 It wasn't long until the saloon-keepers and the worldlings, and 
 other sinners, were fighting the movement. The preachers, with the 
 exception of Dr. Rankin, became scared, and Mr. Jones was asked to 
 
120 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 meet with the Ministerial Alliance. When the ministers got to- 
 gether, one after another arose and said in substance, the churches 
 are all going to pieces. After each one had presented his complaint, 
 Dr. Rankin arose and said : "Brethren, I haven't a word to offer, I 
 haven't a word to say, further than I have put you all on notice be- 
 fore Brother Jones came that this meeting would reach a crisis, and 
 all I have to say is, I'll die in my tracks before I!ll forsake him.'' 
 During the entire meeting Mr. Jones didn't open his mouth, and 
 finally the conference ended and each minister went his own way, 
 and Mr. Jones went back to his room at the parsonage. Upon reach- 
 ing his room, he knelt down by his bed in prayer. He remained on 
 his knees for several hours. His assistant sat there and looked 
 through a great stack of letters, until the room, became so awful and 
 the picture so heartrending that he got up and walked out of the 
 room>. Finally he went back and looked in again, and Mr. Jones 
 was still on his knees. He walked off, and just about the time the 
 sun was setting he walked back to> the door, and still Mr. Jones was 
 on his knees. He hadn't moved since he first dropped down by his 
 bedside. Later some one slipped in, lighted the gas in the center of 
 the room,, and the last time he entered the room. Mr. Jones had 
 risen and was standing under the gas jet with a countenance of 
 utter despair, when, finally, he threw his hands over his face, and 
 as with victory in sight, he walked down to the auditorium. The 
 news had gone all over town that the preachers and citizens had 
 asked Mr. Jones to change his manner of preaching. The streets 
 were literally filled with people, and finally Mr. Jones got through 
 the crowd and entered the building through a window. A great 
 many of the society people, saloon-keepers, and friends of the liquor 
 traffic, came out to see if he would retract his utterances. He began 
 to preach, and such a power that followed that sermon ; gradually he 
 led them along, until he saw his opportunity to let the people hear 
 what he had to say. Finally, he exclaimed : "I know I have been 
 preaching the truth here, and that I have stirred up the devil and 
 his crowd. I have this to say about the liquor traffic : the man who 
 will drink it is a fool, and the man who will sell it is an infamous 
 scoundrel, and church-members who will rent their stores for 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 121 
 
 saloons and will give their sympathy to the saloon-keepers, are 
 bigger scoundrels than the red-nosed devil that drinks it, or the bull- 
 neck scoundrel that sells it." Under these withering words those 
 guilty in the great audience writhed in agony, and, finally, seeing a 
 saloon-keeper drop his head, he said: "I don't blame you, old red- 
 nosed devil, I'd drop my head, too." Then, standing erect, he said : 
 "Physically, you are stronger than I, and you might take me over 
 here to the river and tie my body to a rock and sink me to the bot- 
 tom., or you might act a coward and shoot me down, but I put you 
 on notice right here that you will have to do that before you will 
 ever still my tongue. If you want to shoot now is your time — shoot 
 — shoot." His dauntless courage and the anointing of the Holy 
 spirit that had come upon him while spending an afternoon in 
 prayer made his words absolutely irresistible, and from that night 
 he had won Chattanooga, 
 
 After that night the preachers joined forces with him, and the 
 meeting was no longer confined to the old Market Street church, 
 but adjacent churches were thrown open to overflow meetings, 
 Mr. Jones would speak at one, calling penitents, then leave these 
 with the workers and go to another church and preach to that 
 crowd and call for penitents. Other times he would send those 
 interested in their soul to a church several blocks away, and when 
 the workers arrived they would find the building crowded with those 
 who were seeking Christ. 
 
 The meeting continued to grow in power until many of the most 
 prominent men of the city had been converted, and when his time 
 had expired the citizens besought him, to postpone other engage- 
 ments that he might remain with them, for a few days longer. The 
 friendship and love of the citizens of Chattanooga for Mr. Jones 
 increased as time went by, and some of the warmest friends he has 
 in the world are the converts of that meeting. 
 
 At the close of the meeting all the churches received many mem- 
 bers, and Dr. Rankin received one hundred and forty-eight, most 
 of them men and grown young men. They are the bone and sinew, 
 many of them, in what is now called the Centenary church. 
 
 As Mr. Jones went down to the depot he passed the present 
 
J 22 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Centenary church, then nearjng completion, and turning to the 
 pastor said: "Rankin, who is going to dedicate that church for 
 you?" Dr. Rankin replied: "I guess one of the bishops." Then, 
 said Mr. Jones: "Yes, that's the way you do; when you have a 
 dirty job you want done, Sam Jones is good enough for that, but 
 when you have a fine church to dedicate you want a bishop." 
 
 A few weeks after that the official board decided to invite Mr. 
 Jones to dedicate the church, and as half of them were converts 
 of the recent meeting, Dr. Rankin reluctantly yielded to their wishes, 
 with the understanding that Dr. J. B. McFerran would be on hand 
 to assist. Mr. Jones preached for several minutes a beautiful and 
 touching sermon, when all at once he did the unexpected thing. 
 Looking around at the inside of the edifice, he said : "You fellows 
 think you have done something great to build this new church. 
 You think I am here to say nice things to you, but you have got 
 the wrong sow by the ear." Dr. Rankin's heart sank within him; 
 then, said Mr. Jones: "How much do you pay your preacher?" 
 Nobody uttered a word. "I know you are ashamed to tell, but spit 
 it out" ; not a <vord. Finally he said : "Tom Snow, what do you ' 
 pay your preacher?" No response. "I know you don't want to 
 tell,* but I am going to know." At last a rather subdued voice said 
 twelve hundred dollars. Mr. Jones groaned until you could hear him 
 in every nook and corner of the building. The audience went to 
 pieces; the pastor was covered with confusion. After the uproar 
 subsided he said : "Well, I know that's all Rankin is worth, but you 
 ought to give the poor fellow something ; I stayed at his house about 
 a week when I was here wi that meeting, and the Lord knows that I 
 would have been glad if somebody had sent something around 
 there." He then picked up the thread of his discourse and finished 
 the mose helpful sermon. 
 
 The next day there were two dray-loads of things driven up to 
 the parsonage with jocular notes, and Monday night the stewards 
 met and raised the pastor's salary to eighteen hundred dollars. 
 
 So, often when Mr. Jones would go off on a tangent like that, 
 people would imagine that he had spoiled the service, but the results 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 123 
 
 that followed always gave evidence of the wisdom of such digres- 
 sion. 
 
 In after-years he held other great meetings there, which were al- 
 ways attended by the thousands, and resulted in great good. 
 
 In his last meeting there at the close of his sermon to men nearly a 
 thousand, by actual count, came forward and gave him their hands, 
 promising to lead the Christian life. He lectured in the city fre- 
 quently, and also took part in a campaign against the saloons in re- 
 cent years, which resulted in closing the saloons of the city at ten 
 o'clock at night. 
 
 The results of his preaching against the liquor traffic can not be 
 estimated in this world. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 In Brooklyn with Dr. Talmage. 
 
 It was in January of 1885 when Mr. Jones held a month's meeting 
 in Brooklyn, N. Y., with Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage, in the famous 
 Brooklyn Tabernacle. Soon after Mr. Jones's meeting in Mem- 
 phis, Tenn., in 1884, Dr. Talmage was visiting in that city and 
 heard of the remarkable work there. The people were talking the 
 Sam Jones meeting to him, and he became specially interested in 
 Mr. Jones and his work, and the unique and manly way in which he 
 had preached in Memphis appealed to the noted divine. 
 
 It wasn't long until Mr. Jones received an invitation from Dr. 
 Talmage to conduct a meeting in his city. Owing to previous en- 
 gagements, he was unable to go until the first of the following year. 
 Mr. Jones was somewhat apprehensive of his visit to Brooklyn, as it 
 wasn't clear in his mind how the aristocratic and fashionable audi- 
 ence would receive him and his style of preaching. While they were 
 used to the sensational preaching of Dr. Talmage, it did not augur 
 that they would receive his plain, homely and blunt way of saying 
 some things. The newspapers in the South and in Brooklyn and 
 New York- had right much to say about the proposed visit. The 
 New York and Brooklyn papers had printed and circulated some 
 very ridiculous and ludicrous reports about him and his work. He 
 left home in time to meet his Brooklyn appointment, arriving in 
 New York City early Sunday morning. After he had had breakfast, 
 he went over to Brooklyn, reaching there about nine-thirty o'clock 
 on a dreary, rainy day, to find the great crowds making for the 
 Brooklyn Tabernacle. Dr. Talmage preached Sunday morning, and 
 the meeting proper began Sunday evening. . Before the morning 
 sermon Mr. Jones met Dr. Talmage, and after a brief conversation 
 and consultation they entered the pulpit together. 
 
 (124) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 125 
 
 The great sea of upturned faces and the magnificent sermon that 
 Dr. Talmage preached greatly impressed Mr. Jones. He said it was 
 one of the most powerful and spiritual of any he had ever listened to ; 
 that Dr. Talmage was on fire with zeal and enthusiasm while de- 
 livering the message of the morning hour. 
 
 At the close of the sermon he announced that the revival would 
 begin that evening at the usual time for service. He introduced Mr. 
 Jones to his audience, and spoke of him in the very highest and most 
 complimentary way. 
 
 In the evening when Mr. Jones accompanied Dr. Talmage into 
 the pulpit he was greeted by an audience that taxed the seating 
 capacity of the building. 
 
 When Dr. Talmage presented him to the audience he arose and. 
 began his work in his characteristic way. In his preliminary re- 
 marks he said : "Dr. Talmage has introduced me as the Rev. Samuel 
 Porter Jones, of Georgia. Well, I am just plain Sam Jones. I am 
 no great evangelist in the sense of Munhall, Moody and others, but 
 I am a plain Georgia circuit-rider. I am a member of the North 
 Georgia Conference, and received my appointment just like any 
 other Methodist preacher. At present I am the agent for the North 
 Georgia Conference Orphanage, and am permitted to conduct re- 
 vival meetings wherever my services are wished. I am a Method- 
 ist, but I won't find any fault with you Presbyterians and others if 
 you will just co-operate with me in this meeting. Remember, I 
 don't want your endorsement; in fact, I don't think it would be 
 worth much to me, but just co-operate with me, and let's try to run 
 the devil out of Brooklyn. I am afraid there is too much pride in 
 this church for the Lord to do much for us. If you people and Dr. 
 Talmage had as much of the grace of the Lord in your hearts as you 
 have pride you wouldn't need a little sallow-faced Georgia preacher 
 come and preach to you. I am not going to preach like Dr. Tal- 
 mage ; I am going to preach like Sam Jones. There is no use in my 
 preaching just like he does. If his preaching would convert you, 
 there wouldn't be any room for mine." 
 
 These words being received with considerable merriment, he then 
 turned from himself and Dr. Talmage, and the crowd in general, to 
 
126 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 the deacons of the church and asked how many of them really had 
 any acquaintance with the congregation. He reminded the deacons 
 that they couldn't have a revival until they became personally ac- 
 quainted with the sinners and showed them that they had their soul's 
 salvation at heart. After having preached for them, he pronounced 
 the benediction, and the audience went away discussing his unique- 
 ness, and expressing themselves as delighted with his first sermon. 
 A sun-rise prayer-meeting was held next morning, in which quite 
 a number participated. He preached again at eleven o'clock to a 
 larger audience. Monday night there was something over two thou- 
 sand in attendance. Mr. Jones in a letter says : "Our meeting last 
 night was glorious ; some conversions. Dr. Talmage and his church 
 are very hopeful and full of faith. The rain has ceased, and I think 
 we will have better services to-day. Dr. Talmage and I spent the 
 afternoon of yesterday together ; he takes to the meeting with all of 
 his heart." On Monday after the first service Dr. Talmage and Mr. 
 Jones walked over to New York. Soon Mr. Jones found himself in 
 the office of Dr. Talmage's tailor. Dr. Talmage turning to the tailor 
 ordered a handsome overcoat, paid thirty-five dollars for it, and 
 handed it to Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones accepted it with thanks, and they 
 walked off together without another word about it. This gave room 
 for the story that has been widely circulated through the press of 
 the country to the effect that Dr. Talmage was not pleased with Mr. 
 Jones's pulpit appearance, and before his first sermon presented him 
 with a suit of clothes and a silk hat, and Mr. Jones going before the 
 audience and saying upon his presentation to them, "This is not 
 Sam Jones, but the Rev. Samuel Porter Jones. This is not the suit 
 that he wore here, but one that your pastor bought for me. This is 
 not the hat I wore, but the silk one that your pastor presented to me. 
 Now, if Dr. Talmage had as much grace in his heart as he has pride 
 he wouldn't have needed.me to preach to you." This incident never 
 occurred, but the gift of the overcoat mixed up with some utterances 
 in his preliminary remarks was taken up by the press and much ex- 
 aggerated and, like many other stories which were almost without 
 foundation, went over the country. These exaggerated episodes 
 never bothered Mr. Jones as a rule, and it was only occasionally that 
 
Sam P. Jones. 127 
 
 he ever contradicted them, unless they had a decidedly bad moral 
 influence. 
 
 While the Brooklyn meeting was not one in which the great 
 dailies took undue interest, he received very liberal and generous 
 press comments. The Brooklyn Bagle had its reporters there, and 
 sometimes gave verbatim reports of his sermon, and always had a 
 good, lengthy account of the work. Their estimates of him and de- 
 scriptions of his style and manner were very sane and creditable. 
 They said in substance what the great papers of Memphis, Atlanta, 
 Nashville, Charleston and other cities throughout the country had 
 said concerning him and his work. 
 
 The crowd continued to increase. Writing January 9th, Mr. 
 Jones said : 
 
 "Our meeting is growing in interest and power at each service. 
 I look for great things. A score or more have already joined Dr. 
 Talmage's church. There was no service on the first Saturday night 
 and Dr. Talmage again preached on Sunday morning." 
 
 Mr. Jones, in writing January 12th, said: 
 
 "Dr. Talmage preached one of the most powerful sermons yester- 
 day morning I ever heard. His soul was full, and he moved the 
 vast congregation as you scarcely ever saw people moved. I 
 preached with liberty last night to the house packed. This morning, 
 Monday, at the sunup meeting, we had a good number; still the 
 weather was awful — a rain and wind storm, the only kind that hurts 
 a meeting here. We hold service again at eleven o'clock, as you will 
 see by the card." 
 
 Dr. Talmage, at Mr. Jones's suggestion, telegraphed to Professor 
 Mcintosh, of Emory College, to come and take charge of the sing- 
 ing. Mr. Jones was glad to have him, as he was great company and 
 good help in the meeting. Plans were made for a great men's 
 meeting to be held the following Sunday. The second week the in- 
 terest increased, and the audiences grew larger and the papers gave 
 more space to the meetings. In another letter, written January 14th, 
 Mr. Jones said : 
 
 "Our meeting is glorious. There were about fifty conversions 
 last night. I look for great things from now on. I have the most 
 
128 Sam P. Jonks. 
 
 and the best helpers here I ever had anywhere. Dr. Talmage's 
 church is full of consecrated workers. Dr. Talmage is greatly en- 
 couraged, and said last night's meeting was the best he ever saw. He 
 says the revival is better attended than any one he ever saw held in 
 the tabernacle." 
 
 It was not convenient for me to go to Brooklyn with Mr. Jones, 
 but the letters I received daily were full of urgent requests that I 
 join him. Finally, the conditions at home were such that I went to 
 Brooklyn during the latter part of his meeting. At most every 
 service some of the number who were converted united with the 
 church. Mr. Jones was constantly receiving letters from many 
 places where he labored in the South assuring him of sympathy and 
 prayer. This greatly encouraged him and he preached with unusual 
 power the closing week of the revival. The largest audiences that 
 he had addressed up to that time were attending his ministry. The 
 people had become accustomed to his preaching, and were working 
 earnestly for the salvation of the erring and lost. Dr. Talmage's 
 church was greatly strengthened by the direct accessions -from the 
 meeting, and the last Sunday night service was one of tremendous 
 power and force. 
 
 Standing there before the building packed and jammed, he re- 
 lated in closing his sermon the story furnished him by his old pre- 
 siding elder, Rev. Simon Peter Richardson, of the old ship going 
 out to sea. Said Brother Richardson, "I was brought up near the 
 beach of the ocean. We lived up on the hillside in sight of the 
 beach. One morning I saw a grand old ship that had been swept 
 up on the beach by the storm in the night. After breakfast I went 
 and looked all through and over that old ship. I have been on that 
 ship often. I have sat and watched the high tide — the spring tide — 
 go in and surround the ship and rise higher and higher. 'Oh do, poor 
 old ship, go out to sea!' I have said, and I would look out again 
 and see that the tide had gone out and left the old ship high and dry. 
 I have seen the tide flow out and come in and in until the old ship 
 would quiver and tremble as if about to float away. 'Do go to sea,' 
 said I, to the old ship, 'or you will crumble to pieces' ; but the tide 
 would go out and leave the ship still aground. Finally, one morn- 
 
AUDITORIUM AT CHATTANOOGA. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 129 
 
 ing, sure enough, that old ship had crumbled into ten thousand 
 pieces, and was swept off forever." 
 
 After relating the story he said : "My brother, your good wife 
 has stood by and seen this high tide come in often, and perhaps to- 
 night is the highest tide you will ever see. Old ship of humanity, 
 do go out to sea to-night. The tide is up and around you, and you 
 quiver and tremble under the pressure of this tide of grace that 
 sweeps over you. If you do not go out, you will be stranded for- 
 ever on the beach of eternal despair. God help you to turn loose 
 and go out with this tide, and enter the haven of eternal rest. Will 
 3 r ou, my brother, my sister, consent to give your heart to God and 
 start?" When he extended the invitation, hundreds responded to 
 his appeal, and the great and glorious meeting was closed. 
 
 The Brooklyn meeting was like every other meeting that he held ; 
 one of power and force, and was instrumental in bringing hun- 
 dreds to the Lord, and in adding great numbers to the church. 
 
 Upon his arrival at home, Mr. Jones received a picture painted 
 by an artist who was present that night. The picture is one of a 
 ship stranded on the beach, and the last tide gone out, and it is left 
 to crumble to pieces. A letter followed in which the artist said that 
 he was present that night and realized that if he didn't go out on 
 that tide that he would be stranded for all eternity, assuring Mr. 
 Jones that he gave his heart to God that hour, and expressed desire 
 that he would accept the gift as a token of his appreciation for the 
 illustration that had been such a blessing to him. The picture now 
 hangs in our sitting-room, and Mr. Jones valued it as much as any 
 one in our home, not because of its intrinsic value, but its asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 Dr. Talmage and Mr. Jones formed friendship that deepened and 
 broadened during the years to follow. Mr. Jones was an ardent 
 admirer of Dr. Talmage, while Dr. Talmage loved him and always 
 spoke in the highest terms of the work done in Brooklyn. When 
 Dr. Talmage made his last visit to Atlanta, he spoke of the meeting, 
 in which he said that it was the greatest and best meeting he ever 
 saw in Brooklyn, and that his people remembered, loved and cher- 
 ished Mr. Jones for the great and lasting good he accomplished 
 •during his mission there. 
 
BOOK TWO 
 
 His Activity 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 That Memorable Mating. 
 
 In speaking of the Nashville meeting, Mr. Jones always referred 
 to it as "that memorable meeting." To him, it was the greatest 
 meeting he ever conducted. It seemed to take a stronger grip upon 
 the consciences of men and to extend further in its practical results 
 than any other meeting he held. The conversions reached into the 
 thousands, and the accessions to the churches in and around Nash- 
 ville exceeded several thousands. 
 
 In speaking of the meeting six months afterwards, the presiding 
 elder of the Nashville district said he believed ten thousand acces- 
 sions were made to the churches in Nashville, and within a radius 
 of one hundred miles of the city. The great indifference that had 
 settled down upon the church life and the great worldliness which 
 had eaten the heart out of the religious life was practically broken 
 up. The liquor traffic and all of the sins and vices which accompany 
 it received such heavy blows that the result was a great victory for 
 temperance, sobriety and right living. 
 
 It is doubtful if there was ever a meeting held under such condi- 
 tions and for the same length of time that the results were so ex- 
 tensive and abiding. It will go down in history as one of the most 
 marvelous works of grace of any age. 
 
 Perhaps he was never so bitterly opposed in any work as that in 
 Nashville. An invitation had been extended him by the Protestant 
 Ministers' Association and he had accepted the call. This was early 
 in the year 1885. However, there was just a little apprehension in 
 the minds of the ministers as to the propriety of holding the meet- 
 ings in an auditorium. Mr. Jones had asked that they arrange for 
 a building or tent that would seat not less than three thousand peo- 
 ple, and if possible would accommodate five thousand. Having: 
 
 (133) 
 
134 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 failed to convince the ministers of the necessity of such a building, 
 he compromised with them by making a date to spend one Sunday 
 in Nashville in April. This would give the ministers an opportunity 
 to hear the Georgia evangelist, and see whether he could draw a 
 crowd too large for the churches. He preached three times on Sun- 
 day, occupying the pulpits of the First Presbyterian church, the 
 Cumberland Presbyterian church, and the McKendree Methodist 
 church. The immense crowds that attended rilled the churches to 
 overflowing, and hundreds went away without getting a sight of 
 the preacher. 
 
 In the "Athens of the South," Mr. Jones fired some of his biggest 
 and hottest shots. The stiff and solemn church-members laughed 
 in spite of themselves, while some of the fastidious were unmerci- 
 fully shocked. The backsliders and sinners were held up to such 
 ridicule and their backsliding and sins were so pictured to them, that 
 they stood condemned as they saw themselves. Then his pathetic 
 appeals softened and stirred every heart and the large audiences 
 were completely broken up. The preachers hardly knew what to 
 think or say. While they were friendly to the evangelist and desired 
 to see a great work done in Nashville, they were really shocked, and 
 some of them went away very angry, while others defended the 
 bravery of the minister. Mr. Jones was the subject of the conver- 
 sations of the majority of the people of Nashville. 
 
 He went on to Knoxville, where he was booked for an evangelistic 
 meeting. Great power attended his ministry there, and no building 
 could accommodate the crowds that went to hear him. The con- 
 versions were many, and the churches greatly revived. It was a 
 marvelous work of grace. 
 
 During this time, the newspapers of Nashville had been discussing 
 me sermons of Mr. Jones. The editors had given their opinions 
 and the reporters had given their views to the public. The columns 
 were open to the friends and the foes of the evangelist. Probably 
 the warmest month that daily papers ever had discussing a minister 
 was the one that intervened between Mr. Jones's first appearance in 
 Nashville and his return to conduct the great union meeting. One 
 of the daily papers said : 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 135 
 
 "Nashville is still buzzing over the visit of this unique evangelist. 
 In the daily newspapers he has been assailed bitterly and defended 
 warmly, and almost everywhere Sam Jones has been the principal 
 topic of conversation, and still the stir continues. We have not es- 
 caped condemnation for what we said in recognition of the good 
 work done by him in many places, but the responses which have 
 reached us are mostly approving. One good result, at least, has been 
 attained. There is an unusual interest in religious questions in 
 Nashville." 
 
 The Union had the following editorial the morning that Mr. Jones 
 finished his first visit to Nashville : 
 
 "After listening to him attentively, we set him down as a 'crank,' 
 his expressions in the pulpit surpassing anything we have ever 
 heard. While not rushing to the defense of the pulpit, we have 
 ever held it in reverence, regarding it as an educator in modesty, 
 dignity, gentility, and morality. We must deprecate the lowering of 
 its dignity so that the coarseness, vulgarity, slang, and positive mis- 
 representations shall not emanate from it. 'Like priest, like people.' 
 If Mr. Jones's style and language suit the good people of our city, 
 then we can no longer rightfully maintain our boast that Nashville 
 is the 'Athens of the South.' It is said that Mr. Jones has cancelled 
 an engagement in Texas to visit here. It were better for him to 
 reconsider his action. We are quite sure that he could exhibit to 
 better advantage in Texas than here. Our people are past the. age 
 of being ridiculed or abused into religion. Moreover, he defends 
 his execrable grammar, his coarseness and his slang with: 'I am 
 trying to get down on a level with my audience,' which is hardly 
 the highest compliment that could be paid our people. We have as 
 much culture, refinement and esthetic taste in Nashville as any city 
 of its size in the Union, and that this so-called reverend gentleman 
 should be permitted to say such things in our leading pulpits, and 
 then be invited to come again, amazes us beyond expression." 
 
 The next morning the preachers held a meeting in the Methodist 
 Publishing House to perfect the arrangements for the proposed 
 meeting. After hearing his sermons on Sunday, some who had been 
 friendly to his coming now openly and bitterly opposed his return. 
 
136 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 However, better counsel prevailed, and the committee determined 
 to make preparation for the meeting. We give here an account of 
 the ministerial meeting as reported, in the Nashville Banner. This 
 will give our readers an idea of the condition of affairs at that time : 
 
 "The committee appointed to arrange for a suitable place for 
 holding the union services to be conducted by Rev. Sam P. Jones 
 met in conference with the city ministers this morning at nine o'clock 
 at the Publishing House. Dr. Leftwich was called to the chair, and 
 Dr. McNeilly led in prayer. Dr. McNeilly afterward took the chair. 
 Dr. Elliott said he didn't think that all of the preachers should step 
 out of their shoes and step into those of Mr. Jones. Dr. Leftwich 
 moved that a sub-committee be appointed to correspond with a tent- 
 furnishing house, and ascertain at what price a sufficiently large 
 tent could be had. This motion was not acted upon. 
 
 "Dr. McFerrin said he thought they should have a tent, and, by 
 all means, let Rev. Sam Jones come. He would do good, provided 
 he could have the cooperation of the ministers. He had heard Mr. 
 Jones twice, and he thought he said some things which would be 
 better unsaid, and some things which could be said differently, but, 
 on the other hand, said some wonderful things which went direct 
 to the heart. He was in favor of his coming and would do all he 
 could to help the meeting. 
 
 "Dr. Leftwich said it was not the time to discuss whether Mr. 
 Jones was to come or not. He was already invited. This question 
 was settled and he would, therefore, move that a tent be purchased 
 and a committee be appointed to negotiate for its purchase. 
 
 "Dr. Barbee said he could not see the necessity of a tent. The 
 crowds he saw at Mr. Jones's meetings were nearly all church-goers 
 who attended various churches regularly. He did not agree with 
 Mr. Jones, for he believed that the majority of the church-members 
 in Nashville were Christians and making every effort in their power 
 to live Christian lives. 
 
 "Dr. W. H. Strickland thought the discussions regarding Mr. 
 Jones were wise, and it was well for him to know of these things 
 and the objections made to his teachings. He mentioned several of 
 the Vulgarisms' which he, as a pastor and knowing his people as 
 well as he did, could not endorse. 
 
Sam P. Jones. . 137 
 
 "Dr. McNeillly said he was tempted to endorse Mr. Jones out 
 and out. He heard him twice, and it did him good. There were 
 some particular things said by Mr. Jones which he didn't endorse ; 
 but, as an evangelist, he thought Mr. Jones a success and he favored 
 a union service and wanted Mr. Jones to come. 
 
 "The previous question was called, but amended so as to appoint 
 a committee of five, who should procure a tent to hold not more than 
 five thousand and not less than three thousand." 
 
 The friends of Mr. Jones had access to the columns of the daily 
 papers, and some of the most earnest and ardent Christians defended 
 the evangelist in a manly way. A contribution of an "amused spec- 
 tator" is as follows : 
 
 "The writer has been an 'amused spectator' and a listener to the 
 attacks made upon the Rev. Sam Jones. Now, while we did not 
 hear the reverend gentleman, we have been at some pains to notice 
 the reports both verbal and written. While we do not think his lan- 
 guage savors of the first schools of our land, he certainly follows the 
 example of his Master, Jesus ; and I must say he hits 'square from 
 the shoulder.' If he misses the mark in attacking our Christian 
 churches or their members, no harm can result to them. If not, and 
 they deserve it, let them flinch and squirm. Our churches are too 
 indifferent on many questions of vital interest to them. The liquor 
 question, for instance. We see by one of the morning papers, since 
 Sam Jones's accusation, it is found that out of eighty-one wholesale 
 liquor-dealers, sixty-eight are sheltered in the fold of Christian 
 churches in our city." 
 
 During that month the papers were full of bitterest criticism and 
 warmest appreciation of Mr. Jones. Other daily papers copied them, 
 and in some instances exaggerated them until Mr. Jones became 
 the most-talked-of man in the ministry. The enemies of Mr. Jones 
 and his cause had the same access to the papers, and they were as 
 strong and fearless in their denunciation of the man and his meth- 
 ods as his friends were in their commendation of him. 
 
 There had been so many evil reports circulated regarding his ser- 
 mons in Nashville, that the pastors of the Protestant churches of 
 Knoxville, Tennessee, where Mr. Jones was laboring in a meet- 
 
138 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 ing, felt called upon to send a letter to the pastors in Nashville. We 
 select a paragraph or two from this letter : 
 
 "Brethren, for twelve days we have had in our midst, and preach- 
 ing to us and our people, the Rev. Samuel P. Jones, an accredited 
 minister of the gospel in the North Georgia Conference of the M. E. 
 Church, South, laboring as an evangelist, and that we have had full 
 opportunities to learn the tendency of his teachings and character 
 of his work. By reason of evil reports, some of us at the first were 
 prejudiced against him, but having attended upon his ministry four 
 times a day for eleven consecutive days, hearing his discourses, 
 which he has handled by the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, 
 we have found no fault in him; while, somewhat as a matter of 
 taste, we could have wished some things could have been touched 
 in a different style and some matters illustrated by a less hu- 
 morous incident, nevertheless, we endorse the soundness of the gos- 
 pel he inculcated in general. We offer a prayerful testimony to his 
 zeal for the truth, his jealousy for the honor of our holy religion, to 
 his effort to glorify God, and his earnest love for the souls of men ; 
 and we testify that his preaching has been evangelical and Scriptural 
 and to the wonderful edification of saint and conviction of sinners. 
 
 "His labors here have resulted in awakening professed Christians 
 to a greater fidelity and zeal in the service of God, in public and in 
 private, and in the establishment of many family altars, where they 
 had never been erected before, and in convincing sinners of their 
 lost conditions and leading them to flee for refuge to the hope set 
 before us in the gospel ; and hundreds have given good evidence of 
 having passed from death unto life. In his hands, the trumpet has 
 given no uncertain sound. He has preached the word, he has been 
 instant in season and out of season, has reproved, rebuked, exhorted 
 with all long-suffering, he has shown God's people their transgres- 
 sions, and the house of Jacob their sins." 
 
 When he had finished his remarkable meetings in Knoxville and 
 Chattanooga, he returned to Nashville to begin the much-discussed 
 revival. A large tent that would seat about eight thousand was 
 located on Broad street. The first service was held at three-thirty 
 p.m., Sunday, May 2, 1885. Long before that hour, however, every 
 
Sam P. Jones. 139 
 
 seat under the canvas was filled and the aisles were crowded, and 
 there was fully two thousand persons standing on the outside of the 
 tent. The board-pile and rafters of the foundation of a new build- 
 ing being erected near by furnished additional standing room, and 
 the crowd extended from the main entrance of the tent over the en- 
 tire lot and down the street for over a half block. At three-thirty 
 Mr. Jones pushed his way through the crowd, and finally succeeded 
 in reaching the platform. 
 
 Among the ministers seated on the rostrum were Bishop Har- 
 grove, Rev. W. E. Cunningham, Rev. B. F. Harris, Rev. J. W. 
 Lewis, of St. Louis ; Rev. W. B. Crawford, of Mobile, Ala. ; Rev. 
 Dr. J. Witherspoon, of the First Presbyterian church; Rev. Dr. 
 Sprowles, of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and the follow- 
 ing ministers of the Methodist Episcopal church of this city : Rev. 
 Dr. McFerrin, Rev. Dr. Leftwich, and Rev. Dr. R. K. Brown. The 
 choir was composed of the members of the choirs of the city 
 churches. Professor Mcintosh, of Oxford, Georgia, led the choir. 
 Dr. McFerrin made the opening prayer, in which he asked God's 
 help for the preacher, congregation, and the people of Nashville. 
 He asked that the Lord would make the congregation feel the re- 
 sponsibility that rested upon them in this hour, when so many thou- 
 sands had assembled together and that everything that happened in 
 the tent would be done in fear of Him who created us. His prayer 
 was earnest, sympathetic and touching. The congregation then 
 sang, "Take the name of Jesus with you." Afterwards, Mr. Jones 
 was introduced to the audience and took for his text the first verse 
 of the sixth chapter of Galatians : "Brethren, if a man be overtaken 
 in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of 
 meekness, lest thou also be tempted." It was a most appropriate 
 text for the occasion, and Mr. Jones preached with all his earnest- 
 ness, zeal and power. In closing his sermon he made use of the fol- 
 lowing remarkable illustration of the battle of Franklin, and the 
 capture of the fort called "Locust Grove" : 
 
 "Now this incident, and I am through : We all love bravery. Ah, 
 there is not a man living who does not admire a brave man, though 
 he is his enemy. I want to refer to an incident of this last war. I 
 
140 Sam P. JonSS. 
 
 am sorry about that war — sorry we ever fired on the old Union flag. 
 I was too young, but if I had been old enough I would have gone 
 with my father and brother and my six uncles and fought with all 
 my might. But I will tell you this much — there is not a man who 
 walks the American soil to-day that would fight for the old Stars 
 and Stripes any quicker than I would this minute. (Applause.) 
 God knows my heart. I am loyal to the flag that floats over Amer- 
 ica, as I am loyal to the banner of Jesus Christ. (Applause.) But 
 during this last war, you know when Sherman pushed his forces 
 through Georgia, and when Johnston surrendered his forces in At- 
 lanta into the hands of General Hood, that brave Southern general, 
 who died since the war — a braver man never drew sword in battle 
 — General Hood brought Johnston's army, you recollect, back 
 through North Georgia and into Tennessee, after Sherman drove 
 Johnston to Atlanta. There Hood took charge of the Southern 
 forces and came back into Tennessee. You recollect that memor- 
 able battle of Franklin, Tennessee. This instance, not historical, 
 but in many respects true, illustrates just what I want to say to you. 
 At the battle of Franklin, General Hood had his tent pitched upon 
 a prominence, and he could overlook the whole battle to his right. 
 As you remember, he had already lost one of his legs. While the 
 battle was waging hot and thick, General Hood was limping up and 
 down in front of the tent, and whenever he would turn and face the 
 battle, he saw that there was a fort in a locust grove the Union forces 
 held, and that fort was sending forth shot and shell and death into 
 his own ranks. As he walked up and down in front of his tent, and 
 every time he turned around he would see this volley of shell and 
 death as it hewed down his ranks, and he watched the volley from 
 that fort, and directly he called his adjutant-general. 'Adjutant - 
 general, come here.' The adjutant-general loped up on his horse, 
 and General Hood said: 'Adjutant-general, go and present my 
 compliments to General Cleburne, and tell him, I ask at his hands 
 the fort in the locust grove.' The adjutant-general loped off down 
 to where General Cleburne's division of corps was, and asked for 
 General Cleburne. They said, 'He is missing; he has not been seen 
 in two hours'. We think he is killed.' The adjutant-general loped 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 141 
 
 back to General Hood and said : 'General Cleburne is missing. They 
 think he is killed. They don't know where he is.' General Hood 
 dropped his head and walked up and down in front of his tent, and 
 •every time he would turn he would see the volley of shell and death 
 play into his ranks. Again calling his adjutant-general to him, he 
 said, /Adjutant-general, go and present my compliments to General 
 Cheatham, and tell him, I ask at his hands the fort in the locust 
 grove.' The adjutant-general loped off down to General Cheat- 
 ham's quarters, and they said : 'General Cheatham is not here ; he 
 is missing. He may have been killed.' The adjutant-general hur- 
 ried back and said : 'They think General Cheatham is killed also/ 
 General Hood commenced marching up and down, and every time 
 he turned he saw that fort as it threw out its shell and death. He 
 stopped again, and said : 'Adjutant-general' His adjutant-general 
 •came up to him, then he said: 'Adjutant-general, go and present 
 my love (no compliments about this — go and present my love) to 
 General Cockrell, and tell him I ask at his hands that fort in the 
 locust grove.' The adjutant-general went down to General Cock- 
 rell's division, and he said: 'General Cockrell, General Hood pre- 
 sents his love, and asks at your hands that fort in the locust grove.' 
 General Cockrell straightened himself on the saddle, cast his bright 
 •eye down the line, and said : 'First Missouri Brigade, Attention !' 
 and dropped his finger on the fort. And they charged with a fear- 
 ful loss on that fort, and captured it and silenced the guns. And 
 Cockrell called his adjutant-general and said: 'Adjutant-general, 
 go and present my love to General Hood, and tell him I also present 
 him the fort in the locust grove.' 
 
 "Brethren of Nashville, at this hour, as adjutant-general of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, I point my finger at the citadel of sin in Nash- 
 ville, and tell you that my Lord and Saviour presents you all His 
 love, and He asks at your hands this fort that is desolating so many 
 hearts. And I hope that in less than one month from to-day I can 
 say, 'Blessed Christ, Nashville presents her love to you, and also 
 presents you the whole city saved by thy precious blood. (Cries of 
 "Amen.") O Lord, grant it. And I want every man and woman 
 here to-day that wants to join in the warfare against sin, whether 
 
142 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 you are in the church or not, if you would be on the right side and 
 try to win the city to Christ, I want every one that would see the 
 city presented to God to stand up. Let every one stand up that 
 says, 'I am in for bringing the whole city to Christ.' (Nearly the 
 whole congregation arose.) Well, thank God, we have thousands. 
 Very, few sitting, and thousands standing up and saying, 'We will 
 take the fort for Christ' " 
 
 At the close of the sermon the great audience was wild with en- 
 thusiasm. It is doubtful whether a sermon ever produced such a 
 profound impression. The people rose to their feet en masse, with 
 tears streaming down their faces, declaring their willingness to help 
 in the great work. It was one of the most thrilling scenes that mor- 
 tal eyes ever looked upon. The picture is vivid in the minds and 
 hearts of the older residents of Nashville even to this day. 
 
 In the evening before the hour appointed for service, the people 
 were seen going in droves toward the tent. By the time appointed 
 for the service it was difficult to get anywhere near the tent. Mr. 
 Jones came upon the platform rather early, and before preaching- 
 made some prefatory remarks regarding the discussions that had 
 been going on in the papers during his absence from the city. 
 "Now," said he, "all that I ask of the papers and their contributors 
 is that they give me a fair deal. You have acted cowardly in pub- 
 lishing denunciations of me, without backing them with your name. 
 I never pay any attention to an article with a nom de plume, for a 
 nom de plume is nothing more or less than a turkey-buzzard with 
 his feathers stamped off. Now, if you have anything to say about 
 me, bud, just put your name to it, and I will take care of you. If 
 you can say anything worse about me than I can about you, just 
 'lam in.' " 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 That Memorable Meeting (Continued). 
 
 This manly and fearless way of addressing them made a deep 
 impression upon the audience. They admired his courage and man- 
 liness. He completely silenced those who opposed him, and there 
 was very little condemnation in the papers during the entire meet- 
 ing. Mr. Jones announced four services daily during his entire 
 stay in the city. At sunrise he would begin the work of the day. 
 He would preach at ten o'clock and in the afternoon would conduct 
 a service and preach again at night. He then announced his text 
 and preached a sermon in which "he swept the deck and burned 
 the broom." All sorts of shams, hypocrisies, worldliness, covetous- 
 ness, drunkenness, gambling and impurity came in for their share 
 of the most terrific denunciation. What he had to say about these 
 prevailing sins was unlike anything Nashville had ever heard before. 
 He had his audience passing through all sorts of experiences, 
 laughing, weeping, approving and disapproving. He showed his 
 mastery of the situation by bringing them around to his way of 
 thinking and sending them home agreeing with himi in what he 
 had said. 
 
 The next morning a large audience was out at the sunrise meet- 
 ing, a still larger one at the ten o'clock service, and a still larger 
 in the afternoon, and at night the tent was too> small for the great 
 crowd, and standing-room was at a premium, while the curtains 
 were lifted and the people stood in rows, eager to hear what was 
 coming next. Such was the interest from day to day that before 
 the meeting closed he was addressing as many as six thousand 
 people at the early morning service at six o'clock. 
 
 The marvelous victory that he had won in these first days com- 
 
 (143) 
 
144 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 pletely captured the press of the city. We give an editorial estimate 
 from some of the daily papers. The American says : 
 
 "Such is Sam Jones as he now appears to us, bold, honest, earnest, 
 matchless in his command of an audience, fearing God but not 
 man; loving religion and law, but despising the defeated wisdom 
 of man and the conventionalities of fashionable society ; rough, but 
 magnanimous, aggressive but unselfish, devout but not Pharisaical — 
 a bubbling fount fresh from the bosom of earth; nature's own, 
 without the artificial gloss of a high cultivation — a sort of moral 
 diamond in the rough." 
 
 The Union says: "This strange preacher walked into our city 
 and attacked the vices and immoralities of social life and the evil 
 practices of church-members like a frontiersman would fight a fire 
 that threatens his fences and his barns. He spares nobody ; he pal- 
 liates nothing because respectable people do it. Social amenities 
 and a growing friendship between the church and people with 
 doubtful practices are held up and exposed as the devil's handiwork. 
 * * * Looking at him alone from a temporal standpoint it 
 is well for the people of Nashville to hold up his hands. As a 
 teacher of life's virtues, as an example of moral courage, he will 
 long be remembered by the young men of our city and surrounding 
 country. To speak, or not to speak the whole truth is often a ques- 
 tion of policy. Under the teachings of public and political life the 
 young man debates the policy of telling the truth. Mr. Jones is 
 proving to young men of the country that policy goes to pieces 
 before truth, and that with a good motive and a friendly feeling 
 the severest condemnation of a wrong gives no offense. To be a 
 coward before an audience and pander to a vicious public sentiment 
 is weakness, and when it becomes common it is a calamity.' There 
 can be no hope for a people whose public men are cowardly. We 
 do not wish to be understood as sitting in judgment on the courage 
 of the pulpit. We mean simply to say that Mr. Jones is displaying 
 sound judgment and great courage, and at the same time a truly 
 Christian spirit, in telling people plainly and bluntly of their short- 
 comings. " 
 
 The Banner says: "Rev. Sam Jones is a remarkable man, and 
 
REV. SAM P. JONES AT TIME OF NASHVITLE MEETING. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 145 
 
 yet he is a very plain, practical man. It is, in fact, his practical 
 views that give him 1 his power and influence. As Mr. Jones says, 
 many sermons place sinners way out in some dismal swamp and to 
 get to the way to heaven they must wade through mud and water, 
 climb over logs, scramble through briers, and tramp weary miles 
 before they come to the straight and narrow way, and then when 
 they find it, in nine cases out of ten they lose the little path at some 
 careless moment or during some dark night. Mr. Jones puts the 
 route to heaven in a new and original light. He says there is but 
 one broad road in the moral universe, and at one end is heaven, at 
 the other hell. 'Everybody in Nashville,' says the preacher, 'is 
 already in this road, and the way to heaven is simply in the opposite 
 direction to hell.' 'If you want to go to heaven, sinner,' said the 
 preacher, 'just stop short, face about and move off in the opposite 
 direction from your present course, and you are on your way to 
 heaven. If the Christian wants to go to> hell, let him, stop, turn 
 his back on God and heaven and move off, and he will get there/ 
 This is the way he simplifies repentance." 
 
 The great work continued day by day, not only moving the lower 
 strata of society but touching the most refined, cultured and intelli- 
 gent people of the city, and the visitors from near-by towns. No 
 preacher ever succeeded in getting hold of the thinking people of 
 Nashville as did Mr. Jones. At some of the services he would 
 throw the meetings over for testimonials. The most prominent 
 people in Nashville had received good from these services, and 
 were anxious to give their testimony. General W. H. Jackson 
 related his religious experience and thrilled every one who heard 
 him. The great soldier showed that he had fought a greater battle 
 in his religious life than those he had taken part in during the war, 
 in which he gained such a reputation for clear-headedness and cour- 
 age. He said in substance: "My friends and brethren and sisters 
 of the city of Nashville: I have never been more impressed with 
 any service in my life than this, and I am here to-day to add my 
 testimony, which is feeble and imperfect. I may have served my 
 Lord and Master, but I want to say that no other life will do for 
 any man or woman but his own. I am trying to do my best with 
 
 6 J 
 
146 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 all the temptations that surround me. Oftentimes during the war 
 when I was unconverted, the fear of being cut off without any 
 hope was to me a startling one, but I did not embrace Christianity 
 then because I knew that the motive was fear, and I resolved if 
 ever I got through that war, that I would change my course of life, 
 not from fear, but from love and gratitude to God for the many 
 mercies He had shown me, and for taking me through the danger 
 which I had passed safely. 
 
 "When I returned from the war I had never given a single thought 
 to Christianity. I was reared in a life, that of a soldier, which 
 removes men further from Christ than any other; but after the 
 war closed I determined to investigate the subject for myself and 
 satisfy myself as to the authenticity of the Scriptures. The strong- 
 est work I have read on that subject was 'Greenleaf on Evidence,' 
 from which Mr. Jones has quoted: 'Then I hesitated yet awhile 
 longer/ and I remember the closing exercises at Jackson, Tennes- 
 see, and Bishop Andrews, one of the most noble of men, while 1 
 was still hesitating used this strong figure: 'There is a man.,' said 
 he, 'who is revolving these questions in his mind, who* is yet unde- 
 cided. He reminds me of a man who has fallen overboard from 
 a vessel, and his friends who have solicitations for his safety have 
 cast him a line and beseeched him to take it, and they would yet 
 pull him up on deck and save him if he would catch the line. Just 
 at that critical junction he stops to parley with himself, and discuss 
 the question whether that rope will save him/ The moment that 
 he said that, I went forward and gave him my hand, and I have 
 faith. I, like my Brother Jones here, have tried life in all its phases 
 and I have seen men in all their stages, and though I don't pretend 
 to be perfect, I am often jostled from the paths .of duty and rec- 
 titude, but I can say before God and man that my heart is in that 
 direction and I hope to meet the duties of citizenship, and as a hus- 
 band and father lead a life that shall bring us all to heaven if 
 possible." 
 
 As the meeting progressed the opposition passed away, the people, 
 admiring the courage, earnestness and ability of Mr. Jones more 
 and more each day. One of the papers, speaking from the people's 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 147 
 
 viewpoint, had the following article, entitled, "What the people 
 think of the new preacher" : "Another day of the new preacher's 
 work has greatly increased the interest in him. The greatest inter- 
 est is among the more thoughtful people. Men who* year in and year 
 out attend to their private affairs, and talk only business, men 
 who read books, and themselves, dispense information, scientific 
 men, professional men, on streets and at their places of business talk 
 Sam Jones, and they go and hear him. Going once they go back, 
 and each succeeding time they go away more and more impressed. 
 Among themselves they discuss his merits and his powers. These 
 discussions embrace any peculiar features of the extraordinary work. 
 One of these is the fact that no police are needed at the immense 
 meetings. At night, the tent being rolled up, they may be called 
 outdoor meetings. Fully ten- thousand people surround the stand, 
 and yet there is perfect order. Nobody is watched; nobody is 
 reproved. All prejudice on account of the severity of his language, 
 the bluntness of the way of his illustrations, and the lack of clerical 
 reserve in his anecdotes has given way. A strong prejudice created 
 by some of the first sermons preached by him, has taken refuge in 
 tears and prayers. 
 
 "It has occurred to us that if Mr. Jones, in his first sermons, 
 resorted to and used illustrations which were offensive to good 
 taste, though pointed and pithy, for the purpose of arresting atten- 
 tion and bringing out the people, he underrates his own powers. 
 These illustrations to be startling — it is probably supposed — may 
 be dashed with extravagant expressions, but they, it seems to us, 
 weaken rather than strengthen his character. In this, we say, he 
 underrates his own power. This is not necessary. In what we say, 
 we have no reference to his humor, nor to the ever-recurring use 
 of illustrations, which, under the power of his earnest eloquence, 
 become not only chaste anecdotes, but gems set in the thread of 
 thought. Without these he would not be the wonderful character 
 he is, but a comparison may be made so strong that it becomes 
 offensive, and then it is remembered as a mistake. 
 
 "One of the most pleasing sights in the work which Mr. Jones is 
 doing, is the outspoken sympathy and friendship of the entire min- 
 
148 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 istry. Of course preachers differed about his work, and about his 
 methods. Preachers are in some respects like other people. Some 
 of them have in them a god deal of human nature, and rivalry 
 sometimes gets the better of their Christianity. But in this case 
 there was a real question whether the new preacher might not tell 
 too many anecdotes, and whether his coming was not a confession 
 that the church organization was inadequate for the work. 
 
 "But the new preacher has removed the last doubt; he has melted 
 up their creeds and moulded them into bullets with which to fight 
 the devil. And when he turns around and tells them to say 
 'Amen/ they speak like they were all orderly-sergeants. They 
 have manifestly left off their several church uniforms and are march- 
 ing under the banners of church union, with Captain Jones for com- 
 mander. 
 
 "With the community at large, this unity of action is disarming 
 criticism. The question among thinking men has been, when will 
 Jones run out? Are his happy hits an endless chain? But three 
 times a day he appears before a vast audience, pale and sallow, 
 rather light of build, with an intensely thoughtful face, but with no 
 signs of giving down; indeed, his physical energy seems to have 
 increased with his work; and every sermon is on a new line, with 
 a brand new set of anecdotes and illustrations, and with new 
 thoughts; all as bright and sparkling as if they had been gathered 
 from a lifetime work. 
 
 "It will be well for the cause in which this extraordinary man 
 is engaged, when the public comes to understand him better than 
 they do. 
 
 "His humor in the pulpit and his flights of imagination in illus- 
 trating and painting the vices of men, as well as his own transit, 
 as he tells it himself, from a bad to a good life a few years ago 
 creates a doubt in the minds of some as to whether he is not 
 meteoric, and to pass away into the darkness, though his life and 
 works now penetrate like a headlight. * 
 
 "What we would like to impress on the public mind is that his 
 anecdotes and illustrations are parts of his fixed character ; that they 
 are neither idle jests nor impulsive action. They are used for a 
 
Sam P. Jortss. 149 
 
 great purpose; and further, that twelve years of faithful work 
 without a break is a good guarantee of stability. These suggestions 
 are prompted by a lively sense of the fact that the whole people as 
 well as the church have a deep interest in a man of such wonderful 
 powers and such rare courage. His influence may widen until his 
 exalted courage may be a standard for men to> measure by. 
 
 "But, nevertheless, there "are many thinking men who feel a deep 
 interest in him, that believe the high pinnacles which he has reached 
 is the edge of a precipice over which he may fall when the praises 
 and the flattery of men undermine his humility. To guard against 
 this is his own work." 
 
 The newspapers were devoting much time and space in reporting 
 these wonderful meetings. While he was preaching to great audi- 
 ences in the tent, there were also thousands being reached by the 
 press. Here is where it first appeared that the press could not report 
 Mr. Jones adequately. In spite of the best reports, they failed to do 
 him justice. This was true down to the close of his life. One of 
 the papers, in speaking of this very fact, used the following : 
 
 "People who hear the great Georgia evangelist from day to day, 
 and then read the newspaper reports of his sermons, complain that 
 the reports do not do him justice, and this is true. No report of his 
 sermons, even if we had the space to give every word, would do 
 him justice. Besides his words, there is a magnetism about him 
 which becomes a part of the sermon, but this is not the main trouble 
 about the reports. Many of his expressions are harsh. They are 
 strong and harsh. These the reporter catchesi and utilizes because 
 they are so striking that they could not be. overlooked. The soft 
 and mollifying words which accompany them, and the true Chris- 
 tian spirit in which these utterances are made do not and can not 
 aeompany the report. Mr. Jones is now being thoroughly discussed 
 in the cities. Every class of people seem to be busy in asking and 
 answering questions about him, but it is not gossip in bad sense. 
 The expressions are nearly all kindness. The voice of the com- 
 munity, however, is well-nigh universal in its praise for the courage 
 with which he condemns evil practices and the boldness with which 
 he declares the law, regardless of the station in life where the prac- 
 
150 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 tices are found. People love a courageous man, and this refined 
 community first settling that he is a good man, are enthusiastic 
 over his boldness in speaking the truth." 
 
 This great revival continued for three weeks. Mr. Jones held a 
 number of special meetings for men and women which were largely 
 attended, and resulted in great good, and in the salvation of hun- 
 dreds of souls. He also preached before the State Legislature. 
 
 The Banner says: "The Forty-fourth General Assembly may 
 heartily appreciate the compliment bestowed by Rev. Sam Jones 
 upon their distinguished body. He not only carried the gospel up 
 Capitol Hill in his person, but dispensed the bread of life in lan- 
 guage chaste and eloquent. There was not a word of slang, nor 
 even an illusion by its uglier name to that place which Bob Ingersoll 
 says 'has no local habitation.' There is a marked resemblance, not 
 alone in facial organs and expressions, but in size and build, between 
 General Basil Duke and Mr. Jones. One might by more than a 
 casual acquaintance be taken for the other. 
 
 "The General Assembly should seriously consider one of his sug- 
 gestions at least. It was his denunciation of the policy of incarcer- 
 ating boys in the State prison with confirmed criminals. It is a 
 policy by which the State helps along to perdition her first offenders 
 whom an orphan asylum or house of refuge might save as worthy 
 members of society. 
 
 "There are business men now in Louisville, who, if they had been 
 sent to the State Prison (as Tennessee consigns her infant crim- 
 inals), at tender age for the first offense, would be in the Kentucky 
 penitentiary to-day. A great deal of his talk was on 'Intemper- 
 ance,' and his views were very sane and sound. He created quite 
 a favorable impression upon that august body." 
 
 One of the most remarkable converts of this great meeting was 
 Captain Tom Ryman. As Mr. Jones often said, there has been no 
 more wonderful convert to God in the nineteenth century than Tom 
 Ryma.n, of Nashville. He went to the meeting as others did, came 
 to the altar, knelt down like a child and gave his heart to the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. He was an old steamboat captain, who owned a num- 
 ber of steamboats which plied the Cumberland River, and" consid- 
 
Sam P. Jon^s. 151 
 
 erable property along the wharf, and in one of his large buildings 
 he had a large saloon. He had a bar on each of his steamboats, 
 and was known as a man of wealth. He was brought to Christ by 
 the preaching of Mr. Jones, and became a, Christian in dead earnest. 
 He cleaned out the bars on his steamers, tossed his liquors over- 
 board. His saloon was converted into a hall for religious and tem- 
 perance meetings, and was christened "Sam Jones Hall." He also 
 changed the name of one of his largest and finest steamers to the 
 "Sam Jones." 
 
 In this mission hall there was held a service every night. Cap- 
 tain Ryman employed mission workers to preach the gospel to the 
 fallen. The mission was located in one of the worst districts of 
 Nashville, and drunkards, gamblers and the fallen assembled night 
 after night to hear the simple story of redeeming love. He put 
 forth as much effort to save the erring and fallen 1 after his conver- 
 sion, as he did to drag down and debauch and damn them before 
 he found the Savior. The good work of the mission will abide for 
 years to come. Instead of having cards and liquor on the steamers, 
 he made room for the Bible, and found time for prayer-meetings. 
 The gospel was preached as effectively by example and precept on 
 the steamers day by day as in the mission hall by night. 
 
 The great building known as "The Jones-Ryman Auditorium," 
 which is considered the finest and handsomest auditorium in the 
 South, was built by the inspiration of Mr. Jones, with the financial 
 aid of Mr. Ryman. A* few years since Mr. Ryman died and his 
 funeral service was conducted by Mr. Jones at the auditorium. At 
 the memorial service held in the auditorium; in memory of Mr. 
 Jones, a rising vote of the thousands packed into the building, 
 changed its name to "The Jones-Ryman Auditorium," in honor of 
 Mr. Jones, who inspired it, and the other who executed the plan. 
 
 There was such interest manifested in Mr. Jones and his welfare 
 that an effort was made to have him, make Nashville his permanent 
 home. The citizens offered to give him a handsome home in the 
 city. We print the letter tendering Mr. Jones this home : 
 
152 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Nashville, Tenn., May 27, 1885. 
 "Rev. Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Our Esteemed Friend and Brother: As the chosen in- 
 strument of God through the power of His grace and the 
 Holy Spirit, you have done a great work in this city in 
 arousing the people from their lethargy in the conversion of very 
 many souls, and in the good seed sown, which will surely bring 
 forth an abundant harvest hereafter and cause the lilies of peace to 
 spring up at the feet of many and the glory of heaven to beckon us 
 all on ; as appreciative of your work, and believing as we do that this 
 central city, the educational and religious, point of the South, would 
 be a better location for yourself and family, we, the undersigned 
 committee, representing subscriptions from all classes, races and 
 occupations of our community, tender you a home in our midst, and 
 sincerely hope that no field other than the best location for the pro- 
 duction of your glorious work will decide your answer. 
 
 Trusting it will be favorable to an acceptance of your removal 
 here, we remain, with the best wishes of our hearts for continued 
 happiness, peace and comfort to* you and yours. 
 
 Very sincerely, 
 
 W. H. Jackson, Chairman. 
 J. Horton Fai.Iv, Secretary." 
 
 Interested gentlemen had obtained subscriptions to the amount 
 of ten thousand dollars, which would be expended in purchasing him 
 a home if it would be accepted as a permanent residence. The letter 
 was handed to the evangelist at the residence of Captain T. G. 
 Ryman, where he was invited to dine. About thirty gentlemen were 
 present when Mr. Jones broke the envelope. Its generous contents 
 quite unmanned him and tears gathered in his eyes when he knew the 
 deep meaning which the offer expressed. In response, he wrote as 
 follows : 
 
 "NashvtUvE, Tenn., May 27, 1885. 
 "Gen. W. H. Jackson, Chairman. 
 
 "Dear Sir and Brother : Your communication of this date was 
 duly received. I have gratefully and prayerfully considered its con- 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 153 
 
 tents. It pains me deeply to say to such generous friends whom I 
 love so much that to leave my home and State involves more to me 
 than I feel authorized to^ assume. My wife feels the same gratitude 
 herself, and her judgment has always controlled me as her prayers 
 have sustained me, and she, for reasons which control a mother's 
 heart, with six children to care for in the continued absence of hus- 
 band and father, is disinclined to the move. You, sir, and the noble 
 people of Nashville shall ever have our prayers. 
 
 "I am yours with my eyes full of tears and my heart full of 
 gratitude. 
 
 Sam P. Jones." 
 
 Before leaving the city arrangements were made for him to return 
 at an early date and raise money to put the Y. M. C. A. upon a 
 safe basis, The management had anticipated that they could not 
 erect a building of more cost than thirty thousand dollars. The 
 donations began to pour in and the amount was so 1 encourag- 
 ing that it soon developed the fact that a much larger sum 
 could be realized. The hundreds rolled up rapidly and in- 
 terest deepened every moment. In half an hour Secretary 
 Humes announced that fifteen thousand dollars had been prom- 
 ised. The statement gave an impetus to contributions, and a 
 -contract subscription book. The appeals of Mr. Jones were used to 
 marked effect, and contributions flowed freely. When the total 
 -reached twenty-five thousand dollars the excitement grew intense. 
 At half-past ten o'clock the subscriptions had run to a still larger 
 sum and solicitations closed for the night. The handsome Y. M. 
 C. A. that now means so much to the young manhood of Nashville 
 was put upon a permanent basis through the generosity and inspira- 
 tion of Mr. Jones. 
 
 Near the close of this great revival the people began to raise the 
 question "Will it last?" One of the papers answered , it in this way: 
 "The meetings have been going on for about twenty-one days, dur- 
 ing which time Mr. Jones has preached three or four times a day. 
 At the time of this writing, six o'clock in the evening, the crowd at 
 the gospel tent is a sight to look at, the whole city being in the 
 
154 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 notion to take part in the last services. The effect upon this com- 
 munity has been wonderful, and the question constantly is asked,. 
 'Will the work the evangelist has done last?' But, to determine 
 this question, the nature and the character of this work must be 
 considered. We are not now considering the question of con- 
 version, whether the hundreds who have professed religion have 
 been genuinely converted ; outside of this, over and above the actual 
 conversions, the preacher has impressed the community as it was 
 never done before. Men and women of all grades of society have 
 been affected. This is not emotional. Hundreds of men have quit 
 swearing. Many men who drank publicly have quit it, and there 
 is in the minds of all our best citizens that the city is in a better 
 condition, so far as the morals of society and the habits of men are 
 concerned. The best evidence that the work will be lasting is found 
 in the fact that all our best citizens are rejoicing in the change and 
 in the fact that a great many men hitherto on the wrong side have- 
 openly and before the world changed front. Whether this work 
 shall last depends in some measure on the future life of him who< 
 performed it. Mr. Jones will leave Nashville with the eyes of fifty 
 thousand people following him. As long as our good people can turn 
 to him, to his growing fame, and say he is still humble, he is still a> 
 devout man, he still practices what he preaches, they will, with 
 pleasure and pride acknowledge his precepts, recognize his leader- 
 ship and uphold the moral structure which he has erected. Judging 
 from his lofty bearing, great intellectual strain, and unostentatious 
 piety, there is every reason to believe he will not fall." 
 
 In closing the account of the great work in Nashville, we wish 
 to include an editorial that appeared in the Christian Advocate, May 
 30, 1885. As Mr. Jones was a Methodist and the Advocate the- 
 general organ of the M. E. Church, South, it seems fitting that this 
 editorial estimate should be inserted at the close of this chapter. It 
 is impossible to publish the entire account, as it covers four columns, 
 in the Advocate. We insert the first two paragraphs : 
 
 "Sam Jones 'has the floor.' His sayings and doings are the cur- 
 rent subject of conversation, not only in Nashivlle, but all over ther 
 immense region of which it is the geographical and literary center.. 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 155 
 
 He is the man of the hour. His preaching in Nashville during the 
 past two weeks has been attended by unprecedented, crowds, and with 
 the most extraordinary results. Drunkards have renounced their 
 liquor-drinking; gamblers have given up their evil occupation; 
 church-members, convicted of complicity with sin, have broken off 
 from wrong courses; thousands of persons of all ages, sexes, and 
 grades of -society have publicly announced their purpose to give up 
 their sins and lead better lives. The Tennessee newspaper press 
 has discussed the man editorially ; all concede his remarkable power, 
 but differ in their analysis of its constituent elements. With 
 scarcely an exception they accord to him not only genius of a rare 
 •quality but evident honesty and glowing zeal for God and love to 
 man. 
 
 "The pastors and Christian people of the various churches of 
 Nashville have heartily co-operated with the evangelist in his 
 labors, and while this is a season of salvation for sinners it is a love- 
 feast for the saints. Presbyterians, Baptists, Disciples, Cumber- 
 land Presbyterians, and Methodists, are all united in the great 
 revival, their pastors sitting together on the platform; in the big 
 tent, and working together in conducting the exercises of singing, 
 praying, and instructing inquirers. This feature of this wonderful 
 occasion is especially gratifying to us. Christians must come closer 
 together and work more unitedly before they bring the world to 
 Christ. These union services in Nashville under the leadership of 
 'Sam' Jones point in this direction. Greater things than these will 
 be seen before this generation passes. But he must be seen and 
 heard to be appreciated." 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 In Missouri and St. Louis, 
 
 After Mr. Jones left Nashville, he conducted several brief meet- 
 ings in smaller cities, and visited some camp-meetings and Chau- 
 tauqua assemblies. In July, 1885, he held a great tent-meeting at 
 Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The influence of his work in Nashville 
 had extended to Murfreesboro, and he found a religious atmos- 
 phere when he began the work there. While the opportunities were 
 not as large as those in Nashville, the work was intensely spiritual,, 
 and the whole town practically converted. Some of the most promi- 
 nent men were reached, and many of the most wicked, including- 
 barkeepers, were converted. One morning just after the early 
 prayer-service, a leading saloon-keeper hauled his liquor down to 
 the station and sent it back to the wholesale house in Nashville, and 
 abandoned the business altogether. The audiences were immense,, 
 people coming from Nashville and the surrounding country, 
 and the town was completely revolutionized. He went over to 
 Monteagle Assembly and preached a few times before the great 
 chautauqua. From there he visited High Bridge (Kentucky) camp- 
 meeting, and spent a few days. His ministry was attended by thou- 
 sands at this famous camping-ground. Many were converted, while 
 others refused to yield to Christ. One of the saddest incidents con- 
 nected with his preaching there followed one of his earnest sermons, 
 when a young stalwart fellow who had been standing listening for 
 fifteen or twenty minutes, turned with an oath on his lips, and said 
 that he had enough of that. He walked down to the station and 
 stood but a few minutes, when a train came along. He grabbed at 
 the ladder at the side of the car, missed his balance and fell, and the 
 wheels crushed him, and he was in the presence of God in less than 
 twenty minutes from the time that he turned with an oath upon his, 
 lips. 
 
 (156) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 157 
 
 Part of August was spent in Cartersville, at his tent-meeting, 
 which had been inaugurated the year before. 
 
 His first work in Missouri was at Plattsburg. He had spent a 
 few days there in July, at the camp-meeting, and returned in Sep- 
 tember to hold revival services. The committee in charge of the 
 camp-meeting asked him to come there ten years in succession, and 
 promised to make any kind of preparation that he might wish. He 
 agreed, if possible, to visit their annual gathering, and for several 
 years had charge of the great camp-meeting at the famous Mineral 
 Springs. The revival that he conducted in the fall was in many 
 respects one of the greatest in his life. He repeatedly preached to 
 ten thousand people, and frequently there were at least twenty thou- 
 sand who were trying to hear him. Thousands of these hearers 
 were converted, and the atmosphere of the town and surrounding 
 country was wonderfully purified. 
 
 Before leaving Plattsburg, he preached his famous sermon on 
 "Prisoners of Hope." There were three or four special newspaper 
 reporters from St. Louis and other leading cities, and during the 
 sermon they forgot to report his words, and for ten or fifteen min- 
 utes sat there with their mouths wide open. When he went back 
 to his tent, he locked the door, and those reporters beat and banged 
 on the door to get him to reproduce that part of the sermon which 
 they had lost. He seemed to be inspired while covering that im- 
 pressive part of his sermon, and spoke as he never did before, or 
 since, about the immortal life of his sainted mother. He described 
 how she died, and the impression that death made upon his youthful 
 mind. He pictured a long, weary journey back to the graveyard 
 where she was buried. He said, "I must see her again, must look 
 into her eyes and see her sweet form." In his imagination he stood 
 there, with a shovel in his hand, opening the grave, and with each 
 shovel of dirt, he would say, "I must see my mother again." He 
 went through all the motions. Finally, he reached down with both 
 hands, and picked up a handful of dust, and standing there in the 
 most dramatic way — Booth himself never saw the day he could have 
 equaled it — and such a look of disappointment that came over his 
 face, as he stood there speechless for a moment. He said, "Is that 
 
158 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 my mother? Is that all that is left of my precious mother?" How 
 awful was the suspense of that moment. Slowly he moved his posi- 
 tion, and standing under the arc light, he looked away towards 
 heaven, and a smile came upon his face, then he exclaimed : "Yes, 
 I shall see my mother again." Repeating Paul's words, "This cor- 
 ruption shall put on incorruption ; this mortal shall put on immor- 
 tality," with his face radiant, he said : "In the light of this beautiful 
 scripture, my mother is transformed into an angel of light, and she 
 hovers over me on loving pendant wings, and beckons me up to her 
 home on high, where I shall see my mother again." 
 
 The next great meeting was at St. Joseph. One of the largest 
 tents that could be had was secured, and the attendance from the 
 city and adjoining towns was as large as at Plattsburg. The most 
 prominent men, including physicians, lawyers, judges, and million- 
 aires were converted at this meeting. A very striking story appeared 
 in the morning paper to this effect : "Jones is not doing much with 
 the thirty." Next morning the papers said : "The thirty were pretty 
 well represented at the meeting." Mr. Jones said to some friends, 
 "What does this thirty business mean?" "Oh," they replied, "there 
 are in this city thirty millionaires; thirty men in the world worth 
 over one million." While some of those men were true, noble, gen- 
 erous Christians, the majority of them were not, and the meeting 
 did not make much impression upon them, as the spirit of the work 
 was in conflict with their lives. However, some of them were finally 
 converted, and joined the church. Mr. Jones said to one of the 
 wealthiest of them : "Well, my brother, you have disposed of your 
 soul, you have given it to God, but you have a heap harder job left 
 before you what to do with your money. You had better begin to 
 unload now. Shell down the corn, for if you are ever damned, it 
 will be by your money. Mark what I tell you. If I had one-tenth 
 of the money some of you men have in this town, and did not do 
 any better with it than you do, the devil would get me as certain as 
 my name is Sam Jones, and if you have got as much sense as I have, 
 and you don't get up from where you are, the devil will get you sure ; 
 you can put that down." This is just one of the many remarkable 
 incidents that happened at St. Joseph. A very substantial result of 
 
Sam P. Jones. 159 
 
 the meeting was raising the money for a handsome Y. M. C. A. 
 building. 
 
 It was in St. Louis where Mr. Jones waged the greatest battle 
 in Missouri, He went there on the sole invitation of Dr. W. V. 
 Tudor, pastor of the Centenary Methodist church, sustained by the 
 official board and congregation of that church. 
 
 The meting began in the Centenary Methodist church, on Sun- 
 day morning, in November of 1885. Dr. Tudor met Mr. Jones at 
 the station, and about the first thing that happened after the preach- 
 ers shook hands was an incident that was typical of Mr. Jones. The 
 inevitable reporter was on hand, and playfully intimated that his 
 paper intended to deal with Mr. Jones. The preacher's reply was: 
 "Pitch in, brother; there is nothing I despise more than a dull 
 time." Mr. Jones was entertained at the home of Dr. Tudor. 
 
 It wasn't long after his arrival in St. Louis until Mr. Jones had 
 a hold upon the city, and the other churches were opened for serv- 
 ices. The preachers were cooperating and uniting in the meetings. 
 From first to last he had the ear of the people, as no other man rarely 
 had. The crowds at the church were so large that one could scarcely 
 get standing-room. The prominent preachers gave their support 
 and endorsement to the great work of Mr. Jones. 
 
 The day services were continued in the different churches. Some 
 of the services were held at the St. John Methodist church; others 
 at the Compton Avenue Presbyterian church, and still others in the 
 Centenary Methodist church, where the meeting began. Great 
 crowds thronged these respective places of worship every day. A 
 very amusing little incident happened at one of the day services in 
 Centenary church. It is an example of the exquisite aptness and 
 humor of Mr. Jones's illustrations. He was conducting an expe- 
 rience meeting one afternoon. Finally, a godly woman stood up 
 and gave one of the sweetest of testimonies, which was backed by 
 her faith and piety. But before she sat down, as was usual with 
 her she fell into the falsetto, which she called shouting, and pres- 
 ently remarked, "Brother Jones, Dr. Tudor doesn't like to hear me 
 shout. Whenever I do, he 'rings' me down." As the good old wo- 
 man resumed her seat, Brother Jones said, "Well, sister, I do not ob- 
 
160 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 ject to shouting, but some people when they shout are like a little 
 steamer I know of on the Coosa river, in Alabama. She has a big 
 whistle, but a very small boiler, and every time she blows her whistle 
 she stops — she can't blow and run at the same time." 
 
 St. Louis was the largest city in the South or Southwest that Mr. 
 Jones had visited. However, he had held meetings in larger cities, 
 as he had been in Brooklyn with Dr. Talmage. The great "Metrop- 
 olis of the Southwest," with its great national dailies, furnished him 
 a larger scope and a greater field than any other city he had visited. 
 The wickedness and sinfulness of the city furnished him with ma- 
 terial he had not run across heretofore. While the opportunities 
 were the very greatest, there were many difficulties that had to be 
 confronted. 
 
 The newspapers of St. Louis did a great deal toward keeping 
 Mr. Jones and his work before the public. The Globe-Democrat 
 was in a position to give him greater publicity than the Memphis or 
 Nashville papers, where he had held the two greatest meetings of 
 his life. The editor of the Globe-Democrat liked Mr. Jones and 
 published verbatim reports of his sermon. The editorial comments 
 were very favorable. This paper brought him into greater promi- 
 nence than any other one had up to that time. In later years the 
 newspapers claimed that they had made Sam Jones. Mr. Jones 
 replied : "Well, why don't you make another?" As far as the news- 
 papers could contribute towards the making of Mr. Jones, the 
 Globe-Democrat did its share. The interest the Globe-Democrat 
 took in Air. Jones created just a little friction between the great 
 Catholic editor and the Catholic priest — however, the editor con- 
 tinued to give full accounts of the meetings. This little press no- 
 tice which has reference to the priest and the Globe-Democrat is 
 worthy of a place here : "Father Phelan continues his sectarian as- 
 saults upon Sam Jones, but the great religious daily paper prefer- 
 ring the orthodox to the sectarian continues to be the organ of Sam 
 Jones." 
 
 While there was created a great deal of antagonism towards Mr. 
 Jones and his methods, still the services continued to gain mo- 
 mentum, as will be seen from the following clipping: 
 
■•'.<M:< .''.■' 
 
 ' a ;" : : -'.r 
 
M. J. MAXWEI.lv, FIRST CHORISTER. 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 161 
 
 "Ten clays have the meetings been held; three regular services 
 daily in Centenary church, and in the great Music Hall. Mr. Jones 
 gathers the crowd. The Music Hall was packed with men on Sun- 
 day afternoon. So large an audience of men never listened to a 
 preacher before in the history of this city. The object in holding a 
 meeting 'for men only' was that they might be able to hear. The 
 .sermon was grand, strong, and very effective, and contained nothing 
 which might not have been delivered before any audience. It was 
 pure enough diction for any pulpit. The preacher so far has been 
 directing his discourses to the church. The errors, follies and sins 
 of the church have been exposed, reproved, satirized, ridiculed, de- 
 nounced. The general tenor of the sermons has been, an echo of 
 the demand made by the stern preacher in the wilderness, 'Bring 
 forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance/ The work, hencefor- 
 ward, is to have more direct reference to non-professors. The 
 preacher has gained a good position for his work in this respect, his 
 plain dealing with professors having given him the ear and confi- 
 dence of outsiders, and we expect good work to be done in the fur-, 
 ther progress of the meeting. 
 
 "A large number of our preachers attend the meetings. Many 
 ministers of other denominations are hearing Mr. Jones with inter- 
 est. They admire his strong common sense, and feel that all the 
 peculiarities of manner and style which the fastidious criticise are 
 of little importance compared with the brave, true heart and prac- 
 tical sense that give to his sermons their general character and tone. 
 
 "No one can accuse Sam Jones of an affected style, or of relying 
 on anything but the truth and the Spirit of God for success. And as 
 to his rough speeches, the people have not found him as rude in 
 speech as they expected. Either reports have been exaggerated, or 
 the preacher has somewhat changed. 
 
 "Several persons went forward for prayers this morning (Tues- 
 day), and there were nearly a hundred requested prayers last night 
 at the hall. 
 
 "Many of our young preachers have come desiring, as is com- 
 mendable, to take lessons from Mr. Jones's preaching. If they carry 
 away something of the simplicity and honesty and zeal of the evan- 
 
162 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 gelist they will be profited by hearing him. If they try to imitate 
 his language they will sadly blunder ; if they make him a model in 
 style they will make themselves ridiculous. We do not suggest that 
 Sam Jones makes himself ridiculous. Ragged bowlders seem in 
 place upon the side of a mountain, but would be out of harmony on 
 a hillock. There is the harmony of naturalness in Sam Jones." 
 
 There was very little opposition on the part of the newspapers. 
 They were very generous in their editorial comments, and allowed 
 much space in their reportorial department. This was greatly ap- 
 preciated, not only in St. Louis, but in the surrounding country. 
 We notice a communication to the Globe-Democrat of December 2, 
 1885, saying: "I beg to assure you that your wonderful interest in 
 publishing the sermons of Sam Jones is duly appreciated by your 
 country friends. They are a great benediction to thousands of the 
 great North and Southwest. I have been traveling nine years into 
 St. Louis, and all the train boys and newspaper dealers everywhere 
 tell me they sell five Globe-Democrats to one Republican. There 
 is such a demand now for Sam Jones's sermons that the boys on the 
 train run out of the papers frequently before they reach me, and 
 copies are sold in advance of the newspaper. Send more out to the 
 boys. Hurrah for the Globe-Democrat and Sam Jones." 
 
 However, the Globe-Democrat freely admits that it does not un- 
 derstand the methods of Mr. Jones. It says when the professing 
 Christians of Nashville secured Sam Jones to convert the publicans 
 and sinners of that town, they were no more able to understand his 
 methods than is the Globe-Democrat. "We brought you here to 
 pitch into the sinners," said the committee on grievances, "and here 
 you are pitching into us and not saying a word about the sinners. 
 What sort of a way is this?" "Now, never you mind," said the 
 Georgia Member of the Democratic Church militant, "I haven't 
 come to the sinners yet — I never scald hogs until I get my water 
 hot." 
 
 The St. Louis Republican was equally as generous in reporting 
 Mr. Jones's work as the Globe-Democrat. They did not give ver- 
 batim reports of his sermons, but wrote up the meetings in a very 
 impartial way. They also had a number of editorial estimates of 
 
Sam P. Jones. 163 
 
 Mr. Jones and his work, which were very fine. We insert one of 
 these : 
 
 "Rev. Samuel Jones, of Georgia, 'Evangelist,' if you prefer" it — 
 though he calls himself plain 'Sam Jones' — is a man who challenges 
 our admiring wonder, as a combination of Sidney Smith, Francis 
 Bacon, Sancho Panza, and Josh Billings, with a strong leaven of 
 the Major Jones of Georgia, who was so well known before the 
 war. Perhaps, the Rev. Sam Jones and the Major are of blood kin, 
 but though they certainly have qualities in common, the preacher 
 Jones is a much greater man and one destined to a greater celebrity 
 than the late officer in the Georgia militia. Since the Republican, 
 north of the Ohio river, discovered this new Georgia wonder, our 
 readers are not unacquainted with him, but he is a man who grows 
 on you with acquaintance. He never opens his mouth but there 
 issues a stream of constant truth, home-made proverbs and Georgia 
 maxims which stick in the memories of those who hear or read 
 them. Some of his sayings are full of a deep philosophy, and he 
 says nothing without force, because he says nothing that he does 
 not believe. 'Talk about an honest man starving to death,' he says 
 in a recent sermon, 'they won't starve. God will feed an honest 
 man if he has to put the angels on half rations.' That sentence is a 
 religion, a code of morals, a creed and a system of philosophy in it- 
 self, all compact enough to carry in the vest pocket for ready refer- 
 ence in everything from trading off a glandered horse to giving a 
 decision from the Supreme bench. The man who believes that God 
 will put the angels on half rations before he would let an honest 
 man starve, is not likely to steal, starve or beg. 
 
 " 'What's culture worth,' inquires he in another connection. 'It's 
 only whitewash on a rascal. I'd rather have to learn my A, B, C's 
 in heaven than to know Greek in hell.' He does not mean that cul- 
 ture is worthless, but simply that culture is worthless and an evil 
 without honesty. He prays God to keep his boy pure and honest, 
 though the child dies a fool, forgetting only that it is the fool who 
 is most apt to be dishonest. Though his philosophy is frequently 
 narrow, it is always strong, even in its inconsistencies. It is not be- 
 coming in a man of his inflexible opinions to denounce opinion, but 
 he does it, nevertheless, in a homely and forcible style." 
 
164 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 While in Missouri and St. Louis Mr. Jones did not lose an oppor- 
 tunity to preach against the liquor traffic. In fact, from the very 
 first time he ever opened his mouth as a minister of the gospel until 
 the last sermon fell from his lips before going to heaven, there were 
 very few sermons in which he did not preach directly against the 
 traffic or by suggestion hurl his truths at this national evil. In his 
 great meetings in Memphis and in Nashville he poured out his soul 
 in denouncing the evils of the saloon. In both of those cities he 
 converted hundreds, and perhaps thousands, from the intoxicating 
 cup, and created a powerful sentiment against the business. 
 
 In his preaching against the liquor traffic he was taken to task by 
 the Globe-Democrat. In one of his masterful sermons on "Sowing 
 and Reaping" he answers the Globe-Democrat in the following way : 
 
 " 'Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,' is as true in 
 a spiritual and moral sense as it is in a physical. You sow whisky 
 and reap drunkards. The man who disputes that disputes premises 
 as sound as eternity and conclusions as clear as the mind of God. The 
 Globe-Democrat takes exceptions to what I said about sixty thousand 
 marching to hell by the whisky route yearly. Well, it looks like it, 
 when there are twelve hundred barrooms in St. Louis swinging 
 them into line, three thousand in Chicago, and Kansas City sprin- 
 kled all over with them like the stars of night. Wherever there is a 
 barroom that means ten men that will never recross the line. Di- 
 rectly and indirectly I have not near come up to the mark when I 
 said sixty thousand would go into a drunkard's grave in America. 
 The cussing, black-mouthed barkeeper is a gentleman and a Chris- 
 tian by the side of a town that will license or permit it to be sold. 
 God pity a quack doctor that carries his saddlebag full of whisky 
 and prescribes it for everything. He is not good enough to be a dog, 
 much less a doctor." 
 
 This unique and fearless manner of preaching was stirring the en- 
 tire city. He was making an impression upon the great lawyers, 
 business men, ministers, and editors as few men have been able to 
 do in the pulpit. The Globe-Democrat about this time said: "Sam 
 Jones is a bright streak in the moral heaven. The St. John M. E. 
 Church last night was crowded, chairs being placed in every nook and 
 
Sam P. Jones. 165 
 
 corner and the Sunday-school connecting this with the main audi- 
 ence-room was also filled. Mr. Jones stood on a platform near the 
 doorway, between the two rooms, and preached as he never preached 
 in St. Louis before. He reasoned with his hearers, told them of 
 God's persistent love, wept as he recited his own religious sorrows, 
 grew solemn and serious as he depicted the day of God's wrath, and 
 succeeded in making a deep and lasting impression. 
 
 "The platform was crowded with the ministers of the city, who 
 were deeply impressed with the magnificent sermon that he had 
 preached." 
 
 Here is a message to the husband taken from that memorable ser- 
 mon on "The Calls of God," as he delivered it that night : "I just 
 want to look at every man to-night who has a good religious wife. 
 I want to say this to you, and may the Holy Spirit of God burn it 
 into your conscience. Listen to me, friends, listen. The man who 
 stamps upon a good wife's heart and almost crushes the last drop of 
 blood out of it, let me say to you, sir, you owe that wife a debt that 
 you can never pay her until you pay it at the cross of Jesus Christ.. 
 You owe those innocent children that throw their arms around your 
 neck and love you with all their hearts — you owe those precious inno- 
 cent children a debt that you never can pay until you pay it with your 
 wife around the consecrated altar of God. It is a source of everlast- 
 ing joy to me as I live. [Tears here coursed down the cheeks of Mr. 
 Jones.] I had at my home a precious child when I was a wicked, 
 wayward, godless man. It is the only sweet child I had who ever 
 looked in my face when I was not a Christian. That child is in 
 heaven, but, thank God, I have no other child that looked in its 
 father's face when he was not trying to serve God and do right. 
 
 "Oh," friend, when you talk about children! If you can not touch 
 a man when you bring to bear upon him the relations of his precious 
 children, then he is dead to everything that is noble and pure and 
 good. God is going to take something from us. As I said just now, 
 there is many a happy circle in this town, but you mark what I say at 
 this moment, you had better look out. God don't like the way you 
 are doing, brother. He don't like the example you are setting your 
 children, and if God takes two or three of your sweet children to 
 heaven this winter, you are going to be a better father to those that 
 are left; now, mark what I say." 
 
166 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 The interest increased until there was no church in the city that 
 could begin to accommodate the tremendous crowds that sought to 
 hear Mr. Jones. In order to give the people a chance to hear him, 
 the Music Hall was rented at an expense of one hundred and twenty- 
 five dollars a night, and its doors thrown open to the public. He 
 literally preached his way into the hearts of the people until he 
 crowded himself out of the largest churches and made it absolutely 
 necessary for him to have larger quarters. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 In Missouri and St. Louis (Continued). 
 
 In making the announcement of the change from the churches to 
 the auditorium, Mr. Jones said : 
 
 "To-morrow night you can expect us at the exposition building, 
 where we will have plenty of room. I don't say this in a boasting 
 spirit. I am human and I use the personal pronoun '1/ but it is all 
 for God, and there is nothing which I have that He can not have — 
 every cent I have, or even my life. I don't ask you to endorse my 
 method ; I don't reckon your endorsement would help me or benefit 
 you. I seek only God's endorsement and no other's, not even my 
 wife's or children's ; or even my mother's if she were alive. I want 
 every Christian minister in this town to take stock in this revival. 
 It is true I am a Methodist, but I don't have sectarianism in this 
 fight. Methodism is only a duster ; when I get to heaven I will take 
 it off, and go in wearing the cloth coat under it. Some people don't 
 believe in revivals. A young lady, whose father was a minister, once 
 said to me : 'My father doesn't believe in revivals,' and I answered : 
 'Then your father and the devil agree on that point, no matter on 
 what other points they differ.' 
 
 "Once a minister said that his church was the true church, and I 
 replied that his church was only a crocheting society. That preacher 
 looked as if he didn't like my reply, but after thinking the matter 
 over and writing me a letter touching on the subject, I next heard 
 of him standing up in his own church and saying, 'Sam Jones was 
 right.' " 
 
 When we remember that Mr. Jones went to St. Louis for a 
 Methodist meeting to be held at Centenary church, and was prac- 
 tically a stranger in the city, the people knowing nothing of him or 
 his work but what they had gathered from the newspapers, that he: 
 
 (167) 
 
168 Sam P. Jonks. 
 
 should have crowds demanding such a building, is really a marvel. 
 What preacher living or dead could have gotten such a hold upon 
 the city ? Perhaps some thought that he would be unable to fill the 
 great Music Hall, but a notice appears in the daily paper which 
 speaks of his first appearance in the Music Hall : 
 
 "Sam Jones drew a crowd last night that filled the great Music 
 Hall in the exposition building, and nobody left the hall until the 
 benediction had been pronounced. Several times during his address 
 he was heartily applauded. There were plenty of other occasions 
 when his peculiar wit evoked laughter, and every now and then there 
 was a dead silence, where one might have expected laughter or ap- 
 plause, showing that the oratorical shaft was barbed and had struck 
 home. Outside of the address there was a prayer by Dr. Tudor, the 
 smging of two hymns and the announcement of the week's services. 
 There will be services at Centenary Methodist church every morning 
 and afternoon and on Thursday evening. On other evenings serv- 
 ices will be held at the Exposition Music Hall. Now that the work 
 is assuming shape, the local clergy are taking hearty interest." 
 
 Mr. Jones created such a stir in St. Louis that worldliness was 
 being considerably checked. The social life of the city was being 
 broken into by his preaching. The card parties and other worldly 
 amusements were suffering at his hands. The theaters were being 
 greatly reduced in their attendance, and all classes of people were in 
 attendance upon the meetings. All forms of worldliness and wick- 
 edness were being disturbed. His wit, humor, sarcasm and pathos 
 made it possible for him to be the sensation that he was. While a 
 great many people take exceptions to the use of consecrated wit in 
 the pulpit, nevertheless it has proved its place in the pulpit by its re- 
 sults. Nearly every great preacher has made use of it. Moody and 
 Spurgeon were especially effective while employing it. All of this 
 talk called forth a very effective tribute to Mr. Jones and his man- 
 ner of speech. I think it is worthy of a place here : 
 
 "From time to time preachers have appeared who seemed raised 
 up for the special work of raising the popular heart to an appre- 
 ciation of the claims of Christ upon their allegiance. Such a preach- 
 er was John the Baptist, the greatest of them all, who spoke under 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 16& 
 
 the great blue vault of Nature's heavens. Some of the popular ora- 
 tors have used sarcasm with singular effect, as, for example, Hugh 
 Latimer, the great reformer, bishop and martyr. For weeks Lati- 
 mer spoke in the open air at Paul's Cross in London. He exposed 
 the non-preaching prelates, the rich bishops, who never opened their 
 mouths to the people, but occupied themselves with the politics, the 
 intrigues, the scandals of the various European courts. 
 
 "Latimer, too, indoctrinated the masses in true piety, and to his 
 personal influence it is due mainly that England embraced the re- 
 formed religion. But Latimer was a prince of jokers, as well as the 
 prince of preachers. His sermons of the 'Plough' abound with 
 jokes, local hits, sarcasm and /points,' some of which have not lost 
 their flavor to this day. 
 
 "A pulpit use of wit is no new thing, and is a powerful vehicle for 
 good. Sam Jones is as keen as a razor, as sarcastic as a Latimer 
 himself. He uses the language, employs the ideas and exposes the 
 follies and vices of the great mass of humanity, of which each of us 
 are liable to esteem ourselves a most important part. 
 
 "Sam Jones is loyal to the truth — the sad truth of man's fallen 
 condition by sin and the glorious counter-truth of Christ's redeem- 
 ing power upon the heart. Brother Jones is fully in earnest, proba- 
 bly has not seen an idle hour since he was converted, and conse- 
 quently he has done, and is doing, a great work for good. His hu- 
 mor is exquisite, his irony as keen as a thorn. Taken altogether, his 
 seriousness, his fun, his pure, simple Bible religion, his evident sym- 
 pathy with souls, constitutes Sam Jones a power for good — unique, 
 peculiar, versatile, effective. 
 
 "No such extended interest in any one man has recently been ex- 
 cited in our midst, and the interest seems to be everywhere the same. 
 Great crowds have heard this newest apostle, and we have great 
 reason to hope that our community will be permanently benefited by 
 his ministrations." 
 
 One of the best estimates of Mr. Jones and his work in St. Louis 
 was written by the Rev. Dr. Godby in the Southern Methodist: 
 
 "No evangelist that has ever visited this city has been heard by 
 such large congregations, and no one has more impressed his hearers 
 
170 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 with his manliness, courage and broad and correct views of Chris- 
 tianity and Christian duty. 
 
 "His preaching is unique in style, but as natural as childhood. 
 His wit is spontaneous and sparkles out everywhere. He has won- 
 derful aptness in illustration. His expositions of doctrine show 
 him thoroughly sound in theology. 
 
 "No evangelist has relied so much upon the simple word of truth. 
 No studied manipulation of audiences, no effort to attract by music, 
 no attempt in any sort of sensation has characterized his work. 
 
 "Jones is a genius, entitled to his own way of preaching. Any 
 attempt to imitate him would be a miserable failure, and no man 
 would be farther from the real spirit and character of Sam Jones 
 than a man who would undertake it. His style is not studied, he 
 follows no pattern. Nature has given him rare endowment, and 
 such as he is he has offered himself to the Master's service." 
 
 Criticism subsided as his work went on. Expressions which 
 grated harshly on the ears of every one when he began to preach, 
 and which none approved, ceased to be spoken of by those who heard 
 him from day to day, because they were ashamed to raise objections 
 to a man who had won their hearts by so many just claims. 
 
 "Brother Jones seems to unite courage and fidelity in declaring 
 the truth and reproving sins with almost feminine tenderness; 
 and with all the admiration which the public exhibit for him, we saw 
 in him only the meekness of a Christian." 
 
 The last services of the series was Sunday evening. Soon after 
 five o'clock the people began to assemble, though the service was not 
 to begin until seven forty-five. Long before that time there was no 
 room in pew or aisle for another one. When the sermon was con- 
 cluded and the audience dismissed, the people stood reverently as if 
 the service was going on. The benediction was pronounced a sec- 
 ond time, but no one seemed to be willing to quit the church ; and 
 three-quarters of an hour later a large crowd was still lingering to 
 take the hand of Mr. Jones before parting. He left us Monday 
 morning, and the prayers and blessings of thousands of Christians 
 went with him. 
 
 When the meeting finally closed, it was admitted on all sides that 
 
Sam P. Jones. 171 
 
 it was one of the greatest victories the church had ever known. Mr. 
 Jones, perhaps, saw the situation as no one else did, and was better- 
 prepared to give a correct estimate of the work than any one else. 
 The last night of the meeting he made the following remarks re- 
 garding the work in St. Louis : 
 
 "There are one or two things I want to say to you before we pro- 
 ceed with the text. There are many things at this hour to gladden 
 my heart, and I feel grateful to God for the cooperation and prayers 
 of the hundreds of Christian people, and all of those faithful minis- 
 ters who have stood by my side ; I thank God for the hundreds and 
 thousands of Christian people in this city, who testify that they start 
 out from these services with renewed strength and vigor, and with 
 their religious life quickened, with their hopes brightened, with their 
 faith stronger. I thank God for all of this. Then we are grateful to 
 God for the hundreds, I know not how many hundreds, that have 
 given themselves to God and a better life. I have seen as many as 
 fifty at a service profess faith and love in Jesus Christ. I have seen 
 at other services forty, and I have seen at some thirty, proving a 
 desire to do right. This much I can say, we are satisfied that hun- 
 dreds have decided and made choice of Christ as their personal 
 Saviour and seeking heaven as their final home. 
 
 "There are some features of these meetings that when we look at 
 them we are discouraged and heartsick. While we glorify God that 
 hundreds have been quickened unto a new life, and hundreds have 
 been brought to Christ, yet it makes our hearts sad when we see 
 thousands that are out of Christ, and I never can rejoice with my 
 whole heart over those that have found Christ when I am sad over 
 the thousands that are still lost. Oh, Christ, go out after the lost 
 sheep of this city and seek them till you have found them all, and 
 lay them on Thy own loving shoulder and bring them all back to 
 the fold. 
 
 "I leave here with a sad heart. I go away from many new-made 
 friends ; I go away with a consciousness that many names and faces 
 are written on my heart. You may read them there in heaven, I 
 trust. 
 
 "I leave your city to go to the bedside of one of the sweetest, best 
 
172 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 sisters a boy ever had, or maybe to her funeral, I know not. I have 
 been very sad all day, and yet rejoicing. I think this has been the 
 sweetest religious day I almost ever spent in my life. The Lord came 
 upon us at Centenary, and His blessings came like the falling snow, 
 ^and we scarcely knew that grace was falling until we were covered 
 up all over with the snows of divine grace which had fallen. Let us 
 look for such a service to-night. I shall carry you away in my heart 
 and in my memory, and I shall pray for you, and the greatest favor 
 I can ask of you is to pray God that I may be a faithful preacher, a 
 .good man, a gentle, loving father and husband in the highest sense 
 of the word. God bless you all. 
 
 "Then I want to say the newspapers of this city have been a great 
 help to me in my work. They have done more through their press- 
 rooms than I have done from the pulpit. I have had hundreds of 
 hearers; they have had thousands of readers; I am grateful to 
 them ; and I say to you that whenever in the history of any town or 
 community Christ shall have unto Himself four or five columns in 
 your leading newspapers each day the Lord Jesus Christ will make 
 an impression upon this world. 
 
 "The Globe-Democrat (and I make no invidious distinction of the 
 Globe-Democrat) especially, has given stenographic reports of the 
 sermons ; the Republican has given column after column, large space 
 to long-hand reports of the sermons, and to these two papers I owe 
 a great deal. I commend the enterprise of the Globe-Democrat and 
 the fidelity of the Republican to those interested in this meeting. 
 May God bless the editors, may God bless the reporters — I know I 
 mean that — may God bless the printers and may God bless every 
 man who takes those papers in his hands. I thank you all for your 
 kind words and your prayers, and your many tokens of good will 
 and appreciation of me and my work ; I thank you with all the heart 
 I have, and if I was a bigger-hearted man you would get bigger 
 thanks. God bless you all and save you all." 
 
 Ten years afterwards Mr. Jones returned to St. Louis for a re- 
 vival campaign. He had been invited there often, but had never 
 been able to hold another meeting. Finally the question of his com- 
 ing was introduced by some business men at one of the preachers' 
 
Sam P. Jones. 173 
 
 meetings, and there was some opposition manifested toward him. 
 Mr. Jones was immediately informed of this, and after much prayer 
 decided that he should go and hold this second meeting, hoping for 
 as much cooperation as possible from the laity and the ministers. 
 While there were a great many prominent laymen and some of the 
 leading preachers anxious for him to come, under the circumstances 
 Mr. Jones decided to assume all the financial obligations, and there- 
 fore rented the Music Hall for three weeks, which amounted to 
 twenty-one hundred dollars. Perhaps the greatest opposition Mr. 
 Jones ever met with was upon his second visit to St. Louis. There 
 were some prominent Methodist preachers in the city who were un- 
 willing to cooperate with him, and fought his coming. In the 
 preachers' meeting and before their official boards they did every- 
 thing in their power to break up the plans for the meeting. This 
 was one reason why Mr. Jones was so anxious to respond to the call 
 of some Christian laymen and a few ministers, and led him to shoul- 
 der the responsibility that he assumed. 
 
 After the meeting began some of the preachers went among the 
 people and urged them not to attend, while others fought him from 
 the pulpit, but this made absolutely no impression upon Mr. Jones, 
 and didn't seem to interfere at all with the great work which had 
 been inaugurated. The Music Hall would not begin to hold the 
 people, and soon the opposition died away. 
 
 One night before the great audience Mr. Jones said : "If these D. 
 D.'s don't let up, I will have to quit." [Laughter.] "Look here, they 
 Iiave just got the folks away from here until there ain't but six thou- 
 sand here to-night. I ain't mad at them, I like them ; I want to meet 
 them all in heaven, but I don't care about meeting them until I 
 have been there about a week." This was his good-natured way of 
 showing the people that the opposition had been overcome. The 
 revival swept on, gathering momentum, until one of the greatest 
 victories for the cause of Christ was realized. The meeting was soon 
 warmly endorsed by the most prominent Christian workers in the 
 ^city, and a majority of the leading clergymen. Some of the greatest 
 and most powerful sermons Mr. Jones ever preached were created 
 -and delivered during the St. Louis campaign. When the financial 
 
174 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 responsibility had been met by generous gifts of the friends of the 
 movement, and when the debt was paid, the committee presented Mr. 
 Jones with a very handsome purse as a token of their appreciation 
 of the work that he had done. 
 
 Just before leaving the city Col. Bob Ingersoll came there for a 
 lecture. While the great Music Hall could not accommodate the 
 crowd that came to hear Mr. Jones, Colonel Ingersoll had a rather 
 small audience at the theater. The Globe-Democrat had an interview 
 with Mr. Jones regarding Ingersoll. "What do you think of Inger- 
 soll ?" asked the representative of the great paper. Mr. Jones replied : 
 "I can't answer you in two or three words ; personally, Mr. Ingersoll 
 is no doubt a genial gentleman ; physically, he is fat ; intellectually, he 
 is bright, and morally there may be worse men ; theologically, he is 
 a bad egg." "What do you think of the moral influence of his lec- 
 tures?" asked the reporter. "That is very easily answered. His 
 lectures are a calamity, and the worst is, he reaches the class of peo- 
 ple upon whom they have the most baneful effect. Mr. Ingersoll 
 forgets that the masses were not all reared in Christian homes, as he 
 was, and with their training his sayings turns them over to utter 
 recklessness. Whatever virtues Mr. Ingersoll possesses is the gift 
 of Christianity. He never got them from infidelity." "How do you 
 account for his power to attract large audiences ?" Mr. Jones said : 
 "His power to attract lies in his ability to shock. He is the devil's 
 dynamo, and when a man stands upon the damp soil of a sinful life, 
 old Bob can turn a current on him that will make him almost leap- 
 out of himself." The reporter asked, "What about Mr. Ingersoll' s- 
 arguments?" Mr. Jones replied: "He is an orator of the highest 
 type. I know no man who can put English together like he can. 
 His words put into sentences look like strings of pearls, but they 
 are merely bracelets and necklaces for swine. He hasn't any argu- 
 ments whatever. His philosophy and religion do not build colleges, 
 almshouses or asylums. They are powerless to reform the drunk- 
 ard and the outlaw. They do not make a man kinder in his home, 
 or more respected in the community where he lives. With his wit 
 and intellectual cunning, aided by his illogical reasoning, he may 
 play on the weaknesses of religion, and, by his flights of eloquence,. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 175 
 
 upon the duties of life, which he steals from Christianity, but, after 
 all, a thoughtful man sees the cunning of his method and detects the 
 direful effect his words have upon those who hear him. I see no good 
 that can possibly come from his lectures on infidelity. I see much 
 harm that may result from them." "What do you think as to his sin- 
 cerity?" inquired the reporter. Mr. Jones said : "As to whether Mr. 
 Ingersoll is sincere or not makes no difference when you look at the 
 tendency of his lectures. I believe a man can reach such condition 
 and attitude that in the moral world a lie is to him the truth, and the 
 truth a lie. I suppose he will die as he has lived, but after death he 
 will no longer be a disbeliever or an unbeliever. When he is gone 
 the ministry will live; churches will flourish; morality will be 
 taught and practiced, and Christian virtues will be embodied in men 
 long after he has passed from the earth." 
 
 When the last night of the meeting came it was attended by the 
 largest audience that ever assembled to hear a minister in St. Louis. 
 After every available seat was occupied in the great Music Hall, 
 there were as many, if not more, on the outside of the building try- 
 ing to gain admittance. It was with much difficulty that the police- 
 men opened the way for Mr. Jones to pass through the crowd to the 
 main entrance of the building. A great crowd thronged on the out- 
 side, clamoring for a few words from him. Mr. Jones took a posi- 
 tion on the step and addressed them for ten minutes or more. When 
 lie finished the crowd seemed to appreciate the words that he had 
 uttered, and as there was no chance or possibility for them to get 
 within the building they quietly and gradually dispersed. 
 
 In all, the work was one of the most marvelous victories; the 
 •strongest oppositions had been overcome and he had succeeded in 
 spite of those who opposed him. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Th£ Cincinnati Rdvivai,. 
 
 After the conquest of Mr. Jones in St. Louis in November of last 
 year he spent the holidays at home with his family, and on January 
 7, 1886, he went to Cincinnati and opened a campaign against the 
 sins and vices of the Queen City. 
 
 During the six months that had passed since Mr. Jones's great 
 meeting in Nashville there had been more in the secular press re- 
 garding him and his peculiar methods than any other pulpit orator 
 in the land. 
 
 The remarkable results of the Nashville meeting had been herald- 
 ed abroad, and the great dailies of St. Louis had brought him more 
 prominently before the people during the wonderful meeting in that 
 city. This had prepared the way for the greater dailies of Cincin- 
 nati to discuss him freely, and bring him into still greater promi- 
 nence. This in a marked degree called the attention of the Cincin- 
 nati people to his peculiar preaching. His fame had gone before 
 him, and the people had become interested in his great ministry. 
 
 Perhaps Cincinnati was the most obstinate and wicked place to 
 which Mr. Jones had been called to labor. The city has been noted 
 for its indifference to religion, and its open wickedness, although 
 there were thousands of most earnest Christians in the city. What 
 Paul said of Athens might be applied to Cincinnati, "The city wholly 
 given to idolatry." 
 
 There was one minister, Dr. I. W. Joyce, pastor of the St. Paul 
 Methodist church (he was afterwards made bishop), who must have 
 had the apostle's experience when "his spirit was stirred within him- 
 when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry." Dr. Joyce had en- 
 deavored to get the Protestant Ministers' Alliance to bring Mr. 
 Jones to Cincinnati, and having failed, he took upon himself the re- 
 
 (176) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 177 
 
 sponsibility of inviting him to the St. Paul Methodist church. This 
 invitation came through the official board, at the suggestion of Dr. 
 Joyce. 
 
 To have anything like a sweeping revival, one that would move 
 the city to its very depths, the outlook was absolutely hopeless from 
 a human viewpoint. The church in which the meeting started was 
 centrally located, but with a small seating capacity, perhaps not ac- 
 commodating more than eight hundred or a thousand. This would 
 not impress one as the place where a current could be started that 
 would sweep over the great city. 
 
 To evangelize a great city like Cincinnati it would seem necessary 
 to have most perfect organization with the most exhaustive prepara- 
 tions. In previous meetings other evangelists had the benefits of 
 such organization, and the assistance of a corps of able workers, as 
 preachers and singers, with the hearty endorsement and cooperation 
 of the evangelical ministers and Christian laity; but Mr. Jones had 
 none of this. When we see the great work that he accomplished, 
 without the aid of perfected plans, and much machinery, it will give 
 us a deeper insight into his real ability, and allow more credit for the 
 operation of the divine Spirit. 
 
 Cincinnati was never an inviting field for evangelists. Nearly 
 every prominent one who labored there realized that it was a most 
 difficult city to move. The great Moody said, "It is the graveyard 
 for evangelists." The municipal life had been notably corrupt, the 
 social life always shallow and empty. The religious life had been 
 weak and powerless. Under such conditions it was hard for the 
 evangelists to succeed. If the combined forces of the ministry, with 
 the most perfect scheme for evangelization, have staggered and 
 failed in the presence of the foes and strongholds of the enemy, how 
 difficult it would seem for them to be conquered through the personal 
 influence and ministry of Mr. Jones. However, when the Holy 
 Spirit is at work and God's servants are under his leadership, insur- 
 mountable difficulties disappear. 
 
 Mr. Jones preached his first sermon in St. Paul's church to an au- 
 dience that did not tax the seating capacity of the building. For a 
 week or ten days the attendance was large, but great crowds did not 
 
 7 3 
 
178 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 attend. Those who heard him went away and spread the news, and 
 the audiences finally became so large that the church proved too 
 small to accommodate the people. While the papers had taken con- 
 siderable notice of him and his work, it was not until he had great 
 crowds that they published full accounts of the meetings. The 
 religious fire had broken out in the church and reached in every di- 
 rection, until it seemed that the whole city was aglow with religious 
 fervor. Dr. Joyce, seeing the turn that the meeting had taken, de- 
 cided that Mr. Jones should have a larger building in which to 
 preach. Again, he sought the cooperation and help of the Ministers* 
 Alliance and the laity of other churches, but received very little en- 
 couragement from them. However, he was determined that Mr. 
 Jones should have a place large enough to accommodate the people 
 who were anxious to hear him. Finally, with the endorsement of 
 his official board, he contracted for the lrage Music Hall, which 
 would accommodate from eight to ten thousand people, and his 
 church became responsible for the rent, and lifted all anxiety from 
 the heart of the evangelist, and turned him loose in the magnificent 
 auditorium, that he might preach to the thousands. 
 
 From a worldly point of view, this was nothing less than a piece 
 of daring. The announcement of the transfer of the meetings from 
 the church to the Music Hall created much interest and comment. 
 The editors of the great daily papers began to take deeper interest in 
 the movement. The revival had taken on such wonderful power that 
 it defied opposition. The great papers sent their reporters to the 
 Music Hall to report the wonderful work that had been inaugurated. 
 The city was in a great commotion, and when the hour for the first 
 service in the new building arrived it would be seen whether the 
 change was justified. 
 
 The Music Hall had been put in readiness for the meeting. There 
 was a large platform projecting from the front of the stage, covered 
 with green baize, and in the center of this improvised platform was a 
 table for the Bible. When the doors were opened the people rushed 
 in until they tested the seating capacity of the great hall. Both sides 
 of the balcony were occupied, and every seat of the auditorium was 
 filled, while a line of young men stood all along the sides of the hall. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 179 
 
 The platform was occupied by a large number of ministers of the 
 city. Mr. M. J. Maxwell, who had recently formed partnership with 
 Mr. Jones as a chorister, had organized a very large and enthusiastic 
 choir. The music on this first occasion was spirited. The great 
 choir under direction of the leader rendered many helpful songs, and 
 Mr. Maxwell urged that the audience assist in the singing. It 
 wasn't long until a great volume of song filled the immense building. 
 About the close of the song service Mr. Jones entered the building 
 and seated himself near the front of the platform. 
 
 The following morning the Cincinnati Enquirer said: "Last 
 night's sermon was the best that Mr. Jones has yet delivered. It 
 was sparkling with wit and brimful of hard sense, and some of the 
 remarks on the state of things existing in other cities were remarka- 
 bly applicable to local affairs. The politicians were touched up in 
 a lively manner that showed a keen insight into local politics. The 
 clubs of the city were scorched in an unusual way, and Mr. Jones 
 mentioned several of the leading clubs by name. Mr. Jones did not 
 fail to arraign the liquor traffic during the course of his remarks. 
 He had the following to say about the saloons, and closed with a 
 touching illustration of how whiskey had ruined a Georgia boy : 
 
 "You reckon the saloon men in this city, if they had any con- 
 science or believed in God, would want to pour liquid damnation 
 down the throats of our men and boys and damn them and ruin so- 
 ciety, and ruin the Sabbath day ? No, sir. They deny that there is a 
 God, and practically they have no conscience. What we want in 
 this country, if we have any conscience, is to quit stabbing it. That's 
 what we want. The man that will sell liquor is about eleven-tenths 
 hog, anyway — that's the truth about it. All that's physical about 
 him has turned to hog, and the intellect of the fellow has turned into 
 a hog; that makes another tenth, and now he is a solid hunk — 
 eleven-tenths hog. [Laughter.] And there are men in this city who 
 are given over to drink, who have tampered with liquor until they 
 have gotten to the place where they can not break away from the 
 habit. They are going down grade at a fearful rate, and in spite of 
 everything will be damned. 
 
 "Poor Bob Herrick, of my State, drank on and on until he was 
 
180 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 seized with the third attack of delirium tremens. At times he was 
 trying to beat his arms off against the bed, and he had almost bitten 
 his tongue out of his mouth, when in a lucid moment he said : 'Doc- 
 tor, is there any chance for me to live?' And the doctor said, 'No, 
 Bob, no, if you drink you will die, and if you do not drink you will 
 die' — and two more hours passed ; his wife and children were hang- 
 ing around his neck, as he foundered on the rocks of damnation and 
 went out forever. Oh, friends, if there is a brake in your hands, 
 put it on to-night. If you can say, 'I will stop, I w T ill stop/ say it 
 now. Do not roll another foot — do not roll another round of the 
 wheels — just look the situation over and say, 'I have drank my last 
 drop. I have sworn my last oath.' " 
 
 There were fears on the part of some that Mr. Jones would be 
 unable to make every one hear him in the great building. However, 
 these fears were removed when he arose to speak. His voice was 
 in good shape, and its peculiar resonance made it easy for the large 
 assembly to hear even his faintest words. The service produced a 
 profound impression, and the great audience went away deeply im- 
 pressed with the message of truth. All the fears and apprehensions 
 were swept away at the first service, and the people saw that the 
 great faith of Dr. Joyce had triumphed, and they were enthusiastic 
 over the wonderful proportions that the meeting had taken on. 
 
 From day to day the audiences increased both in the afternoon 
 and in the evening. At the first afternoon service there was an audi- 
 ence of thirty-five hundred people ; afterwards the immense hall was 
 filled at many of the day services. The Music Hall was always over- 
 flowing at night. The interest deepened in every way, and the city 
 was soon under the control of the mighty Spirit of Grace. 
 
 There was a considerable change in the weather, and the cold, wet, 
 disagreeable day made it difficult for people to leave their homes. In 
 the evening the city was swept by a fearful storm. Some thought 
 that this would interfere with the attendance at the meeting; how- 
 ever, the first floor of the auditorium, including the stage, balcony 
 and gallery were densely crowded, and hundreds who entered the 
 hall after the seats were occupied were compelled to stand during 
 the service. A large number of people who had braved the discom- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 181 
 
 forts of the evening were turned away, being unable to get even 
 standing-room. 
 
 When Mr. Jones came upon the platform, the remarkable attend- 
 ance was an inspiration to him, and he was in one of his best moods, 
 as was seen from his sermon, which was replete with flashes of wit 
 and brilliant references to the meeting, which evoked the most en- 
 thusiastic applause from the audience. 
 
 In his mail that day he had received letters that he read to the 
 congregation. Facing the immense throng he said : 
 
 "Brethren, I received (holding a piece of paper in his hand) this 
 in the contribution basket last night, and when this much comes to 
 me it seems like there can't be anything better than this to follow. 
 This little scrap of paper pays me for every lick I have struck in 
 your city : 'Brother Jones, I am in your debt as follows for quitting 
 and swearing off from drinking one hundred dollars; for quitting 
 and swearing off from swearing one hundred dollars; for quitting 
 all my meanness one milion dollars; for learning to love our dear 
 Lord better than life, three billion dollars. Credit one dollar. I 
 hope to be able to pay the balance by doing good the remainder of 
 my days/ 
 
 "Brethren, what is really the pay in this service ? Thank God for 
 the privilege of doing good. Dr. Joyce [turning to the minister], 
 that's one reason why I never ask you for a cent of money, and I 
 told you I didn't want a cent, for I knew God would pay me, and 
 here is the pay. If this man feels that way, how do" you reckon his 
 precious wife and children feel about it ? Glory to God for bringing 
 heaven to one home in Cincinnati. Thank God for every home that 
 has been blessed. I thought once to-day I would have all the com- 
 munications I got in the basket last night compiled into a little pam- 
 phlet for its rich reading. One dear woman writes : 'I haven't a cent 
 in the world to give, but I want to tell you that you have brought me 
 to the dear Saviour and He is mine, and I am happy in his love.' I 
 tell you we will be paid in heaven when money and dollars and cents 
 have long ago been forgoten. Thank God for pay that I can cross 
 the river with. I don't mean the Ohio river, but the river of Death 
 to the City of God." 
 
182 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Comments upon the incidents showed his real character regarding 
 the finances connected with the meeting. While, as a rule, he was 
 paid handsomely for his services, he never allowed monetary consid- 
 erations to influence him one whit in his meetings. How this re- 
 minds us of his attitude towards the financial committee in the city 
 of Cincinnati twenty years afterwards while holding his last meeting 
 there. He shouldered the responsibility that the financial committee 
 had assumed, and bravely fought their battles, raising the entire 
 amount necessary for the expenses of the meeting, losing sight of his 
 own remuneration, and when the last service was conducted and the 
 expenses met, there was scarcely anything said about his own com- 
 pensation. He accepted gratefully what the committee gave him. 
 It was doubled six months afterward. Had he failed to receive a 
 cent for his work in the first or last meeting, he would have left the 
 city with as much faith in God and love for humanity as if they had 
 poured thousands of dollars into his hands. While aiding the finan- 
 cial committee in raising the money for the expenses of his last meet- 
 ing, he was so often reminded of how Bishop Joyce relieved him of 
 such anxiety in the first great work. He was fond of saying that 
 just one man is needed in every great city back of every good and 
 worthy cause. He said so many times with great admiration and 
 reverence, "Oh, how I miss dear old Bishop Joyce, who has just 
 slipped off a little ahead of me to his home above. How I remember 
 his untiring efforts as a leader of God's people in this city twenty 
 years ago." 
 
 The papers next morning spoke of how the meeting was reaching 
 all classes of people, and as they were on the ground, they could 
 speak intelligently: 
 
 "The great religious revival conducted by Sam Jones has been 
 spreading like wildfire day by day until now little else is thought of 
 or spoken of in the city. In the hotel lobbies, offices, stores, club- 
 houses and police circles the subject of religion and the man who is 
 now so forcibly proclaiming it in this community are the general 
 topics of conversation. And the subject of purity versus impurity, 
 and godliness versus ungodliness, have even penetrated those places 
 where, before, such thoughts were never dreamed of. 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 183 
 
 • " Yesterday Mr. Jones preached two sermons in Music Hall. The 
 one he delivered in the afternoon was his first to men only. It was 
 attended by at least six thousand men, and he held them in sympathy 
 and interest from the beginning until the close of the sermon. At 
 night he addressed a mixed audience, which numbered not less than 
 nine thousand persons. The doors were closed shortly after seven 
 o'clock, though the services did not commence until seven-thirty, and 
 at least five thousand disappointed people were turned away for want 
 of room to place them in the hall. Expressions of 'Wonderful! 
 Wonderful !' are heard on all sides. The moral good done to this 
 community and section by the revival is wonderful to contemplate. 
 "This evangelist can already number his friends here by the thou- 
 sands. He has made impressions on the hearts of the people that 
 will not be obliterated." 
 
 It was evident that a vast amount of real and lasting good of a 
 known quantity was being accomplished by these meetings, and per- 
 haps the unknown quantity of good was much greater. One of the 
 tangible results at that stage was the quietude of the Sabbath. The 
 city was noted for its open and flagrant sins on the Lord's day, as 
 could be seen from the police annals in the Monday courts. The 
 most striking illustration of the power of the movement, and a 
 proof of the intense and general interest felt was that there were' 
 absolutely no arrests for any offense recorded up to six o'clock. This 
 was unknown in the city before, and was solely and correctly attrib- 
 uted to the influence that Mr. Jones was exerting upon the city. An- 
 other was the fact that Mr. Jones's sermons were being reported ver- 
 batim in the Enquirer and other papers, and that the preachers were 
 discussing him and the secret of his power in their Sunday services. 
 These great papers had called not only the attention of the ministers 
 of the city but of the surrounding country to his work, and in other 
 cities the ministers were reading and commenting favorably upon 
 his sermons at their regular Sunday morning services. Special to 
 the Commercial-Gazette, of Springfield, Ohio, says: "The interest 
 in the great revival now being held in Cincinnati by the Rev. Sam 
 Jones is far from being confined to Cincinnati. 
 
 "There is almost as much interest in the sermons in this city as in 
 
184 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 that. Dr. Tuckley, a former Cincinnati pastor, and at present pastor 
 of St. Paul's M. E. church, this city, has had several 'Sam Jones' 
 nights at St. Paul's, in the course of which he delivered a sermon, 
 giving many of the bright and pithy sayings of Sam Jones. Several 
 Springfield pastors have lectured on Sam Jones and his methods. 
 The Commercial-Gazette, containing the sermons, is eagerly awaited 
 by many persons, and not a few have saved the papers containing 
 the sermons entire since the first. 
 
 "The general opinion here is that the sermons are steadily improv- 
 ing as Sam Jones goes on. An effort will be made to have Mr. 
 Jones come to this city for a series of meetings. Revivals are in 
 progress here in the Central, St. Paul and High Street M. E. 
 churches. The number of conversions have been very large." 
 
 Furthermore, the sermons as printed in the papers were eagerly 
 sought for and read by people farther away. Usually sermons re- 
 produced in newspapers are not much read, hence they are not often 
 printed, but those of Mr. Jones were of such interest that much 
 space was given to them. At the capital of the nation, the most 
 .prominent men were buying the papers, that they might get 
 every word that he was uttering in Cincinnati. The people 
 never tired of reading them. He knew that his sermons in 
 Nashville and St. Louis had been widely copied, and he did 
 not repeat himself in Cincinnati. While he would take the same 
 text, he could preach several sermons from it without going over 
 the same ground. Those who make a careful study of his sermons 
 will see that he never repeated. If he should use the same expres- 
 sions, they were always as fresh and forceful as if he had uttered 
 them for the first time. This wonderful power made it impossible 
 for him to repeat. 
 
 A prominent bishop once said to him : "Mr. Jones, where do you 
 get all the marvelous things you say ? - You finish reading a morn- 
 ing's paper in ten minutes ; you take'no time for special study; where 
 do you gather up all these wise and witty things you say?" His re- 
 ply was : "I don't know, my brain secretes them like my liver se- 
 cretes bile." 
 
 Mr. Jories realized in those days that the whole country was fol- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 185 
 
 lowing him, and he guarded against repetition. Some of the most 
 marvelous productions of his brain were during his great meetings 
 in Nashville, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago 1 , which were held in 
 close succession. 
 
 Two gentlemen discussing Mr. Jones's methods, said one: "I don't 
 for the life of me know what it is about Sam. Jones, but his words 
 burn their way into my heart, and I always go away from his preach- 
 ing feeling a better and purer man." The other remarked : "Nor 
 can I fathom the secret of his influence over men, but he certainly 
 has a peculiar influence, and carries a man with him in his absorbing 
 illustrations of good and evil." 
 
 Unquestionably Mr. Jones had captured Cincinnati and the sur- 
 rounding country, and the ultimate positive good that was accom- 
 plished can never fully be known. Cincinnati was yielding to the 
 power of God, and dying hard, and sinners were being converted on 
 all sides. The people stood in awe and surprise at the signal defeat 
 of the evil one, and nothing short of the coming millennium would 
 'surprise the enthusiastic and astonished Cincinnatians. 
 
 About this time Mr. Dwight L,. Moody stopped off the train one 
 night to hear Mr. Jones. Upon his return to the station he wrote 
 him in substance as follows : 
 
 "Dear Brother Jones : God has given you a sledgehammer with 
 which to shatter the formalism of the church, and to batter down 
 the strongholds of Satan. The good Spirit is helping you mightily 
 to use it. God bless you. 
 
 "D. L. Moody." 
 
 Mr. Jones was in no hurry to invite the unsaved to accept Christ. 
 He had been preaching day and night, endeavoring to get the Chris- 
 tian people ready for service. Some of the church members had 
 been very anxious for him to begin the altar work, but he said : "Un- 
 til the church-members of this city make restitution of their fraudu- 
 lent bankruptcies, and confess their slanders and forgive one an- 
 other, forsaking worldliness and social drinking, gambling and card- 
 playing, with other sins that may be in their lives, they are not 
 
186 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 ready to lead sinners to Christ." Said he: "We pull out the train 
 from Cincinnati, and I don't want the brakeman to yell out 'Chatta- 
 nooga' when I haven't heard him say 'Lexington,' which is right on 
 the road. Let us clean up ourselves, and sinners will be converted." 
 When the churches were finally aroused and got right with God 
 he began to have after-meetings. There were from fifty to a hun- 
 dred who professed conversion each night, and the number increased 
 until as many as five hundred were in the after-service, and as many 
 as three hundred were happily converted at a service. The interest 
 and power of the after-work increased as the services progressed. 
 It is out of the question to give a correct estimate of the thousands 
 that were brought to Christ during the meeting. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The: Cincinnati Revival continued). 
 
 The results of the great revival led the ministers to ask 
 Mr. Jones to preach a special sermon to them. They felt that a 
 man who could wield such an influence in such an ungodly city 
 had a message which would help therm in their ministry. He ac- 
 cepted the invitation to preach to them. The announcement to 
 this effect called out an attendance that crowded the hall of the 
 Methodist Publishing House to its utmost capacity, and many could 
 not get inside of the doors. He spoke to them in his humorous, 
 sarcastic, and sympathetic way. His remarks were forcible and 
 expressions striking, which brought down the house several times. 
 The sedate ministers forgot themselves, and laughed, cried, and ap- 
 plauded, until one would be reminded of a political demonstration. 
 Mr. Jones spoke on "The Best Way to Secure Practical Results," 
 In a general way he advised with them, as to what a minister should 
 do. The drift of his talk, as will be seeen, was towards a greater 
 aggressiveness in .the pulpit. He said : "Here in Cincinnati you 
 have things in shape to begin a vigorous warfare on sin, and the 
 preacher who wants to delay had better surrender. You have things 
 here now so that you can convert fifty thousand people in the next 
 ten months. It is well enough to preach Christ and Him crucified, 
 Christ's love and Christ's mercy, but you want to stop that now and 
 tell these wicked old sinners that they have got to repent, that they 
 have got to reform 1 . They have listened to your preaching Christ, 
 Sunday after Sunday, until they have listened unmoved. One time 
 when I was raking some folks over the coals, a good old brother 
 came to me and said : 
 
 " 'Brother Jones, you ought to preach a little more to us about 
 Christ, and not raise so much noise about other things.' 
 
 (187) 
 
188 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "I told the brethren that I would not bring Christ down there 
 among such a lot of cutthroats as they were. You want to talk 
 to these old sinners about their sins and convince them that they 
 are doing wrong. No man is lost in a gospel sense, until you 
 make him feel he is lost. Some of us little preachers believe in that 
 good old text, 'you must be born again.' If there is any one sermon 
 that he preaches on every occasion it is that. Why, it's too much for 
 most of us. If I had as much sense as Bishop Fowler here, I might 
 try it. Jesus only spoke of the subject once, and that was at mid- 
 night, when He had but one man to listen to Him. [Laughter.] 
 Whatever hurts the soul or keeps it away from God — that's the 
 proper subject of a sermon. Take the preachers of this town. They 
 talk to their congregation about drunkenness, and tell them that 
 a drunkard can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and right down 
 before them are a lot of distillers and brewers and whiskey-sellers, 
 and men who rent their property for improper purposes. 
 
 "You want to talk right to those fellows. If I had one of them 
 in my congregation I would make him give up his evil ways, or 
 I would make him get out of my church. [Applause.] Some time 
 ago I was in a town and I got on this subject. I said I felt satisfied 
 that of the whisky-dealers in that place one-fourth were church 
 members. Well, that made a great deal of trouble, and at last some 
 one made a count and found that of seventy-four in the town sixty- 
 one were members of churches; thirteen Methodists, twelve Pres- 
 byterians, seventeen Baptists, and so on. No, brethren, don't talk 
 Christ and His love to such reprobates. Tell them how wicked they 
 are and that they have got to mend their ways. [Applause.] Let 
 us stir up these things. The next thing to religion is fun, and if 
 we can't do anything else we can have some fun. [Laughter.] The 
 trouble is that we are fearful. I, myself, never had any fear of 
 guns and pistols and fists, and I was never afraid of running con- 
 trary to public opinion; and, I tell you, it takes more courage, 
 ofttimes, to take a stand against public opinion than to walk up to 
 the mouth of a cannon. Up in Canada, where I have been, if a 
 newspaper assails or misrepresents a preacher that preacher sits 
 right down and writes a column and a half in defense ;md that: 
 
Sam P. Jones. 189 
 
 newspaper publishes it the next day. If a newspaper assails any 
 of you, you never say a word back. Now, I have seldom had any 
 cause to complain of newspaper men. They have treated me very 
 fairly as a class. Occasionally some one of them gets on his ear, sits 
 down on it, and fans himself with the other (laughter), but they 
 have always done well by me as a rule. But there is no doubt but 
 they do give currency to slanders against preachers, and the 
 preachers won't say a word back. Don't do that any more. Stand 
 up for yourselves. Make men respect you as men. Why, look 
 how they nominate a preacher at our conferences. . One brother 
 wants to know if he is cautious, another wants to know if he is con- 
 servative, and so on. They always want a man who is quiet and 
 meek, and who will not step on anybod's toes. Well, I feel like 
 getting up there and asking if he is a pusillanimous pup. (Ap- 
 plause and laughter.) We don't want men to be meek and quiet. 
 We want preachers to be aggressive and determined — courageous 
 enough to tell the people what miserable sinners they are. Satan 
 won this country by fighting, and we must win it back from him 
 in the same way, and I wish when you find a man who has raised 
 a row in some church, that instead of crushing him, crucifying him, 
 you will give him your best charge. To me there is no better recom- 
 mendation for a man than that he has raised the devil. That's 
 what we must do. We must raise the devil." 
 
 Whether he was preaching to the ministers or the general pub- 
 lic, they retired, not weary, but wishing that he had spoken longer. 
 The people never tired of his speaking, but left the building 
 discussing him in the most enthusiastic way. One young man was 
 heard to remark: "I like that man, he seems to believe what he 
 says, and there is no nonsense about him." Another one said : "If 
 I were a lawyer, or a minister, or any other person accustomed to 
 addressing an audience, I would study Sam Jones's style ; there is 
 something wonderful in it. It is not oratory such as that taught 
 in books and colleges; it is not logic, as lawyers and theologians 
 understand and teach it, but it is something outside and beyond all 
 this. It is the power to reach and influence the human mind that 
 few ministers possess, and fewer still practice." 
 
-190 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 . That states the case pretty well. To most critical people Mr. 
 Jones was a puzzle, but the fact that he was a great power and kept 
 himself in the background, and placed in the forefront the great 
 truths that filled his mind and controlled his life helped him, to win 
 everywhere. Most men would have had their heads: turned by the 
 tremendous crowds that hung upon his utterances, but instead of 
 being elated, he was always humbled. He realized fully the respon- 
 sibility that rested upon him, which made him stay at his Master's 
 feet. 
 
 While Mr. Jones was in Cincinnati he had two or three special 
 sermons for women. At one time he spoke to the young ladies. 
 It was a novel congregation, composed entirely of the younger 
 women of the city. The sunshine brought a flood of light through 
 the windows of the great Music Hall. It was a beautiful scene to 
 see so many thousand young girls and women just from their homes 
 with all the life and vivacity of young womanhood. It is said that 
 such a scene had never been presented in the Music Hall. Again 
 the balcony, auditorium and stage were filled in every corner by 
 bright-faced daughters, and a great crowd of young girls stood 
 around the walls during the entire sermon. All sections of the 
 city were well represented in that vast audience, and a great num- 
 ber were present from the suburbs and adjoining cities, Mr. Jones 
 said it was one of the grandest sights he had ever seen. He spoke 
 to them about "the things that should lie the nearest to the hearts 
 of girls, mother, home and heaven." Perhaps he never pleaded more 
 tenderly, gently and lovingly than that afternoon while addressing 
 the young women of this city. 
 
 Later on he had a special service for "Wives Only." The Music 
 Hall was filled from gallery to stage, and from, pulpit to doors. 
 There must have been seven thousand wives and mothers in the 
 great auditorium.. Mr. Jones preached to them from Galatians 
 5 :22, 23 : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suf- 
 fering, and gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; 
 against such there is no law." In his sermon he had a great deal 
 to say about the worldliness as manifested in card parties, theatri- 
 cals, and dancing. He discussed those questions in his own peculiar 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 191 
 
 way, at times provoking them to laughter, while at other times 
 bringing them to tears, and sometimes making them just the least 
 bit angry. However, before he was through with his sermon, he 
 had brought them around to his way of thinking, as was evidenced 
 by the great audience standing and approving what he said, and 
 also by the hundreds that went up and gave him, their hands, prom- 
 ising to be better wives and mothers. Those special services for 
 women were very precious and helpful. 
 
 A distinguished pastor who had been associated with Mr. Jones 
 in a great meeting in another State, was passing through Cincin- 
 nati and attended the women's meeting. In speaking of it he said : 
 
 "This morning at Music Hall I witnessed a scene such as is 
 rarely presented in this world. Five thousand women brought 
 together to hear the great evangelist preach to< mothers. And such 
 a sermon! How the women laughed and cried as the preacher 
 depicted with inimitable wit and wisdom, point and pathos, the way 
 women think, talk, live, move, and have their being, in their homes, 
 before their children, husbands, and servants. The evangelist had 
 one of the grandest opportunities of his life to impress the vital 
 truths of the gospel where they would do the most permanent good. 
 And well did he improve it. Never did he do more faithful work 
 for the Master. Looking upon that scene of five thousand weeping 
 women, moved as they were to promise to live better in their homes 
 and be more faithful to the religious training of their children, the 
 possibilities of the gospel through the power of consecrated homes 
 seemed to he truly infinite. The work of that hour, accompanied 
 as it was by the Holy Spirit, ought to home thousands in heaven. 
 The play and: interplay of thought and feeling upon the thousands 
 of upturned faces was a, study not soon to be forgotten." 
 
 Mr. Jones also conducted several special meetings for "men only." 
 The mere announcement that the women would be excluded .from; the 
 meeting created a stir, and. curiosity was aroused so that the at- 
 tendance was larger, if possible, than would have been with a 
 mixed audience. The weather was very severe, but the men were 
 there in such numbers that the seating of them was a difficult 
 problem. Mr. Jones held these men's meetings in order to make 
 
192 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 room for the men, who would have been excluded by a mixed " 
 audience. While he usually preached a very straight and strong 
 sermon about the sins of men, at other times he would deliver some 
 of his most beautiful and tender sermons. The object was not, as 
 some people imagine, to get the men together, that, he might talk 
 to them in a coarse way that would not be permitted in a mixed 
 audience; but, by bringing the men of the city together, he could 
 appeal to them as a community and have greater results. His 
 men's meetings were always the most successful of the series. 
 When he came on the rostrum he was greeted by a long, hearty 
 applause Avhich fairly shook the building. Such scenes always 
 inspired him to be at his best, and he was never so much at home 
 as when speaking to a body of men. He seemed to understand 
 their hearts, know their needs, be conscious of their weaknesses, and 
 have sympathy and love for them. While discussing their be- 
 setting sins, going through the catalogue, making them hideous, 
 he was always in deepest sympathy with them, and while talking 
 to them about their profanity, dishonesty, gambling, drunkenness, 
 and other vices, the great audience at times was wild with enthusi- 
 astic approval, while at other times was as still as death. 
 
 Mr. Jones had preached to them that there is not one standard 
 for woman and another for man. His remarks had produced a 
 deathlike stillness over the great audience. In further discussing 
 a clean life, he referred to a tragedy that had just happened in Cin- 
 cinnati. W T ith his sense of justice outraged, he looked the men 
 square in the face and said: "Men, hear me, I picked up the 
 Enquirer and read that a young man of this city, of a prominent 
 family, was at a shameless house, a prominent house of shame, 
 last night; he walked in and said to the woman of the house: 'I 
 want to see one of the prettiest girls you have,' and then walked 
 up to the room he generally occupied. He entered that room, 
 presently a girl came sweeping in, and he struck a match and lit 
 the gas and turned his eye on the girl, and instantly jerked his pistol 
 from his hip-pocket — bang, bang — and with a heavy, dull thud 
 the girl fell upon the floor and died. They ran into the room and 
 said : 'Oh, what have you done ?' He said : 'That is my own 
 
Sam P. Jones. 193 
 
 sister, and I will kill her before she shall come to a house like 
 this." And I say to you thousands of men, fathers, husbands, and 
 sons, that that girl had as much right in that house as her brother 
 had." 
 
 Perhaps there was never an audience that was so profoundly 
 moved as the one that heard the true and brave friend of both men 
 and women speak out in such a strong and manly way. The ap- 
 plause was appalling, and thousands of men went away believing 
 as the man of God, who had been so fearless in defending the 
 daughters and mothers of our homes. How true it was as Mr. 
 Jones said : "If there was ever a man that stood on the front steps 
 of the American homes and fought off the devil and his crowd, 
 that man was Sam Jones." 
 
 It was not my privilege to be in Cincinnati all the time during 
 his stay there. He had been in the city between three and four 
 weeks when I joined him. The results of the great men's meeting 
 were the talk of the city when I arrived. Three of our daughters, 
 Mary, Annie and Julia, accompanied me. Upon our arrival in the 
 city we were domiciled at the Gibson house. 
 
 A Times-Star reporter called upon Mr. Jones that morning, and 
 this interview appeared in the afternoon paper. I shall ask the 
 reader to indulge me the privilege of inserting this interview, which 
 is somewhat personal. It reads as follows : 
 
 "Sam Jones is happy now. His wife and three daughters are 
 with him at the Gibson House, and they are living as cosily and 
 quietly as they could in their little home down in Cartersville, Ga. 
 
 "The Jones family occupies a pleasant suite of rooms on the fourth 
 floor, and have everything comfortable and convenient about them. 
 When the Times-Star man called this morning, Mr. Jones said: 
 'This is my wife, Mrs. Laura Jones,' presenting a handsome lady 
 with much evident pride ; 'and these are my daughters, Annie and 
 Mary,' continued the revivalist. Mrs. Jones is just such a woman 
 as you would naturally imagine her to be. Ten chances to one, if 
 you should meet her on the street, you would turn and say to your 
 companion, 'That must be Mrs. Sam P. Jones.' She reminds one 
 somewhat of her distinguished husband. She has the same char- 
 
194 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 acter of eyes, bright and sparkling, and only a shade lighter com- 
 plexion. Her voice has the same musical mellowness, and when 
 she is earnestly moved you see the same enthusiasm in her manner 
 that has marked and made the reputation of her husband. 
 
 "She is thoroughly a Southern woman in disposition and sym- 
 pathies. She is finely educated, not only in literature, but in per- 
 sonal graces. She is a charming conversationalist, and you will 
 not be in her presence long before you will have discovered that 
 she is a superior person, with the most delicate appreciation of 
 culture and propriety. Being asked how long she would remain 
 in Cincinnati, Mrs. Jones replied: 'We expect to stay a week, at 
 least, and maybe longer. My husband was just getting a little 
 lonesome and homesick. He hadn't been with us for a long time, 
 you know, and we came up to comfort him.' " 
 
 The closing days Mr. Jones preached some of his most earnest, 
 pathetic and soul-stirring sermons. The religious tide was rising 
 higher each day. The people were coming in from towns in all 
 directions, and the city was stirred to its very depths. At nearly 
 all the services, at the noonday meeting, the afternoon and evening 
 services, hundreds were being converted. It was estimated that 
 nearly six hundred converts daily were made during those last 
 days. The great work was going on with a vim and vigor that 
 promised much for the future. Dr. Joyce said: "That despite 
 what many say, those who have been converted by the wonderful 
 words of Mr. Jones will be led into better paths of life, and they 
 will continue in them, as the influence that has been stirred in 
 them is not of an evanescent character, but it has gone down deep, 
 and will remain and be permanent." In speaking of the financial 
 understanding with Mr. Jones as to his compensation, he said: 
 "There are people who think they have information to the effect 
 that Mr. Jones had a definite arrangement as to the amount Trinity 
 church should pay him for his services. This is a grave mistake. 
 Mr. Jones agreed to come without a word as to what he should be 
 paid, and that he would come to Cincinnati if he did not receive a 
 cent, but got his meals. When the fact is thoroughly understood, 
 as it is hoped it will be, that Mr. Jones is here without promise or 
 
Sam P. Jones. 195 
 
 expectation of any remuneration, the people should appreciate the 
 work he has done and show their gratitude to God by contributing 
 liberally to a special collection for Mr. Jones." 
 
 When the opportunity was given the free-will offering amounted 
 to something over eight hundred dollars. 
 
 After five weeks of earnest labor Mr. Jones concluded his services 
 in Cincinnati. It was one of the most remarkable revivals in the 
 city's history. He was in Cincinnati for two other meetings and 
 lectured there a number of times, holding a strong grip upon the 
 city until the very last. Just a year ago he held his last great 
 meeting in that city in the large Music Hall, and thousands waited 
 upon his ministry. 
 
 We notice on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer, dated 
 February 15, 1886, an account of the closing service of his first 
 great meeting there : 
 
 "The services of last evening concluded the labors of Sam Jones 
 in Cincinnati. For five weeks he has been laboring in God's cause 
 in this city, and his efforts have been crowned with unparalleled 
 success. Never before was such a religious awakening known in 
 Cincinnati. Large crowds have attended the services both day and 
 night, and the revivalist has averaged two sermons each day. Con- 
 versions have been many, and thousands of people sincerely regret 
 the departure of the earnest and plain-spoken preacher from the 
 city. It was generally known that yesterday was the last day of 
 his stay here, and every one who had heard him wanted to hear 
 him again, while those who had not were anxious to embrace the 
 last opportunity. Early in the afternoon policemen were stationed 
 at the doors to control the crowd. For a, time the street was com- 
 pletely blocked for two squares by the great crowds coming and 
 going. It is not an extravagant estimate to say that fifty thousand 
 people sought admission to Music Hall last night. 
 
 "As early as half-past five o'clock in the afternoon a large crowd 
 of people had already assembled in front of the building awaiting 
 the opening of the doors. By six o'clock, at which hour promptly 
 the doors were thrown open, the crowd in front of the building had 
 been so largely augmented that within ten minutes after the doors 
 
196 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 opened ten thousand people were rammed, jammed and packed in 
 every nook and corner of that immense building. A reporter, who 
 came along fifteen minutes after six o'clock, had great difficulty in 
 working his way to the front by reason of the crowds that thronged 
 the aisles and every inch of standing-room in the hall. A few 
 minutes later the doors were shut and bolted, it being dangerous 
 to admit any more people. At seven o'clock Elm street from 
 Twelfth to Fourteenth streets was one surging black sea, of hu- 
 manity — the locked out. That no one was crushed to death is a 
 miracle. There were at least forty thousand people around Music 
 Hall. All the street-cars were completely blockaded, and the streets 
 were utterly impassable. Mr. Jones drove up to the hall a little 
 after seven o'clock, and, with the aid of a stalwart policeman, en- 
 trance was forced part of the way, when finally the policemen took 
 him up on their shoulders and carried him to the entrance of the 
 building. When he reached the hall he was almost breathless and 
 bewildered, looking as if he had had a personal encounter with some 
 demonstrative admirer. When he walked out on the platform he 
 was greeted with prolonged applause. 
 
 "Facing the vast audience he said: 'I thank God the gospel of 
 Jesus Christ can overdraw anything else in Cincinnati. The ten 
 thousand people who got in and the forty thousand who didn't, 
 brand the statement as a slander that this is a wicked, lawless and 
 irreligious city. There is no truer, nobler or better city in the 
 world than Cincinnati.' 
 
 "After preaching his farewell sermon from Proverbs 3:17, "Her 
 ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace," he told 
 the immense audience good-by. Dr. Joyce stepped out to the end. 
 of the platform and taking the hand of Mr. Jones, who remained 
 looking at the immense congregation, he clasped it warmly. Mr. 
 Jones returned the hand-pressure, and hand: to hand the two rev- 
 erend gentlemen turned to the congregation and Mr. Jones said: 
 'Brethren, I can not shake hands with you all personally, as I am 
 nearly worn out, having had to- remain in my room all the after- 
 noon to gather strength to preach to you to-night, but in shaking 
 
Sam P.'Jonks. 197 
 
 hands with Dr. Joyce I shake hands with you all. Good-by, 
 brethren, and may we all meet together again in the glorious here- 
 after and once again shake hands if we never meet here on earth. 
 Good-by, brethren, good-by/ " 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Th£ Chicago Campaign. 
 
 Mr. Jones having closed a five-weeks' meeting in Cincinnati, his 
 next great undertaking was in the city of Chicago. His fame had 
 preceded him until all Chicago was anxiously awaiting his arrival. 
 Several times the question had come up regarding his holding a 
 meeting in Chicago. Dr. P. S. Henson, pastor of the First Baptist 
 church, was in St. Louis when Mr. Jones held a meeting there. He 
 was captivated by the Southern evangelist, and had a talk with him 
 about going to Chicago. Mr. Jones expressed a willingness to 
 go, provided he could get the union or the cooperation of the 
 majority of the churches. Dr. Henson, upon his return to the city, 
 conferred with a number of the pastors regarding his coming, but 
 the idea was not received with favor. Many of the pastors were 
 outspoken in their opposition and refused to cooperate in such a 
 movement. 
 
 Later on Mr. Jones went to Chicago to deliver a lecture. Mr. 
 James Smithson, who was instrumental in getting him there to 
 lecture, was besieged by half a dozen reporters for interviews re- 
 garding his coming. The people began to manifest a great deal 
 of interest in Mr. Jones and his proposed visit to the city. 
 
 Dr. Henson again proposed his name before the pastors on the 
 South Side for a series of union revival services. Still the sug- 
 gestion was not received very enthusiastically; but, finally, a com- 
 mittee was appointed to go to Cincinnati to hear Mr. Jones preach. 
 The prejudices of the committee were soon swept away, and they 
 unanimously favored getting him) for Chicago. One of the brother 
 preachers said that Dr. McPherson, the chairman, was so pleased 
 with Mr. Jones that "he swallowed him; whole." Mr. Jones was 
 engaged by the committee to visit Chicago in the near future. 
 
 (198) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 19.9 
 
 The only terms stipulated by Mr. Jones with the committee was 
 that he should have the cooperation of the South Side churches, 
 and the committee assured him of that. 
 
 He knew that it was a big undertaking to evangelize Chicago. 
 In speaking of it he said: "It is like biting a pumpkin; your teeth 
 won't take hold of it." However, he was willing to go where his 
 Master called. Evangelistic work in Chicago, as in Cincinnati, had 
 always been difficult. The churches had tried and had dismal 
 failures. There had been union efforts on the part of the churches in 
 different sections of the city, which had failed to bring about the de- 
 sired results. Practically, the whole city had united and cooperated 
 with prominent evangelists, using the largest auditoriums in the 
 central part of the city, and still these meetings did not solve the 
 problems of evangelizing Chicago. 
 
 Mr. Jones was an entirely different preacher from, any one who 
 had ever tried to reach Chicago. The other evangelists had ap- 
 pealed to the emotion and intellect of the people, but Mr. Jones 
 came along with his sledgehammer blows and took a middle ground 
 and began to appeal to the consciences of men and women. While 
 Mr. Jones conducted his meetings on a very high, intellectual plane, 
 which led Dr. David Swing to say that it was the most intellectual 
 revival ever held in Chicago, nevertheless, his appeals were really 
 directed to> the consciences of men. So many people doubted 
 whether Chicago had any conscience, and, if it did, it was so sub- 
 merged that it would take time to remove the debris before the 
 work could really be effected. His style, manner, and methods 
 seemed to have been' most appropriate and suitable for this occasion. 
 Therefore, being on the "mountain-tops," because of his great and 
 glorious victory in Cincinnati, he moved on towards Chicago with 
 strong faith in God and with a dauntless courage and an indomi- 
 table determination to push the battle to a finish. Baptized with 
 the Holy Ghost, he followed the leadership of the Spirit to Chicago. 
 
 Mr. Jones reached Chicago on Saturday evening, February 17, 
 1886, accompanied by his stenographic clerk, Prof. M. J. Max- 
 well, and others. Professor Maxwell was not at that time regularly 
 enlisted with Mr. Jones, but his excellent leadership', together with 
 
200 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 his Christian character, had commended him to Mr. Jones, all of 
 which ultimately resulted in his regular association with him. At 
 Monee Station, some fifty miles from Chicago, the train bearing 
 Mr. Jones and party was boarded by newspaper reporters, detailed 
 by the press of Chicago to interview him, all of the papers ap- 
 parently being eager for the first and fullest sketch of the man; 
 the Tribune printed three columns the morning after his arrival 
 devoted to a personal description of him, with an epitomized sketch 
 of his life, together with an interview on various matters. Large 
 preparations had been made for the expected services in Chicago, 
 and Mr. Jones was received with open arms by thousands of people. 
 Adhering to his usual rule of stopping at a hotel in preference to 
 accommodations in a private family, splendid quarters had been 
 provided him at the Sherman House, to which place he was driven 
 when he reached the city ; a delegation of citizens and pastors met 
 him at the depot and accompanied him to his hotel. 
 
 Sunday morning was a cold, blustering, snowy day, but the 
 Chicago Avenue church (Moody's Tabernacle), in which Mr. Jones 
 delivered the initial sermon in Chicago, was filled to overflowing. 
 Late-comers had to content themselves with standing in the extreme 
 edge of the auditorium. The Chicago Avenue church was built 
 by the exertions of Mr. Moody, the evangelist, several years be- 
 fore, and was an edifice loved by him. When Mr. Jones reached 
 the platform of the church he surveyed a m'ass of anxious and 
 curious spectators, and immediately in front and below him was 
 a solid phalanx of newspaper reporters. Mr. Jones was intro- 
 duced by Rev. Charles Frederick Goss, the pastor of the church. 
 After a characteristic introductory, by which Mr. Jones put his 
 hearers in good humor and in sympathy with themselves and with 
 him, he launched out into his regular sermon, and spoke for an 
 hour, and was listened to with rapt attention. His text on this 
 occasion was from the sixteenth verse of the fifth chapter of St. 
 Matthew, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see 
 your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 
 These words the eminent revivalist characterized as "the glorious 
 and grand string of monosyllabic utterances." 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 201 
 
 In speaking of the faculty of faith he satirized the popular ac- 
 ceptation of faith thus: "A great many people think that faith is 
 an attitude of this sort towards God; your hands and your mouth 
 open wide to catch something that God is going to pitch to you ; an 
 attitude of receptivity, saying, 'O Lord, give me something.' 'Well, 
 what do you want?' 'I don't know, just give me something — any- 
 thing you please.' They think faith is an attitude of taking some- 
 thing, and I will tell you the truth — that all through the country 
 we have been running on the sentiment there is in this idea of faith 
 until our whole Christianity, if it were an engine, would have gone 
 altogether into the whistle and could do nothing but blow all over 
 God's creation." This unique and original unfolding of the popular 
 and absurd idea of faith was received with unsuppressed laughter, 
 but served as food for thought to many. 
 
 The Casino Skating Rink on the South Side, an immense audi- 
 torium, had been secured for the night meetings. The first service 
 held there by Mr. Jones was on the afternoon of his first Sunday 
 in Chicago, when fully six thousand people were present. The 
 choir, which consisted o>f nearly two hundred singers, was arranged 
 on a huge platform from: which Mr. Jones spoke; many notable 
 divines and prominent laymen were also on the platform. The 
 audience on this, as on every other occasion when Mr. Jones 
 preached, was attentive and appreciative. The speaker again looked 
 upon at least thirty-five reporters for the press, the majority of 
 whom were stenographers, not alone for the great dailies of Chicago, 
 but representatives of the press from- St. Louis, Cincinnati, and 
 other distant cities. Right here may he mentioned the ordeal that 
 Mr. Jones had to encounter in consequence of all of his utterances 
 being daily printed in the papers of the cities mentioned. It will be 
 remembered that he held revival services lasting four weeks in 
 St. Louis, closing there late in December, and every sermon de- 
 livered during that time had been reported verbatim and published 
 daily, and following immediately upon these services came the 
 wonderful revival conducted by Mr. Jones in the Music Hall in 
 Cincinnati, which continued for five weeks. Here, too, every pub- 
 lic utterance was published broadcast by the Commercial Gazette 
 
202 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 and the Enquirer, not to say anything of the reports of the lesser 
 lights of the press. And now in Chicago the principal papers of 
 the two cities mentioned had reporters! present to telegraph nightly 
 the discourses delivered by Mr. Jones; The Globe-Democrat, of 
 St. Louis, and the two papers alluded to in Cincinnati had leased 
 Western Union Telegraph wires, and; simultaneously with the issues 
 of the Chicago papers gave their readers the same sermons preached 
 the day before. The ordeal was as unprecedented as it was severe. 
 As a prominent newspaper man said : "The press has never in the 
 world's history followed any man so closely, be he king, potentate 
 or preacher." Mr. Jonesi had preached probably one hundred ser- 
 mons during his St. Louis services, and had not preached 1 less than 
 one hundred and fifty times in his revival in Cincinnati, making a 
 total of two hundred and fifty sermons in little more than two 
 months, and here he was entering the arena for another combat 
 with sin and evil and wrong methods of life, and yet he must take 
 care not to: use exactly the same weapons of words. The people 
 to whom he had just preached ; would not be content to read repeti- 
 tions, and while Mr. Jones may not at that time have thought or 
 even cared for what the world would say, it is. nevertheless true 
 that his repetitions were few indeed. True it is, that he had the 
 same sins and hypocrisies to denounce that he had elsewhere, but 
 the wonderful fertility of hisi mental resources furnished him con- 
 stantly new words and brighter illustrations. 
 
 The reports of these daily services were to be given to the entire 
 United States through the press of Chicago and 1 the other great 
 cities, where the daily papers were giving verbatim reports of the 
 sermons. Perhaps the scheme inaugurated by these great daily pa- 
 pers was the most remarkable that was ever connected with a revival 
 campaign. There were three or four stenographers representing 
 each paper, with a number of copyists near by, and, while the ser- 
 mon was being delivered, this work of reporting, transcribing and 
 telegraphing was going on. One set of workers, relieving another, 
 and each word as it fell from! the lips of Mr. Jones was flashing 
 over the wires in every direction. In speaking of this great honor 
 Mr. Jones said : 
 
Sam P. Jones. -203 
 
 "Take the work in Chicago', for instance. In the Inter-Ocean 
 and Tribune, the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette and Enquirer, and 
 the St. Louis Globe-Democrat , all of them with an aggregated 
 circulation of three hundred thousand, and with the reasonable cal- 
 culation of five readers to a copy circulated, I enjoyed the privilege 
 of preaching to a million and a half persons a day — a wonderful 
 congregation for one preacher, and a, privilege, I dare say, that no 
 other man in the history of the Church has ever enjoyed. Think 
 of it, nine thousand words each night, as they flashed out on eighteen 
 different telegraph wires to the cities of St. Louis and Cincinnati 
 while they were being set in type by the papers of Chicago ! Thus, 
 at the breakfast-table the next morning, in these three cities, I was 
 greeted by three hundred thousand readers, and before the sun 
 went down that day a million and a half more had read the words. 
 From the statement of newspaper men, I suppose that is a reason- v 
 able estimate. The secular papers are so much more alive and 
 aggressive than the religious papers that when' they fall into line 
 with a good work they are a power we scarcely know how to esti- 
 mate." 
 
 For the first fortnight Mr. Jones preached three times daily, in 
 the morning, usually at some church, at the noon hour, in Farwell 
 Hall (Y. M. C. A.) or at the Rink, and at night, always at the last- 
 named place. This great hall at night was brilliantly illuminated 
 by gas and electricity, and', as it was said, "the light was pleasantly 
 reflected from, the faces of the immense audiences." The audiences 
 to which he preached daily in Chicago numbered between ten and 
 twelve thousand people, the Rink alone holding between five and 
 seven thousand persons at a service. 
 
 Mr. Jones's method in a series of services, as already indicated, 
 was always first to stir up the churches, to show the fallacy and 
 sinfulness of a mechanical worship, a pretended worship of God by 
 the lips only. He invariably turned the so-called Christians over 
 and over, and presented the interior of truth to* them and compelled 
 them to look steadily at it, and showed them sin in all its hideous- 
 ness, nor did the preachers themselves escape his keen satire. 
 
 Speaking of Mr. Jones in a sermon preached in Chicago while 
 
204 Sam P. Joxes. 
 
 he was there, Rev. C. S. Blackwell, of St. Louis, said : "Mr. Jones 
 does not stop to prove there is a God, but assumes such a thing to 
 be true. He assumes the latent conviction of Christianity in the 
 human heart and he strives to stir up this conviction; he realizes 
 that the churches are full of sleeping and apathetic Christians, and 
 something is needed to wake them up. Mr. Jones, by his crude way 
 and some gigantic thoughts, awakened the Christian community. 
 Many men outside of the church, including lawyers, teachers and 
 business men, carry their own convictions and have them wrapped 
 up and laid away, while many clergymen are too polite to break in 
 upon their apathy, but Jones comes along and does it; the result 
 that has followed his work is wonderful. He did a great deal of 
 good in St. Louis and will do so in Chicago." 
 
 Some of the papers in Chicago printed sketches of the postures 
 and gestures alleged to be assumed by Mr. Jones while speaking. 
 All of them had descriptions of his appearance as he stood before 
 his audiences, some of which were really amusing. 
 
 Mr. Jones won his way to the hearts of the people of Chicago 
 completely before he had been with them three days, the great 
 newspapers following him closely in all his remarks, devoting as 
 much as thirteen columns each day to his sermons. 
 
 An episode occurred on the second day of Mr. Jones's stay in 
 Chicago that created, for a short time, a little ripple of excitement 
 among some of the church people. In the afternoon on that day 
 Mr. Jones preached at the First Baptist church to an audience of 
 about fifteen hundred people, choosing for his text the first verse 
 of First Thessalonians — "Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, unto 
 the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in 
 the Lord Jesus Christ." In the course of his sermon he compared 
 the modern church to a schoolboy's copybook. The first line on 
 the page was fashioned after the copy and was comparatively fair, 
 the next line was not so good, and so on until the last was the 
 worst, bearing but faint resemblance to the original copy. There 
 had been some progress in theology, but none in Christianity. 
 "The text," he said, "showed that the early church lived in God." 
 During the sermon Mr. Jones remarked : "It takes prayer to have 
 
Sam P. Jones. 205 
 
 good preaching, it takes prayer to have good listeners. How many 
 of you prayed for the success of this meeting before coming down 
 here to-day? Let all stand up who got down on their knees before 
 coming to this meeting." 
 
 A few arose and Mr. Jones continued, saying : "I could, I think, 
 get a better meeting in Hong-Kong than this, for I could not 
 find a congregation there as large as this with so few people 
 who prayed." Several persons then said they had prayed while 
 they were coming to the meeting, among them Rev. Dr. Scudder. 
 "Has any one else any exculpatory remarks to make?" asked Mr. 
 Jones. "They are not exculpatory, they are true," interposed Dr. 
 Scudder. 
 
 An old gentleman arose and said he had been praying with a 
 gambler, but he did not believe it necessary to get down on his 
 knees to pray. After some remarks, Mr. Jones explained that he 
 did not mean to use the word "exculpatory" in the sense of censure, 
 but in the sense of an explanation, and the fashionable church-mem- 
 bers were somewhat mollified. 
 
 One short little pen-sketch of Mr. Jones as he appeared to a 
 Chicago audience, published in the Inter-Ocean of that city in its 
 reports of one of his sermons, is so true that it is reproduced here : 
 "In the meantime a man steps quietly in and up to the platform — 
 the man on whom so many Chicagoans are looking at present — the 
 Rev. Sam Jones. For a while he sits in silence, occasionally ex- 
 changing a word with some pastor near, and then, after another 
 song, the look of expectancy on the faces of the audience finds satis- 
 faction in the presence at the desk of the revivalist. Slowly, and 
 what in some men would be a slipshod style, but which in him 
 is unaffected and attractive, the speaker begins and gradually warms 
 up to his subject. He rarely goes beyond the boundary of conver- 
 sational tones, and goes not at all over into the alluring but un- 
 profitable field of declamatory vehemence. The people near the 
 speaker can see something beside the odd gestures, the peculiar, 
 slow, short step, the apparently absent-minded movement of the 
 hand to the pocket or forehead, and this somehing is the smile of 
 the revivalist, quaint, kindly, quizzical almost, a smile that starts 
 
206 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 in no place in particular and spreads over the face until it touches 
 every feature and brings out the whole in a new and pleasing light. 
 At one time one may think it the oddity of expression that attracts, 
 at another the Southern slowness, at another the laconic expression, 
 at another the witty stories, at another time the earnest appeal for 
 higher, nobler, purer, better lives; but all the time one can not but 
 find interest in what is said, and said so strongly." 
 
 The club-houses, palatial and luxurious, in Chicago', as in many 
 other cities, are patronized by the millionaires and ultra-fashionable 
 men of the community, but Mr. Jones soon discovered that though 
 wealth, fashion and influence controlled them,, they were in fact 
 but gilded dens of vice and godlessness. So in one of his early 
 sermons to many thousand hearers he scored the club-life severely, 
 saying: "Whenever you go into a club-house that has a billiard- 
 table and a card-room in it, tell them that I say it is the ante-room 
 to hell to every man who goes into it [applause] ; that is the only 
 definition of it I will give. I don't care if the house they occupy 
 costs a million dollars, decanters out of which they poured their 
 wine are fifty dollars each; I don't care if their cards are silk cards 
 and they play them on mahognay tables, or if their billiard-tables 
 cost ten thousand dollars apiece and their billiard-balls fifty dollars 
 apiece, I say to you the more you gild sin the more it stinks in the 
 nostrils of God." 
 
 Some attacks were made on Mr. Jones's indiscriminate denuncia- 
 tion of fashionable society. He characterized society as a "hollow, 
 dirty, cowardly, sneaking, miserable wretch. Heartless ! heartless !" 
 Defining his position of it he said: "Whenever you see a card- 
 room in a house, a wine-room and a billiard-room, let me say to you 
 there is a family that belongs to the society of the city, whether the 
 remainder of the crowd will acknowledge them' or not. It is owing 
 to how much money you have got and how freely you spend it 
 whether they will take you in or not. In all of my experience I have 
 never met a single man who prayed in his family night and morn- 
 ing, and paid his just debts and lived honestly, who would cover 
 up the cards in his house." Referring to the charges made by a few 
 that he said unjust things in his attack upon sin and he ought to 
 
Sam P. Jones. 207 
 
 apologize for some of his utterances, he said in his characteristic 
 way : "I get to the point sometimes where they say, 'Jones, you said 
 some mighty hard things. You ought to apologize.' Ought to 
 apologize? Well, sir, if I say a thing while I am in Chicago that 
 hurts a man who prays night and morning in his family, and pays 
 his just debts, and hasn't but one wife [laughter], lives right before 
 good men, if I hurt that sort of a man I will apologize every time. 
 But I will die before I will apologize to you uncircumcised Philis- 
 tines. I won't do it." [Applause.] 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 The; Chicago Campaign (Continued.) 
 
 Chicago had had much experience in revival and reform work. 
 Mr. Jones's unique style and peculiar place in the evangelistic world 
 put people to thinking and talking. 
 
 The interest became so intense that the newspapers resorted to 
 every conceivable plan to find out the minds of the people regarding 
 the evangelist and the great meeting. They sent out reporters to 
 interview the saloon-keepers to get their opinion of Sam Jones and 
 his work. They gave much space to these interviews with the 
 saloon-keepers. Almost every one said practically the same thing. 
 Of course they had to speak of his work from a mercenary stand- 
 point and accuse him of being out for the money there was in it. 
 They also declared that they were attending to their own business, 
 and that Mr. Jones ought to attend to his. Some of them declared 
 that his preaching hadn't affected the class that patronized their 
 saloons, while others admitted freely and frankly that he was hurt- 
 ing their business considerably. After interviewing the saloon- 
 keepers, they made a round of the business men and prominent cit- 
 izens.. Then they interviewed several eminent ministers who gave 
 their views regarding Mr. Jones and his work, which were also 
 published. Among those that expressed themselves on the subject 
 were Professor David Swing, Dr. H. W. Thomas, Dr. S. J. McPher- 
 son and Dr. P. S. Henson. These opinions are thought worthy of 
 a place here, and, therefore, are inserted. Mr. Frank Hatton, editor 
 of the Mail, sent out these interviewers, and the following answers 
 were received. While we can not print all the estimates that 
 were sent in, we have selected several from the more prominent 
 ministers. 
 
 Prof. David Swing said : "In reply to your inquiry, my answer 
 
 (208) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 209 
 
 is given in favor of Sam Jones. I have made quite a study of him. 
 He is a most powerful exponent and advocate of the religion of 
 action — the religion of character as opposed to that of mere belief 
 and mere melancholy sentiment. Sam Jones has no doubt seen in 
 the South the average religion of the colored person, who will sing 
 till midnight Tse gwine hum to glory/ and who, after church, on 
 his way to his earthly cabin will steal a chicken or two — his religious 
 glory having oozed out of him while he was passing the hen-house. 
 This revivalist is the most intellectual one Chicago has yet enjoyed ; 
 and, should the converts not be numerous, those who shall be enrolled 
 will be placed upon a basis of solid sense rather than upon one of 
 hymn-singing and transient sentiment. Sam Jones deals only in 
 great commodities — love of righteousness and hatred of evil; love 
 of Christ and aversion to Satan, and in the obligations of every 
 person to follow Christ and abandon the devil. His anecdotes, 
 wit and personal oddities rivet attention and make old truths as 
 fresh as though they had just been discovered. 
 
 ' 'I think now more highly of Mr. Jones than I thought of him 
 before he came, because his manner and spirit are a part of his 
 power which the reporters could not touch. He abuses kindly. He 
 calls us fools and lunatics, but still he likes us. Fools as we are he 
 is anxious to have us get to heaven, both on earth and beyond. His 
 heaven is here to-day, as well as over yonder to-morrow. He asso- 
 ciates God's spirit and men's common sense, prayer and good, hard 
 work, and makes God help those who help themselves. Up' to this 
 day Sam Jones seems a valuable Christian moral force." 
 
 The Rev. S. P. McPherson took the position that Mr. Jones's 
 denunciation of amusement is too indiscriminate. He said : "Cur- 
 rent objections to 'Sam Jones' apply mainly to the method rather 
 than to the matter of his preaching. Like Mr. Moody, and even 
 like St. Paul, he violates the laws of grammar and rhetoric; like 
 the average he uses: 'slang' which everybody understands, and se- 
 vere good taste condemns. Well, society novel and pleasure of 'the 
 French school,' 'art for art's sake,' newspaper reports of crime and 
 vice, insinuate all sorts of moral abominations in an artistic form 
 
 8j 
 
210 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 which renders them tolerable to fastidious tastes. The sermons of a 
 'cultivated' preacher may become standard literature without griping 
 the country. The real question is, whether we shall fear to break 
 the canon of esthetics or the Ten Commandments. Shall we 
 measure life by the fine arts or by good morals? 'Slang' is bad in 
 its own sphere, even though it should be incorporated in the classics 
 of our grandchildren, but sin is fatally and unchangeably bad to all 
 eternity. 
 
 "Again, there is the usual fear of a 'reaction' from the influence 
 of this evangelist because he is a revivalist. But is there more peril 
 in a possible reaction than in the prevailing moral stagnation? 
 There is no danger of any reaction against this stagnation except 
 in a revival. Shall the wicked never arouse lest some of them 
 should relapse ? The whole history of morals and religions show 
 that God never asked such a question. This sort of logic would 
 have dissuaded Christ fromi coming to Bethlehem, and Calvary. 
 We become so habituated to sin that we disparage or even justify 
 it ; we sometimes go so far as to make merchandise of it, but Mr. 
 Jones is raising moral issues in this great community. It is in the 
 light of this fact that we ought to measure his treatment of certain 
 'amusements.' Like many others I regard his denunciations of them 
 as too indiscriminate. But I should dislike to be so 'narrow- 
 gauged' as to deny him: the right to his own opinion and interpreta- 
 tion of them. Even if he does err on the side of stringency, any one 
 may fairly ask whether the common error be not on the side of 
 laxity. We may well thank him. for compelling us to review our 
 estimate of them;, not in the light of their business success., of their 
 pleasureableness, but of their relations to Christianity and their in- 
 fluence upon health and morals. If the general tendency of these 
 things is toward Jesus Christ, Mr. Jones is wrong; but not other- 
 wise. The moral 'reaction' of his teachings on this point can be 
 easily measured by experience and by Scripture. The lapse into 
 moral indifference over them seems to me far more perilous than 
 any probable relapse resulting from: a revision of our opinions of 
 them with special regard to the final judgment of God. But what- 
 ever his imperfections, he seems to have the seal of God's approval 
 
Sam P. Jones. 211 
 
 and he finds the way to sinners' hearts. It is not, therefore, my 
 duty to repulse him because he has limitations ; it is rather my priv- 
 ilege to cooperate with him, because he preaches truth in his own 
 way." 
 
 Rev. P. S. Henson hails the event of the evangelist with exceed- 
 ing satisfaction. He said: "In response to your request for an 
 expression of my opinion as to 'the good results' likely to follow 
 from the evangelistic labors of Mr. Jones, it gives me pleasure to 
 say that for one that I hail his coming with exceeding satisfaction, 
 and that for several reasons which I do not hesitate thus publicly 
 to avow. First of all, I rejoice to believe that through him the 
 gospel was preached to a great multitude of people, such as do not 
 ordinarily attend any places of worship. Faith comes by hearing. 
 All the gospel asks for is an honest hearing, and this man, with 
 his grand humor, audacious courage, palpable sincerity and homely 
 yet manly style of speech is sure to have hearing. And whenever 
 the gospel gets a hearing it always proves the power of God unto 
 salvation, in the nineteenth century no> less than the first. 
 
 "In the second place, there are great public questions touching 
 public morals and public decency, touching Sabbath-breaking, rum- 
 drinking and rum-selling, gambling, licentiousness, fraudulent deal- 
 ing, and what in his vigorous vernacular this evangelist should 
 brand as 'downright meanness' that need be treated with just such 
 sledgehammers as he knows how to wield. Nothing but steamham- 
 mer blows like these will wake a city plunged in sinful apathy. Oh, 
 for the days of Moody ! cries out somebody who is hurt. For one, I 
 believe in Moody with all my heart, but this man is doing a work 
 that Moody never did, and yet that mightily needs to be done. 
 History records not the name of a single great reformer that did 
 not wear a hairy mantle and deal blows with a bludgeon. Such 
 an one was Martin Luther, and such was John Knox, and Elijah 
 and John the Baptist. The complaint brought against the early 
 Christians was that they were disturbers of the public peace, 'pesti- 
 lent fellows,' that were turning the world 'upside down.' My own 
 very clear conviction is that Jones is in the line of 'Apostolic suc- 
 cession,' and that his coming to Chicago will prove a great and 
 lasting blessing." * 
 
212 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Rev. H. W. Thomas expects good results from the preaching of 
 the Southern evangelist. He says: "Christ commissions us to 
 preach it to all the world; but regular methods of evangelization 
 actually touch only the minority. Critics object to Mr. Jones's 
 wit and humor. But if wit and humor open doors which were 
 otherwise closed to the gospel why should its friends not rejoice? 
 The moral quality of laughter depends upon its associations. If it 
 can be made to« cast up a highway by which the Son of God can 
 enter human hearts it has returned to its true usage; it is then as 
 good as tears or fastings. Why should we renounce any method, 
 however unfamiliar, that brings men back to God. Let us fear 
 lest there be no less danger of bigotry in our methods than in our 
 theology. Let us rejoice, like Paul, 'that in every way Christ is 
 proclaimed.' For one I welcome every method that makes the 
 proclamation more widespread. 
 
 "Mr. Jones is a preacher of righteousness. He makes few appeals 
 to emotion or sentimentality. He is a modern John the Baptist, 
 who powerfully exhorts; us all to bring forth fruits meet for repent- 
 ance. He plows through the subsoil of sin and turns it up into the 
 sunlight. Some objection is made by many worthy Christians that 
 he does not sufficiently preach the 'gospel' in the sense of a free 
 and gracious salvation by Christ. It is true that he does not put 
 the emphasis of his preaching on that point. But what do we need 
 first? No man will turn to Christ for salvation until after he dis- 
 covers the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and in my belief the sense of 
 damning sin is just what our age chiefly lacks. . 
 
 "In one of his sermons Brother Jones said that 'the greatest 
 preacher that ever stood in the pulpit in Chicago is the preacher 
 that has got the most love for the human family. I ami running 
 on love, love that says, "I am going on with my work trying to 
 save my fellows.' " There is a want, a generous catholicity in these 
 words that should win all of our hearts. 
 
 "Brother Jones has no sympathy with the old doctrine of impu- 
 tation; that the sin of Adam was imputed through the race and 
 that God would have destroyed this world long ago if Christ had 
 not died. 'Now, listen to me,' he says, 'my intelligence, my man- 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 213 
 
 hood, could never love a God, who made Christ die to satisfy his 
 wrath, but when you say God loves us and Christ died as a man- 
 ifestation of that love, when you put it that way, I can love him 
 with all my heart/ This is the doctrine of the suffering of love 
 to save, and against it infidelity can bring no argument. Let us 
 all rejoice that Brother Jones preaches this blessed truth, and not 
 that Christ died to 'reconcile the father' or to satisfy justice. 
 
 "As to the general effects of such teaching, conjoined with the 
 powerful emphasis that he places upon truth and justice and all 
 moral virtues, they must be good. And his manner of emphasizing 
 the 'need of good sense' in religion is most healthy. He may seem 
 over-positive in some things, but as a revivalist he should be pos- 
 itive, and one should easily forgive his earnestness when it may 
 to us seem to go to extremes in some things." 
 
 Rev. George C. Lorimer, D.D., of the Emanuel Baptist church, 
 was not talkative on the subject. 
 
 "I regard it," said he, "a somewhat delicate matter for ministers 
 to express themselves about what they think of Mr. Jones. He 
 is to a certain extent our guest, and we are bound in all honor to 
 stand by him. I would not offer any criticisms under the circum- 
 stances. 
 
 "I think the work has started out well. He has made progress. 
 We can hardly judge it as yet. I feel that his work is fully up to 
 expectations, and I think that the meetings of Mr. Jones will result 
 in marked blessings to the people of the city." 
 
 The meetings continued five weeks. The attendance increased 
 until the very last. The interest became more intense as the services 
 progressed. The conversions began the first week and each week 
 there were increasing numbers. Mr. Jones said: "I have never 
 yet struck a place where there was so much orthodoxy and devil- 
 ment as there is in Chicago." Speaking further to the Commercial 
 Gazette reporter, he said : "You ask me what I think of the pres- 
 ent revival in this city. It couldn't be a better one. In all my 
 life as an evangelist I have never seen such interest manifested in 
 a revival. There is no trouble about it. Chicago has beaten the 
 first two weeks record of St. Louis and Cincinnati, and that is some- 
 
214 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 thing I had not anticipated." At the end of the second week, Mr. 
 Jones said there had been about five hundred conversions. The 
 third week the number was in the neighborhood of one thousand. 
 The next week Mr. Jones said that a larger number remained at the 
 after-meeting than any service except Sunday. This indicates an 
 increased interest that was very gratifying to the committee. In 
 Mr. Jones's own language, the revival was booming. The opposition 
 had gradually died away as people began to be saved, and when 
 the last days of the meeting came, it was with great sorrow that 
 the people said good-by to Mr. Jones. In the Record of Christian 
 Work, published .by Fleming H. Revell, April, 1886, we clip a 
 paragraph from, a lengthy editorial: "Mr. Jones's coming to Chi- 
 cago and preaching to the Northwest is a benediction to all the 
 churches. The moral atmosphere will be clearer henceforth, and 
 the Christian living will mean more, and the church will require 
 more of its membership. Mr. Moody, with his usual sagacity, saw 
 the needs of Chicago, as perhaps no other man did, and induced 
 Mr. Jones to turn his steps hither, and begin this work, and his 
 promise has been more than fulfilled. Probably, there never has 
 been such a revival in this city before. It is undoubtedly true that 
 hundreds, if not thousands, have been converted, and hundreds of 
 Christians have been led to a new consecration to God's service/' 
 
 In closing the chapter on the work in Chicago, we can not do 
 better than to take from the Tribune of April 5th, its account of 
 the last service : 
 
 "The great five- weeks' revival meeting with the Southern evan- 
 gelist, Sam Jones, as the central and animating figure, is over. The 
 finish was reached in a veritable blaze of glory and without a soli- 
 tary essential lacking to crown it a magnificent success. That it 
 will pass into local history bearing the stamp' of success, is absolutely 
 assured; and that it will work a permanent good in the morals of the 
 city is admitted by those best capable of judging. 
 
 "The audience last night was large enough, attentive enough, 
 and sufficiently responsive to* please the most exacting speaker who 
 ever spoke religion. There must have been fully nine thousand 
 people packed away in the building. People stood along the aisles 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 215 
 
 on the main floor, stood six and seven deep on the promenade and 
 in the gallery, stood on the stairways, and, in fact, stood every- 
 where where it was possible to stand. There was scarcely breath- 
 ing, much less standing-room. Several hundred people remained 
 in the building from the afternoon service, and by six o'clock nearly 
 every seat was occupied. By half-past six people were standing, 
 and fifteen minutes later the entrance doors were closed, and no 
 more people were admitted. At seven o'clock there must have been 
 five thousand people massed along State and Twenty-fourth streets, 
 half of them under the impression that the doors had not yet been 
 opened, and the other half believing that, through some providen- 
 tial circumstances they would be able to gain admittance. All the 
 cars going north and south from the Rink were as thoroughly 
 packed as if the meeting had just been dismissed, and entirely by 
 people who had despaired of getting into the Casino. A careful 
 estimate places the number of people turned away at about ten thou- 
 sand, really a greater throng than was able to hear the last sermon 
 of this series of revival meetings. 
 
 "The sermon was of a different character than those usually 
 delivered by Sam Jones in the presence of large crowds, and there 
 was little in it to excite the levity of those present. It was decid- 
 edly theological and abounded in the pathetic. 
 
 "The meetings in the Casino during the past five weeks have 
 been attended by nearly two hundred and sixty thousand persons, 
 all of whom have been handled without trouble, disturbance or 
 accident of any kind. 
 
 "The Rev. Dr. Henry Scudder presided. Bishop Merrill occu- 
 pied a chair by his side. The choir began its work at six o'clock, 
 and there was an alternation of singing and praying until seven- 
 fifteen. Mr. Jones then preached upon, 'Her Ways are Ways of 
 Pleasantness.' He described it as a way of light, of good things, 
 of happiness, a way that seemed short, because the way was made 
 in good company. After the sermon, he took Dr. Scudder' s hand 
 and led him, to the front of the rostrum, saying : 
 
 " 'I want to take the hand of Dr. Scudder, one of your noble 
 preachers, and I want his hand to represent yours. I want every 
 
216 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 one of you to consider your hand in mine. I want to thank you 
 all from the depths of my soul for your kindness and consideration 
 for me.' 
 
 "Dr. Scudder placed his arm* around Mr. Jones's neck and asked 
 the blessings of God to accompany him on his way and to prosper 
 him in his work. The great audience applauded vigorously. Half 
 an hour was spent with about a hundred penitents in the inquiry 
 room. Thus closed the great meeting in Chicago," 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Ths Baltimore Awakening. 
 
 After leaving Chicago, the next meeting that was held in a large 
 city was in Baltimore. Mr. Jones visited some smaller cities in 
 the South between the close of the Chicago work and the opening 
 of the revival in the Monumental City. Some of these meetings 
 were held in Mississippi, and the results were gratifying. Perhaps 
 the last one just before going to Baltimore was the greatest of 
 them all, and was conducted in Columbus, Miss. As a result of a 
 ten-days' meeting, the entire city and surrounding community was 
 mightily stirred. 
 
 In Baltimore, some of the prominent citizens and the Ministerial 
 Alliance had talked of his coming for a year and a half. The first 
 of the year a petition signed by the pastors of six denominations, 
 and a committee of very prominent laymen, headed by Dr. James 
 Carey, Thomas and Mr. O. L,. Rhodes, was sent to Mr. Jones. He 
 accepted the invitation, and when the public announcement was 
 made, it contained the names of twenty-seven prominent ministers, 
 and a number of leading laymen, including Dr. Frank Gunsaulus, 
 Dr. A. C. Dixon, Hon. Joshua Levering, and many other influen- 
 tial men. The churches and ministry were a unit in inviting him. 
 
 The financial committee urged Mr. Jones very strongly to set 
 a price for his services, but he gave them; to distinctly understand 
 that if his visit depended upon making a contract he would not 
 under any circumstances consider the invitation. He had never 
 made a contract for remuneration for his services, and was very 
 explicit in his correspondence regarding this matter. We find a 
 letter bearing on this subject addressed to the chairman of the 
 executive committee. He said : 
 
 '*Now, as you press the matter upon me as to compensation, I 
 
 (217) 
 
218 Sam P. Jonds. 
 
 can simply say that whatever is done must be voluntary and, there- 
 fore, there can be no pecuniary consideration. 
 
 "My terms have invariably been about these: If the brethren 
 will roll up their sleeves and pitch in and help to win souls to Christ, 
 I will not charge much, but if they do not, I shall dig them pretty 
 hard. 
 
 "I would rather see ten thousand souls brought to Christ and 
 have to borrow money to pay my way home from your city, than 
 to see the cause of Christ not prosper and have you pay me ten 
 thousand dollars. 
 
 "I claim the promises in the thirty-seventh Psalm : 'Trust in the 
 Lord and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land and verily 
 thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give 
 thee the desires of thine heart.' 
 
 "Whatever is paid me, I only want to know that it is a voluntary 
 free-will offering on the part of those contributing it. My faith 
 is strong, and I believe God will give us a great work in Baltimore. 
 I know you brethren are praying and will do what you can to make 
 the work a success, and God is always ready, and really, God is 
 calling, seeking, hunting to find the lost." 
 
 The only requirement he made was, that they would select an 
 appropriate place for the meetings to be held, and arrange a build- 
 ing that would seat four or five thousand people. He expressed 
 a desire, if it was convenient, for them to secure a, suite of rooms 
 at some good hotel near the Tabernacle. This was his preference, 
 everything else being equal. As his success depended to a large 
 extent upon the cooperation and sympathy of the pastor, and the 
 people, he told them that he desired the hearty cooperation of the 
 church people of Baltimore. He said he did not care so much for 
 their endorsement of his style and manner, but earnestly desired 
 hearty cooperation. He told them that he had never known any- 
 thing but success, but found it much easier to have a great revival 
 where the people were willing to work with him. 
 
 The committee decided to accept the conditions as outlined by 
 him, and accepting the call, he gave them May 2, 1886, as the date 
 for his work in Baltimore. It was very apparent to all observing: 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 219 
 
 and earnest Christians that just such a preacher as Mr. Jones was 
 greatly needed in that city. Perhaps the ministers and citizens 
 who had secured his services saw this need as it really existed. A 
 rather remarkable thing was that the editors of the great daily 
 papers, including the American-Herald and Sun, were a unit on this 
 question. As soon as his coming was announced, there appeared 
 lengthy editorials as to the moral condition and the church-life of 
 Baltimore. These papers said in substance that "Mr. Jones's com- 
 ing to the city is good tidings. There is much need of a religious 
 awakening in this city, and if Mr. Jones could succeed in quickening 
 the consciences and stirring the depths of stagnation, his mission 
 would bring great blessing to the people." They ventured, to give 
 Mr. Jones a few hints as to the spiritual needs of the community. 
 The souls that stood most in need of his words and burning zeal 
 were not the outsiders exclusively, but the people that needed to be 
 touched to the quick were within the churches; sometimes even 
 vestrymen, ' elders, deacons, and stewards, as well as other pew- 
 holders and communicants. Their needs were all the greater, 
 because they were not aware of them. They made religion a rou- 
 tine, a respectability, while their hearts were in worldliness, pride 
 and pleasure. Like the scribes and Pharisees of old, they were not 
 what would ordinarily be called the bad men, but were good citizens, 
 respecters of the law, punctilious in religious observance, such as 
 prayer in public, tithing and making much of ritual. They liked 
 to appear before the eyes of the world as the pillars of the church, 
 but before the eye of God they were full of pride, and for a pre- 
 tense made long prayers while devouring widows' houses. Such 
 men were sitting in the prominent pews. They prayed that Mr. 
 Jones might smite through the armor of selfishness and complacency 
 and show them their real condition, and thus through the gates of 
 penitence lead them, back into spiritual life and show them that God 
 would receive them, if they would come humbly and submissively 
 as little children to> the throne of grace. 
 
 The editors of great daily papers were in a position to see the 
 spiritual condition of a community, but it is seldom that you find 
 men who were as firm in their convictions and had the courage to 
 
220 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 write them, as the editors of these Baltimore papers, Mr. Jones, 
 upon his arrival in the city, was quick to discover the needs as 
 had been seen by the citizens, ministers and newspapers. 
 
 No amount of labor and expenditure of money was lacking in 
 preparing a suitable place in which to hold the meetings. The com- 
 mittee selected the Biddle Street Rink and put it in a suitable condi- 
 tion for evangelistic services. The preparations were completed on 
 Saturday before the meetings began. They had prepared for the 
 accommodation of five thousand people. A wide row of benches 
 stretched from the platform down to< the main doors, with rows 
 of benches on either side within full view of the pulpit ; the galleries 
 on the east and west side of the building were also- arranged with 
 seats. In order to protect the eyes of the speaker and the people, 
 the electric lights were strung in a row along the wall, which gave 
 a pleasant effect to the eye. In front of the building a large electric 
 light hung on Biddle street, making it easy for the great crowds 
 to gather and disperse. A very large and well-arranged platform 
 had been built for the choir. 
 
 Mr. O. L. Rhodes had been selected by the committee in charge 
 of the meetings to meet Mr. Jones in Washington and accompany 
 him to Baltimore. Upon the arrival of the nine-o'clock train at the 
 Baltimore & Potomac depot, Mr. Rhodes met Mr. Jones. They 
 strolled in the vicinty for about three-quarters of an hour, after 
 which they boarded the ten-o'clock train for Baltimore. Upon their 
 arrival at the Union Station about midnight, they were met by Dr. 
 P. C. Williams, chairman of the executive committee, who had 
 a carriage ready to take them to the St. James Hotel. 
 
 After Mr. Jones had registered and been shown to his room, 
 a rap on the door, and "Come in" by Mr. Jones, introduced a 
 reporter from one of the morning papers. After he had made him- 
 self known, Mr. Jones said : "Well, my boy, if you have got any 
 questions to ask, fire them, quick, as I want to climb into bed." The 
 reporter inquired : "Have you yet mapped out a definite plan for 
 your campaign?" Mr. Jones answered: "As definite as is possible; 
 my only plan is, 'Do something.' I am going to make things lively 
 for the saints and sinners hereabouts." After telling Mr. Jones 
 
Sam P. Jones. 221 
 
 of the spacious hall that had been prepared for him, the reporter 
 asked: "Do you think you will be able to fill it with people?" Mr. 
 Jones replied: "I'll fill the-building if its as big as all outdoors." 
 Then he bade him good-night, and Mr. Jones soon retired, and 
 Sunday morning was up early and in fine condition for his meeting. 
 The opening service was held in the afternoon, and two hours before 
 the time for preaching the people began to flock to the auditorium 
 until it was full, and several thousand turned away. It was esti- 
 mated that no less than eight thousand endeavored to attend the 
 first service. Mr. Maxwell had taken charge of the large choir that 
 had been organized and trained by a local leader. A number of 
 very spirited revival songs had been rendered, when Mr. Jones 
 reached the auditorium. As great crowds thronged the doors of 
 the Rink, it was necessary for Mr. Jones to enter the building 
 through the inquiry room. Just as soon as he made his appear- 
 ance the great audience recognized him, and there was a whisper, 
 "There he is," which was taken up by one after another until the 
 great audience had its attention drawn to him. He threaded his 
 way through the large body of men on the stage, and walked out 
 upon a small platform erected especially for him, and seated himself 
 in a large old-fashioned armchair. The large choir sang a special 
 song that had been written for the occasion. The title of it was 
 "Welcome Song." The words had been composed by Professor 
 John D. Robinson, and the music by Professor Harry Sanders, 
 both of that city. The following words were sung in a very enthu- 
 siastic and whole-souled manner: 
 
 "Oh, man of God, we welcome you in Christ the Saviour's name, 
 And pray that all your labors here may glorious fruitings bring; 
 
 With loving heart and tuneful voice we raise this lofty strain, 
 And greet you as the messenger of Christ the Lord and King. 
 
 REFRAIN. 
 
 "We welcome you with hearts aglow, we welcome you with song, 
 And gather here our love to show, with faith and hope both strong. 
 
222 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Thy labors so abundant have with victory been crowned 
 On every sinful battle-field where thou wert called to lead. 
 
 And multitudes rejoice to-day who Christ the Saviour found, 
 And bless the chosen husbandman who sowed the precious seed. 
 
 "God bless thee more abundantly and grant thee power divine, 
 That thou may'st help our people to a higher Christian life, 
 
 And make the gospel trumpet sound in strains of joy sublime, 
 And lead us forth to victory o'er sin and woe and strife. 
 
 "And may an influence great and strong flow from thy presence here. 
 To bless the coming ages with a purifying stream ; 
 
 And Christ the Lord be magnified each Christian heart to cheer, 
 As light from Gospel truth shall shine with heaven's radiant 
 gleam." 
 
 When Mr. Tones was introduced and arose to address the people, 
 his prophecy to fill the building was more than fulfilled. The Rink 
 was packed and jammed from the platform to the door, and the 
 aisles thick with people, while several thousands were clamoring bn 
 the outside for admittance. In the rear of him sat the members of 
 the executive committee and the ministers of the city, with a large 
 choir, and a corps of earnest personal workers. It was a crowd 
 that had come from all parts of the city representing every denomi- 
 nation, and all classes of non-church-going people. Such religious 
 enthusiasm had inflamed with fervor even those who had been actu- 
 ated by mere curiosity. It was unlike any other ever witnessed in 
 Baltimore. There were the gray-haired men, most of them evidently 
 from various churches, and there were hundreds of young men who 
 attended no church, and many of the society people could be located 
 in different parts of the building. The workingmen, their wives 
 and children sat along the side with the lawyers, physicians, mer- 
 chants, capitalists and other richly-dressed men and women. Chris- 
 tians and infidels were both eager to catch his first utterance. 
 
 The perfect arrangement of the building gave every one an ex- 
 cellent opportunity to see the speaker. Dr. A. C. Dixon had intro- 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 223 
 
 duced him in a brief speech, and earnestly besought the prayers of 
 the Christian people in behalf of a great revival. 
 
 Mr. Jones, standing before the people, did not look like a clergy- 
 men, as he was dressed in a business suit. He held in his hand a 
 small Bible, and finding his text, he began his work in earnest. It 
 ■took him but a moment to throw the power of his personality into 
 his message, and with his indefinable magnetism soon had the audi- 
 ence under his control. He preached one of his most polished and 
 magnificent sermons, which resulted in a deep impression at the 
 first service. The people went away greatly moved by the spiritual 
 power manifested. 
 
 In the evening more people sought to hear him than at the after- 
 noon service. He changed his style somewhat, and preached one of 
 his humorous, pathetic and stirring addresses. The first day of the 
 great campaign had made a favorable impression upon all classes of 
 people. He recognized that the day services would be conducted in 
 the churches, and a noonday service would be held for the business 
 men at the Y. M. C. A. Hall. Preaching ior the first week was 
 directed to the church-members; however, the unsaved turned to 
 Christ in great numbers, and at the close of the first week's service 
 many had been happily converted. A great deal of interest and 
 curiosity had been manifested throughout the city in Mr. Jones, in 
 the way he spent his time between the services. A reporter of the 
 Herald called upon him at his room to interview him on the subject. 
 He found Mr. Jones and his assistant, chorister and secretary spend- 
 ing their rest hours in a very simple way. The interview followed : 
 "Mr. Jones," said the reporter, "does nothing especially to distin- 
 guish himself from the other guests of the hotel. He arises usually 
 at seven o'clock and has his co-workers to join him in a word of 
 prayer, seeking the guidance of God for the day, and then repairs 
 to breakfast, where his favorite dish is oatmeal and cream. He is 
 especially fond of fruit, and likes a lemonade or a cup of coffee. 
 After a very light breakfast he returns to his room and looks 
 through his letters, which accumulate at the rate of fifty a day. He 
 is never so busy but what he writes to his wife daily, and she knows 
 where he is and what he is doing each day. He spends some time 
 
224 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 in reading, which led the reporter to ask, 'What are your favorite 
 authors ?' The evangelist replied, 'My library is a very choice and 
 carefully selected one. I use books like the mechanic uses the grind- 
 stone to sharpen his tools on. Whenever I go away from home I 
 pack a few of my favorite books in my valise and read as I have 
 occasion, while I am gone/ 'Do you like poetry?' inquired the in- 
 terviewer. 'There is but one poet for me, that is Burns/ then Mr. 
 Jones proceeded to quote Burns with spirit and feeling." 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 The Baltimore Awakening (Continued). 
 
 The meeting had been running smoothly from the beginning, 
 with every kind of encouragement. As the time became more pro- 
 pitious, Mr. Jones began to denounce the wrongs and sins of the 
 city more strongly. The society element, which was so prominent 
 in Baltimore, received special attention at his hands. This called 
 forth much criticism and resentment. He continued to discuss their 
 foibles and superficiality, ridiculing and pointing out the emptiness 
 of such a life. Card-playing, theater-going and dancing were the 
 subjects for many remarks, and the ground for many earnest pleas. 
 Considerable inroads were made on the society people, and they be- 
 came interested in their salvation, and many were brought to God 
 during the meeting. 
 
 His fearful arraignment of the liquor traffic and the other vices 
 and sins caused the people to be divided in their opinions. Con- 
 siderable opposition was manifested on the part of the society mem- 
 bers and managers of gambling-dens. Some of the worldly church- 
 members, including some preachers, could not endorse all that he 
 said against the saloon. The majority, however, including the most 
 earnest reporters, were enthusiastic in their praise, declaring that he 
 was right, while some of the worldly and irreligious church-mem- 
 bers, with those who took no interest in religion, discussed him in 
 harsh and bitter terms. Dr. Kircus, one of the prominent Episcopal 
 rectors, joined in with the foes of the work and wrote very bitterly 
 against him through the daily press. Mr. Jones was not ritualistic 
 enough to please the high churchmen, who indulged in the very 
 things that Mr. Jones had denounced. A paper said: "Mr. Jones 
 denounces the liquor traffic, which Dr. Kircus defends. He de- 
 nounces the theaters, which Dr. Kircus admires and attends. He 
 
 (225) 
 
226 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 denounces the germans, in which Dr. Kircus finds repose and ec- 
 stasy, after the fastings and humiliations of Lent. He preaches 
 Christ, while Dr. Kircus is content with St. Michael and all angels. 
 Hence, the shoe pinches so hard that the critic walks lame." 
 
 After reading this description of Dr. Kircus, Mr. Jones in his 
 preliminary remarks at the evening service, said : "Who is this 
 preacher that is denouncing me in this city?" A friend replied: 
 "Why, he is the man that the liquor people got to deliver a lecture, 
 and paid him for it." [Smiles.] "Well," continued Mr. Jones, "I 
 am glad I know why he opposes me; it's always the hit dog that 
 howls. [Laughter.] He also says that I am not an accredited 
 minister of the gospel. Well, I just want to say that I am an or- 
 dained minister, and a member of the North Georgia Conference, 
 and my ordination is as good as anybody's. I came to Baltimore 
 because the leading ministers and laymen invited me. When you 
 hear people discussing the revival, and some fellow asks, 'Have you 
 been around to hear Sam Jones?' and he replies, 'No, I don't en- 
 dorse him,' now, look here," said Mr. Jones, "I don't want you to 
 endorse me. [Laughter.] Your endorsement if it was written out 
 wouldn't be any good. [Laughter.] I won't endorse myself, but 
 I do want God to endorse me, and I want you all to cooperate with 
 me. No man wants to go to heaven more than I do, and if I don't 
 go to heaven, friends, I tell you now I will turn and walk away 
 from the gates of pearl the most disappointed man in the universe." 
 These preliminary remarks had given the death-blow to the criti- 
 cism and opposition, and the great audience was brought into closer 
 sympathy and more hearty cooperation with Mr. Jones. In a great 
 many of the pulpits on the following Sabbath morning the promi- 
 nent evangelistical ministers of the city preached on the great re- 
 vival in progress. Many of them told their people that Mr. Jones 
 was exactly right in all he said, and deplored the fact that they had 
 not been more fearless in their preaching. One of them said: "If 
 the two or three hundred preachers in Baltimore were more like 
 Sam Jones we would have pure churches and less of the evil social 
 features of the city. I am ashamed that I haven't been more like 
 Sam Jones in my attitude towards the worldliness and wickedness 
 of Baltimore." 
 
Sam P. Jones. 227 
 
 In view of the extraordinary interest which the community had 
 manifested in the meeting, and deeming it a matter of uncommon 
 public interest, one of the daily papers gathered and published 
 opinions and views of many of the leading citizens as to the char- 
 acter of work being accomplished by Mr. Jones. In the large num- 
 ber of expressed opinions there was found the names of many emi- 
 nent ecclesiastical judges and lawyers, professors, physicians, mer- 
 chants, business men, and private citizens. 
 
 Dr. Andrew Longacre, Mount Vernon M. E. church : "Of course 
 I am in full sympathy with Mr. Jones." 
 
 Rev. W. M. H, McAllister, St. John's Independent Methodist 
 church : "I am with Sam Jones." 
 
 • Rev. Milard J. Lowe, Epworth Independent Methodist church : 
 "I know Mr. Jones, and he will do great work here. He will get 
 hold of the masses and do the churches good." 
 
 Rev. A. C. Dixon, Emanuel Baptist church : "I am in thorough 
 sympathy with the work engaged in by the evangelist. He is an ef- 
 fective talker, and will do much good. You can not draw a parallel 
 between Moody and Jones. They are utterly unlike. Moody knew 
 a thing, but not from personal experience, and Jones does." 
 
 Rev. W. F. Gunsaules, Brown Memorial Presbyterian church : 
 "I am in sympathy with whatever works good. I think there is go- 
 ing to be a great work done here. Mr. Jones will be master of the 
 situation." 
 
 Mr. H. T. Maloney, clerk of the United States Court : "Mr. Jones 
 is an extraordinary man. His novel style has set church-members 
 to thinking, and induced the masses to discuss the subject of relig- 
 ion. His sermons will be productive of good in Baltimore." 
 
 Judge H. Clay Dalian : "I went to hear Sam Jones thinking that 
 I would not like him, but I was favorably impressed." 
 
 Ex-Mayor Ferdinand C. Latrobe: "I am afraid to hear Sam 
 Jones ; I would like to see him and Bob Ingersoll matched." 
 
 Hon. Thomas G. Hayes, United States District Attorney : "He 
 is one of the smartest men I ever heard. I like him ; as he says, 'the 
 fellow that takes him for a fool will get left/ I consider him a well 
 educated man." 
 
228 Sam P, Jonss. 
 
 Following the estimates of the prominent men, there appeared a 
 very striking one from *an editor : "Sam Jones is a man of strong 
 character, and therefore sure to find warm advocates or bitter op- 
 ponents, and as he never fails to 'speak out in meeting,' no man 
 has any difficulty in making up his mind as to whether he is pleased 
 or annoyed by hits, in which the evangelist delights to indulge. 
 One thing can not be gainsaid. The impression produced has been 
 very powerful, and the prediction that the mission-meeting would 
 be a nine-day wonder is falsified by the fact that at the end of the 
 second week the rush to the evening meetings is more eager than 
 ever. The revival has been the greatest religious event which this 
 city has ever known. At first, no doubt the throngs were attracted 
 to the meetings by the fame of the evangelist. His style and sayings 
 have proved factors in drawing crowds, but even when Mr. Jones 
 would announce that he would disrobe his sermons of wit, humor 
 and jokes, and would preach the next time in a serious vein, his 
 audiences did not fall off; all the available space was occupied at 
 every service. 
 
 "The character of the audiences has been as remarkable as the 
 sermons preached before them. One has only to place himself at 
 the door of the Rink and scan the dress and faces of those who 
 enter its doors to satisfy himself that the congregation was made 
 up of the better classes of the community. Sober, respectable, 
 thoughtful people, both old and young, have been constant in their 
 attendance. Whether in the church or out of it, it has been Balti- 
 more's representative people who have attended the services. In 
 view of the conservative and unexcitable nature of our people, it was 
 thought that the peculiar methods of Mr. Jones would not be crown- 
 ed with the same success as in Cincinnati, Chicago, and other places. 
 The results thus far go to show that these calculations were mis- 
 placed, for the meetings have been as continuously enthusiastic and 
 as numerously attended as those at any other point. The fact that 
 nearly five hundred people have professed conversion, and that one 
 thousand have asked for prayer, furnishes irrefutable testimony of 
 the power and influences exerted by the meeting." 
 
 In Mr. Jones's sympathy for the unfortunate and outcast, he 
 
Sam P. Jones. 229 
 
 preached in the penitentiary before a most attentive audience of con- 
 victs. He showed how tenderly he felt toward the criminal in the 
 selection of his text, which was taken from Matthew 1 1 128 : 
 "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give 
 you rest." He told them that the Saviour understood all of their 
 troubles, and prescribed for them as the great physician of the soul ; 
 that the Lord Jesus was the one friend that would never go back on 
 them. He said perhaps the worst man in Maryland was not in the 
 penitentiary. "There are a good many in Baltimore who ought to be 
 here with you. I never see a man in striped clothes without think- 
 ing but for the grace of God, old fellow, you'd be in striped clothes 
 yourself, or mighty near it. However, if you will come to God, 
 there will be no striped clothes up yonder — but you all may have 
 robes of shining white." He spoke to them of how the devil had 
 enslaved them. Turning to the colored men he said : "Millions of 
 you fellows kicked up your heels when Abraham Lincoln set you 
 free — well, you ain't free now, are you? [Laughter.] I'll tell you 
 who can set you free, and keep you free, and that is the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. They could put John Bunyan in jail, but he was free there. 
 When he wrote his 'Pilgrim's Progress' he was the freest man in the 
 world. Christ promises also to give you rest. Some of you have at 
 home as good a wife as any man ever had, and her heart has been 
 aching ever since you have been here. Some of you have beautiful 
 daughters ; some of you sisters and brothers ; every boy has a 
 mother living or dead. Precious old mother and good wife have 
 been praying God to sanctify this imprisonment to your salvation. 
 I hope you will come to Christ and let Him give you rest. So live 
 the Christian life from this day forth that the Governor will pardon 
 many of you before your terms expire, and send you out Christians ; 
 but if he don't, be a Christian anyhow. Fd rather be a Christian 
 in the penitentiary than a sinner outside." 
 
 A great deal was said and written about the eccentricities of Mr. 
 Jones. He made reply as follows : 
 
 "You needn't bother about my eccentricities ; I only put them on 
 to get you here. A Baltimore minister said to me : 'Jones, I can't 
 get a congregation.' 'Why,' I said, 'just get a lot of earthenware 
 
230 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 poodle dogs, stick them in the pews of your church and I'll warrant 
 the place will be jammed ; get 'em to come, and then win souls to 
 •Christ.' An old London preacher gave out that he would kick in one 
 of the panels of his pulpit. Crowds assembled at an early hour and 
 filled the church to overflowing. The minister kicked in the panel 
 for them, but he converted a big lot of them. Some person said: 
 'Have you been out to hear Sam Jones ?' 'No, I don't like the way 
 that man goes on,' was the reply. Do tell me how it is that Chris- 
 tians can look on at a battle between the good and sin and not be 
 moved ; just because they don't like the crack of my rifle they refuse 
 to take any part in the fight. If a Newfoundland dog came to my 
 town fully accredited that he had won souls to Christ I'd take him 
 and keep him. I am ready to change myself if any fellow gives me a 
 method to catch more fish. As long as God gives me a string of fish 
 I don't care what they say about my pole and hook." 
 
 He created much laughter while defending his eccentricities. 
 
 The work in Baltimore was rapidly coming to a close, and there 
 appeared an editorial in the Herald as to the results of the meeting. 
 The paper said : "His ministry in Baltimore will have lasted exactly 
 four weeks, and our people have had ample time to form a correct 
 opinion as to the substantial good that will result from his work. 
 
 "It must be conceded that before the arrival of Mr. Jones there 
 was much distrust as to the effectiveness of his method, and the per- 
 manency of his work; however, at the first service there were over 
 three thousand turned away, and the throngs increased from day to 
 day, and the work more permanent than at the beginning. Thou- 
 sands have professed conversion. Many came to see Mr. Jones from 
 tnere motives of curiosity, and for the first time in their lives were 
 stirred with religious emotions. Scores of the worst sinners in the 
 community were made to see the error of their ways, and to declare 
 that henceforth they would lead Christian lives. Will these conver- 
 sions last? This is indeed a serious question, and one that time alone 
 can answer. Doubtless a large percentage of them will endure, but 
 there is another view. We have the testimony of the Protestant 
 ministers at large that there has been a general religious awakening. 
 The enthusiasm of Mr. Jones has inspired other ministers to fresh " 
 
Sam P. Jone;s. 231. 
 
 efforts among their own particular congregations, and the increased 
 church attendance has already become apparent. If, in addition to 
 calling thousands to repentance, he has aroused the Christian spirit 
 of the community, he has doubly won the thanks of the people." 
 
 As to the results of the work, Mr. Jones preached about one hun- 
 dred times during the meetings. All of these sermons were pub- 
 lished in the Sun and other papers. The number of persons who at- 
 tended the meetings were estimated from' two hundred and thirty 
 thousand to two hundred and fifty thousand. It is thought that not 
 less than twenty-five hundred openly professed conversion, while 
 thousands of others had their hearts and minds touched, and were 
 made better men and women. Mr. Jones said in closing the serv- 
 ice: "It has been a great pleasure to me to work with you. My 
 visit has been made especially delightful, because I have worked 
 under the direction of the best committee I ever saw. Whenever 
 you get up a big religious revival in this city put Dr. P. C. Williams 
 at the head of it. I never met a purer, nobler, grander Christian 
 man than he. May God bless him and also the noble preachers of 
 Baltimore, fifty or sixty of whom have been with me. The churches 
 were never more united than they have been during these meetings. 
 I want to thank the ushers, too. To do their duty while being mis- 
 understood leaves no room to doubt their piety. I want them to or- 
 ganize as the ushers did after the Moody meetings, so as to aid in 
 preventing any of the converts from going back to their old ways. 
 May God bless the newspapers of Baltimore, from the editors to the* 
 reporters, for they have done their part of the work well, and to 
 make it comprehensive, may God bless you all. I hope to meet you 
 all up yonder where congregations ne'er break up." 
 
 Mr. Jones visited Baltimore a second time, and held a great meet- 
 ing in the Music Hall. While on this visit he not only succeeded in 
 getting people saved, but made a strong plea for temperance, and 
 aided in raising money for worthy causes, such as the Florence- 
 Crittenton Home. He preached for a number of years at Emorv 
 Grove camp-meeting,, near Baltimore, and the Baltimore people 
 heard him in great numbers. During his last visit he was called 
 home by the death of my mother. There were fully ten thousand 
 
232 Sam P. Jon£S. 
 
 people at the camp-meeting to hear him that day. Excursions had 
 been run in from several directions, and the grounds were covered 
 with earnest admirers. All available space for teams and carriages 
 and horses was taken up, and the campground presented a scene 
 unlike any other in its history. 
 
 Just after preaching in the afternoon he received a telegram an- 
 nouncing the death of my mother, Mrs. C. A. McElwain, at her 
 home near Eminence, Ky. It was a severe shock to him, as the 
 deepest love had existed between my mother and Mr. Jones. While 
 waiting for a telegram from me, he preached again in the evening to 
 an immense throng, from Psalm 55:18: "Cast thy burden upon 
 the Lord, and He shall sustain thee." With his heart aching, he 
 stood there and directed the minds of the people to the great burden- 
 bearer, and with them laid his burden upon the Lord. 
 
 My health was very critical also at that time, which brought addi- 
 tional suffering to his bleeding heart. He said in closing : "It may 
 be that I will never lift my voice here again ; I wish from the depths 
 of my soul to thank you for your sympathies for me and my sick 
 wife, and those of us who are in great sorrow. I do not believe God 
 will allow his faithful ones to be overcome by their burdens. On the 
 sea of life, the old ship of Zion will ply its way to every frail little 
 bark, and when the waves of trouble overlap us, our blessed Christ 
 stands on the bulwarks and says: 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord,' 
 and the weight that overloads us will not sink our vessel the one- 
 hundredth part of an inch. Blessed be God for a great burden - 
 bearer." 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Indianapolis, St. Paul and Minneapolis. 
 
 At the close of the meetings in Baltimore, Mr. Jones was called 
 home to Cartersville, where three of his children were ill. Upon his 
 arrival there, however, he found that they were not dangerously 
 sick, and was detained only a few days. Assured by his physician 
 that his loved ones were improving, he left as soon as possible for 
 his next engagement, which was at Indianapolis, Indiana. 
 
 The evangelist arrived in Indianapolis, on the evening of June 12, 
 1886, and was met by his co-workers, who had preceded him to the 
 city, and had gotten the meeting under way during his stay at Car- 
 tersville. 
 
 His coming had been given due prominence in the Indianapolis 
 papers, and, with one or two exceptions, they were kindly disposed 
 toward him and his work. A great deal of space was given to the 
 reports of his sermons and meetings, and he was treated with fair- 
 ness, editorially. To say the least of it, he was not antagonized to 
 any large extent by the secular press of the city. 
 
 The ministers of the Protestant churches had united almost com- 
 pletely in the invitation to visit Indianapolis, and he was greatly 
 pleased with the earnest cooperation that was given him from this 
 source. 
 
 As in every place he had visited for years since he had become a 
 national character, Mr. Jones had his critics before and after his 
 arrival. 
 
 He was beset on every side by the card-writers, who felt it their 
 duty to enlighten the people in regard to the evangelist. Most of his 
 critics wrote as though they had discovered Sam Jones and warned 
 the people against him as though his worth and works had never 
 been demonstrated at other places. It was a curious fact that these 
 
 (233) 
 
234 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 writers seemed always to feel impelled to protect their respective 
 cities against the evils that they thought would come through a visit 
 from Sam Jones. 
 
 It was not the custom of Mr. Jones to refer to this kind of nui- 
 sance, except when something was said that misrepresented him, or 
 something that would injure the cause. He cared little for personal 
 opinions of men, and rarely noticed anything that was said against 
 riim. But when he was made by the card-writers to say something 
 that he had never said, and saw that his work would be injured 
 unless he corrected the same, he would usually devote a few moments 
 before or after a sermon to score those who had misrepresented him. 
 
 One of the cards which greatly incensed Mr. Jones was a, clipping 
 taken from a New York paper, and enlarged upon in the Indianapo- 
 lis Journal. The Journal had been printing everything it could 
 gather that was calculated to injure and annoy Mr. Jones, but had 
 succeeded in attracting little notice from him. This card, however, 
 was such a palpable falsehood that it brought Mr. Jones to his feet 
 with the following : 
 
 "I saw the biggest, meanest lie in the Indianapolis Journal this 
 morning that was ever published on a man or devil. It was copied 
 from, the New York Star, and it said that Sam Jones asked one thou- 
 sand dollars a week for his services, and three thousand dollars from 
 the people of Omaha before he would consent to go there. I never 
 made a contract about going anywhere in my life, and never said 
 anything about money. That paper that said I did laid itself liable 
 to a libel suit, for it damaged my character as a minister. It is a 
 scandalous lie on a man who never made a charge for his work in 
 his life. I wouldn't go to hear a preacher who would charge one 
 thousand dollars per week for his work, or who demanded a guar- 
 antee." Mr. Jones was roundly applauded after this statement. 
 
 Mr. Jones spoke first in Roberts Park church, but the crowd at 
 that service was of su?^ proportion that it was found necessary to 
 remove to Tomlinson Hail, a large, new building, with a seating 
 -capacity of more than four thousand people. His first sermon was a 
 complete victory for him, and it served to disarm his critics and 
 •those who had opposed him. Mr. Jones had only one week that 
 
Sam P. Jones. 235 
 
 could be given to Indianapolis, his engagements at St. Paul and 
 Minneapolis limiting the time. He went straight into his work, and 
 preached with marvelous power the entire time he was in the city.. 
 It is probable that he accomplished more good in Indianapolis in the 
 week he spent there than he had ever done before in so short a time. 
 There were large numbers of people converted under his preaching* 
 and the morals of the city were given a decidedly better character. 
 He made thousands of friends, and people who were bitterly opposed 
 to his coming were his staunchest supporters when his work there- 
 was finished. 
 
 Even the newspapers that had antagonized him from the start, 
 and had denounced him in the most scathing terms, saw the good 
 that he had accomplished ; and their editorials were of an apologetic 
 nature before he departed from the city. Some of the papers praised 
 him highly, and thanked him for the work that he had accom- 
 plished. 
 
 The sincerity, the earnestness and the directness of the manner in 
 which Mr. Jones had preached to the people of Indianapolis had 
 brought forth wonderful results, which were not only testified to in 
 the meetings, but were evident in all parts of the city. It was a 
 whirlwind victory. Sam Jones came to the city, rushed through it in 
 a cyclone of gospel truth and force, and before the people realized it 
 had left the forces of the devil scattered and frightened, while the 
 Christians who had feared his coming, and questioned his methods,. 
 were left glad and thankful. 
 
 At the close of the meeting, at Indianapolis, Mr. Jones proceeded 
 at once to St. Paul, Minn., where he had completed arrangements^ 
 for a two-weeks' revival meeting. 
 
 As is too often the case, bad news travels far faster than good: 
 news, and when Mr. Jones arrived he found that the newspapers had 
 only received and printed the accounts of his meetings at Indianapo- 
 lis that calculated to do him injury. The papers were up in arms, 
 against his coming and had influenced the people against him. The 
 prejudice of the people was unmistakable, but Mr. Jones had become 
 accustomed to things of this kind, and knew how to meet the sit- 
 uation. 
 
236 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 He spoke the first time the same day he arrived in St. Paul. 
 Thousands of people came to hear him, but there was evidence of the 
 fact that few, if any of them, were in sympathy with him. There 
 was nothing that stimulated him to put forth his best efforts like op- 
 position, whether implied or pronounced. And when he found the 
 violent opposition of the press, and the silent opposition of the peo- 
 ple, he preached with all the power of his being. It was only a few 
 days until he had completely captured the city by his compelling 
 personality. 
 
 His labors in St. Paul were productive of so much good, and 
 caused so much favorable comment, that he was urged to give a part 
 of his time to the people in Minneapolis. It was urged upon him 
 that there were people in the other of the Twin Cities who could not 
 go to hear him in St. Paul, and who were anxious for him to preach 
 "to them. 
 
 The meetings continued for two weeks in St. Paul. He held oc- 
 casional services in Minneapolis. At every service the people flocked 
 in great crowds to hear him. He did not turn aside from his busi- 
 ness of preaching the gospel of Christ, and a great victory was won 
 by him in the Twin Cities. 
 
 As in every place he had ever appeared since he entered the min- 
 istry, Mr. Jones attacked the saloons and the whisky-drinking 
 crowd with vigor. He did not spare this element in St. Paul and 
 Minneapolis. In fact, he was more than usually severe upon the 
 dealers as well as the drinkers of liquor. He said many things that 
 aroused the wrath of the people who indulged in stimulating bev- 
 erages, and called forth much warm criticism upon himself. 
 
 Before the close of the meetings, Mr. Jones had so completely won 
 over the Twin Cities that there was not a building in either place that 
 would hold the crowds. He was made glad by the large number of 
 testimonials as to the good he had done, and was cordially invited 
 to return to Minneapolis and St. Paul. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 In Toronto and Canada. 
 
 Mr. Jones's fame as a revivalist had spread beyond the boundaries 
 of his own country, and his marvelous work had been discussed 
 throughout the entire North American Continent. Some of the 
 prominent ministers of all denominations in Toronto, having be- 
 come familiar with his work in the States, decided to put forth an 
 effort to get him to visit some of the prominent cities in the Domin- 
 ion of Canada. Rev. Hugh Johnson, D.D., one of the most promi- 
 nent ministers in Toronto, wrote on behalf of the Evangelical Min- 
 isters' Alliance, asking Mr. Jones to hold a series of revival services 
 in that city. 
 
 While his engagements were made for months ahead, it 
 was some time before he could give Dr. Johnson a definite answer, 
 but the Toronto ministers were so solicitous that finally he arranged 
 his dates, so as to begin his work October 7, 1886. Dr. John Potts 
 was elected chairman of the executive committee. A grander and 
 nobler man can scarcely be found in the Methodism of the Dominion. 
 
 As the time approached for the beginning of the meeting, some of 
 the members of the Alliance gradually withdrew, and one or two of 
 the papers began firing into the movement. In a letter just a week 
 before the meeting began Dr. Johnson wrote to Mr. Jones that 
 everything would be in readiness, and requested that I accompany 
 him, saying, "We will give her a royal Canadian welcome." Mr. 
 Jones's visit was under very favorable auspices, as the executive 
 committee had advertised judiciously, and his coming had been dis- 
 cussed by the preachers in their pulpits. 
 
 The two Sabbaths before the meeting began a great many minis- 
 ters took for their subject "The Coming Revival." The committee 
 had worked in perfect accord, and had the plan in a good condition 
 
 (237) 
 
2S8 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 when he arrived. The newspapers had given some notoriety to the 
 meeting, but had not been as kindly disposed to Mr. Jones as the 
 papers in other great cities. The city was very well covered with 
 large pictures of the evangelist, with the date and place of the meet- 
 ings announced. 
 
 On Saturday evening Mr. Jones reached the city, and the com- 
 mittee on entertainment met him at the station and conveyed him to- 
 his room at the Rossin House. A reporter of the Toronto Globe 
 obtained an interview with him, in which he asked : "What 
 are your methods of conducting meetings?" Mr. Jones replied: "I 
 depend largely upon the Gospel to do the work. There is very little- 
 manipulation of the congregation, such as asking them to stand for 
 prayer, or calling them to the altar — though I do that kind of work 
 at the proper time. If you will bring home the plain truths of the 
 Bible in a common-sense way, they will move a man every time. I 
 preach at the conscience, and not the hearts of the people." "What 
 do you do with infidels," inquired the reporter. "I do not deal with 
 infidels ; at least in an argumentative way," replied the preacher. 
 "Ridicule is the only weapon I use against them. I have seen a great 
 many infidels converted, and they have all said that they were never 
 really infidels at heart. I can understand Ingersoll lecturing on infi- 
 delity at five hundred dollars a night, but I can't understand how a 
 fellow would be fool enough to pay a dollar to* hear him and board 
 himself. Ingersoll was lecturing on the 'Mistakes of Moses' once, and 
 a fellow asked me if I didn't want to go around to hear him. -I re 
 plied 'No, I won't give a dollar to hear Bob on the mistakes of 
 Moses, but if I could get a chance to hear Moses on the mistakes of 
 Bob I'd pay any reasonable sum.' " "Do you find any difference in 
 the character of the people in your meetings in different 
 parts of the United . States?" asked the interviewer. Mr. 
 Jones replied: "I find the people further south are more 
 easily moved. They haven't the intellectual difficulties that 
 curse other portions of the country. In the West I find 
 more coldness and indifference, but once people are moved it is with 
 a vengeance. In the East there is an enthusiasm borne by an in- 
 tellectual agreement with the speaker." The reporter inquired : "Do^ 
 you preach against dancing and theater-going and card-playing ?' r 
 
Sam P. Jones. 239 
 
 "Yes, I am fully persuaded that these things are hurting the church 
 and sapping her life. It is the tide of worldliness sweeping over the 
 homes of our country that is undermining the life of the church. 
 The folks will hear from me on that subject." "Were you ever in 
 Canada before?" he inquired. "Yes, I was here five years ago at- 
 tending the International Sunday School Conference, and I carried 
 away with me very pleasant memories of Toronto. Nowhere in 
 America have I seen so quiet and orderly a Sabbath as I spent here. 
 I believe Toronto is the cleanest city, morally and physically, I ever 
 saw." 
 
 The meetings were conducted in the Mutual Street Rink. The 
 morning services were held for several days at the different churches, 
 "but the ever-increasing audiences made it necessary to hold the day 
 services in the Rink. 
 
 At the first service there were four thousand people in attendance. 
 All of the Methodist preachers of the city and many of the ministers 
 of other denominations were on the platform. Dr. John Potts pre- 
 sided. Some of the prominent men were Dr. Sutherland, mission- 
 ary secretary; Dr. Dewart, editor of the Christian Guardian; Dr. 
 Nelles, chancellor of the Victoria University, and Dr. Briggs, of 
 the Toronto Methodist Book Concern. Just behind the ministers 
 there were three or four hundred singers gathered from the different 
 choirs of the city. Mr. Maxwell had drilled his large choir and had 
 them in fine condition. Mr. E. O. Excell, who was traveling at that 
 time as special soloist, was present and rendered a very effective 
 solo, "I Have Found a Friend." 
 
 Mr. Jones came upon the platform a few minutes before time to 
 preach, and as he entered the building there was no mistaking him, 
 as his pictures had appeared in the windows of the stores, and had 
 been published in the great dailies. He walked down the aisle amid 
 a half-suppressed murmur of the crowd. Upon reaching the plat- 
 form he was seated with the other ministers, the dissimilarity 
 rather noticeable, as he was the only one without a clerical garb. 
 
 Dr. Potts presented him in a few pleasant words, and asked the 
 prayers of all present for the success of the revival. Mr. Jones 
 preached for about an hour and a half, and there was a great deal of 
 
240 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 plain speaking, but nothing was said in the discourse that any one 
 could object to. He had a little amusement at the expense of the 
 clergymen when he said: "Brethren, I don't ask for your endorse- 
 ment now ; if I didn't do any more good than you do, I would not 
 care for your endorsement of my work." This caused a look of 
 mild astonishment on the faces of a few of the ministers, but most 
 of them heartily relished his remarks. Dr. Johnson smiled his ap- 
 proval, and Dr. Briggs expressed the same sentiment by nodding his 
 head, and all of them went away very well pleased. An enthusiastic 
 lady at the close of the meeting said : "Mr. Jones is just the sort of a 
 man I expected he would be." 
 
 The interest in the services was marked from the beginning, and 
 was peculiar in the religious history of Toronto. The people had 
 been friendly to other great evangelists of America and England, 
 whose manner and method was of a more serious character. The 
 crowds were immense at all the services, the men leaving their 
 business, women their domestic duties, and the claims of society 
 and flocking to the Rink two and three times a day. 
 
 The Toronto Globe said: "From six o'clock nearly to ten last 
 night there was continuously a big crowd of people around the Mu- 
 tual Street Rink. We are disposed to place Sam Jones's great power 
 in four things : First, his intense personal conviction, and realities 
 of the truths that he uttered; secondly, his naturalness, directness 
 and simplicity of speech ; thirdly, in his keen and thorough knowl- 
 edge of human nature and the temptations of life; fourthly, his 
 unique natural gift of terse, pungent speech, with vivid homely illus- 
 trations. It is an easy thing for any one who is disposed to indulge 
 in adverse criticism, and to disparage any movement, to generally 
 find some plausible pretense for doing so. We are free to confess 
 that we do not feel bound to prove every sentiment expressed, but 
 in spite of all this;, the fact remains that no such widespread relig- 
 ious interest was ever before called forth in this city. Beecher was 
 once described as irreverent, so was Spurgeon, so was Talmage, 
 so was Moody, and so was Sam Jones. Is it possible that truth, re- 
 ligion and morality can be made too familiar to the people. As to 
 his metaphors, there was one in Judea about eighteen hundred years 
 
Sam P. Jones. 241 
 
 ago, who taught by homely illustrations, which were down to the 
 level of the fishermen and agricultural laborers. He was called 
 irreverent by the formalists of that time, and their protests even 
 went to the length of procuring His crucifixion." 
 
 The attention of the whole Provinces of Canada was attracted to 
 the meetings, and the people came from many of the leading cities 
 to attend the revival. From the standpoint of attendance and gen- 
 uine enthusiasm, there had not been such a meeting in the history 
 of the city. Mr. Jones took several occasions to compliment them 
 for their regard for the holy Sabbath. It was a real joy to him to 
 see so large a city as quiet as a country hamlet on the day of rest 
 He said : "There is one thing you people of Toronto take the blue 
 ribbon for, and that is your God-fearing way in Sabbath observ- 
 ance. It gladdens my heart to see a great people in the busy city 
 who can stop thinking of temporal affairs long enough to keep the 
 Lord's Day holy. You can not buy a newspaper, run a street-car, 
 open a theater, sell liquor, or do anything on the Sabbath that God 
 would disapprove. You are a great church-going people, and that is 
 another thing that I like about you. God will not withhold his 
 blessing from a city that will keep the Sabbath and attend divine 
 worship. I wish I could say as much for the cities in the United 
 States, but the spirit of greed, worldliness and godlessness seems to 
 have gotten such a hold upon us in our great cities that the hearts of 
 our people are well-nigh eaten out." 
 
 • But he did not fail to find fault with them for legalizing the 
 liquor traffic. In his preaching, he denounced the open saloon un- 
 mercifully; no one else ever had the conviction nor the boldness to 
 do so. In one of his sermons he said : "You will have whisky be- 
 cause you want it. Toronto could vote out the saloons and the 
 places of shame that infest the city. If you would have the same re- 
 spect for God's word, 'Woe be unto you,' that you have for 'remem- 
 ber the Sabbath Day to keep it holy,' with your sturdy manhood 
 turned against these dives, the city could be freed from them. This 
 is a free country, and you can have things just as you want them, 
 You don't want any trade on Sunday, and you don't have any. If 
 you want prohibition, glory to God, you can get it. [Applause.] 
 
242 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I said to the liquor dealers of my town two years ago, 'If my boy 
 should come to your grocery and ask for liquor, take him out in your 
 back yard, and lay his head on a block, before you would sell it to 
 him. If you kill him, his precious soul goes home ; but if you make 
 him drunk, he is ruined, body, mind and soul for both worlds.' [Ap- 
 plause.] People say prohibition does not prohibit. Well, there are 
 murderers notwithstanding the law against murder, but we have the 
 fun of hanging a murderer every now and then. [Laughter.] And 
 so where there is a prohibitorial law that can put the lawbreakers 
 into the penitentiary and have some fun, it is the next best thing 
 to religion. [Laughter again.] There are three classes of men 
 whom God has never been able to do much with — -the lazy man, the 
 stingy fellow, and the fool. I have seen the Lord do his best with 
 them, and fail utterly. I say that reverently." 
 
 While preaching in Toronto, there came to the notice of Mr. 
 Jones, through the newspapers and other sources, a case which 
 stirred the evangelist's sense of justice as it had seldom been touched 
 before. 
 
 There was on trial in the city a woman who had burned a saloon, 
 and from the fact that the fire started by the woman had come near 
 destroying the life of the proprietor of the dive, she was charged 
 with arson, the penalty for which, in Canada, is death. 
 
 Mr. Jones gathered the facts of the case together, and while 
 preaching against the evils of the liquor traffic before a vast audi- 
 ence of Toronto people, he said : "There is to-day a woman on trial 
 in your court charged with arson, and who, although she has pleaded 
 guilty to the indictment, is as innocent of any crime as a child. 
 
 "This poor woman, I learn, has an only son, and he is her all 
 He is the dependence and the hope of the widowed mother. That 
 son fell into the habit of drinking, and it was at the groggery to 
 which his mother stuck the fire that he would spend his hard-earned 
 money and debauch himself day after day. The drinking of the 
 son was breaking the heart of his good mother, and she pleaded with 
 him to give it up and be the man she wanted him to make. When 
 she saw that her pleadings with the boy were of no avail, she went 
 to the keeper of the dive and laid the case before him. Tlease 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 243 
 
 don't sell this stuff to my son any more,' she said; 'he is all I have 
 in the world, and I pray you not to ruin him for this and the world 
 to come. If you will not sell my boy any more whisky I will bring 
 you the amount he would spend at your place, and give it to you 
 myself every Saturday night. It is not the money I want, but the 
 soul of my precious boy.' Now, that bull-necked, white-aproned 
 scoundrel drove that weeping, heart-broken mother out of his place, 
 and with a laugh, said : 'As long as your son has the money, he can 
 get what he wants at my place.' 'I warn you,' said the good woman, 
 'that you can not and must not sell that stuff to my boy again.' 
 
 "A few nights after that the boy came reeling home so drunk that 
 he cursed and abused his mother, a thing he had never done before. 
 He chided her with having attempted to interfere with his business 
 in asking the saloon-keeper not to sell him any more whisky. The 
 abuse of the drunken young man so outraged the mother that she 
 gathered up a bundle of rags, soaked them with kerosene oil, and 
 after setting them afire, placed the blazing bundle under the corner 
 of the little groggery. The little dive was soon in flames, and it 
 burned so rapidly that it came near getting the scoundrel that ran 
 the place. He was sleeping in his establishment. 
 
 "Now, as I said before, this poor woman is on trial for her life, 
 but if they will give Sam Jones just ten minutes before that jury, 
 and they then bring in a verdict of guilty, I will gladly take her place 
 and let them hang me." [Although the Canadian people are not 
 demonstrative, and seldom applaud a public speaker, this utterance 
 of the evangelist brought forth vociferous applause which lasted 
 for many minutes.] 
 
 "It has come to a pretty pass," said Mr. Jones, continuing, "in 
 this day of boasted civilization and culture, that the laws of our 
 land will give a white-aproned scoundrel the right to burn up the 
 souls of thousands of young men of this country, and will punish 
 with death the woman whose only offense was the attempted pro- 
 tection of her only boy from a drunkard's grave. God pity the 
 country whose laws will give protection to the damnable saloon- 
 keeper, and will not aid the noble mothers in protecting their boys 
 from the evils of the liquor traffic." 
 
244 Sam P. JonSS. 
 
 The trial of the woman ended the following day, and the verdict 
 of the jury was, "Not guilty." 
 
 Conversions had multiplied day by day, until Rev. Hugh John- 
 son said in the public press that there had been at least six thousand 
 people converted who had expressed themselves for church member- 
 ship. Inquired the reporter : "Does this represent all the good that 
 has been accomplished so far?" Dr. Johnson replied: "Oh, dear, 
 no; not a tithe of it. Thousands have been impressed and started 
 upon a new life, and have manifested it by rising in the congrega- 
 tion and remaining in the after-service." "Are the meetings coming 
 up to your expectation?" he again inquired. "They are, indeed," 
 said Dr. Johnson. "Such results seldom come so early in a meet- 
 ing." "What about the opposition aroused ?" "Of course the devil 
 and his crew, the drinking, swearing, gambling, theater-going, fast- 
 living crowd hate him, and fight him for his awful invectives and 
 powerful thrusts at sin, but the best people of this city stand by him. 
 His hard hits and droll illustrations cause outbursts of laughter, 
 which annoy some of the hidebound old fellows, who think it is a 
 sin to laugh in a meeting, but his common sense, directness, and 
 earnestness, manifested in every look and gesture, and merriment 
 carries instant convictions, and his way of putting things is simply 
 inimitable and irresistible. His pathos is the most natural and ten- 
 der that I ever listened to, and at times you will see the eyes of 
 thousands suffused with tears." "Do you and the ministers endorse 
 everything he says?" "No, we don't need to. To turn up our 
 nose at what may seem irreverent to us is to put ourselves above 
 God, who honors him so greatly in the salvation of souls,, and the 
 Holy Spirit, who seizes upon the marvelous combination of gifts 
 and powers, and uses them for his own glory." "Are not the ex- 
 penses of these meetings very heavy?" "Yes, but you must remem- 
 ber that the Musical Festival in the Rink cost five thousand dollars 
 a day, making a total of fifteen thousand for the three days. No 
 one seemed to raise an objection to that. The comparatively small 
 expense will be met by the collections and the generosity of 
 friends." "It seems that the other churches are falling into line." 
 "Yes, good people can not keep out of a great work like this. I 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 245 
 
 saw the president of the Baptist College, Dr. Cassel, and a majority 
 of the Baptist ministers of the city deeply interested in his after- 
 noon service. Methodist fire and Baptist water when brought to- 
 gether give steam, propelling power to the gospel engine. The 
 Church of England ministers, and the Congregational and Presby- 
 terian clergymen are taking interest. They generally go hand in 
 hand in spiritual work of this kind. We expect to follow this evan- 
 gelistic meeting by united services in every section and suburb in 
 Toronto. We are bound to keep at it as the work reaches further 
 and deeper each day." 
 
 At the closing service of the meeting thousands of people left 
 their homes early in the evening to secure seats for the final sermon. 
 While six thousand or more were packed into the Rink by seven 
 o'clock, the meeting commencing an hour later, there were as many 
 who were turned away and suffered disappointment. By a mistake 
 the Mutual Street Rink was opened fifteen minutes after six, and 
 the crowd soon filled every seat in the spacious building. Most of 
 the disappointed ones returned home, but hundreds remained on the 
 outside, gazing eagerly at the windows and doors. Members of the 
 .choir, the reporters and policemen were crowded out of the meeting. 
 The dressing-rooms of the Rink were filled with people, though none 
 •of them could see the preacher or hear a word of the sermon. The 
 -dressing-rooms were so densely crowded that several women fainted, 
 but the ushers were afraid to open the doors for fear the crowd 
 would rush in, and at last a window was smashed and a number of 
 rial f -suffocated men and women left the building. A hundred or 
 more outsiders rushed to the window trying to get the places thus 
 vacated. In making closing announcements, Dr. Potts said: "Re- 
 vival services will continue at the Methodist churches, Elm Street, 
 Sherbourne Street, Carolton Street/Blewer Street, Burkely Street, 
 Richmond Street, Queen Street, Agnes Street, Woodgreen Street, 
 King Street, and Dundas Street. Other meetings will start 
 soon at the St. Paul's church, Spadina Avenue church, Gerard 
 church, and Parksdale Methodist church." Dr. Potts then called on 
 Dr. Hugh Johnson to lead in prayer. Then Mr. Jones arose and 
 said : "Before I take my text, I will say that I have received many 
 
246 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 communications, more than I can read. It was impossible for me 
 to answer them. I will turn them over to my secretary, and he will 
 pick out such as demand answering, and I will dictate answers to 
 him. 
 
 "It was scarcely possible for me to get in the door of this build- 
 ing to-night, owing to the great surging mass of people on the out- 
 side so eager to get in. I suppose, well, I might say thousands 
 sought admittance here to-night and could not find it. Oh, how it 
 bleeds my heart to see the hungry world. God feed them all with 
 His truth and grace. I want to say, many of you I will never see 
 again this side of the judgment bar of God. I want to say to you 
 that I have been drawn towards you as a people. I came here with 
 admiration in my soul for Toronto and her people, and that admira- 
 tion has been turned into love, the divinest passion that ever stirred 
 a human heart. I thank God I ever came to this city. I only wish 
 that this association might be continued indefinitely. I say to you, 
 I love you, and I trust that this love can be mutual. And, brethren, 
 let me say to you, give me your prayers and your sympathy, as they 
 have in other places. This work overwhelms me with the respon- 
 sibility of it. I carry it as God may help me. I am glad I am a man. 
 The sun without its spots would be a sight this world never saw. 
 I am as frail as any of you. I have as many imperfections as any of 
 you. I have as many faults and foibles as any of you. And yet un- 
 derstand, brother, that my heart is full of the love of God, my heart 
 is full of love to my fellow man. I know I love God, and I know 
 I love every man that walks this earth, and I love every woman, as 
 much as my wife will let me." [Laughter.] 
 
 [Dr. Potts here whispered, "Precious wife."] 
 
 "As Dr. Potts would have me say, 'precious wife.' I have used 
 the expression so much, he seems to like that term. I don't know 
 why." 
 
 Dr. Potts said, "We approve of it. We are going to adopt it here 
 in Toronto." 
 
 In March of the following year Mr. Jones returned to Toronto 
 for a four days' mission, mostly in the interest of temperance and 
 municipal reform. While his work took the character of evan- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 247 
 
 gelistic services and many were converted, his greatest work was in 
 behalf of prohibition. Many times afterwards, he visited the city 
 and lectured, and was always greeted by large audiences. He 
 preached and lectured in many of the prominent cities of the Do- 
 minion, and some of his warmest, staunchest and truest friends 
 were among the Canadians. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Omaha and Kansas City. 
 
 In November, 1886, Mr. Jones opened his meetings at Omaha, 
 Nebraska. It was the farthest Western point he had ever visited, 
 and he found himself among a new and a strange people. 
 
 The Westerners were big-hearted and generous, however, and 
 having heard much of the strenuous preacher, they received him 
 with kindly expectancy. Mr. Jones had hesitated for some time, 
 preferring not to go so far from his Georgia home, but the ministers 
 of Omaha pressed upon him so emphatically their need of his serv- 
 ices that he finally consented to make the journey. 
 
 Upon his arrival in Omaha he saw at once that the min- 
 isters were in hearty sympathy with him, and could be counted on to 
 give their support. This was encouraging, and did much to make 
 the meeting a success. 
 
 The committee on arrangements secured the Exposition Build- 
 ing, which seated five thousand, and allowed standing-room for 
 many more. 
 
 The meetings at Omaha continued for three weeks, and from the 
 preaching there resulted a widespread religious awakening. At 
 every service there was a larger crowd than the building would seat, 
 and the interest of the people was intense. 
 
 There was little pronounced opposition in the Nebraska city. The 
 newspapers received him with kindness, and one or two with words 
 of genuine praise. An editorial from the Republican follows : 
 
 "The primary cause of Sam Jones's strength as a preacher lies 
 in the fact that he has brains. A mere explosion of slang and pro- 
 vincialism would not create much of an excitement for any length 
 of time. Bald vulgarity would not have lifted him from, a Georgia 
 country pulpit to a position of national prominence in the religious 
 
 (248) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 249 
 
 world. When results are large and continuous, they must be con- 
 sidered just as they are. Prejudice can not always trace them back 
 to petty sensationalism. 
 
 "This man has preached all over the country. In every city he 
 has visited he has met with opposition on his arrival. The general 
 estimate of those who have not heard him, and who should not, as 
 a consequence, estimate him at all, is unfavorable. But the people 
 he attracts by the curiosity to see and hear him he holds by his force. 
 There is crude, rugged, epigrammatic vigor in what he says that ap- 
 peals to the popular sensibilities. He carried more rocks in his 
 pockets than frills on his clothes. He has the earnestness of the old- 
 fashioned belief which never minces words, or introduces the name 
 of the Almighty without prefatory apology. In Whitfield's time, 
 when a sparse population and much solitude in the wilderness made 
 the early pioneer introspective and emotional, Jones would have 
 probably been as great a force as Whitfield. As it is, he has made 
 larger progress in a cynical age, and in. a day of veneer and super- 
 ficial free thought. No ordinary man could have done this. 
 
 "It is said that he makes money. We don't know whether he 
 does or not, but we hope he does. There is no particular reason 
 why vice should monopolize all the profits of the world. It would 
 "be a rather poor incentive to do good if poverty and religion are to 
 T>e synonymous and immorality is to have all the worldly advan- 
 tages. We fail to see why religion should be discriminated against. 
 Naturally this is the point at which the 'sell all that thou hast' 
 should be quoted, but if this is to be taken literally there will have 
 to be a general auction sale of all the effects of all the professing 
 Christians. No man can insist upon the letter of the law for other 
 people when he pays scarcely any attention to even the spirit of it 
 himself. The truth is that the church is rich enough to pay its work- 
 ers, and to pay them well. If it would devote less money to brick 
 and more to brains it would be much stronger to-day. The blood 
 of the martyrs is the seed of the church, but the martyrs will have 
 very little blood if they do not get enough to eat. It is a poor sort 
 of creature who will grudge any minister of the gospel the bread 
 necessary for himself and family. 
 
250 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Quite independent of religion, and purely as a social force, Sam 
 Jones has his value. If, out of all the vast audiences he has ad- 
 dressed, he has given but one man a glimpse of higher morality and 
 taught him his duty to society and his fellows, he has done a work 
 of which he may be proud. But he has convinced thousands instead 
 of one. He deals with faults and vices with an unsparing tongue, 
 and even if the lesson does not sink immediately, it may have an 
 after-value. A rough customer said to Moody once, 'For forty- 
 eight hours after listening to you I was a good man.' 'Thank God 
 for that much/ replied Moody, 'in those forty-eight hours, under 
 other circumstances, you might have committed murder.' 
 
 "Sam Jones has the heartiest sympathy of the Republican in his 
 work. Any man who tries to do good is doing good." 
 
 This editorial was considered by Mr. Jones to be one of the best 
 that had ever been written about him and his work. It gave a great 
 deal of help while he was in Omaha. 
 
 He always mentioned the meeting at Omaha with a great 
 pride, and with thankfulness to God, for there he gained a great 
 victory in a strange country. Omaha was one of the most prosper- 
 ous and growing cities of the central West. Everything there was 
 wide open. At the beginning, the idea of his accomplishing much 
 good in so godless a place seemed almost ludicrous to a great many 
 of the people, but before his labors were finished their doubts were 
 dispelled. The churches in Omaha were wonderfully strengthened 
 by the work, and the moral and- religious life of the city was greatly 
 improved. He made hundreds of friends in Omaha, who were 
 true to him until his death. 
 
 It was some time after the Omaha meeting before he went to 
 Kansas City. Just before his engagement at the latter place he 
 had passed through one of the most trying ordeals of his life. My 
 severe illness had been a severe strain upon him, and when he 
 reached Kansas City, January i, 1887, he was practically worn out. 
 However, he was so grateful to God that death's cruel hand had 
 been stayed, that he felt he could best show his gratitude by taking 
 up immediately the work of winning souls. 
 
 The ministers had arranged for the meetings to be held in the 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 251 
 
 Temple, a new, large building, with a seating capacity of eight thou- 
 sand. When Mr. Jones first spoke, he was greeted by at least ten 
 thousand people, as every seat in the building was taken, and hun- 
 dreds were standing in the aisles. The news of his great sorrow 
 had preceded him to Kansas City, and this seemed to soften the 
 criticism that was directed towards him. The newspapers of Kansas 
 City were especially kind to him and editorially favored his com- 
 ing. They gave fine reports of his meetings, devoting large space 
 daily to his sermons. 
 
 The illness in his home had wonderfully softened his heart, and 
 he preached with deep spirituality and tenderness. He did not, 
 however, spare the evil-doers of the city. He waged a terrific war 
 against the saloons and gambling-houses, and his preaching was 
 effectual in closing a number of the latter. The saloons were regu- 
 lated also by the Law and Order League that was organized after 
 he left the city as one of the results of his meeting. 
 
 The first meeting held for "men only"at Kansas City showed the 
 deep interest that had been aroused. There were more than eight 
 thousand representative men of the city crowded into the_Temple. 
 It was held in the afternoon of a week-day, which made it a. most 
 remarkable gathering. It was a magnificent congregation, and every 
 one present listened intently, from the first word to the last. They 
 cheered him lustily, and laughed and wept as his message swayed 
 them between the two emotions. 
 
 At no place had Mr. Jones ever received more careful considera- 
 tion. The people wanted to hear himi, and his sermonsi sank into 
 the hearts of his hearers, resulting in the conversion and reforma- 
 tion of hundreds. 
 
 The ministers of the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, 
 Lutheran and Congregational churches were in sympathy with the 
 work, and gave him great help by their cooperation in the meetings. 
 By their help and influence the good work was carried to all parts 
 of the city, and the question of religion was the great topic of dis- 
 cussion by people from all walks of life for many weeks. 
 
 Mr. Jones wrote in a letter to the Wesleyan Christian Advocate: 
 "We of course have had the usual criticisms in Kansas City, but 
 
252 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 there is a strong undercurrent of deep conviction upon the city ; the 
 ideas of sin and righteousness dominate the whole city. The leading 
 business men of the city tell me that religion is the subject of con- 
 versation in the banks and other business places." 
 
 Mr. Jones labored for the entire four weeks while he was there 
 with the greatest earnestness and zeal. At the closing service he 
 was made happy by the reading of a testimonial from the ministers 
 of the city, by Rev. Schley Schaff, pastor of the First Presbyterian 
 church, who prefaced the reading with the following remarks: 
 
 "Mr. Jones, you are about to close your labors in Kansas City. 
 For four weeks you have worked incessantly in our midst. Large- 
 audiences have hung upon the words that came from your lips. We 
 brethren were in doubt as to what attitude to assume toward you, 
 not having heard you, but the more we have heard your piercing 
 utterances against iniquity, the more we have seen of you personally 
 in the pulpit, the more closely we have unanimously gathered around 
 you, until this afternoon, if it were possible for all the ministers be- 
 longing to the different denominations to be here, they would, per- 
 haps, without an exception, express their earnest, cordial regard for 
 you personally, your earnest sympathy to men and the promotion of 
 the cause of righteousness, of good morality and of repentance, and 
 sir, I hold in my hands now a paper which is a testimony on our 
 part of your fidelity in this work, and of our warm personal regard 
 for you. Shall I read it?" ["Yes, yes," from all over the house.} 
 He read : 
 
 "Kansas City, Mo., January 28th. 
 
 "To the Rev. Sam Jones, Evangelist. 
 
 "Dear Brother : We, brethren in the ministry in Kansas City, 
 desire herewith to express to you our warm fraternal affection and 
 our rejoicing over the good work you and your co-workers have 
 been enabled to do in our midst. For four weeks of unremitting 
 labor, you have preached with earnestness and tenderness the great 
 things out of God's moral law, and salvation by grace. Your clear- 
 exposure of sin, and your keen denunciations of it in every form 
 and as it manifests itself in all stations and avenues of life, have. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 253 
 
 quickened the moral sensibilities of our churches and aroused, as we 
 believe, the dormant consciences of a multitude in this city. The 
 immense attendance upon the services day and night of men of all 
 ranks from the richest to the poorest, from the pure to the de- 
 bauched, in spite of some of the bitterest weather ever known in the 
 city — an attendance growing larger to the end — this is a sufficient 
 indication of the interest which your preaching, under God, has 
 stirred. The people have heard the preaching. God grant that 
 multitudes may date their eternal salvation from this season of uni- 
 versal thought and widespread earnestness. To this expression 
 of warm personal regard and confidence, we add our prayer, com- 
 mending you to the grace and guidance of God, and supplicating 
 that He may continue to grant you strength, wisdom, and all help 
 to go on in the good work of calling men to repentance and faith in 
 the Lord Jesus Christ. We are very truly your "friends." 
 
 This was signed by twenty-five of the leading ministers of all de- 
 nominations, and was greatly appreciated by Mr. Jones, who re- 
 sponded in well-chosen words to this deed of brotherly love. 
 
 During his stay there Mr. Jones became very fond of Kansas 
 City, and spoke of it favorably as a residence city. Upon learning 
 of this, the people made an effort to induce him to locate there. He 
 was besieged with requests from the people that he make his home 
 with them, and for many months after he left was importuned by 
 those who loved him to return and locate in their midst. They 
 urged the convenience of the location upon him, showed him the 
 advantage of the railway facilities of the city, and attempted to con- 
 vince him of how much more good he could do from being located 
 in a point accessible to all parts of the country. Many arguments 
 were brought to bear upon him, but Mr. Jones declined with thanks 
 the kind offers they made to give him a handsome home, saying he 
 could not bring himself to the point of leaving his Georgia home. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Th£ Great Work in Boston. 
 
 The Methodist Union invited Mr. Jones to visit Boston. He had 
 labored in every section of the country except the New England 
 States, and Boston being the "hub" and the most renowned city 
 from a literary and religious viewpoint, he accepted the call. The 
 opportunity was great for him to impress himself upon that part of 
 the Union. Mr. Jones believed that a great work could be accom- 
 plished in Boston, and gave them as the date for the meeting, Jan- 
 uary i, 1887. 
 
 When the papers announced his coming, the Associated Press tel- 
 egraphed the news throughout the length and breadth of the coun- 
 try. The eyes of the United States were upon him, and a great deal 
 of speculation was indulged in in regard to his going there. His 
 enemies and critics said he had at last come to the city that would 
 be his Waterloo. They felt assured that Boston's refinement and 
 culture would not long tolerate the "slang" and "vulgarism" of the 
 Georgia evangelist, and that he would fail utterly and ingloriously 
 in the city of great learning. His friends studied the situation with 
 great fear as to the final outcome of the proposed visit. Others, 
 with faith in his ability and in God's power, believed that he would 
 capture Boston and succeed there as he had done everywhere else. 
 Those occupying a neutral attitude towards him said : "If Sam Jones 
 can go to Boston and make his meeting a success, he can go any- 
 where in, the world, for Boston is so full of 'isms and religions,' and 
 the people have such a hypercritical mind toward every move that is 
 not of Boston origin and stamp. If he can create an interest and 
 impress Boston he will demonstrate to the entire world his mastery 
 of assemblies, and make for himself a permanent place in the history 
 of the civilized world." 
 
 (254) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 255 
 
 His correspondence was full of letters of advice from Boston and 
 other cities, as to the most expedient way for him to preach to the 
 highly-cultured audiences at the "literary hub of the universe." Some 
 of the correspondents expressed doubts as to the wisdom of his go- 
 ing at all. Mr. Jones received these suggestions kindly, but with 
 a smile, and they did not for an instant disturb his equilibrium, or 
 turn him aside from his determination to go and in the strength of 
 the Lord conquer the powers that be. He was conscious of the 
 power with which God had endowed him. With an omnipotent 
 faith in the Holy Spirit to be present and guide him in his work, he 
 had every assurance that the campaign would result in great vic- 
 tory for the cause of his Master. 
 
 There was much curiosity and doubt among some of the ministers 
 who invited him: as to the probable success or failure of his work 
 among them. They thought that perhaps his fearless attacks on the 
 sins and vices of men in the cities in other parts of the United States 
 by no means guaranteed victory in Boston. They were apprehensive 
 of his methods, and would not have been surprised had his ministry 
 there been an utter failure. However, one of the most prominent 
 Methodist preachers of the city who had heard him in Cincinnati 
 and other places, was enthusiastic over his coming, and was sure of 
 a great welcome and hearing in Boston. The pastors of other Pro- 
 testant churches had not joined in the invitation, and the fact that he 
 was coming under the auspices of the Methodist churches made it 
 possible for those who were not in the closest sympathy to be guilty 
 of denominational jealousy. It made the task much greater because 
 other denominations were not united in his coming. These minis- 
 ters had withheld their support, because they felt that they could 
 not endorse Mr. Jones and his methods. Mr. Jones obtained the 
 facts as to the conditions of affairs in the city, and made preparation 
 for the campaign according to the conditions existing there. Before 
 reaching the city he knew as much about Boston and its religious at- 
 mosphere as some of the oldest residents and ministers who had la- 
 bored there the longest. He was thoroughly prepared for the work. 
 
 The press had had much to say about his coming, and many sto- 
 ries had been published of his work, which were absurd and ridicu- 
 
256 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 lous, but, nevertheless, had created much opposition against him. 
 They thought that the refinement of Boston iniquity would allow 
 him little room 'to vent his religious wrath/ and that his sermon- 
 matter would not interest and amuse his audiences, as it would be 
 far below their standard of culture and intellectual attainment. The 
 entire situation presented a psychological study of the deep, re- 
 ligious problems and of the preacher who was to deal with them. 
 The literati of Boston, including the great poets, philosophers and 
 clergymen, indulged in much speculation and conjecture as to how 
 his sermons would be received. 
 
 Phillips Brooks during a long career had preached in his great 
 cathedral ; Edward Everette Hale, the apostle of Unitarianism, had 
 spent a long life indoctrinating his followers ; the renowned Joseph 
 Cook had stirred and thrilled the city at his noonday lectures; the 
 professors and dignitaries of Harvard University had instructed and 
 cultured the citizenship of Boston ; the disrupting and disintegrating 
 influences of Christian Science, occultism, theosophy and every 
 other "ism" had been hatched out in the city. The city, religiously, 
 was the greatest conglomeration of "isms" and "ologies" within the 
 bounds of the United States. Just how the plain, simple, fearless 
 and straightforward preaching of Mr. Jones would impress the 
 crowd was a situation open to all manner of conjecture. 
 
 The opening service was held in the People's Temple, the largest 
 and most commodious Methodist edifice in the city. The building 
 was filled to its utmost capacity and many hundreds were turned 
 away at the first service. 
 
 When he was presented to the congregation by the pastor, he 
 arose and began his ministry just like he had done in every other 
 place. As was frequently his custom, when the people had come 
 through great curiosity, and wanting to hear rough and uncouth 
 language, he completely changed his style and delivered some of his 
 most polished and elegant utterances. The people, from the impres- 
 sions that they had gathered, were expecting to see an uneducated 
 and unrefined minister, who would shock them and amuse them with 
 jokes with very little regard as to his subject-matter. That morn- 
 ing his language was chaste, beautiful and abounding in choice sim- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 257 
 
 lies and figures that were a surprise, a revelation and a delight to his 
 cultured listeners. Mr. Jones, who was always keen to see just how 
 his messages were being received, was somewhat amused as he 
 watched the expressions that played over the faces of his hearers ; 
 but as he proceeded his earnestness became more evident, and his 
 words fell with such force and pungency that he won his audience 
 completely, and they soon forgot their early attempts to analyze him, 
 and were lost in the message that he was delivering. Some of them 
 were a little stiff and indifferent at first, and tried to throw a 
 damper upon his fervency, but soon yielded to his spirit and became 
 as earnest and serious in receiving the Word as he was in deliver- 
 ing it. 
 
 The next day the Boston Globe had the following account of his 
 first appearance. 
 
 "Rev. Sam P. Jones received a hearty welcome yesterday at the 
 People's Temple. He said at the close of his day's work that he had 
 begun to feel like he was 'somebody,' because of the cordial reception 
 given him. Said he : 'I felt some trepidation in coming to Boston, 
 which I understood was the city of cold critics, but now I am con- 
 winced that the people of this city have not only brains, but very 
 warm hearts. Now, we want to run the devil out of Boston. If you 
 -people think that the devil is going to let Boston alone, you are very 
 much mistaken. I didn't come here to look at its good side. You 
 iiave looked at that side until you know all about it. I want you to 
 see the other side.' [Laughter.] 'If you think that the devil is 
 going to surrender this city without a fight you don't know His 
 Satanic Majesty as I do. Let's go to work and take this city for 
 Christ, and bombard the devil out of it. Now, all of you take hold 
 and help, and don't stand off and criticise. I will say nothing in 
 Boston without a purpose. I'll not preach like these other preachers 
 do, because there is no use for me to do as other men.' " 
 
 The press of Boston received him with great deference. They 
 spoke of him very kindly in their editorials, and gave space for full 
 -reports of his sermons. The Globe and the Herald were particularly 
 courteous, and through their columns he was enabled to speak to 
 -many thousands of people throughout New England. 
 
 Rev. W. N. Brodbeck, chairman of the arrangement committee 
 
258 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 for the evangelistic services, made a number of appointments for 
 Mr. Jones in different parts of the city. Some of the most promi- 
 nent places were Tremont Street Methodist church, Tremont Tem- 
 ple and Faneuil Hall. Arrangements were also made for him to 
 preach to the ministers of the city, and the first service was held 
 under the auspices of the Methodist Social Union. Dr. Brodbeck, 
 of the Tremont Street church, presided and introduced him. In ac- 
 knowledging the honor conferred on him, he created much merri- 
 ment as he related an incident of a colored servant in the South 
 whose boasting propensity called forth a rebuke of his master, who 
 told him he was of no account anyway, and to which Sambo replied : 
 "I know I'm no 'count, Massa, but I belong to one of the biggest 
 families in old Georgy." "So I feel," said he, "as I look in the 
 faces of you ministers, that I, too, belong to one of God's big fami- 
 lies." He then talked to them of the movement that had been inau- 
 gurated, and urged each minister to assist in making the movement . 
 one of the most far-reaching ever held in Boston. The ministers had 
 never heard just such a sermon before, and were completely capti- 
 vated by the address. 
 
 At all the night services the People's church was crowded to its- 
 limits. The day services held at the other churches were largely at- 
 tended. The noonday service at Faneuil Hall was one of the most 
 remarkable in the history of the city. In the "Cradle of Liberty" 
 he spoke each day from twelve to one o'clock. There were no seats - 
 in the great building and the men came in, some in business clothes, 
 many of them in butcher's frocks, and market men in their aprons. 
 The men stood in solid mass from the platform back to the entrance, 
 while the gallery was full of men and women. Some of his best ser- 
 mons were preached on these occasions. At the Tremont Temple he 
 spoke several times to a crowded house of business men, ladies and 
 city visitors. The most intellectual people of Boston were in at- 
 tendance upon these services. Here's where the world-renowned . 
 Joseph Cook, D.D., addressed his week-day audiences. The sermon 
 that he preached to the audience in the presence of Dr. Cook is de- 
 scribed in an interview of one of the papers with* Dr. Cook. The: 
 interviewer asked Dr. Cook his impression of Mr. Jones. He re— 
 
Sam P. Jones. 259 
 
 plied : "I've only heard him twice, but I can say this much. He is a 
 remarkable man, a genius, whose words are sharp and incisive, and 
 he is earnest, and consecrated to his work. He was not half so 
 rough as the papers had represented him. His sharp, epigrammatic 
 style pleased the Bostonians, and interested them deeply. Boston 
 loves intellectual sprightliness, and Mr. Jones captured them. 
 Tremont Temple, where I heard him, was crowded from pit to 
 dome with the most cultivated people of Boston, and they were 
 moved and swayed as I never saw them before. I saw there great 
 doctors of divinity whom I could not move either to smiles or tears, 
 with eyes and mouth wide open, laughing and crying under Mr. 
 Jones as they would do for no one else. Mr. Jones has completely 
 captured Boston." 
 
 Mr. Jones gathered up the impressions made at these extra serv- 
 ices, and in his night sermons at the People's church, where the 
 great crowds who heard him at these special hours congregated ; in 
 this way he succeeded in focusing the attention of the people upon 
 the services of the evening. The People's church became the center 
 of the great evangelistic campaign. At each meeting the Lord was 
 present and the people were deeply and pungently convicted of sin, 
 and turned to the Lord in great numbers. The Boston Globe said : 
 "Probably no man in Boston has been more talked about in the last 
 week or so than Rev. Sam Jones, who is conducting a great revival 
 in our city. There was a time when the question, 'What's the mat- 
 ter with him ?' was asked most frequently in Boston, and the answer 
 was always, 'He's all right.' To-day one hears most frequently the 
 question, 'Have you heard Sam Jones ?' and the reply is almost as 
 invariably made, 'Yes, several times.' The truth of the matter is, 
 there are very few who have not heard him, and the uniform testi- 
 mony is that he interests his hearers. There never were such meet- 
 ings held in this city, not even those of Elder Knapp, George Whit- 
 field and Dwight L. Moody created such a sensation. Mr. Jones is 
 original, he can be studied to advantage. At every meeting, almost, 
 something new will develop in his striking manner which acounts 
 for his forcefulness. His success is due to a composite whole; his 
 work, his words, his methods form one complex system. His illus- 
 
260 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 trations are riddles. Until he approaches the close, no one knows just 
 how they will turn, and sometimes he stops a laugh by a sublime 
 thought that will start tears by its contrast and force. There is but 
 one Sam Jones." 
 
 The Herald said: "The keen wit, sarcasm and apt comparisons 
 and illustrations of Mr. Jones are enjoyed immensely. In the most 
 intense manner he forces the plain truth upon the people. All the 
 sermons and addresses are published in full in the Herald, Globe r 
 Journal and some other daily papers; thus tens of thousands of 
 people are getting some of the best religious reading they have had 
 for many years. We never knew of such a widespread interest of 
 religion in this city as is now sweeping over it. Hundreds are 
 seeking God." 
 
 The Boston Evangelical Ministers' Association, which included 
 all of the preachers of Boston, and a large number in adjoining 
 cities, invited him to preach before that august body in the Tremont 
 Temple. 
 
 That handsome auditorium was well filled with ministers and 
 Christian workers from the city, and prominent clergymen came in 
 from all parts of New England. Such men as Joseph Cook, Bishop 
 Phillips Brooks, Edward Everette Hale and hundreds more of the 
 most prominent ministers were present. When Mr. Jones was in- 
 troduced, he slowly walked to the edge of the platform and looked 
 out upon the most remarkable gathering that he had ever seen. 
 There these church dignitaries sat erect, stiff and cold, as if they 
 were determined not to yield an inch while he proceeded to talk. He 
 spoke in a conversational voice, that those near by could hear 
 each word, while those far away began to lean forward to catch what 
 he said. On and on he went, while they sat there like statues. He- 
 was never more conscious of his power and never took greater delight 
 in addressing an audience than that day, when the theological learn- 
 ing and scholarship of Boston and New England sat at his feet. See- 
 ing his opportunity, he made a thrust or two at them with some of 
 his characteristic drollery, accompanying it with a twinkle in his eye r 
 when the great audience unconsciously broke out into a hearty laugh.. 
 The ice had been broken, and epigrammatic sayings and anecdotes, 
 
Sam P. Jones. 2Q1 
 
 full of wit, humor and sarcasm, followed each other in rapid succes- 
 sion, until the audience had yielded to his will, and were swayed as if 
 by magic. He continued to preach and lecture to them until time 
 was lost sight of, and finally he stopped and pulled his watch from 
 his pocket and said : "Well, brethren, I have been talking something 
 over an hour to you, and I bring this address to a close." Shouts of 
 "go on, go on," came up from all parts of the building. Then he 
 addressed them for a few moments with deep earnestness and pa- 
 thos, closing the lecture with a most sublime and pathetic ap- 
 peal, which brought the great audience to tears, and amid their 
 sighs and sobs, while wiping the tears from their eyes, he bade them 
 God-speed in their work. Such an ovation followed that the most 
 distinguished men in the church rushed to the platform and gave 
 him a hearty handshake, and from that day he had the complete 
 sympathy and cooperation of the ministers of Boston. 
 
 The meeting continued for four weeks, and in the regular services 
 for the mixed audience and in special- services for men and women, 
 great appeals were made for the salvation of the lost, and the con- 
 verts responded freely. 
 
 The last meeting held for the men at Faneuil Hall was crowded 
 as before, and the Boston Globe said : "It was a touching scene in. 
 old Faneuil Hall yesterday at noon when Sam Jones closed his series 
 of talks there to business men. He had just been describing the 
 heavenly city toward which he was bound, the city with the pearly 
 gates, the walls of Jasper, the streets of gold, when he suddenly 
 asked : 'All those who have received good from the meetings raise 
 your hands/ Up went hundreds of bronzed hands without the hesi- 
 tation of a moment. Dr. Brady was on his feet in an instant, saying : 
 'All you who want to meet Mr. Jones in heaven put up your hands 
 again.' Nearly every person present, the butcher, the baker, the 
 candlestick-maker, the man in worn-out clothes, and good clothes, 
 shot his arm upward into the air with eagerness and earnestness. 
 The ladies in the gallery arose to their feet, expressing the same de- 
 sire. Such a scene had never been witnessed within the walls of the 
 historic building." 
 
 The closing meeting was held on Sunday in the Mechanics Hall 
 
262 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 The great hall would accommodate between ten and twelve thou- 
 sand. The press said: "The magic of Sam Jones's name drew an 
 audience to Mechanics Hall to listen to his shrewd, quaint and inimi- 
 table style of address that could only be estimated by the seating 
 capacity of the immense building. Whatever that may be, it was 
 demonstrated that the hall wasn't big enough to hold all who desired 
 to hear Sam Jones. A multitude of people stood up during the 
 services, and several thousand were altogether unable to gain ad- 
 mission to the hall. It is undoubtedly true, as was remarked by a 
 member of the committee having charge of the service, that no place 
 less spacious than 'The Commons' would iurnish ample accommo- 
 dations for one of the audiences of Sam Jones. 
 
 "Standing before this sea of faces, which seemed to extend far 
 into the distance, Mr. Jones preached his farewell sermon on 'Con- 
 science, Record, and God.' " This closed his first and great meeting 
 in Boston. 
 
 Just ten years later, 1897, Mr. Jones returned to Boston and con- 
 ducted another revival. In front of the People's church was this 
 sign: 
 
 "The Wonder of the Ages, Sam P. Jones." 
 
 The services were held in practically the same churches, and the 
 same way as at the previous meeting. The meeting continued for 
 nearly three weeks, and was as remarkable in power and as far- 
 reaching in results, if not surpassing, that of 1887. In his second 
 visit, as well as the first, he was never received more cordially and 
 supported more loyally, and did a greater work, than in Boston. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 On the Pacific Coast. 
 
 /. — Los Angeles. 
 
 It was my privilege to accompany Mr. Jones to the Pacific coast. 
 We took our four children and nurse, and had a safe and pleasant 
 journey, arriving in Los Angeles, California, on January 13, 1889. 
 
 The first meeting that he conducted was in Los Angeles, and 
 upon our arrival in that city we were entertained at the Westminster 
 Hotel. Mr. E. O. Excell and wife joined us there. We were given a 
 most cordial welcome to the "City of Angels," which is situated in 
 an original and genuine earthly Paradise. 
 
 The great daily papers had hailed his coming with delight, and 
 the ministry was enthusiastic over his proposed work. For months 
 there had been an urgent request for his services, and the people 
 seemed to be glad of his coming. We had hardly reached our room 
 when the Tribune reporter called upon Mr. Jones. As was his cus- 
 tom, he greeted the reporter with courtesy, and showed his sympa- 
 thy and appreciation of the work of the public press. He wished to 
 know if this was Mr. Jones's first visit to California, and Mr. Jones 
 said : "Yes, this is the first time I was ever on this coast, but my 
 wife and I were out for a walk this morning, and do you know 
 everything seems like a dream in the city ?" The reporter said : "Mr. 
 Jones, you rank at the head of American evangelists in the estima- 
 tion of our people." "Well," said he, "I don't know about my rank 
 being at the head. I am not an evangelist in the sense that Munhall, 
 Moody and others are, I belong to the North Georgia Conference, 
 and received my appointment like any other preacher, which at the 
 present time is the agency of the Decatur Orphanage. I can raise 
 the money for this worthy institution while prosecuting my evan- 
 gelistic work wherever I am called in the providence of God. For, 
 
 (263) 
 
264 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 years I preached in the conference, but was literally drawn out into 
 this work." "The report has been circulated in this city," said the 
 reporter, "that you never go anywhere without a large and stipulated 
 salary." "Well, that's not true; at Chautauqua assemblies and East- 
 ern camp-meetings, where there is a regular admission fee charged 
 I receive a stated amount of money for my services. In such cases 
 I always contend that a white elephant is worth the fence around it. 
 I never have required any stipulated sum for my services as an 
 evangelist." "What is the difference in your success in different 
 sections of the country?" "Well, I find the people differing wher- 
 ever I go ; more depends upon the size of the city than its location. 
 I have been successful in the great cities of the South, in Cincin- 
 nati, Chicago, Toronto and Boston, and in all these places the build- 
 ings were inadequate to accommodate the throngs that came to hear 
 me. You can bite an apple, but a pumpkin you can only nibble and 
 slobber over. Charleston, S. C, was an apple. I spoke to five thou- 
 sand people, one-tenth of the population, and through that tenth I 
 could have some influence on the whole, but Chicago is a pumpkin. 
 It is unwieldy and bulky. Boston is of a different type, but there the 
 people will hear any man who has something to say, and there is no 
 better field for evangelism than Boston." "What is your opinion 
 of the work of the Young Men's Christian Association?" "It is a 
 well-organized body, but, like many churches, the Association could 
 do a great deal more than it does. It is a magnificent engine, but 
 frequently without steam ; however, I have shown my interest in the 
 work of aiding them wherever I have gone and help was needed, in 
 raising money to put them on a safe basis." 
 
 In arranging for the meeting the committee had fixed up the great 
 pavilion, and had everything suitably arranged. Mr. Excell had an 
 excellent choir, which rendered many beautiful selections. Rev. Dr. 
 Cantine acted as master of ceremonies, and introduced Mr. Jones. 
 At the first service the building was filled with over five thousand 
 people, and at least that many were turned away. On account of 
 some of the sensational newspaper articles there was a wide differ- 
 ence of opinion by the clergy and the people, and much speculation 
 in general, as to how he would be received. Mr. Jones with his 
 
Sam P. Jones. 265 
 
 matchless instinct for sizing up an audience, seemed to know that he 
 was on trial, and that a number of people had come, not to hear the 
 gospel, but to see if the things that had been published about him 
 were true. Those who had come to laugh, scoff and pick flaws in 
 the preacher were foiled of their opportunity, as he preached one of 
 the most serious sermons, abounding in beautiful figures and touch- 
 ing incidents, from the text, "Choose ye this day whom ye will 
 serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the. Lord." Joshua 
 15:24. 
 
 The audience went away somewhat disappointed in that there was 
 nothing to criticise, but deeply impressed with the service. He took 
 occasion to put the people on notice as to his attitude regarding the 
 objections that had been raised to revivals. Said he : "Some of you 
 have been asking if revivals don't react. Yes, they do, just like a 
 man's stomach reacts after a big dinner, and he wants another din- 
 ner the next day, but that's no sign that he is going to stop eating ; 
 it's no sign because you had the first revival that you don't want and 
 need another one. As I walked through your streets this morning, 
 I was charmed, and said to myself, 'How can sinners flourish where 
 God empties heaven every day upon them,' and, with the poet, I 
 thought 'every prospect is pleasing, and only man is vile.' Now, 
 some of you fellows will say, 'Sam is bidding for a home.' Well, 
 bud, I have turned down homes all over this country, and had 
 rather live in my little home at Cartersville, Ga., than anywhere on 
 earth. When the devil has nothing else to do, he seems to start his 
 agent to lying about Sam Jones. I don't care, go it ; if you can say 
 worse things about me than I can about you, lam' in. Stagnation- 
 is the last station this side of damnation, and the fellow who gets 
 there generally goes through." 
 
 He said in closing: "Brethren, I want to see a great work done 
 here in Los Angeles. I have not come for fun nor money. I have 
 prayed God to make me a power to bring souls to Christ, and I hope 
 before next Sunday there will be a blaze of revival ; that this city wilf 
 be made as lovely in morals as it is in climate and surroundings." 
 
 The papers became very bitter, and even scurrilous in their criti- 
 cisms, both editorially and reportorially ; however, this opposition 
 
2M Sam P.Jones. 
 
 was soon overcome, and the papers supported him loyally, and gave 
 the meeting every consideration. One of them said : "Los Angeles 
 is one. of the least wicked and most exemplary places. The entire 
 community supports more churches in proportion to its population, 
 and nowhere is divine worship more popular, but even Los Angeles 
 is not so thoroughly good that it does not need to be stirred up once 
 in a while by a broad-gauged, old-fashioned revival of religion. We 
 blush to own it, but it is an undeniable fact that the worship of 
 Mammon in this city has had about seven days in every week for 
 the past years, and if this shameful state of affairs can be changed 
 by Mr. Jones, there will be great improvement in both private and 
 public morals. We have no doubt that the present revival will con- 
 tinue to accomplish a great deal of good, and that men who have 
 murdered will confess, who have defrauded will make restitution, 
 and that thousands will form resolutions to forsake their evil ways." 
 
 Mr. Jones waged a merciless war upon card-playing, dancing and 
 theater-going, which brought upon him the condemnation of the 
 society element. A charity ball which had been given during the 
 meeting was denounced in the most severe terms, and the papers 
 which had recently been loud in his praises turned against him 
 again, and with renewed vigor resorted to all kinds of methods in 
 order to injure him and destroy his influence. They garbled the re- 
 ports of his sermons, and wrote flaming editorials which fanned into 
 a short-lived flame a wave of popular resentment. Some of the pa- 
 pers deliberately printed statements and credited them to Mr. Jones 
 which were absolutely false. As the opposition grew in intensity 
 Mr. Jones's denunciation became more fierce, until they were won 
 back by his bravery. 
 
 The Los Angeles Christian Advocate had an editorial which gives 
 a fine account of the battle between Mr. Jones and the newspapers, 
 and the subsequent result : "We have never heard so much religious 
 discussion as has been aroused by the Sam Jones meetings, and the 
 devil and his emissaries have been completely stirred up. Two sa- 
 loon-keepers have been heard to say that they would give big money 
 to get a chance to give Sam Jones a thrashing, and undoubtedly all 
 the mean, corrupt, dishonest and contemptible villains of the city 
 
Sam P. Jones. > 267 
 
 would like to contribute to that fund. The Times and Herald, two 
 of our dailies, have tried to make themselves popular with the saloon 
 and hoodlum crowd by misrepresenting and distorting the evangel- 
 ist's utterances, and by publishing editorial criticisms that showed 
 their gross ignorance and malignity of spirit. Of course, these ad- 
 verse criticisms have only advertised the meetings more extensively, 
 and the witty sentences of the evangelist in reply have made these 
 papers the laughing-stock of the city. The Times went so far as 
 to change the reports of one of Mr. Jones's sermons fur- 
 nished them by a reporter in their employ, and when the reporter 
 discovered their contemptible practices he immediately left their em- 
 ploy. A great number of good people have notified the Times that 
 they do not want the paper any more in their home. The Herald 
 was first sulky, and then came out in open opposition to the meeting 
 in one issue, making desperate assault upon Mr. Jones. The editor 
 was drunk on the streets that very day, which may account for it. 
 Like the Times, the Herald's opposition has cost it several hundred 
 subscribers, and other patronage amounting to several hundred dol- 
 lars a year. The Social World, a society paper, in favor of card- 
 playing, theater-going, dancing and drinking, said in its Saturday 
 issue : 'Sam Jones ought to be ridden out of Los Angeles on a rail.' 
 That sentence was the last kick of a dying goose. On Wednesday 
 the sheriff sold out the establishment, and the only mourners were 
 the creditors of the concern." Thus it would seem that it was not 
 profitable to oppose the onward march of the gospel truths, even 
 from a secular standpoint. Mr. Jones kept up his war against all 
 kinds of sin, preaching three times daily. He seldom dignified the 
 individuals and newspapers who fought him with more than a few 
 witty words spoken before the beginning of his sermon, but at times 
 he administered such stinging rebukes that his audiences burst out in 
 uproarious applause, thereby showing their approval of the stand he 
 had taken, and disapprobation of those who were fighting him. It 
 wasn't long until all the papers came back to his support, and were 
 friendly to him to the end. 
 
 Mr. Jones remained in the city for four weeks, and his tireless 
 efforts were abundantly blessed of God in the salvation of the people. 
 
268 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 The reporters interviewed the leading theatrical managers, most 
 prominent saloon-keepers, and managers of the largest beer-gardens 
 as to the results of the meeting on their business. They all said in 
 substance : "We are certainly getting the worst of this ; our receipts 
 in the evening have diminished terribly since the crowds began to go 
 down to the pavilion. Frequently they used to come to our places, 
 but now they go to hear Sam Jones and then home. We'll be glad 
 when he leaves town. Reforms have been effected and impression 
 made upon the city that can not cease." 
 
 His closing sermon was delivered on the evening of February 6th. 
 Ivong before the hour of service, thousands were being turned away 
 from the doors. Never had such an ovation been given any man 
 before. At the close, thousands went up and shook hands with the 
 evangelist, and during the singing of "God be with you till we meet 
 again," the great audience stood there and wept like children. 
 
 An editorial in the Tribune the following morning said: "Rev. 
 Sam Jones has been successful not alone in attracting the largest 
 audiences that have been seen in Los Angeles, but he has also been 
 successful in making converts. Nearly one thousand persons have 
 professed Christianity under his ministry. The interest has not de- 
 creased a particle, but on the contrary, increased till the last." 
 
 As he left that day for Sacramento, thousands of people went to 
 the train and expressed a feeling of deep regret at his departure 
 from the city. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 On the; Pacific Coast (Continued). 
 
 //. — Sacramento. 
 
 From Los Angeles he went to Sacramento and began a meeting 
 on February nth under the auspices of the Ministerial Alliance of 
 that city. The ministers and laymen who were instrumental in 
 bringing him to Sacramento called upon him, and gave him 
 the status of affairs of the city. There was some apprehension 
 on their part as to the safety of Mr. Jones, in case he should preach 
 as plainly as he did at Los Angeles. They told him of the great 
 weakness of the place, and of some threats that had already been 
 made. They warned him about turning his guns upon a certain ele- 
 ment in the city. After having laid the capital city before him as 
 one of the worst, they said there were men there who would not 
 hesitate to kill him should he preach on their sins. He received the 
 warning with a smile and said : "I am no respecter of persons. I 
 "have preached my convictions all over this country, and I shall not 
 change my style in Sacramento. If they get mad with me for 
 wanting to clean up this old town, and think it best to kill me, they 
 only give me a short cut to heaven. I want you to know that you 
 can't put a muzzle on the mouth of your Uncle Jones, and I shall 
 not be scared away from my duty." 
 
 On Sunday at three o'clock the first service was, held in the 
 Armory Hall. Rev. A. T. Needham opened the service with prayer 
 and introduced Mr. Jones. After the introduction Mr. Jones arose 
 and said : "We are in this city for the purpose of holding services 
 for some time to come. We have been invited to your city by the 
 pastors of your churches, and we are here with the promise of hearty 
 cooperation of the people and preachers. We are in the interest 
 of right, humanity and God; the interest of every good citizen, 
 
 (269) 
 
270 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 good mother, and virtuous daughter lies close in our hearts. May 
 my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth and my right hand lose 
 its cunning if I, in your city or elsewhere, shall ever advocate any- 
 thing but right or denounce anything but wrong. We are not here 
 to discuss isms and dogmas, but to learn what is right, and then 
 do it. I was disheartened in talking with your pastors. They said 
 that there were forty thousand people in the city; four hundred 
 saloons, and ten churches; that an average of three hundred at 
 each church was a fine audience. Four hundred drinking places 
 to supply the people with liquor and damnation, and ten churches 
 to supply them with salvation. Three thousand people go to church, 
 and thirty-seven thousand do not. I am simply talking facts; not 
 of my own making, but what your pastor gave me ; you must know 
 that I believe in God, and in His power, or I would have taken the 
 first train out of this town! last night. God has said one man can 
 chase a thousand and two can put ten thousand to* flight, therefore, 
 we won't be discouraged, because it will only take about four men,, 
 good and true, to clean up the whole city for God. [Applause.] 
 While you are here by the thousands this afternoon, I am told that 
 you are not coming to these meetings. I don't know whether you 
 will or not, and, as far as I am concerned, I don't care whether you 
 do or not. I have been preaching to large audiences for so* long 
 that it would be a real rest to preach to a small crowd for awhile, 
 therefore, if you don't want to come here just come around to my 
 room at the Golden Eagle Hotel and I will write you out a permit,, 
 bud, to stay away." Then he announced his text and preached a 
 sermon that completely captured the audience. He had much to 
 say against the saloons and other dens of vice in his first sermon. 
 The devil, he declared, with all his power, can not do anything 
 unless he can get some one to help him, but he has all the help he 
 wants in this town. Here are forty saloon-keepers to> each preacher. 
 The devil ought to be satisfied with that. The devil doesn't make 
 liquor, but he gets some fellow to make it for him; he doesn't sell, 
 but he gets some of you rascals to do it for him ; he doesn't make 
 gamblers. He has some of the church-members to sit down and 
 teach your children to play cards at home, and make gamblers in 
 
Sam P. Jones. , 271 
 
 "that way. • He just walks around with his hands in his pockets and 
 gets you fellows to do what he wants done here in this city. Now, 
 it don't make any difference to me whether you are the governor of 
 this city or the biggest fellow in it ; I am going to pour the biggest 
 shot I have in my pouch into you before I leave here. I shall shoot 
 right into the hole where you are. I know you'll come out a-hump- 
 ing, declaring you weren't in there, but how are you going to ex- 
 plain being shot all to pieces, you idiot you? Now," said he, "I 
 want those of you who desire to change your ways, and believe 
 I am right about these things, to stand up." In response to his re- 
 quest the audience rose almost en masse. 
 
 The audience that attended the evening service was still larger; 
 while no more could be crowded into the building, thousands were 
 turned away. For three weeks these great audiences waited upon 
 his ministry, and some of the most denunciatory sermons he ever 
 delivered fell from his lips in Sacramento. Being the "Capital City" 
 of the State, the corrupt politicians had dominated the city until 
 its corruption was something intolerable. In referring to it he said : 
 "Let me tell you, a city like this could never have reached the 
 depth of corruption and infamy without some men here making a 
 record that the devil himself would be ashamed of. You political 
 bosses, you municipal and county bosses, and your henchmen, the 
 damnable record that you are writing is enough to make every 
 decent citizen in the city rise up and say, by the grace of God the 
 thing has gone far enough. [Applause and a voice, 'you're right'] ; 
 and when a few of you church-members get backbone and speak 
 your convictions this crowd is going to stop, beg your pardon and 
 say, 'We didn't know you objected at all.' Infamy was never brave. 
 Cowardice is the foundation upon which these scoundrels stand. 
 [Applause.] What is your record as a member of the Legislature 
 now in session [applause] ; now, some of you need not be clapping 
 your hands, for I can find fifty of you rascals in this town to one 
 in the Legislature." [The legislators applauded.] "Now, you fel- 
 lows needn't applaud, because the only reason I can find fifty rascals 
 in town to one in the Legislature is because there are more people 
 in the town. I can take the record of some of you legislators and, 
 
272 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 with the laws of California,, consign yon to the penitentiary before 
 to-morrow night. Think of it — a man in the Legislature that 
 ought to be in the penitentiary. A lawmaker the worst lawbreaker 
 in the land. No wonder California is steeped in lawlessness and 
 crime, when its Legislature furnishes its pro rata of lawbreakers. 
 Take, for instance, that body on the liquor question. There is not: 
 a member that doesn't own that this traffic is cursing the country. 
 If 'you haven't this much sense, you haven't enough to be in the 
 Legislature. You ought to be in the insane asylum instead of 
 where you are. The idea of wanting to enforce upon this towrc 
 and other towns in the State a liquor law putting license down to 
 eighty-four dollars per year. I believe a legislator that will de- 
 liberately vote such a law is owned body and soul by the liquor- 
 dealers. May God stir up every preacher and every citizen in this 
 whisky-soaked city and put an end tx> this infernal traffic. If every 
 stave in a whisky barrel in this town could be turned into. a wing,, 
 every one of you could pin two on your shoulders and fly off to the 
 Lord. You are the most corrupted people by liquor I have ever 
 seen. A decent man came to this town the other day and looked 
 around and said : 'I won't bring my wife and children to a town 
 where there are ten churches and four hundred saloons.' Then- 
 your faro-banks and gambling-dens are wide open. How can a 
 mayor, who swears to execute the law, and the chief of police, who 
 takes his oath of office, sleep at night with the consciousness that the 
 law is overridden and this town is debauched? If I were mayor 
 of this place I would put the gamblers and saloon-keepers where 
 they would have to obey the law. But your mayor hasn't any back- 
 bone, just a little string run up his back, with a few ribs hitched 
 to it. It is dangerous for men to walk the streets at night. When 
 I was in St. Louis I thought that was the most wicked city I ever' 
 saw, but if hell is due west from St. Louis, I think you are just 
 about twenty-five hundred miles nearer to it. 'My!' you say, 'I 
 have never been talked to this way before' ; well, what are you going 
 to do about it ? You say you are going to drum Sam Jones out of 
 town. Well, boys, I've got the drum, and I won't lend it to you." 
 This was one of the most terrific sermons that Mr. Jones ever 
 
Sam P. Jones. 273 
 
 preached, and the audience was at first full of resentment, but was 
 changed to conviction before he finished. The people went away 
 admiring his bravery, and more interested than ever in his ministry. 
 
 It was noised abroad that schemes had been concocted to assas- 
 sinate Mr. Jones. He had taken his life in his own hands, and had 
 faithfully proclaimed the truths of God. Just before going to the 
 evening service the next day a committee came to the hotel and 
 told Mr. Jones that there were men' waiting at the door to shoot 
 him as he started to the building, but with his dauntless courage and 
 faith in God, he looked at mie and said: "Wife, don't you know 
 that God will take care of me and protect me as long as I am doing 
 my duty." He deliberately walked down the stairway, refusing 
 the protection of friends and officers, and went out of the hotel. He 
 proceeded to his carriage, and as he took his seat he turned to one 
 of the men and said : "If I live until one of those cowardly scoun- 
 drels shoot me, I will make old Methuselah look like a plumb baby 
 by the side of me." Upon reaching the Armory Hall, where the 
 immense crowd had assembled, he continued his fearless preaching 
 as if no opposition existed. 
 
 One of the papers, the Bee, continued its denunciation of Mr. 
 Jones and his work, but he soon turned the table on the editor, 
 saying: "I can't see for the life of me how you call yourselves 
 civilized and will allow that vicious little sheet to be thrown into 
 your front yard, I would just as soon have a mad dog turned 
 loose in my front yard to bite my children. The dog could only 
 kill the poor little bodiiesi, but a vicious thing like that dirty little 
 sheet will cause them: to lose regard for religion and wreck them 
 body and soul for both worlds." Applause, after his arraignment of 
 the Bee was long and definite. The fate of the paper was not long 
 in writing, as it was a sad one to its editor and owners, but a relief 
 to the city. 
 
 The meeting in Sacramento, in many respects, was not what 
 might be termed a great one in converting souls; while hundreds 
 were brought into the church, nevertheless, in waking up the con- 
 sciences of the city and in purifying its morals it was most re- 
 markable. His ministry led the people to demand from their offi- 
 10 j 
 
274 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 cials the enforcement of their laws, and when the meeting closed 
 there were no open gambling-places, and the laws regarding the 
 Sunday saloons were enforced. Thousands stood up at the closing 
 service and testified that they had started for a better life, and hun- 
 dreds gave evidence of genuine conversion. 
 
 At the end of four weeks he closed his remarkable work and 
 moved on to San Francisco. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 On the Pacific Coast (Continued). 
 
 III. — San Francisco. 
 
 San Francisco was the last city Mr. Jones visited on the Pacific 
 coast The great metropolis afforded a very inviting field for his 
 work. The committee in charge of the meetings offered us our 
 choice of hotels and Mr. Jones selected the Occidental, because it 
 was more of a family hotel, where he could be quiet. 
 
 The Mechanics' Pavilion had been arranged for the revival. It 
 would accommodate five thousand people. Mr. E. Q. Excell led the 
 large choir, and the services were full of interest from the very be- 
 ginning. J. D. Hammond, agent of the Western Methodist Book 
 Concern and editor of their church paper, had been instrumental in 
 bringing Mr. Jones to the Far West. At the first service he was in 
 charge, and presented the evangelist to the audience. 
 
 The three lading papers, The Chronicle, The Call and The Ex- 
 aminer, had been discussing pro and con his meetings in Los An- 
 geles and Sacramento'. In their editorial and press notices they had 
 stirred up very much curiosity and interest in the meeting. The 
 pavilion was crowded at the first service, and Mr. Jones preached 
 his most sympathetic and powerful sermon on John 3:16: "For God 
 so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who- 
 soever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting 
 life." The first sermon was unlike what the audience had ex- 
 pected; so full of elegant and chaste language, so much tenderness 
 and pathos, that the people were unable to pick a flaw in his ut- 
 terances. 
 
 Monday morning each of the papers had full accounts of the 
 first service, and had given a description of Mr. Jones and estimates 
 of his character and work. The Chronicle said : "Sam Jones has 
 
 (275) 
 
276 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 arrived; has talked; has conquered, San Francisco, modern and 
 ancient, good, bad and otherwise, filled the seats in the Pavilion at 
 both services on Sunday. He is a small, wiry-looking man, with a 
 firm jaw, sallow complexion, black mustache, coal-black hair high 
 on a rather narrow forehead, finely lined eyebrows, and hands as 
 small and delicate as a woman's. He has the slow, drolling accent 
 of the Georgian. He is no mere elocutionist, and makes no effort 
 at the dramatic. There is pathos in his voice, however, and a 
 natural charm about his manner of delivery that soothes the nerves, 
 delights the ear and carries with it the sympathies of his listener. 
 He is perfectly cool and collected, and says so much in so few 
 words, and with such little apparent effort, that the s congregation, 
 while delighted, wonder where on earth he came into possession of 
 such a, marvelous style. He has the quaint humor of the South and 
 is full of homely anecdotes, which he uses to illustrate his text, and 
 relates them so naturally that his discourse is brightened by them 
 and his congregation at times is convulsed with merriment. He 
 is always saying something original, and his audience never 
 wearies." The Call and The Examiner had equally as good and 
 favorable reports and comments as The Chronicle. As in all other 
 meetings, it was not long until he had taken in the situation and 
 began to preach against the prevailing sins, and raised the issue for 
 the meeting. He led up to this by a reference to the South firing 
 upon the Stars and Stripes at Fort Sumter. Said he : "I am sorry 
 we fired on that flag. We made a mistake in doing that. No man 
 is more loyal to the flag of his country than the one who now ad- 
 dresses you. I am not very sorry that we fought you- Northern 
 folks, and never will admit that you whipped us. We just wore 
 ourselves out fighting you. [Laughter.] But the first thing in 
 the war was an issue; the next thing was drawing the lines, and 
 then every fellow hustled home to get his gun. So it is in this re- 
 ligious warfare. We must raise the issue, draw the line, and every 
 fellow get ready to fight. Here in this fair city you are given to 
 card-playing, theater-going and wine-drinking, and when a crusade 
 is made against these things and a call is made, we can't get a 
 corporal's guard with which to fight the devil. You people run 
 
Sam P. Jones. 277 
 
 home and shoot under the bed; anybody can jump on a little fellow 
 and stamp the feathers off him., but it takes a, man to attack the sins 
 in high places. I have quit jumping on little fellows. If you want 
 to fight me just go where the bottom dog is and scratch under 
 him, and if I ain't there, then I am just gone to dinner. I always 
 sympathize with the bottom dog. I like a preacher like John the 
 Baptist, who would preach against the sins of Herod, and while in 
 jail would die before he would retract his words." 
 
 No sooner had the issue been raised, than the papers began to 
 defend the people and the city. There was; nothing in the way of 
 misrepresentation and denunciation that they did not resort to. This 
 led Mr. Jones to speak of them 1 at one of his services. He said : "I 
 have been swallowed by whales and nibbled by minnows, but I never 
 had the ants crawl over me till I struck the Pacific Slope. The little 
 papers in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco are pitching 
 into Sam Jones. Now, these little editor ants don't hurt me, they 
 just crawl over me and make me itch." This reference created 
 much laughter and brought forth enthusiastic applause. Of course 
 the papers continued their assault, but finally he won the day, and 
 their attacks upon him simply called the attention of more people 
 to the meeting. He did not lack for congregations from the very 
 beginning, but the issues at stake and the attitude of the press aided 
 him: in getting audiences which far exceeded the seating capacity of 
 the Pavilion. I i l : -' r | ^ 
 
 Believing that the morals of the city needed purifying he took 
 the city officials to task and scored them; without mercy for their 
 loose administration. He called attention to the theaters that were 
 running in open defiance of the Sabbath laws, and said no city 
 could hope for the blessings of God that would ruthlessly disregard 
 His injunction to keep the Sabbath day holy. His attacks on the 
 saloons were severe, and received just as vigorous attention as in 
 other places. The Examiner, edited by William Randolph Hearst, 
 took up his remarks on municipal affairs and ridiculously distorted 
 them until one would think that Mr. Jones was illiterate, unrefined, 
 and without the knowledge of the ordinary citizen. With the re- 
 porters sitting in front of him., he called the attention of the au- 
 
278 Sam P. Jonks. 
 
 dience to the misrepresentations, and, pointing at the reporters, said : 
 "You little sap-headed reporters, with eyes so close together that 
 you can see through a keyhole with both of them, are sent here at 
 night to take down my sermons ; now, if you can't report them as 
 I deliver them, you stay away from here. You seem to think your 
 mission is to make my sermons funnier and more sensational, and 
 in your ridiculous attempts you are slandering me and the cause. 
 Now, bud, if you are doing the best that you can, your paper had 
 better put you on a job that is small enough for your caliber, and 
 let them send a man here that is big enough for the occasion." 
 
 The meeting continued from day to day, growing in interest and 
 power, while souls were being converted at all the services. Mr. 
 Jones had the cooperation of a large portion of the Protestant 
 ministers of the city, which was a source of pleasure and strength 
 to him, as he always appreciated the full and sympathetic help of 
 the ministers of a city. He was in San Francisco four weeks, and 
 thousands of people professed conversion and resolved to live a 
 better life. He was urged to remain longer, but his engagements 
 elsewhere were pressing him and it was impossible for him to com- 
 ply with their wishes. 
 
 In describing the last service one of the papers said : "The odor 
 of all kinds of flowers filled the Pavilion yesterday, for the con- 
 cluding services had been anticipated by the friends of the evan- 
 gelist, who showed their appreciation of his efforts to reform the 
 city by decorating the band-stand on which he spoke and the wall 
 behind him with the fairest flowers of the garden and forest ar- 
 ranged in the most graceful and tasteful manner. The railing of 
 the stand was concealed from view by a bank of calla-lilies, while at 
 the back of the stand was a cross made of ivy and callas, festooned 
 with roses and lilacs. Mr. Jones said : "I have never looked upon 
 such lovely valleys, green mountains and crystal streams in my life. 
 From my heart I pray that this glorious country may some day 
 be given to God, then California will be the greatest State in the 
 Union, and San Francisco the fairest city that angels ever looked 
 upon. We are told that there shall be a new heaven and earth, 
 wherein shall reign righteousness. God could make such a heaven 
 
Sam P. Jones. 279 
 
 out of California with less transformation than any other part of 
 the world." He took occasion to compliment in terms of sincerest 
 praise the cordial hospitality with which he had been uniformly re- 
 ceived in all the cities of the State. 
 
 At the close of his sermon the ministers, in bidding him fare- 
 well, presented the following resolutions : 
 
 ''Resolved, That we, ministers of the gospel, residing in San Fran- 
 cisco, have greatly enjoyed the services of Rev. Samuel P. Jones 
 in this city. He has been abundant in labors, faithful in declaring 
 the whole counsel of God and wonderfully successful in stirring 
 our community for righteousness. We are thankful that he came, 
 our prayers go with him as he goes, and we shall gladly welcome 
 him to our city whenever the good providence of God shall again 
 bring him to the Pacific coast. 
 
 "Resolved, That the services of Professor Excell, singing com- 
 panion to Mr. Jones, have been most enjoyable. He is a workman 
 that needeth not to be ashamed. Long may Jones and Excell do 
 services for our common Master. 
 
 "(Signed) F. D. Bovard, J. M. Hammon, M. C. Harris, W. W. 
 Case, F. M. Washburne, A. J. Nelson, C. V. Anthony, J. Hannon, 
 G. W. Izer, Richard Harcourt, N. Carver, M. M. Gibson, Laurenzo 
 Waugh, E. G. Matthews, L. M. Schofield, W. S. Urmy, W. S. 
 Bovard, H. H. Hall." 
 
 A liberal offering was made for his Orphans' Home and for his 
 own support, and thousands pressed forward and gave him their 
 hands in token of their appreciation for the great help that they 
 had received from his ministry. 
 
 The citizens had requested that he remain over and deliver a 
 paid lecture at the close of his evangelistic services. The great 
 pavilion was crowded and standing-room was at a premium. The 
 policemen, with difficulty, made way for him to reach the platform, 
 and when he was introduced the thousands cheered enthusiastically 
 for fifteen minutes, making it impossible for him to begin. This 
 great ovation visibly affected Mr. Jones, and he delivered one of the 
 finest addresses of his life. 
 
 Thus closed his services at the city of the Golden Gate. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Toledo Meeting. 
 
 Perhaps the most novel situation that Mr. Jones had ever en- 
 countered was in Toledo, Ohio. A committee from the Ministers' 
 Union had invited him to Toledo for the purpose of fighting the in- 
 fluence of the Golden Rule policy of Mayor Samuel M. Jones, who 
 had made himself famous by his doctrine of "Do as you would be 
 done by." The mayor had injected his principles into the city gov- 
 ernment, and dealt with the vices of the city upon that platform, 
 which was not approved by a number of the ministers and the Chris- 
 tian laymen. Consequently the services of Mr. Jones were sought 
 in order that the people might be shown the evils attendant upon the 
 Golden Rule regime. It was truly a case of Sam Jones versus Sam 
 Jones. 
 
 The newspapers of the city, with one exception, the Bee, were 
 favorable to Samuel M. Jones, the mayor, and against the coming 
 of Sam P. Jones, the preacher. They were loud in their denuncia- 
 tions of the Georgia evangelist, and great injury to the city was pre- 
 dicted upon his coming. They appealed to the people from the 
 standpoint of the popularity of the Golden Rule policy that was in- 
 augurated, and as they said, successfully administered by the mayor. 
 Speculations and predictions of dire calamity were read every day 
 before and after the coming of the evangelist, and efforts were made 
 to convince the people that the Georgian would come to the city only 
 for the purpose of stirring up strife and overthrowing the policy of 
 the best mayor the city ever had. 
 
 But with the Bee as the sole defender of the evangelist, his case 
 went before the people of the city. The people read the adverse 
 criticisms of the papers, but did not make up their minds finally, and 
 reserved their judgment until the coming of Mr. Jones, when they 
 could see and hear for themselves. 
 
 (280) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 281 
 
 Upon his arrival in Toledo Mr. Jones was met by the committee 
 that had invited him. He was put in possession of facts regarding 
 the moral and political status of affairs, and with this information 
 he went forward to the attack single-handed. 
 
 At the opening service, which was held in the Armory Hall, there 
 were more than five thousand eager people to hear the evangelist. 
 Every seat in the building was taken, and hundreds were turned 
 away, unable to find standing-room. 
 
 The arrangements for the meetings, which were in the hands of 
 a committee, were, perhaps, the most complete and satisfactory that 
 Mr. Jones. had ever experienced. Every detail had been carefully 
 looked after by the committee, which had worked in harmony from 
 the beginning, and the effect of united action was apparent. Mr. 
 Jones often remarked that the arrangements made for the meetings 
 at Toledo were splendid, and that he had seldom seen such harmony 
 among the members of a committee. 
 
 He was introduced by Mayor Samuel M. Jones, who was given 
 a rousing ovation when he appeared upon the platform with 
 his wife. It was readily seen that the mayor was extremely 
 popular with the people, and that his policy was generally approved. 
 This did not seem to disturb the evangelist, however, for he had 
 found it his duty many times before to attack officials in high places 
 and officers of great popularity when he felt that their policy was 
 wrong, or that they were not doing their duty. The two Sams were 
 loudly applauded as they shook hands upon the platform in view of 
 the people. 
 
 In his introduction the mayor said in part : That it had been his 
 privilege to perform many pleasant duties, but none which had ever 
 put more sunshine into his heart. He was delighted to see before him 
 such a vast audience, as it was an indication that a great many Tole- 
 doans were interested in the welfare of men's souls — interested in a 
 gospel that would put sunshine into all hearts. Many men, he said, 
 were misunderstood, but there was always the comforting assurance 
 that Christ while on earth was misunderstood. Things as they exist 
 are awfully wrong, but he had faith in Jesus Christ, and with that 
 
282 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 faith fixed in the hearts of men, everything would be righted after 
 awhile." In conclusion he said : 
 
 "It gives me pleasure to introduce to you Rev. Sam P. Jones, and 
 there are other Joneses. This Jones is my fellow worker." 
 
 • After the mayor took his seat, Mr. Jones arose and proceeded im- 
 mediately with his sermon. The first sermon was along serious 
 lines, and he did not indulge in the sensational attacks on sin and 
 sinful things that he usually employed at the beginning of a meet- 
 ing. For more than a week Mr. Jones kept up this seriousness, to 
 the evident disappointment of some of the people who had come to 
 hear him scalp some of the city officials, and others who were con- 
 sidered evil-doers. 
 
 It was after the first week of the meeting that Mr. Jones, in 
 preaching to men, opened his guns and fired into the city officials. 
 Mr. Jones never preached with more power, nor with more fearless 
 onslaughts upon the sins of men and public officials who would al- 
 low the laws of the land to be broken every day with no apparent 
 effort to enforce them. , 
 
 "You have got an apostle in town," said Mr. Jones, "who can do 
 everything by love ; he works the Golden Rule on everything. My ! 
 My! if love would have regulated this town, it would have taken 
 wings long ago, and would have flown away. Is it love that runs 
 seven hundred saloons wide open seven days in the week, forty shame- 
 less houses all night long, and one hundred and fifty gambling-hells 
 that carry your old men and your young men down to. hell? You 
 go down the street to that white-aproned, bull-necked saloon-keeper 
 and say, 'Ji m > I am going to love you to death/ 'Go on,' he will 
 say, 'love as long as you please, but don't shut me up.' If the devil 
 were mayor of this town, he would not change a single thing. The 
 devil would not change your chief of police either. If I could not 
 find a mayor and police commissioner who would enforce the law 
 and close these resorts of hell on the Sabbath I would take to the 
 woods on election day. The owners of the saloons, the gambling- 
 houses, and unclean resorts of tf/is city are worse than mad dogs, 
 and would any man in this house attempt to use the Golden Rule on 
 such an animal? I stand for something in my town, and when a 
 
Sam P. Jones. 283 
 
 mad dog gets loose in the streets of my place I use a double-barreled 
 shotgun on him. I have got something above my eyes, neighbor. 
 I have got too much sense to use love on a rabid beast." 
 
 The sermon was one of the most powerful that the evangelist had 
 preached, and its effect upon his audience was unmistakable. Mr. 
 Jones won a great victory for municipal reform in Toledo, and 
 changed the moral atmosphere of the city. 
 
 In Toledo, perhaps one of the largest woman's meeting ever held 
 was conducted by Mr. Jones. Despite the fearful state of the 
 weather, the ladies of the city turned out in enormous crowds. They 
 braved the storm of snow and rain, and waded through the mud and 
 slush and filled to everflowing the great Armory Hall. Mr. Jones 
 preached to them concerning the influence that they could and 
 should exert over the men in the coming election for mayor. He 
 said that every woman had an influence for good or evil over some 
 man, and that if the women of Toledo would exercise that influence 
 properly they would be able to carry the city for God and right. 
 There were women from every walk in life present at the meeting, 
 and the impression made upon them by Mr. Jones was marked. 
 
 The meetings at Toledo lasted for three weeks, and with each 
 day the services became more productive of good results. Thou- 
 sands of people were converted, and many thousands were at the 
 altar during the meetings, asking for the prayers of the Christian 
 people. 
 
 At the close of the meetings Mr. Jones was extended a warm invi- 
 tation to return to the city at any time he could do so, and was as- 
 sured of the fact that his work had accomplished inestimable good 
 for the people of Toledo. Those people who had abused him and 
 questioned his motives before he came to the city had turned com- 
 pletely around and were loud in their praises of his work. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 The Work in the South. 
 
 I have spoken of the great meetings in Memphis, Nashville, St. 
 Joseph and St. Louis, which gave Mr. Jones a national reputation. 
 I have given lengthy accounts of the meetings in Cincinnati, Chicago, 
 Baltimore, Toronto and Boston, which established him for all time 
 as the world's greatest and most unique evangelist. The question 
 was never raised after these great meetings as to his ability, power 
 and marvelous personality. 
 
 The great meetings in the central West, including Indianapolis, 
 St. Paul, Minneapolis, Omaha and Kansas City and other places 
 stirred up that portion of the United States, and won for him, a great 
 place in the hearts of the people of the central West. His work on 
 the Pacific coast including meetings at Los Angeles, Sacramento and 
 San Francisco made him a well-known and prominent factor on the 
 Pacific coast and in the extreme West and Northwest. 
 
 While he had conducted marvelous meetings in his early days in 
 most of the Southern States, which had made his name a household 
 word, it was about the year 1900 when he refused to accept calls 
 from all parts of the United States to devote the best part of his life 
 to the people of the Southland, who were so dear to his heart, among 
 whom he had been born and reared. 
 
 To begin and give a detailed description of these great meetings, 
 held in the leading cities of all the Southern States would make a 
 volume as large as the present one. To recite the hundreds and al- 
 most thousands of remarkable incidents and marvelous conversions 
 to Christianity would be more thrilling than those that we have al- 
 ready given, which are certain to furnish an insight into his marvel- 
 ous character and ability. Those who heard him in his early days, 
 and who followed his great triumphs throughout the other portions 
 
 (284) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 285 
 
 of the United States, declared that he never preached with more 
 earnestness, mellowness and power than he did in these great South- 
 ern campaigns. He had reached the zenith of his glory and power, 
 and these years, by the marvelous results that followed him wherever 
 he went, demonstrated the fact that he held his own in the hearts 
 and the affection of the people, and that he was approved of God. 
 The upbuilding of the churches, the moral reformation of the people, 
 the awakening of sentiment against the liquor traffic, and all the sins 
 that go with manufacturing, selling and drinking the accursed stuff, 
 can only be estimated by the fact that the entire South was thrown 
 into a great revival of righteousness, and that the sentiment through- 
 out the Southern States against the liquor traffic was so intensified 
 that prohibition followed many of his meetings, and that the South 
 at large has placed its endorsement upon his work in the great tem- 
 perance movement that seems destined to rid our fair Southland of 
 open saloons. He had so impressed himself upon the people that the 
 mere announcement that he would lecture or preach would bring 
 out audiences that tested the seating capacity of the largest audito- 
 riums in the different cities of this section. 
 
 In Mississippi he held fifteen meetings, including Jackson, Green- 
 ville, Columbus, Vicksburg, West Point, Aberdeen and Meridian. 
 At some of these places large tents were used, and at others, large 
 warehouses, cotton-sheds and wooden tabernacles were arranged es- 
 pecially for his meetings. Special trains were run from all parts of 
 the State. The people came in private conveyances for twenty-five 
 miles, and the audiences numbered from five to ten thousand. 
 The immense crowds bewildered the people of the towns and cities 
 in which he preached, and it was difficult to find lodging and enter- 
 tainment for the crowds that the excursions brought in. 
 
 At the close of his great meeting at West Point, Mr. Jones de- 
 sired to leave on one of the special trains, but the coaches, aisles, 
 platform and steps were crowded so that he could not get standing- 
 room, and the depot agent made arrangements with the engineer 
 to give him a seat in the engine with him, and ride there until the 
 cars were sufficiently emptied for him to find a seat. 
 
 In one of the great meetings in Mississippi an editor who became 
 
286 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 enraged at Mr. Jones and came to the meeting intoxicated started 
 down the aisle with a pistol in his hand to shoot Mr. Jones, but was 
 overtaken by an officer and put in prison. When he sobered up he 
 became penitent and Mr. Jones had him released from jail and he 
 came back into the meeting and was happily converted. 
 
 At Vicksburg the great tent blew down in a rainstorm, but a 
 number of the most wicked men in the city, who had fought his 
 coming had gotten interested .in Mr. Jones's sermons, assisted in 
 putting up the tent, and some of them were converts of the meeting. 
 On the way to the tent one night he noticed a man following him 
 closely. After turning several corners, Mr. Jones stopped and said : 
 "Are you following me ?" The man replied : "I am." "Then," said 
 Mr. Jones, "for what purpose?" The man shook with emotion as the 
 tears came to his eyes, and said : "I have been trying to get up cour- 
 age to speak to you and ask you to pray for me ; my mother attend- 
 ed your meetings at Jackson and on her dying bed she made me 
 promise that if you ever came within fifty miles of my home I would 
 hear you preach. In fulfillment of that promise, I have come fifty 
 miles that I might hear you. I am a very wicked man, but I am 
 here to seek religion, and I want you to pray for me." Mr. Jones 
 preached to him there, and in the great meeting that night he was 
 converted. 
 
 In another town a drummer walked up and registered, but 
 when the clerk informed him that he could not get a room, he 
 said, "What does this mean?" The clerk replied, "Sam Jones is in 
 town, and thousands of people are attending his meetings, and the 
 hotel is crowded." The drummer said: "You don't tell me that this 
 crowd is here to hear Sam Jones?" "Yes, sir," replied the hotel- 
 keeper. "Well," said the drummer, "I can understand why a man 
 would go to hear a blackguard like Sam Jones, but I can not under- 
 stand why a decent man would take his wife to hear him." A sin- 
 ner who had come about thirty or forty miles, and brought his wife 
 to the meeting, walked up to the drummer and struck him in the 
 face with his fist, and knocked him down. When the drummer re- 
 covered, he said, "What do you mean?" The man replied: "I just 
 wanted to show you how a decent man could take his wife to hear 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 287 
 
 Sam Jones ; I want to teach you a lesson. " The next morning the 
 man with his right hand in a bandage came to the meeting and gave 
 his heart to God. 
 
 In Greenville, at the close of one of his services, the wives of 
 three prominent business men said : "Brother Jones, we have com- 
 bined together to pray for our unsaved husbands, and we want you 
 to join us." Mr. Jones replied : "Where two or three agree as touch- 
 ing one thing, it shall be done. We will pray with you and expect 
 their conversions." All three of the men were happily converted, 
 and became most earnest Christians. 
 
 He requested all the business men to close for the day services. 
 With the exception of two saloons, every business-house in the town 
 was closed. One of these saloon-keepers stood in front of his saloon 
 and cursed Mr. Jones for wanting him to close his saloon while he 
 was abusing his business. Mr. Jones heard about it, and said in 
 public : "I meant no harm by this invitation ; it was only my inter- 
 est in these men that led me to make the request, but mark my word, 
 you will see doors closed with black crepe on them before many 
 days." A few weeks later a copy of the Greenville Delta was sent 
 Mr. Jones, with a paragraph marked, in which it stated that that 
 saloon-keeper had dropped dead at his saloon door, just as he went 
 to open it one morning. Those who read his words and yielded to 
 his appeals were blessed of God, while some who hardened their 
 hearts and resisted the calls of mercy, died horrible deaths, speaking 
 God's approval and endorsement of the man who had warned them 
 so faithfully. 
 
 At Meridian some very remarkable things happened under 
 his ministry. Some of the wicked men of the city were cursing and 
 gambling on Mr. Jones, and went down together to see who was the 
 winner, which resulted in two of them coming forward for prayers 
 at the close of the sermon. They were happily converted later on in 
 the meeting, and became prominent members of the church. 
 
 The meeting changed the history of the city, and a fight had be- 
 gun on the saloon business that never stopped until every saloon in 
 the city was closed. 
 
288 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Mr. L. P. Brown, a prominent citizen, and a very earnest Chris- 
 tian of that city, in a personal, says : 
 
 "Meridian, where I have lived for thirty-eight years, with a popu- 
 lation of twenty-seven thousand souls, has stood for fifteen years 
 without a barroom, brothel, or licensed liquor in any form — a monu- 
 ment of what God can and does and will do — and at the same time 
 memory takes me back to the help given us by Brother Jones. He 
 spared not the curse of drink, and at the same time won the drinker 
 and the seller. Around thousands of family altars his name is hon- 
 ored for his work's sake. In our household his face not only hangs 
 from several walls, but around our hearts the memory of his pres- 
 ence and his life-work are in daily and hourly evidence." 
 
 The great meetings in Mississippi were the leading factors in 
 almost freeing that State from the open saloons. 
 
 In his native State, meetings were held in Macon, Rome, Augusta, 
 Marietta, Columbus, Waycross, Brunswick, Covington, Savannah, 
 Atlanta, and many other towns. In all, he conducted meetings in 
 more than fifty of the prominent towns and cities in Georgia. It is 
 difficult to say which was the most powerful in immediate results, 
 but perhaps Savannah and Atlanta were the scenes of his greatest 
 work. It was in Georgia where he came into closest touch with the 
 railroad men. 
 
 At Macon he was thrown with them in the shops, and visited and 
 prayed with them in their homes. Here began his great interest and 
 love for railroad men. In that city he learned of their generosity 
 and liberality while holding revival services. The railroad men 
 came up and extended him cordial invitations to visit them. In their 
 homes he found their wives and loving little children, and seeing how 
 they were attached to one another, his love grew stronger for 
 them the longer he lived. Instead of finding them the rough, un- 
 couth men that they had been pictured, he found many of them cul- 
 tured, refined and gentle. Some of their wives were the most de- 
 voted Christians. 
 
 Wherever he went he usually held a special meeting for them in 
 the railroad shops, and no class of men were greater admirers of him 
 than the noble railroad men throughout the South. 
 
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Sam P. Jones. 289 
 
 In Atlanta a meeting was held for them in the Western and 
 Atlantic shops. This brought together a great crowd, including all 
 the employees of the company. Mr. Charlie Tillman sang "The 
 Railroad Song," and just before Mr. Jones arose to speak, Col. W. 
 M. Bray stepped to the front and said : "Mr. Jones, I have been re- 
 quested by Mr. Lamar Collier, and the representative and substan- 
 tial railroad men of Atlanta, to perform a service for the operators 
 of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. I am here in obedience to 
 this request, as I never fail to perform a duty when I can. I am 
 commissioned through him, and in behalf of these railroad men, to 
 present you a testimonial of their appreciation of your advocacy of 
 their right. This testimonial is not like most testimonials, of little 
 worth ; but of priceless value. I present you in their name a book 
 that is the Book of books. I believe that its principles will always 
 be presented intelligently and fearlessly by the recipient. Here is 
 a handsome Oxford Bible, beautifully bound, from the men of the 
 Western and Atlantic Railroad. This is a testimonial of their great 
 regard and love for you." 
 
 Mr. Jones took the Bible, and said : "Little did I think a moment 
 ago, when I found that I had left my Bible at my room, that I would 
 be supplied with one in this way. I appreciate the gift. I have al- 
 ways found the railroad men noble in their homes, and regarded 
 them as a big-hearted and brave set of men. I shall leave this beau- 
 tiful Bible as an heirloom to my youngest child. Now," said he, "I 
 will preach from this book, taking as my text these words : 'But 
 thou hast kept the good wine until now.' ' Great power attended 
 this meeting, and hundreds of them arose at the close and dedicated 
 their lives to God. 
 
 Mr. Jones visited all the schools and spoke to the children, the 
 young men and women of the colleges, and held many precious 
 services with them. Every conceivable place was utilized for preach- 
 ing services. He spoke at the recorder's court- room, at the police 
 headquarters, and before every class of people brought there, he 
 preached with such tenderness and power that the officers and crimi- 
 nals gave him their hands as an expression of their desire to lead a 
 Christian life. 
 
290 Sam P. Jones. , 
 
 One of the most unique services was held on the roof of the Equit- 
 able building, at that time one of the tallest buildings in the city. 
 It was at high noon, when the spring sun sent its rays through a. 
 rift in the threatening clouds. Nine hundred people, by actual county 
 by a man standing at the little door opening on the roof, came to 
 hear him preach. Half of the occupants of the Equitable building 
 were there. They stood on the tar and gravel and looked into the 
 earnest face of the revivalist, while down from the streets came the 
 ceaseless murmur of traffic and clamor of wagons, horses' hoofs, 
 -and buzzing of trolleys. Behind and around him stretched the 
 amphitheater of the blue Piedmont hills, while in the distance were 
 the colleges resting on the eminences which gird the city. The 
 smoke arose from a hundred furnaces and chimneys, and rolled over 
 the high pulpit, while the steeples of the churches were in plain view. 
 He took for his text Mark 8 136 : "What shall it profit a man if he 
 shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul." He concluded 
 his sermon by asking all who would promise to lead better lives to 
 hold up their hands, and hundreds of those on the roof responded. 
 
 The meetings in Atlanta not only resulted in the conversions of 
 thousands of souls, but started a wave of temperance and municipal- 
 reforms, the fruits of which are seen to-day. The audiences in the 
 great Moody Tabernacle ranged from eight to twenty thousand 
 people. After the immense building was crowded part of the thou- 
 sands were turned back. The meetings became instrumental in cre- 
 ating sentiment against the open saloons, and other immoralities,, 
 that made his work go down in history as the most powerful relig- 
 ious services ever held in the State of Georgia. 
 
 In Texas, meetings were held in Palestine, Tyler, Waco, Hous- 
 ton, Fort Worth, Dallas, Galveston, San Antonio, and other 
 places. Large wooden tabernacles were constructed that would seat 
 from five to ten thousand people in many places, while in one or two 
 cities immense cotton-warehouses were fitted up. It was after one of" 
 his early meetings in Texas, at Palestine, where he had preached' 
 against the open wickedness and loose municipal affairs, that he was 
 attacked by the mayor of the city, which resulted in a fight. The 
 moment that the mayor struck him, it flashed upon Mr. Jones's- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 291 
 
 mind, "If I am going to preach as I do, and have such encounters 
 as this, I must back up my ministry with physical courage. The 
 eyes of the world, are upon me, and I must let the people know that 
 in any sacrifice or danger, I am in dead earnest." While not wish- 
 ing a fight, or taking any delight in such, he immediately wrested 
 the cane from the mayor's hand, and gave him a genteel thrashing. 
 The city showed its approval by calling a special meeting, and mak- 
 ing the mayor resign, while the people of the United States ap- 
 plauded his bravery. We give an account of this episode in a tele- 
 gram that Mr. Jones sent home and to the Atlanta papers. Just 
 before stepping upon the train, Mr. Jones sent the following tele- 
 gram to his home, and the Atlanta papers : 
 
 "Mrs. Sam P. Jones, Cartersville, Ga. : 
 
 "The one-horse mayor of Palestine, Texas, tried to cane me at 
 the train this morning. He hit me three times. I wrenched the cane 
 from him, and wore him out. I am well. Not hurt. Will lecture 
 to-night at LaGrange. 
 
 "Sam P. Jones." 
 
 The one sent to the Atlanta Constitution was as follows : 
 
 "The one-gallus mayor of Palestine tried to cane your Uncle 
 Jones this morning at the depot. I wrenched the cane from him 
 and wore him out. I am a little disfigured, but still in the ring. I 
 criticised his official career last November. It needed criticising. 
 
 "Sam P. Jones." 
 
 The trouble in Palestine originated in this way: In November, 
 Mr. Jones had held evangelistic services there. He paid his usual 
 respects to lukewarm church-members, easy-going preachers, gossip- 
 ing men and women. All these classes took the messages with 
 meekness and approval, but when he arraigned the mayor for not 
 enforcing the law against the liquor business, he stirred up a great 
 deal of resentment among the city officials. The mayor was absent 
 at the time, but upon his return to the city was informed of what, 
 
292 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 Mr. Jones had said. He had very little to say at that time, but laid 
 his plans to get even with Mr. Jones in the future. Mr. Jones then 
 returned to the city for a lecture, and after repeating his utterances 
 against the loose administration, he went back to his hotel and re- 
 tired for the night. Next morning he went to> the station to take 
 the nine o'clock train, when he was assaulted by the mayor. He im- 
 mediately dropped his valise, and took the cane from the mayor and 
 "wore him out." He left at once for his next appointment, and 
 the indignation of Palestine was so aroused that the leading citizens 
 called a special meeting, in which they asked the mayor to resign. 
 The matter was telegraphed all over the United States, and from 
 almost every paper came editorials approving of what Mr. Jones 
 had done, and praising him for his manliness and fearlessness as a 
 minister of the gospel. 
 
 In the large cities — Dallas, Galveston, San Antonio, Houston, and 
 Fort Worth — were some of the most marvelous meetings any man 
 ever held. They came up to, if they did not surpass, many of the 
 great meetings that won him national fame. However, it is im- 
 possible to go into detail about these meetings. Words could not 
 describe the wonderful scenes that took place in all these cities. It 
 was the custom of Mr. Jones to preach to the colored people nearly 
 everywhere he went, and perhaps in Houston one of the greatest 
 meetings was held for the colored folks. - The immense audience 
 filled the great tabernacle, and from the platform the sea of dark, 
 earnest faces upturned was a sight long to be remembered. He talked 
 to them in a very plain, practical way, creating wonderful enthusi- 
 asm, and presenting the truths that they should know, in a way that 
 the humblest and most ignorant colored person could understand. 
 In speaking to them of politics, he said : "The Democrats and Re- 
 publicans don't care anything about your vote, further than to help 
 them into office — one thinks about as much of you as the other. The 
 Democrats and Republicans just use you as a tool." In illustrating 
 this truth, he said : "In Virginia there is a story told of General Ma- 
 hone who, when he died, went to the gate of heaven, but St. Peter 
 told him unless he was mounted he could not come in. The General 
 went away from the gate of heaven, and found an old darkey, and 
 
Sam P. JonSS. 293 
 
 said to him!, 'Unless you are mounted you can't get through the 
 pearly gates/ and proposed that the old darkey get down on all- 
 fours, and he would ride him in. The old darkey fell down upon his 
 hands, and the General mounted him and rode him up to the gate of 
 heaven. St. Peter said, 'Are you mounted?' 'Yes,' replied the 
 General. 'Well,' said Peter, 'hitch your horse outside, and come in.' 
 The General turned the old darkey aside and entered the gate. 
 Now," said he, "that's just what the politicians do with you poor 
 negroes." The truth so simply illustrated went home to their hearts, 
 and the thousands of black men and women said, "That's so, boss ; 
 now you'se talking." He then urged them to live sober lives, and to 
 be true in their homes and look to the Lord Jesus Christ as their 
 only hope to help now and hereafter. He was always a friend of 
 the colored people, and gave thousands of dollars to them in build- 
 ing their churches and schools. 
 
 At a great mass-meeting held in Houston, he suggested that they 
 organize a Law and Order League to fight the saloons. He asked 
 for one hundred men to come up and give him their hand and to 
 promise to meet at the tabernacle on the following Tuesday night 
 to perfect the organization. Instead of one hundred coming, a 
 thousand mien practically ran over each other in response to the call. 
 
 In nearly every city in the State such organizations were perfected, 
 and the saloon element and the corrupt municipal affairs were fought 
 until the cities regulated the saloon business. Nearly everywhere 
 through the South such movements followed his preaching. 
 
 The most remarkable men's meetings that he ever held were 
 throughout Texas. He frequently preached to as many as ten thou- 
 sand men, and from five hundred to one thousand would come for- 
 ward, promising to reform their lives and begin the Christian life. 
 The influence of these great meetings went out into the neighboring 
 towns and through the counties, and led other preachers to follow 
 up the work, which resulted in thousands of conversions and cru- 
 sades against the liquor traffic. It would be almost impossible to fol- 
 low these influences and get any just estimate of the final results. 
 
 In many of these cities he was instrumental in raising money to 
 build Y. M. C. A.'s and churches, the collections frequently ag- 
 
294 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 gregating from twenty to fifty thousand dollars. As a result of his 
 work in Texas, the great "Lone Star State" was swept from one 
 side to the other with the tidal wave of conviction to salvation and 
 municipal reform. It will require eternity itself to furnish a correct 
 estimate of his work in Texas. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 The Work in the South (Continued). 
 
 In North Carolina he held meetings in the following cities : Win- 
 ston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham, Wilmington, and Charlotte. A 
 remarkable revival followed his ministry in Winston-Salem, Greens- 
 boro, and Durham. The saloons were made to observe the 
 laws in Durham, and were voted out in Winston and Greensboro. 
 These were not only great moral movements, but resulted in a spir- 
 itual awakening, which brought hundreds of the people into the 
 different churches. 
 
 At Charlotte one of the greatest men's meeting of his entire career 
 was held. There were eight or ten thousand men within the taber- 
 nacle. After he had preached one of his most searching sermons, 
 strong men from the city and adjoining towns and country liter ally- 
 ran over each other as they rushed to the altar with the tears stream- 
 ing down their cheeks begging for mercy and help. A thousand or 
 more gave their hearts to God. This wonderful manifestation; 
 swept away all the prejudices of the most fastidious, and the meet- 
 ing is spoken of in that city to-day as an epoch-making hour. 
 
 The saddest incident connected with the men's meeting was that 
 of a bright young man, perhaps in his twenty-sixth year, who was- 
 conductor on the Atlanta and Charlotte Airline. At the close of 
 Mr. Jones's sermon he walked down the aisle more than two-thirds 
 of the way, and then suddenly turned and went back to his seat. It 
 may have been the scoff of a companion, or the jeer of a friend that: 
 turned him back. . The next morning he went down to the depot, 
 and about eight o'clock he stepped on his train to leave the city. 
 After he had run down the road a few miles he held his train to 
 meet another passenger train, and there was a freight-box standing 
 on the side-track, and when the passenger train backed against it he: 
 
 (295) 
 
296 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 was standing just in the rear of it, was knocked down and the wheels 
 ran over him from head to foot, and mashed the very watch in his 
 pocket until it was as thin as a piece of tin. Scarcely had fifteen 
 hours passed since the sermon until he was called into the presence 
 of God. 
 
 At Wilmington he held two great meetings. Rev. W. S. Creasy, 
 D.D., pastor Grace M. E. Church, South, was instrumental in his 
 going to Wilmington. The ministers of the other denominations 
 were not at all in favor of his coming, and some were very hostile; 
 however, Dr. Creasy, with a few of the ministers, and by the help 
 of Christian laity, prepared for the great tabernacle movement. 
 
 The announcement of the meeting brought forth a great many 
 criticisms, which appeared in the Wilmington papers. These were 
 mostly from the ministers. One prominent Presbyterian minister 
 offered four reasons why he objected to the coming of Mr. Jones. 
 One was, he lowered the dignity of the pulpit, and the other was, 
 the danger of confusing the people as to a true revival. Another 
 because of his deep appreciation of the ministry of the church, and 
 the last one, as a conscientious Presbyterian he could not endorse a 
 man who makes a point of caricaturing what, to him, was the most 
 precious truths of the Bible. 
 
 A prominent Episcopal rector said he could not see that any really 
 spiritual good could possibly be gained by this community from any 
 preaching by Mr. Jones. 
 
 A prominent Baptist preacher fought his coming from the start, 
 and wrote a lengthy article to a religious paper, giving his reason 
 for his position, claiming that Mr. Jones's wit was exceedingly 
 coarse, his humor low and vulgar, unbecoming a Christian minister 
 in any circle, and, in his judgment, a gross and grievous desecration 
 of the pulpit. 
 
 There were other criticisms offered by some of the less prominent 
 ministers of the different denominations. It seemed that there had 
 been formed an alliance in Wilmington with the society element, 
 gamblers and liquor-dealers that made the ministers fear his coming. 
 At any rate, the society people, gamblers, liquor-dealers, and people 
 
Sam P. Jones. 297 
 
 of that class, were in the heartiest sympathy with the criticisms ex- 
 pressed by these ministers, and heartily endorsed all of them. 
 
 When Mr. Jones arrived in Wilmington he began at once to over- 
 come the opposition, and it wasn't long until these same ministers 
 were attending his services and cooperating heartily with him in 
 the salvation of the lost. His preaching against the worldliness and 
 wickedness of the society people, and his arraignment of the evils 
 of the liquor traffic wrought great reformation in the lives of hun- 
 dreds, and created a mighty sentiment against the liquor business. 
 For ten days he preached, with thousands attending his ministry, 
 and one of the greatest meetings held in North Carolina was that in 
 Wilmington. In view of the opposition and obstacles that he over- 
 came, perhaps it was one of the mightiest works of his life. 
 
 In Virginia he visited Roanoke, Danville, Lynchburg, and Rich- 
 mond. In Danville, where an immense auditorium was erected and 
 named "The Sam Jones Tabernacle," he completely revolutionized 
 the life of the people. One of the most notable results of that meet- 
 ing was the consecration and call to the ministry of Mr. James E. 
 Schoolfield, a prominent hardware merchant and cotton manufac- 
 turer. He immediately entered upon the work of the ministry as an 
 evangelist and preached all over the South, paying his own expenses, 
 and became one of the most successful soul-winners of his day. He 
 attributed his change and call to the ministry to Mr. Jones. A few 
 years ago he laid down his armor and preceded Mr. Jones to his 
 heavenly reward. 
 
 This is just one instance of the thousands of men who were con- 
 verted and called to the ministry, and afterwards entered the pas- 
 torate and evangelistic field to become honored and accredited work- 
 ers in the kingdom of God. Perhaps more preachers have entered 
 the work of the ministry through Mr. Jones's preaching than any 
 other man living or dead. . 
 
 Great results followed his preaching in Lynchburg and Norfolk. 
 In Richmond a large tabernacle was erected on Franklin street, al- 
 most opposite the Richmond College, with a seating capacity of 
 eleven thousand. As the tabernacle was located in the extreme 
 western part of the city, it was difficult for the people to attend, but 
 they came in carriages, on the street-cars, trains, and afoot, until the 
 
298 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 great building would not accommodate them. The work was diffi- 
 cult at first, but in his men's meeting one Sabbath afternoon when 
 twelve thousand men had been seated and three thousand turned 
 away, he preached that masterful sermon, "Conscience, Record, 
 and God." The power of the Holy Spirit came upon him, and the 
 people, and at the close of the meeting the men were standing en 
 . masse in their endorsement of his work, and pledging themselves 
 to be faithful Christians. As he looked down upon the scene of that 
 victory, he said, turning to those who had been slow to believe, 
 "What do you think of that ? Thanl< God for a scene in Richmond 
 like this." From that day the tide had turned, and Richmond was in 
 repentance and seeking salvation. 
 
 In Tennessee, where he had held so many meetings, he revisited 
 Jackson, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, and Nashville. At 
 all these places great meetings followed, and in Nashville he con- 
 tinued his ministry in the great auditorium that he had inspired and 
 raised the money, for, visiting the capital city each successive year, 
 and sometimes twice during the year, for eighteen meetings. The 
 cause of temperance in Tennessee was always very close to his heart, 
 and in these last meetings he preached and pleaded for the close of 
 the saloons and general prohibition, until the State now, with the 
 exception of four or five of the leading cities, has local option. If 
 the day comes, and the signs point that way, when the State is en- 
 tirely free from saloons, at the judgment bar of God Mr. Jones will 
 receive much of the reward for the faithful and earnest work which 
 closed the saloons. 
 
 In Kentucky meetings were held at Paducah, Hopkins ville, 
 Owensboro, Bowling Green, and Louisville, and many other places. 
 Large tabernacles were erected in these cities for the meetings. 
 
 At Bowling Green the most wonderful meeting ever held in Ken- 
 tucky was under his ministry. Here the city was aroused on the 
 subject of temperance to such an extent that they closed all the bar- 
 rooms. Perhaps the hottest fight he ever had for the cause of tem- 
 perance was during his meetings in Kentucky. At Bowling Green 
 a hundred and twenty-five of the employees of the Louisville and 
 Nashville Railroad wrote out a pledge that they would drink and 
 curse and carouse no more. 
 
'Do Everything You Can and Leave the Rest to God." — Sam Jones. 
 
 Bowling GrEEn, Ky,, April 10, 1893. 
 
 Be it Known by all Men, That we, whose names are hereunto subscribed, 
 being employees of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company, and resi- 
 dents and citizens of Bowling Green, Ky., having seen and felt and realized 
 the sad effects of intemperance among our citizens and its fatal results to rail- 
 road men in particular, we do hereby agree and covenant with each other not 
 to enter a saloon in Bowling Green, or anywhere else, or enter a barroom 
 of any hotel or restaurant in said city, or anywhere else, under any circum- 
 stances, except absolute necessity requires our entrance, or we receive posi- 
 tive information that a person is on the inside whose name appears upon 
 this list. 
 
 We further agree that, if at any time we find it impossible to keep this, 
 we will get the consent of five (5) members of this agreement and have our 
 name erased from this list before we enter a saloon door. We further agree 
 that should we break or violate this agreement that we hereby consent 
 and agree that each remaining member of this agreement be furnished a 
 "card" bearing our name and the date of violation, and that it be "known 
 and said of us that we have sworn falsely and are not worthy of confidence 
 in any business or social relation or transaction. 
 
 ENGINEERS. 
 
 C. M. Moore 
 A. M. Freeman 
 John C. Crofton 
 R E. Hockersmith 
 C. P. Bailey 
 J. E. Dixon 
 W. F. Porter 
 W. E. Blackwell 
 J. W. Alsup 
 W. C. Brigham 
 W. H. Hawkins 
 F. Mulbarger 
 Sam Vann 
 W. H. Hockersmith 
 Wm. Wolfenberger 
 John Keogh 
 W. H. Campbell 
 J H. Penwick 
 Dock Dean 
 S. A. Gilson 
 Ed Satterwhite 
 
 FLREMEN. 
 
 T. H. Glenn 
 M. C. Stage 
 J H. Compton 
 W. D. Perry 
 Wm. Tabor 
 H. Porter 
 J. W. Neal 
 Frank Porter 
 
 John Albert Freeman 
 
 F. P. L,ooney 
 R. C. Johnson 
 S. P. Price 
 
 C. R. Smith 
 B I. Wallace 
 W. A. Stephens 
 W. B. Perkins 
 
 A. H. Cleveland 
 J. D Jesse 
 
 S. J. Everett 
 Mike Rogers 
 W. H. B. Rue 
 
 CONDUCTORS. 
 
 Randall Allen 
 
 J. L- Hockersmith 
 
 G. F. Cole 
 H. M. Cole 
 C. E. Staton 
 C C. Medley 
 W. D Haworth 
 It. B. Bennett 
 W. C. Haight 
 John C. Willett 
 J. W. Vick 
 
 B. V. Saulisbury 
 
 BRAKEMEN. 
 
 E. B Williams 
 
 J. M. Burton 
 
 S. A. Douglas 96a 
 
 E. W. Hunt 
 R. L Beck 
 
 B. S. Hampton 
 W. B Faxon 
 Ben Lane 
 Frane Hogwood 
 J. J. Bracken 
 
 K, Webster 
 W. J. Lewis 
 W. S. Taylor 
 
 C. M. Huffines 
 
 C. E- Locke 
 Ira Ford 
 
 W. A. Cassady 
 W. T. Clark 
 J. E. Greathouse 
 P. H. Warren 
 G. A. Knox 
 
 D. Satterfield 
 Albert L» Crook 
 W. J. Wyatt 
 
 J. R. Carter 
 I,. A. Ritter 
 
 FLAGMEN. 
 
 W. D. Buckberry 
 A. Dalton 
 
 HOSTLERS. 
 
 H. L Funk 
 R. F. Bracken 
 
 CAR REPAIRERS. 
 
 Henry Hardwick 
 Ewing Morgan 
 J W. Clay pool 
 W. F. Hawkins 
 Chas. B. Gann 
 
 CARPENTERS. 
 
 John Starr 
 
 J. Tom Doores 
 
 John Johnson 
 
 E. S. Baird 
 John W Doolin 
 Jerry Thomas 
 H M. Mitchell 
 
 MACHINISTS. 
 
 John M. Hill 
 James Hamby 
 
 F. M. Roberts 
 James Smith 
 Chas. McMillon 
 
 CALLERS. 
 
 J. W. Burch 
 
 M. B. Wolfenberger 
 
 SWITCHMEN. 
 
 John Glenn 
 W. W. Evans 
 
 NAMES AND OCCUPATIONS. 
 
 J. H. Flowers, Baargage Master. 
 
 F. F. Baughman, Postal Clerk. 
 
 J. A. Mitchell, Local Attorney. 
 
 R. Moran, Master Mechanic. 
 
 P. J. Griffin, Baggage Master. 
 
 Thos. W. Jenkins, Express Messenger. 
 
 G. W. Thompson, General Agent. 
 J. C Follis, Station Baggage Agent. 
 H. L- Parks, Oil Clerk. 
 C. H. Allen, Yard Master. 
 W. H. Stewart, Painter. 
 A. B. Gilson, News Agent. 
 
300 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 He preached in his own inimitable way, until the irreligious could 
 stand the impact no longer, and the forces of Satan were utterly 
 broken, and the rout was complete. It was a meting of wondrous 
 power, the like of which was never witnessed before in that city, 
 and may never be again. Men tried to brace themselves against the 
 influence, but it was like an effort to breast the onrush of a cyclone, 
 and they soon found themselves swept before the tide off their very 
 feet and into the kingdom of God. One man said he would not hear 
 Sam Jones, and though often importuned to go, persistently de- 
 clined, and sometimes without much show of politeness. He con- 
 tinued in this course, until the first Sunday morning of the revival, 
 when, strange (?) to say, he went, and when the invitation was ex- 
 tended, he came forward and made a complete surrender. 
 
 A prominent business man had secured a large building for a 
 saloon, and had gotten his license. He heard Mr. Jones preach, 
 gave his heart to God, surrendered the building, cancelled his li- 
 cense, and is to-day a prominent church-worker in that city. 
 
 Rev. John W. Lewis, who was pastor of the largest Methodist 
 church, writes : "It was amusing as well as serious, to hear his ar- 
 raignment of sin and witness some of the attendant scenes. But 
 it is rather of the character and lasting effects of his work that I 
 would write. He reached all classes from the old monumental sin- 
 ner to those of tender years, and when the ten days were over, it is 
 safe to say that there had been one thousand conversions. The first 
 Sunday, after the 'Amen' was pronounced, I received seventy-two 
 into the church at one time, and more for several Sundays. Many 
 of these were among the best citizens of the city, and some few were 
 reclaimed from a drunkard's life. ' Other churches shared alike. 
 
 "Did the work last? Yes, emphatically, yes. Only a short while 
 ago I was talking with one of Sam Jones's converts at Hopkinsville 
 (we had just heard of the evangelist's death), and he remarked: 
 'If it had not been for him, the devil would have gotten me, sure/ 
 He is now and has been since his conversion, a consistent and faith- 
 ful member of the church. So it was at Bowling Green and Hop- 
 kinsville. Many from both localities will rise up, in the last day, 
 and call him blessed." 
 
Sam P. Jones. 301 
 
 In Louisiana he held meetings at Monroe and New Orleans. 
 He went to New Orleans on the invitation of the Evangelical Alli- 
 ance, and arrangements were made for him to hold the services in 
 the Washington Artillery Hall. His engagement lasted for a month. 
 The principal fight in New Orleans was made against the Louisiana 
 State Lottery. In a number of sermons he preached directly against 
 this great crime and the spirit of gambling. The Morning Picayune 
 g'ave him three columns the first day, two the second, one the third, 
 and, when he made his greatest speech against the lottery, the paper 
 refused to print a line of his notice in the city. He said : "You have 
 been sowing these Louisiana State Lottery tickets for twenty years ; 
 you have now a harvest of gambling in this city enough to make 
 the devil himself tremble to look at. That lottery leads to every sort 
 of gambling, opens the gates, the gap is down, and thousands of 
 dollars that it is stealing from the United States and the Provinces 
 of Canada, daily breaking up homes, and bringing sorrows to moth- 
 ers is something appalling. I believe that that institution could pay 
 a tax of forty thousand dollars a day, and still make money. It 
 spreads its wings over this city, and takes the clothes off the backs 
 of the children, robs the poor, and yet you sit down and say nothing 
 about it. I know that there are powers that be, that can say 'hush, 
 and stop,' and they do hush and stop some of you; but so help me 
 God, there is not enough money, or men, or devils in hell to crush 
 out the honest sentiment that leaps from my heart and conscience. 
 If I were a member of the Louisiana State Legislature, I would vote 
 against that contemptible scheme for fear that somebody would say 
 if I did not that I had been bought by it. , 
 
 "A man who will play 'seven-up' or 'buck a faro-bank' is a gen- 
 tleman and a scholar and a Christian beside a fellow that will sit 
 down and 'buck' against the Louisiana State Lottery. I hit you that 
 time — I could see you wince. You gamble on anything in this city, 
 from a million-dollar wheat or a cotton deal down to a cigarette. 
 When will New Orleans wake up? Georgia and Missouri have 
 passed laws against the lottery, and said it is a criminal offense. 
 The government will not allow letters to go through the mail, if 
 they know it, and old New Orleans remains absolutely quiet, and 
 
302 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 » 
 
 the balance of the Union is standing up and slapping you in the face. 
 I would have enough pride to go and straighten myself out before 
 the other States of this Union." 
 
 The crusade against the open wickedness of New Orleans con- 
 tinued, while the audiences grew day and night, until there was the 
 greatest revival in the history of the town. No other meeting ever 
 took such hold upon the city. All the churches were greatly 
 strengthened, and many hundred people were brought to the Sa- 
 vior. The stalwart blows given the Louisiana State Lottery were 
 the beginning of the fight which finally resulted in the infamous 
 scheme to swindle the people being swept from the face of the earth. 
 
 In Alabama he preached in Selma, Mobile, Montgomery, and Bir- 
 mingham. The same results followed in all these meetings, and in 
 the last few days of the work in Birmingham he saw more than a 
 thousand souls brought to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 After the arduous labors throughout these Southern States, Mr. 
 Jones's health completely broke down, and for several years he had 
 to rest from evangelistic labors. The best physicians in the land 
 despaired of his life, and, as he expressed it in private and in public, 
 while suffering so intensely, "I am a dying man." Frequently he 
 would have to take his seat while preaching, and would become com- 
 pletely exhausted and have to cancel his meetings. But he could 
 not be idle. Believing that the lecture platform afforded him a great 
 opportunity for doing good, and as the speaking was relieved of the 
 close tension of revival work, he went all over the South lecturing, 
 and stirring up the people again. His lectures were made up to a 
 great extent of the reformed element of his preaching. In this way 
 he continued to get the gospel before the thousands. It is doubtful 
 whether he ever lectured without pungent thrusts at the liquor traf- 
 fic. Letters received by him, and in my possession, and personal 
 experiences related to him, which he told me of, attest the fact that 
 hundreds were led to change their lives during the years when he' 
 devoted much time to the lecture field. His lectures while they en- 
 tertained, always contained good and wholesome truths, which in- 
 spired men to renounce their evil ways and be better husbands and 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 303 
 
 sons. His health was regained, and he took every opportunity for 
 ■evangelistic work during the closing years of his life. 
 
 In his last great tabernacle meeting, the citizens of Cartersville 
 •say they never heard him preach with such earnestness and power. 
 This was the second greatest meeting of the work at the tabernacle. 
 The last sermon he preached in the meeting was before an audience 
 that filled the building, and stood within the sound of his voice, that 
 numbered fifteen thousand or more. His text was taken from Phil-. 
 lipians, third chapter, eighth verse : "I count all things but loss for 
 the excellency of the gospel of Christ Jesus my Lord." The people 
 will never forget the divine presence that pervaded the assembly, 
 and the sighs and groans that were heard while he made his last 
 plea for temperance, and uttered his most fearful denunciations of 
 the liquor traffic. Following the tears and sobs he spoke to them 
 of the triumphs of faith, and of the experiences that he had been 
 going through, and the great audience shouted praises to the great 
 Consoler and Comforter of bereaved and broken hearts. 
 
 He went immediately to Oklahoma City, turning aside a hundred 
 other calls to create a sentiment for temperance, reformation and 
 .godly living in the flourishing city of the new State. In a large un- 
 finished department store he preached day and night to the throngs, 
 with every odd against him, yet never murmuring or complaining, 
 until the last men's meeting, when he preached to the immense 
 audience of fathers, husbands, and sons, the most powerful sermon 
 that I ever heard him deliver. That great men's meeting resulted 
 in several thousand men coming to the front and promising him to 
 meet him in heaven. 
 
 The last night he preached in the city, it was on " Sudden Death," 
 that fearful message from the twenty-ninth chapter of Proverbs, 
 first verse : "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall 
 suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy." 
 
 In speaking of how he would like to die, if it should be God's 
 will, he said : 
 
 "I don't know where or when or how I will die. I may fall in 
 the pulpit; I can't tell. I may die away from home; I can't tell. 
 But this I say to you : If God will answer my prayer in this and give 
 
304 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 me the choice of my heart, I would come home some day, worn out 
 and tired, and lay quietly down diseased and sick, upon the bed in 
 the family room, and there I would linger for a week or ten days 
 under the kind ministration of my wife and children ; I would look 
 upon and enjoy their sympathy and ministrations, and as the day 
 drew nigh that I should bid them good-by, I would talk to my wife 
 and talk to each child ; I would gather them about me daily, encour- 
 age them to love God and live for God, and get home to heaven, 
 and on and on until the last evening came, I would take my children, 
 beginning at the oldest, I would gather them about me and say my 
 parting words ; and then, when the doctors had turned their backs 
 upon me and said that my case had swung beyond where materia 
 medica reaches, I would spend my last moments talking to her who 
 has been such a friend to me and who has helped me in all my life. 
 And then, when the last moments came, I would wade down gently 
 into the river of death, and when the river should come up to my 
 shoulders I would reach back and kiss my wife and children good- 
 by, and go home to God as happy as any schoolboy ever went home 
 from school. " 
 
 At the close of the personal reference the great audience was sub- 
 dued, and every eye bedewd with tears, and then as if looking into 
 the future, and seeing something that was hidden to all of us 
 he said in the most pathetic and pitiful tone, "Men of Oklahoma 
 City, look out, before my voice has died out in your ears, there will 
 be deaths following this meeting that will shock this city and State, 
 and maybe this nation. " 
 
 The next day, feeling indisposed, he preached to the women, while 
 his assistant took the evening service. The following morning he 
 preached a sweet, tender sermon on "My grace is sufficient for thee." 
 That day the heavy rains came, and the meeting was moved from 
 the unfinished auditorium to the First Methodist church, where his 
 assistant again preached. The papers had announced that the meet- 
 ing would close Sunday afternoon. He remained in his room pray- 
 ing until the hour passed for service, and the rain was coming down 
 in torrents. He laid down upon the bed, fell asleep, and suddenly 
 he awoke, and turning to me, said : "Mother, if the afternoon train 
 
MR. JONES PREACHING AT MEN'S MEETING, ATLANTA,:GA. 
 
Sam P. Jonbs. 305 
 
 should be running late, we will go home, and not wait for the night 
 train, as I want to get home for my birthday dinner." Going to 
 the room of his chorister, Mr. E. O. Excell, he said: "Ex., as you 
 are not well, I would go home; it's no use for you to stay any 
 longer." Then going to the room of his assistant, Mr. Holcomh, 
 he called him by his first name, saying : "We'll go home." We left 
 on the afternoon-train, but before reaching our home in Cartersville, 
 he had gone to his real home in heaven. 
 
 11 i 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 His Ivii^ and Work at Cartkrsviux 
 
 It was at Cartersville where Mr. Jones spent much of his time in 
 his early days, where he practiced law, and led a dissipated life. It 
 was while living in Cartersville that he became a Christian. Taking 
 up the work of the regular ministry, the Conference sent him away 
 from his home. During his life in the itinerancy, he was permitted 
 to visit his home and people frequently, and when he began the work 
 of the Decatur Orphanage, he moved to Social Circle, where he 
 spent a year, then returned to Cartersville, and spent his entire 
 Christian life among the people who knew him before he was saved. 
 
 While in the early days his work at the Orphanage took him from 
 home, and in later years his evangelistic meetings and lecture tours 
 took him away from his people and friends nearly all the time ; never- 
 theless, he always loved Cartersville, and the interests of the people 
 were very close to his heart. He felt as he had led his dissipated 
 days here, that he wanted to live his Christian life here, and, as 
 far as possible, counteract any bad influence. He had held a number 
 of bush-arbor meetings in the State and some in Mississippi and 
 Alabama that had made quite an impression upon his own mind. 
 The people in our county near Cassville, who were great admir- 
 ers of Mr. Jones, were anxious for him to come and hold a meeting 
 in their community. They told him they would build a bush arbor, 
 and he .agreed to hold a service for them. The different churches 
 came together and erected the arbor. 
 
 Mr. Jones held a remarkable meeting there, which resulted in 
 the conversion of some of the most influential men in the county. 
 The entire neighborhood was wonderfully transformed. The Car- 
 tersville people had heard of the meeting, and wanted to have a bush 
 arbor meeting here. Mr. Jones believed that this would be the best 
 
 (306) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 307 
 
 way to reach his former associates and win them for Christ. The 
 citizens put up an immense bush arbor which would seat about four 
 thousand people. Mr. Jones invited in a number of ministers to 
 assist him in this first meeting. The pastors of the churches in the 
 town cooperated heartily in the work. Rev. J. A. Bowen, whom he 
 had assisted in a meeting at Corinth, Mississippi, came and labored 
 with him in the services. This was in September, 1884. Great 
 crowds from every direction came to this first meeting, and hun- 
 dreds were converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. Mr. Jones pleaded 
 earnestly with the men, who had lived dissipated lives with him, 
 and had the pleasure of seeing the last one of them saved. One of 
 the converts was his brother Joe Jones, who entered the ministry, 
 and became a most useful and effective evangelist. He died sud- 
 denly in Mr. Jones's room in his presence. 
 
 This was one of the greatest meetings ever held in Cartersville. 
 There were over two hundred people who joined the different 
 churches at the close of the meeting. At that time there were eigh- 
 teen saloons in the town. He had made terrific assaults upon the 
 traffic during the meeting and created a strong sentiment against the 
 saloon. An election was called in December of 1884, and one of 
 the hardest prohibition fights and the closest election occurred in 
 Cartersville. There was a carpenter in here who would go around 
 to one of the saloons every morning, and clean it out for his morn- 
 ing drink of liquor. On the day of the election, he went around and 
 did his work and had his drink. Some one said to him, "Are you 
 going to vote for the saloon to-day?" He answered, "I am if I 
 don't go to hell." Immediately he dropped dead in the saloon. 
 When the votes had been cast and the ballots counted, the prohibi- 
 tionists had carried the town by a majority of two. It is said that 
 this old man's death influenced his son and others in not voting for 
 liquor, and perhaps in the Providence of God carried much weight 
 in freeing the town from the curses of the open saloon. 
 
 The following year the people desired another meeting, and the 
 great gospel tent that Mr. Jones had used in his meetings in Nash- 
 ville was rented for the services. It was a mammoth tent and would 
 accommodate six thousand people. The interest of the last meeting 
 
308 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 had not waned, and the second great campaign began with earnest- 
 ness and enthusiasm. Larger crowds were in attendance from the 
 very first. Mr. Jones had the assistance of a number of prominent 
 ministers of all denominations and preached himself with marked 
 power. It was at this meeting that the Rev. Sam W. Small, who 
 was the reporter at that time on the Atlanta Constitution, came up 
 to get Mr. Jones's sermon for the paper. The subject of the sermon 
 was, "Conscience, Record, and God." Mr. Small began to make a 
 stenographic report of his utterances, when suddenly he lost sight 
 of his mission, dropped his pencil and tablet, and was lost in what 
 the preacher was saying. Instead of his taking down the sermon, the 
 sermon had taken him down. When the invitation was extended, 
 he made a profession and began to work in the meetings, and before 
 it closed related his experience. While the saloons had been voted 
 out, the blind tigers had gotten in their work. Mr. Jones preached 
 against them with all the power of his being. 
 
 On Friday night he spoke of the violation of the prohibition law. 
 He said : "It's a shame for decent people to allow a few sneaking, 
 skulking scoundrels, who were not fit to feed hogs, to perpetrate 
 their crimes upon the people," and said : "I'll give you notice this 
 infernal business must stop." On Saturday night the liquor vendors 
 took dynamite to Mr. Jones's barn. Next morning there was found 
 a fuse about two feet long that belonged to a dynamite cartridge. 
 It had been fired and the explosion blew the floor out of the buggy- 
 house, the heavy two by ten sleepers, right new, had been shattered, 
 as if by a bolt of lightning. A new carriage and a buggy and a new 
 wagon had been blown against the walls of the building. When the 
 explosion occurred, the people in the tent on the hillside were awak- 
 ened and saw the flash, as if a bolt of lightning had caused it. Mr. 
 Jones and his family were awakened by the noise, but thought that 
 it was an explosion of a torpedo somewhere in the neighborhood, 
 as there was much blasting going on at the neighboring mines. The 
 next morning the servants upon going to the barn, saw that it had 
 been torn up with dynamite. Mr. Jones received a postal-card that 
 morning saying : "If you don't shut your mouth, we will put it under 
 your house, and blow you, your wife and your children into eter- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 309 
 
 nity." He showed me the card, and said : "Wife, here's what they 
 say — what shall we do about it?" We thought over the matter 
 prayerfully, and decided, as he expressed it, "that it was just as 
 near to heaven by the dynamite route as any," and he went to the 
 lent and preached that Sunday morning as never before. 
 
 The next year the citizens decided to make the annual meetings 
 permanent, and at a conference Mr. Jones proposed to the people 
 that if they would buy the land, that he would put up the tabernacle. 
 The lot was purchased by public subscription, and Mr. Jones built 
 the tabernacle with his own money, which stands in our city to-day. 
 
 Year after year these great meetings continued. With the ex- 
 ception of one year, they have been held annually since they were 
 inaugurated. Mr. Jones has preached some of his best ser- 
 mons here, and while he has invited the leading ministers from all 
 denominations throughout the United States, the people have heard 
 him with more appreciation than any one that he has ever brought 
 to Cartersville. He has always used the occasion to create a senti- 
 ment against the sale of liquor through blind-tigers, or drug-stores, 
 or firms in Atlanta, and had succeeded in keeping the saloons out of 
 Cartersville. They have always been seasons of great spiritual up- 
 lift and rejoicing. 
 
 His interest in Cartersville was always the keenest, and it mat- 
 tered not where he was, if his service was needed he would leave 
 his work and come home on the first train to fight the battles for the 
 mothers and wives and daughters and citizens of his home town. 
 One of the most remarkable incidents happened on July 14, 1890. 
 Mr. Jones heard that some men had come from another city to make 
 arrangements for the sale of liquor in Cartersville, through the 
 •agency of "original package business." He immediately got aboard 
 the train and left for Cartersville, and arrived on the first train. He 
 called a meeting of the citizens to be held at the tabernacle, which 
 convened at eight o'clock. An immense audience was present. The 
 chairman explained the object of the meeting, and Mr. Jones made 
 a speech and offered the following resolutions : 
 
 "Whereas, The original package scheme is vexing many parts 
 of our county, and 
 
310 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Whereas, Carters ville is exposed to this scheme, as any other 
 respectable town in the United States, and 
 
 "Whereas, We are already threatened with the vexed nuisance; 
 therefore, be it 
 
 "Resolved, first, That we do not want whisky sold in our com- 
 munity, or in Bartow county, in 'original' or any other sort of 
 'packages.' 
 
 "Secondly, It shall not be done. 
 
 "Thirdly, We propose to concentrate the sentiment of our com- 
 munity so that we will guarantee to make an 'original package' out 
 of any contemptible scoundrel who attempts to run that game on us 
 to the destruction of peace and good order of our sober, law-abiding 
 community. 
 
 "Fourthly, We pledge ourselves to carry out these resolutions." 
 
 The resolutions were unanimously adopted, and those who had 
 proposed to ship liquor into Cartersville took the first train and 
 left the town. 
 
 Thus he continued the fight against intemperance until the very 
 last. 
 
 Once we considered leaving here, that being almost fourteen years 
 ago. Mr. Jones made up his mind to go to Marietta, Georgia, where 
 we would be more conveniently located, and would give him several 
 hours at home, on account of access to a greater number of trains 
 going into Atlanta. After coming to this conclusion, we went to 
 Marietta and purchased a beautiful residence, not making mention 
 of this fact to any of our friends in Cartersville. After having made 
 the purchase, we came home and talked the matter over with a few 
 friends, and these friends were so much exercised over it that they 
 told others, and soon it became known in Cartersville that we were 
 going to leave our home here and go to live in Marietta, in the fu- 
 ture. When this news was spread abroad, one of the most beautiful 
 events of our lives happened. Its influence was so great that we 
 could but feel its power, and although we had purchased this beau- 
 tiful residence, we disposed of it. 
 
 On the day of our decision, and when it became generally known, 
 a little after dark, I answered the ring of our front door-bell. Mr. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 311 
 
 Jones was visiting one of our married daughters who lived near by. 
 The front yard and the veranda were full of people, and I could not 
 imagine the cause of the crowd. About this time a noise at the 
 backdoor caused some one to open it, and the backyard and veranda 
 were full of colored people. 
 
 Mr. Jones came in a few moments later. Several of our 
 prominent citizens had appointed Col. Warren Aiken, one of our 
 most gifted lawyers, as well as one of our personal friends, as 
 spokesman for the white people of Cartersville. When he had spo- 
 ken about twenty minutes telling us of the love and respect in which 
 Mr. Jones was held in his home town, and urging us to give up the 
 idea of moving away, the one appointed as spokesman for 
 the negroes stepped forward and with a voice full of emotion said : 
 "Mr. Jones, we colored people don't want you to move away from 
 Cartersville. We feel that you were the instrument in God's hands 
 in putting whisky out of our town, and we believe that if you go 
 away from here it will come back again, that we will not be strong 
 enough to keep it out, and we beg of you, Mr. Jones, not to go away. 
 You have been our guide and comforter in times of sickness and 
 distress and death, and we just don't want you to go away. But, 
 Mr. Jones, if you are determined to go, although we don't want you 
 to go, please don't take 'Miss Laura.' She is so good to us; she 
 feeds us when we are hungry, clothes us when we are naked and 
 prays with us when we are in sorrow, and we just can't let her and 
 them children go. And, Mr. Jones, have you ever thought about it 
 while you were off on God's business, not one time has 'Miss Laura' 
 and the children been harmed? No one has come here to harm or 
 hurt them, and now, Mr. Jones, if you must go, you go, but leave 
 Miss Laura and the children." They protested against his going 
 away from Cartersville. They plead with tender words of affection 
 for us to remain here. They said they could not give him up. I 
 could not in a full page of this volume give the arguments they ad- 
 vanced, in thus urging him to stay. Time and again they repeated 
 the words, "We can not let you go." This appeal melted our hearts 
 and we decided to give up all thought of ever leaving Cartersville. 
 In succeeding years he again and again alluded to the scenes of that 
 
312 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 memorable night. This affectionate interest was like refreshing dew- 
 to his spirit, when he was worn down with many cares and beset by 
 worry and difficulties. No man ever had a greater number of friends 
 and no man was ever more sincere in his friendships. 
 
 Last September he held his last meeting in the tabernacle. He 
 invited some of his closest friends and best workers from all parts of 
 the United States. It was conceded by all to be the most spiritual 
 and helpful revival that had been held since the first great bush-arbor 
 meeting. Mr. Jones preached several times, and Sunday mornings 
 he made his last address. He began by preaching a most thoughtful, 
 elegant and refined sermon, but near the middle of his discourse he 
 thought of the efforts being made to advertise liquor in Cartersville,. 
 and ship it in from Atlanta, and he turned aside from his discourse 
 and spoke more powerfully than ever against the evils of the liquor 
 traffic, and of the infamous efforts to debauch the town with the jug: 
 trade. The following account of his sermon appeared in the Geor- 
 gian, and we reproduce it as his last utterances against whisky in 
 his town : 
 
 "A prominent liquor dealer of Atlanta, who caused the city of 
 Cartersville to be placarded with posters, advertising their whiskies,, 
 and which, especially at this time, are very offensive to me and the 
 Christian people of this community. He handled the company with- 
 out gloves, and many people who have often heard the evangelist 
 handle evil-doers in a vigorous manner say that he far surpassed 
 all his previous efforts, and that they had never before heard him 
 administer so stinging a rebuke, nor attack any one with such blis- 
 tering invective. 
 
 " 'It is impossible/ said Mr. Jones, 'for one to get a word in an 
 Atlanta daily newspaper that would hurt a whisky man by name, as- 
 it would be to grow pineapples in frozen Alaska, or to get a bucket 
 of water in hell. 
 
 " 'To-day poor old Atlanta is trembling in the throes of a horrible 
 race war. She is reaping what she has sown. The greed of her 
 citizens has licensed the saloon, the hog-wallows of hell, and these 
 dives have been dishing out to the low, black and white, the stuff 
 that inflames their passions and causes the negroes to commit name- 
 
Sam P. Jone;s. 313 
 
 less crimes. The morning papers tell us that a large number of 
 negroes and several white people have been killed and wounded, and 
 that our city of Atlanta, the pride of Georgia, is now all but under 
 martial law, trembling with fear for the lives of its men, and fearful 
 as to the fate of its women. The Sunday morning papers of Atlanta 
 tell us in great headlines of the horrors that have taken place in At- 
 lanta, but not one of them will say a word against the real root and 
 cause of the trouble, nor will they permit any one else to strike 
 through their columns, at their owners/ 
 
 "Speaking of the advertisements that have been placed upon the 
 boards in Cartersville, Mr. Jones said : 
 
 " 'If I had been mayor of this town when they put those damn- 
 able things on those billboards, I would have torn them off if it had 
 involved the city of Cartersville in a lawsuit that would have ended 
 in the Supreme Court of the United States. And yet this dirty 
 scoundrel that has the insolence to come to this town with his in- 
 fernal advertising, will pay the Atlanta newspapers for a full page 
 of advertising, inviting the ladies of Atlanta down to drink his 
 damnable stuff. I would as soon think of permitting my negro 
 Charlie to commit a nameless crime and then come back to work 
 for me, as to have him to go to his place at any time. 
 
 " 'I can not understand how the men of Atlanta could let that 
 insult to their women go unchallenged, and why they did not take 
 the dirty devil out and cowhide him then and there. Women drink- 
 ing at his store ! Think of it.' 
 
 "Mr. Jones devoted most of his sermon to the denunciation of the 
 liquor traffic and to the newspapers and politicians that were owned 
 by the whisky interests, and when he had finished his sermon, he 
 asked all who would endorse what he had said to get 'on your hind 
 legs and say so.' 
 
 "Amidst deafening applause the great audience arose and gave 
 its endorsement to what Mr. Jones had said. 
 
 "While the audience was standing, Mr. Jones turned to the re- 
 porters, who were also standing, and said: 
 
 " 'Now, Bud, you tell that firm that if it's going to get mad, it 
 -will have to get mad with eight thousand people who have stood up 
 
314 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 and said what I have said is true, and that they endorse every word 
 of it/ " 
 
 In many other ways, as he served the people of Cartersville by 
 his labor of love, he won for himself a place in their hearts that time 
 will only make larger and safer and warmer. 
 
 A letter from a gentleman in San Francisco, to the postmaster of 
 Cartersville, was turned over to the mayor of our city for reply. 
 After Mayor Gilreath had replied to the letter, he wrote the follow- 
 ing one to Mr. Jones, which explains itself : 
 
 "Dear Brother Jones: About a month ago Walter Akerman 
 handed me a letter from Wm. B. Hargan, of San Francisco, making 
 inquiry of Rev. Sam Jones, in which letter he asked if you were 
 still alive and still preaching, and if you were still true to the cause 
 of Christ and. living right, etc., etc. I replied to the same as follows : 
 
 " f Wm. B. Hargan , Esq., 49 Third St., San Francisco, Col. 
 
 " 'Dear Sir : Your favor to the postmaster here making inquiry 
 of the Rev. Sam P. Jones was handed me by the postmaster, for re- 
 ply. It affords me a great deal of pleaseure to say in reply, that 
 Brother Jones is still alive and in good health. He is still in the 
 ministry and still doing a great work for the Master's cause, and if 
 it was not vain to wish, I would be glad he could live a thousand 
 years yet. We all love him, and no man has done more for the cause 
 of Christ than our own Sam Jones. You ask if he is a wealthy man. 
 Will say, that he is not a wealthy man, but lives well and has plenty 
 — but this is no more than every man and individual is entitled to 
 who lives right, puts his whole trust in Christ and gives his life's 
 work for the cause of Christ. Psalm 84:11 : "The Lord God is a 
 sun and a shield : the Lord will give grace and glory ; no good thing 
 will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Brother Jones 
 lives in Canaan's land, temporally speaking. A true child of God 
 has everything he wants, both here and hereafter. Sam Jones has 
 given away a fortune to charity and worthy causes, and if a man has 
 
Sam P. Jones. 315 
 
 his investments in the kingdom of God, don't you know that this 
 stock never fails to pay handsome dividends? 
 Signed " 'Very respectfully, 
 
 " TauIv GilrSath, Mayor.' 
 "I send you herewith a letter which I received from this party in 
 which he says he was converted from having read one of your ser- 
 mons in print. These things no doubt do your heart good to know 
 them, and encourage you in your work, and for this reason I am 
 sending you the correspondence. Wishing you perfect happiness 
 here always, and a glorious eternity, I am, truly and sincerely, 
 
 "Your friend, P. G." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Mr. Jonijs — A Study. 
 
 After having given an account of Mr. Jones's life and work, it Is 
 fitting that I should give an estimate of the man himself, as he- 
 served his day and generation, in different ways. It is conceded by 
 all thinkers that Mr. Jones was one of the best all-around men that 
 this or any other century has produced. To give a critical and de- 
 tailed discussion of his many qualities would demand time. To dis- 
 cuss him in the many capacities which he served his day would alsa 
 require much space. To present him fully in his true light in these 
 different manifestations, it would necessitate the work of a specialist 
 in each department to do him justice. 
 
 It is not the purpose and scope of this book to furnish such a 
 study. However, I will present him briefly, in a way that will be 
 suggestive to the thoughtful, who wish to know more of the secret, 
 of the man who has accomplished such mighty results. 
 
 i. — TH£ MAN. 
 
 In the first place, let us think about him as a man. Some of the 
 essentials to manhood are as follows : First, the power to choose 
 between right and wrong. A man must have a clear conception of 
 what is right, and what is wrong. He must be able to draw the lines; 
 of demarcation, and separate the good from the bad. We see these 
 elements of manhood in Joshua, who said : "Choose you this day 
 whom you will serve." In Elijah, who separated the prophets and 
 followers of Baal from those of God. In Paul, who said: "This, 
 one thing I do." In Jesus Christ, who said: "No man can serve 
 two masters." "He that is not with me, is against me." "He who^ 
 gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad." Mr. Jones's mind saw 
 these distinctions and lines more clearly than any living man. In an, 
 
 (316). 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 317 
 
 instant he could see all around a subject, and dissect it, and lay the 
 evil and the good bare before his eyes. His natural ability in this re- 
 spect was supplemented by the Holy Spirit. He had the power to 
 choose. 
 
 The second essential is an indomitable purpose to do the right. 
 Daniel possessed this power when "he purposed in his heart that he 
 would not defile himself." David, when he said, "Oh, God, my 
 heart is fixed." Elijah, when he asked, "Why halt ye between two 
 opinions? If God be God, serve him; if Baal, serve him." No 
 man was ever more thoroughly possessed with a determined pur- 
 pose than he. It permeated his being. With the first question, "Is 
 it right?" settled, the next was, the determination to do it, let the 
 consequences be what they might. He has been known to literally 
 take his life in his hand, and go before an individual, or an audience, 
 and carry out his purpose to a finish, without a tremor or the slight- 
 est sign of fear. If he had known that the next moment after he 
 carried out a formed purpose would bring an assassin to his feet to 
 shoot him down in cold blood, before he would have retreated or 
 run up the white flag he would have been shot down in his tracks. 
 With all the temptations made strong by heredity or environment, 
 or former dissipation, he fought off the evil, and lived the cleanest, 
 soberest, and purest life ; one that he would not ask a mother, a wife, 
 or a daughter to surpass. Such a well-defined and determined pur- 
 pose few men possessed. 
 
 In the third place, courage is another element of strength. While 
 a man might have the power to choose, and the power to purpose, 
 he must be courageous to obtain the highest moral culture. He has 
 demonstrated to the world in the last thirty-five years his physical 
 and moral courage ; the personal attacks made upon him, and manly 
 defense of his person proves to the world that he was as courageous 
 as a lion. His attack upon vices and sins of cultured society, and 
 his denunciations of the liquor traffic, the most omnipotent power 
 in the United States to-day, in which he was compelled to score the 
 officials of our great commonwealth, from the President, the Govern- 
 or, the supreme judge, and circuit judge, to mayor, chief of police, 
 and the church officials in sympathy with them, impressed the world 
 
318 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 with a courage as strong as death. He said: "I am the only man 
 who runs directly against the trend of present-day society. I never 
 follow the grain, but run directly contrary to it. There are plenty of 
 men who believe just as I do, but I am the only one who opposes 
 every custom and practice of the people of position and brain, whose 
 lives contradict the teachings of the Bible. I never stand before an 
 audience but what I am compelled to cross them, somewhere, most 
 every time I open my mouth." This was absolutely true, and dem- 
 onstrated his courage. 
 
 In the fourth place, there must be downright honesty as an in- 
 gredient of manhood. In the trivial, as well as the great things of 
 life, a man must be honest. Every one who had dealings with him, 
 or knew anything about him, will admit that he was absolutely hon- 
 est in every particular of his life. 
 
 A citizen of his own town, who had a misunderstanding with him, 
 which resulted in blows, said of him, in the public press after his 
 death : "The only fault he had, if such it can be called, was that he 
 was too honest; being so honest himself, he couldn't conceive how 
 other people could be anything else." From the most prominent 
 man down to the humblest laborer, the consensus of opinion was his 
 absolute honesty. 
 
 Another essential in a well-rounded character is tenderness. In 
 his home and with his friends, and in dealing with his enemies ; in 
 the presence of the needy and repentant, in the sick-chamber, and in 
 the presence of death such tenderness and gentleness can scarcely be 
 found in any other life. Every expression, movement and word 
 seemed to be the personification of gentleness and kindness, when 
 the occasion demanded such. It was his heart that really encircled 
 the world, and made for him the thousands of close friends. They 
 were unconsciously drawn by his tenderness, like a needle is drawn 
 by a magnet. 
 
 When a Governor or a President dies, he is honored because of 
 the position he occupies, but when a private citizen passes away, if 
 honored at all, it must be because his life commands it. 
 
 While the press of the United States gave him as much promi- 
 nence, in publishing accounts of his death, as it would have done the 
 
Sam P. Jones. 319 
 
 best beloved Governor or the President of the Union, it was because 
 he had so impressed himself upon the people, that his death was felt 
 to be a national .loss. 
 
 II. — THE CITIZEN. 
 
 Passing from Mr. Jones as a man, he next appears as a citizen. 
 Good citizenship is the outgrowth of manhood. No man can be a 
 real citizen without character as the basis. Mr. Jones was pre- 
 eminently a citizen. He possessed all the characteristics of first- 
 class citizenship. He was interested in the material development of 
 his own town and State. Wherever he preached or lectured, he was 
 interested in the things that develop a town and a community. The 
 financial good of the people where he lived, as well as the thousands 
 wherever he labored, was always near his heart. He thought, rea- 
 soned, and devised plans for the financial betterment of those whose 
 lives were thrown in contact with his. 
 
 He had the intellectual good of the people at heart. He believed 
 in good schools, good libraries, good colleges, good universities, and 
 while his clear conception of what intellectual achievement should 
 consist in, made him fight some of the vagaries connected with in- 
 tellectual attainments, he was ever ready and willing to give his 
 influence and money for the education of the people, in his own 
 town and wherever he found them. 
 
 But, to be the highest type of a citizen, one must have at heart 
 the moral good of the people. And whether high or low, rich or 
 poor, white or black, he prayed, labored and died to make good men 
 and women out of the citizens of every town and city where he went. 
 The people in Cartersville not only realized that they had lost a 
 friend, a good man, and a great preacher in his death, but felt most 
 keenly that they had lost an invaluable citizen, and the man that 
 had done more than any other to make Cartersville what it is, and 
 to give it its place before the world. 
 
 One of his most remarkable traits was, that you could receive 
 favors from him, and feel sure that you would never be reminded 
 of your obligation to him. No favor ever received from him sub- 
 
320 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 jected you to any risk of embarrassment afterwards. His was the 
 friendship that delighted in doing for others without any desire for 
 a return of favors. 
 
 III. — THE PREACHER. 
 
 As a preacher, Mr. Jones logically appears next. In this capacity 
 lie was at his best. From the very beginning, he was a true pastor, 
 visiting his flock, an inspired preacher instructing his hearers. His 
 work continued to the end just as earnestly and faithfully as it was 
 begun. While he did not have charge of pastorates in later years, 
 he nevertheless did pastoral work in his home town, and in the great 
 eities where he labored. During his last tabernacle meeting he fre- 
 quently would leave the services in charge of others and take his 
 horse and buggy and visit the poor and the sick, to cheer them on 
 their way. He has left his hotel and gone out to the humble home 
 of the drunkard's wife and talked and prayed, and led the father to 
 Christ. He has visited the gambler and the saloon-keeper, and 
 talked to them in their places of vice about their soul's salvation. 
 
 But it was in the pulpit that he found his throne. He possessed 
 every requisite for a great preacher. He was absolutely original. 
 He could not imitate or be imitated. He stood absolutely alone .as a 
 pulpit orator. He was characterized by moral earnestness. Much 
 of his strength lay in his moral earnestness. No man ever preached 
 with more sincerity and earnestness than he did. His courage in the 
 pulpit was as mighty as his earnestness. Here is where it mani- 
 fested itself in the strongest way. His perfect naturalness was one 
 of the most marvelous elements in his pulpit work. He never posed, 
 lie never assumed attitudes, he never squared himself to look well, 
 ©r thought about people looking at him. He would enter the pulpit 
 the same man that he was in conversation. A professor in one of 
 our leading theological seminaries said : "The secret, perhaps, in 
 Sam Jones's preaching is that he takes the Sam Jones of every-day 
 life into the pulpit." Every intonation of his voice, every movement 
 of his being, every thought of his brain was as natural as a rippling, 
 gurgling brooklet. 
 
 Another requisite was his intellectual strength. He possessed a 
 
Sam P. Jones. 321 
 
 great brain. At any moment that he willed, some of the most 
 beautiful and powerful thoughts would emanate from his mind. It 
 was the power of thought energized by the living Spirit that moved 
 and molded the lives of his audience. His intellectual readiness 
 along with intellectual strength was marvelous. Daniel Webster 
 had to gather himself together hours and days before he was ready 
 to put out his strength, but Mr. Jones could command himself at any 
 moment, and could utilize his brain power instantly. Furthermore, 
 .he was an intellectual athlete. There wasn't the slightest awkward- 
 ness in his intellectual life. He had perfect command of all his 
 faculties. He was the Napoleon of the pulpit. He could concen- 
 trate his forces at any given time on any given thing. . His sense of 
 prospective was marvelous. Every epigram, proverb, anecdote, had 
 a purpose. He was an artist in this respect. His preaching was 
 like painting a picture. He always had in mind, results, and, in this 
 respect, he was the Edmund Burke of the pulpit. He was for win- 
 ning the verdict. He had marvelous gifts of wit and humor that 
 were windows, through which the light passed to enliven his utter- 
 ances. He knew man. His knowledge of human nature was 
 perfect. He could play upon humanity like a skilled musician, and 
 bring forth the sweetest strains from the most dilapidated instru- 
 ment. His pathos was the flood-gate through which the tides of 
 emotion flowed. He was a proverb-maker, and gave out his wisdom 
 so condensed that the simplest mind could understand, and the com- 
 mon people heard him gladly, while the aristocracy listened and won- 
 dered. He possessed the most marvelous voice that was ever lodged 
 in a human throat. He could stand before ten, fifteen or twenty 
 thousand people, and without the least effort speak so that every 
 word would be distinct. It had a marvelous range. His voice 
 seemed to be as natural as that of the sweetest songster. It had 
 matchless qualities. If he was in a witty or humorous mood, it 
 seemed to be made specially for that. If he was indulging in sar- 
 casm, invective, or denunciation, it seemed to be given specially for 
 that purpose. If he was in a tender, pleading, pathetic spirit, his 
 voice seemed to have been keyed in the minor. There was no gift 
 
322 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 in his possession that was under more complete control than his 
 voice. 
 
 His magnetism was so wonderful that when he entered a 
 building, unconsciously, it seemed the great audience took cog- 
 nizance of his presence, and by the time he reached the platform 
 every eye was centered upon him, and they saw and felt nothing 
 else but his personality while he was before them. He was 
 a thorough man. He understood himself, thoroughly; he was so 
 developed that there was nothing maimed about his make-up. He 
 preached to men out of his own heart. He knew himself, and made 
 his feelings, emotions, fears, and hopes the basis for his preaching to 
 others. But with all these marvelous gifts, he could never have done 
 what he did had it not been for the baptism of the Holy Spirit that 
 God had entrusted to him because of his consecration and faithful- 
 ness. He could have wrought untold evil, had he not been in the 
 right. An intelligent policeman who fought the crowds back from 
 the doors of an overcrowded auditorium, in one of the largest cities 
 of the Southwest, and who got within the doors and heard his mes- 
 sage, and saw how he had moved the audience, exclaimed: "Oh, 
 what evil that man would do if he turned his powers in favor of the 
 wrong. Had he suggested to the eight thousand men to make a 
 raid on the saloons in the city, they would have followed him to the 
 dives and torn down the buildings in order to carry out his man- 
 dates." But these marvelous gifts were consecrated to God, and 
 account for the wonderful influence that he exerted for right. He 
 was a preacher whose success could not turn his head. Praise didn't 
 puff him up. There was no compliment or censure that seemed to 
 have any effect on him. He was never intoxicated or affected by the 
 laurels that he won. He was the same Sam Jones at the end of his 
 enviable career that he was when an unknown backwoods Georgia 
 circuit-rider. 
 
 IV. — THB 3VANGSUST. 
 
 Most of his life was spent as an evangelist. He was known every- 
 where as "Sam Jones, the Georgia Evangelist. , ' For twenty-five 
 years or more he was recognized as one of America's greatest and 
 
Sam P. Jones. 323 
 
 most noted evangelists. The United States in the last century pro- 
 duced just two world-wide evangelists. One was Dwight ly. Moody, 
 of sturdy New England stock ; the other was Sam Jones, of South- 
 ern blood and provincialism. While they were so entirely unlike, a 
 comparison, if such was desired, would be impossible. 
 
 In Boston, where both were engaged in great revival cam- 
 paigns, which were separate and distinct from each other, Mr. 
 Jones and Mr. Moody had a conversation. Mr. Moody sug- 
 gested that he would turn his overflow crowds to Mr. Jones's 
 services. Mr. Jones characteristically remarked, "I am not in the 
 habit of preaching to the overflow crowds; the other fellow does 
 that in the town where I am." When the test came on, the coldest 
 and dreariest day, Mr. Jones's audiences far outnumbered those of 
 Mr. Moody. He would take the opportunity of commending Mr. 
 Moody, whom he loved devotedly, and urging the people to attend 
 upon his ministry, and once said: "The difference between Mr. 
 Moody and myself is this : Mr. Moody is like Peter, I am like Sam 
 Jones." In his evangelistic work, he had no rival. He was the 
 originator and perpetuator of his peculiar evangelism. The Bible 
 makes a distinction between the work of an evangelist and a pastor. 
 Paul, who was both a pastor and evangelist, said : "He gave some 
 apostles, some prophets, some pastors, some teachers, some evan- 
 gelists." In the mind of this great apostle, there was no conflict 
 between the work of an evangelist and pastor. Their work was 
 separate and distinct. Each had his place. He further said : "For 
 the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, till we all 
 come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of 
 God." Mr. Jones, the evangelist, grew out of Jones the preacher. 
 The gifts and graces of the evangelist were developed in him while 
 a pastor. They became more in evidence as his field of labor in- 
 creased and enlarged, until the bounds of his circuit were too small 
 for him, and he reached out in every direction until the world finally 
 became his parish. 
 
 While you may make rules and regulations to confine such a man, 
 it is impossible to hold him within limitation. There were two 
 things that made him the great evangelist that he was. The first 
 
324 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 was, his evangelical preaching. He took the Bible as his authority. 
 He preached it just as he found it. He had no patience with higher 
 criticism. No evangelist has any business with such a Bible. With- 
 out the utmost faith in the simple word of God, he might preach 
 earnestly and eloquently, but could not produce conviction. He took 
 the Book just as he found it. 
 
 A higher critic said to him once : "Mr. Jones, you don't believe 
 the Bible" just as it is, do you?" His reply was: "You fool you, of 
 course I do; how could I believe it as it ain't?" The great evan- 
 gelical doctrines, such as the weakness of the human heart; the 
 work of the good Spirit in convincing the mind and convicting the 
 will ; the grace of God in helping the sinner to repent, and in trust- 
 ing Jesus Christ for salvation, and in the power of God to keep, and 
 the reward of the faithful, and the punishment of the wicked — these 
 were preached with such earnestness and faithfulness as has seldom 
 been heard. He did not preach them in a technical way, but in a 
 simple manner, as his Lord had done. He picked up the illustra- 
 tions and incidents of life, and through them made these great truths 
 so simple that any one could grasp them ; in this way, his preachings 
 was more like the Saviour's than any one else. 
 
 In the second place there must be the evangelistic spirit. A man 
 may be evangelical in his preaching, and yet if he hasn't the 
 evangelistic spirit, it is out of the question to move men. No one 
 was ever more deeply interested in the evangelistic work than Mr. 
 Jones. He devoted every energy to this cause. In his last years he 
 was known to speak to his most intimate friends and preachers, say- 
 ing that he was interested in who should carry on this great evan- 
 gelistic work when he was gone. Among his last words were ex- 
 pressions of his deep solicitude for the coming evangelism. While 
 his evangelistic work encountered much criticism, from high sources, 
 he always numbered some of the leading bishops and most distin- 
 guished ministers as his most earnest friends and ardent admirers 
 and truest supporters. At one time in his life some of the bishops 
 had much to say in public, and through the press, about evangelists, 
 having him as their target; and while he answered back from the 
 pulpit and through the press making things rather lively, he always 
 
Sam P. JonKS. 325> 
 
 held these men in highest esteem, and after some of them passed 
 away he was among the first to aid with his influence and money 
 to erect lasting and abiding monuments to their memory and work. 
 
 v. — the I/eCTURER. 
 
 As a lecturer-orator, Mr. Jones stood at the head of the list. Af- 
 ter his great meeting in Memphis, he was called back to the city to 
 deliver a lecture. His subject was "Character and Characters."' 
 He began by saying: "This is the largest audience I have ever 
 lectured to, and the most intelligent/' and then let them down gently 
 by assuring them that it was his first attempt on the lecture plat- 
 form. Occasionally, between his meetings, he would lecture for the 
 churches, and other worthy causes in Georgia, and adjoining States. 
 Frequently, there was no charge made for his services above his 
 expenses. But as his fame spread, he was besieged by the bureaus 
 and committees for lecture dates. A great many of these were 
 turned down for a number of years. His correspondence asking 
 for lectures was immense. A close friend who sat by him one morn- 
 ing, while looking through a pile of mail, said : "There sat Mr. 
 Jones, his mobile face showing the contents of each letter before he 
 spoke, dictating in the fewest words the rnost kindly reply, and in 
 better English than he has ever talked. I was reminded of what a 
 famous man said to another, 'See here, do you know you are talking 
 first-class prose worth fifty dollars an hour?' On he went dictating, 
 removing letters from the big valise in the corner, which held at 
 least eight hundred unanswered letters, to a great man like T. De- 
 Witt Talmage, and then to a reformed drunkard, and then to a bro- 
 ken-hearted wife, and then he began to answer the calls to lecture 
 offering one hundred to five hundred dollars a night. He said, 'No,'" 
 kindly, with the emphasis, 'we preach.' " 
 
 During the years of his ill health he lectured constantly and his 
 summer months were spent at the great chautauquas. The lecture 
 platform afforded him great opportunities for doing good. He was 
 one of those men who could pick up his audience at first appearance 
 and mould it with his thought. He never lectured without lifting 
 some one to a holier and better life. The chautauqua platform was~ 
 
326 Sam P. Jon£s. 
 
 his throne as a lecturer. After his great meeting in Cincinnati, 
 twenty-one years ago, Bishop Vincent came down to Cincinnati and 
 interviewed him regarding a lecture at Lake Chautauqua, New 
 York. From that time year after year he had visited the great 
 chautauquas throughout the West, Southwest and North. He ap- 
 peared at the largest and best of them, and the oftener he appeared, 
 the larger the attendance and more delighted were the people. He 
 had visited some of them year after year for the last twenty years. 
 For next season plans had been made for anniversary days in his 
 honor. He was the celebrity at the chautauquas. The good that 
 he accomplished at these summer gatherings will never be known 
 in this life. One instance out of hundreds is given. 
 
 Riding out of Chicago, a summer or two ago, he was met at his 
 destination by a young man in an automobile. As soon as Mr. 
 Jones alighted from the train, the young man walked up, shook 
 hands with him, and said : "I want the honor of driving you around 
 to the hotel ; when you were here last year, I was a miserable sot, 
 but I haven't touched a drop of liquor since I heard you lecture." 
 Such results followed his lectures wherever he went. It was on the 
 lecture platform that he gave the freest vent to his emotions — such 
 as wit, humor, and pathos. To hear him lecture at one of 
 these great chautauqua gatherings was like going to see a great 
 geyser play. He never studied, in a scholarly sense, his lecture, but 
 would simply stand there in the presence of thousands and let nature 
 play, and the truth bear upon the subject as he saw it rush from his 
 soul in warm, liquid speech. While he sometimes emitted some mud, 
 it never soiled any one. On these occasions he was at times as fear- 
 less and as oblivious to the opinions of his auditors as a cyclone is of 
 the forest that it sweeps over. He had his own way, said his own 
 say, but carried the crowd with him, who demanded that he should 
 come again the next season. Before he closed his lecture he would 
 usually stir up the emotion of his people with some beautiful and 
 touching story that had come under his observation. At such a mo- 
 ment, he seemed in touch with some heavenly music which was forc- 
 ing him to keep in tune with same. The great audiences forgot 
 
Sam P. Jones. 327 
 
 themselves, and seemed to be far away listening to the heavenly 
 melodies. 
 
 Last summer at the Miami Valley Chautauqua, where he had 
 graced the rostrum for ten consecutive years, and had, if possible, 
 the largest audience ever before, the contract for his presence the 
 next year was signed before he left. In his closing remarks there 
 he said that he had something like a presentiment that he would 
 never speak from that platform again. Said he : ' "I am in excellent 
 health, but such is my presentiment now ; so, if I never address you 
 again, good-by." 
 
 There was always a sustained interest at his lectures. People 
 never wearied or went to sleep. Dr. A. C. Dixon, one Monday 
 morning, met Mr. Jones on Broadway, New York, and said to him : 
 "I see from this morning's Sun that you so shocked the audience 
 at Prohibition Park yesterday that the modest women got up and 
 left the house." Mr. Jones quietly asked: "Did the Sun say that 
 anybody went to sleep?" "No," he replied. "Well, Bud," he said, 
 "you keep on reading the Sun, and when it says that anybody went 
 to sleep while I was talking, you let me know." 
 
 vi. — the; reformer. 
 
 As a reformer and prohibitionist, Mr. Jones was given a promi- 
 nent place in the history of good government and morals. He was 
 one of the first preachers that opened his mouth in the Southland 
 against the liquor traffic. Everywhere he went, his strongest at- 
 tacks were against it. The greatest reformations in municipal and 
 individual life followed. Saloons were voted out of the towns, or 
 suppressed, wherever he went, and for a quarter of a century the 
 towns have been without open saloons. The reformations and con- 
 versions of gamblers were counted by the score — sometimes a hun- 
 dred in his great meetings. 
 
 While in Little Rock, Ark., one of the most noted gamblers of the 
 West was reformed. We furnish an account of this reformation : 
 
 "The whole gambling fraternity of the Southwest will read with 
 wonder that one of their number has thrown down his cards and dice 
 and bade an eternal farewell to the green cloth, with all its blandish- 
 
328 Sam P. Jonds. 
 
 ments and allurements. From Oklahoma to New Orleans, from 
 Memphis to El Paso, from St. Louis to Galveston, no gambler's 
 name is more generally known than that of E. E. Crutchneld. Ever 
 since he was a boy he has been experienced at cards and dice. He 
 has won and lost enough money to buy the Iron Mountain Railroad, 
 with all its appurtenances and belongings. He has won thousands 
 of dollars in a single night here in Little Rock, where he is well 
 known and universally a favorite among the fraternity. He has fol- 
 lowed the vocation of gambling in different cities of the great South- 
 west and in all the larger cities of this section. Pie went to the first 
 meeting held here by Rev. Sam Jones, and never missed a solitary 
 service, until last Wednesday night he became more and more in- 
 terested and threw himself at the Savior's feet, and the kind Savior 
 took him up and blessed him, and wrote out a pardon for all his sins 
 and sent him forth rejoicing in a Savior's love. He arose, and gave 
 Mr. Jones his hand, and made a manly confession of his life. He 
 said : 'This is the last deal forever, boys, for I have given my heart 
 to God, and shall join the church at once.' He left for his home at 
 Jennings Falls, where he owns a beautiful farm, to convey to his 
 wife and children the glad news of his conversion to the Lord Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 One of the best examples of a reformed drunkard happened while 
 making a prohibition speech in Robertson county, Tennessee. This 
 was one of the many remarkable instances of reformed lives. Mr. 
 Jones spoke of it in the following way : "I was making a prohibition 
 speech in Robertson county, Tennessee, and noticed on the right of 
 the platform a blear-eyed, bloated fellow who was about three parts 
 drunk. Each part a third. As I talked he would screw his fist into 
 his eyes and wipe away the tears. After the speaking I went to a 
 friend's house, perfectly exhausted, and lay down. The lady of the 
 house called at the door in a few minutes., saying that a man wanted 
 to see me. 
 
 " 'Tell him I am tired,' I said, 'and please excuse me.' 
 " 'That is all right, anyhow,' she said, 'because he is a drunken, 
 ragged vagabond.' 
 
 "I said : 'If he is that sort of a fellow, let him in. I used to be- 
 

 Sam P. Jonks. 329 
 
 long to that gang myself, and I never go back on them/ The man 
 came in, and I found he was the drunken fellow who had listened 
 to me speak. 
 
 "He said : 'Mr. Jones, I don't want any money. Money can do 
 me no good. I am a ruined man. Drink has made me a wreck. A 
 short time ago, I had a happy home and household. A few weeks 
 ago I buried my wife, having crushed every drop of blood out of 
 her heart before she died. My two boys are at the Orphans' Home 
 in Nashville. One of them is a little blind fellow. My two girls 
 are in Murfreesboro, and this (here he pulled a little black cap out 
 of his pocket) is the last thing that is left to remind me that I ever 
 had a household. It is my little blind boy's cap. Now, I don't want 
 any money from you, but I just got an idea from the way you talked 
 that maybe you had some sympathy for me. If you have, pray for 
 me. Good-by.' And he started off. 
 
 " 'Hold on here,' said I, and I called up Mr. Taylor, my secretary, 
 and said : 'Frank, go up town with this man and wash him all over 
 with soap and put a new suit of clothes on him from head to foot 
 and bring him back.' In an hour or two he came back, and I did 
 not know him. I had to be introduced to him over. I took out one 
 dollar and handed it to him, and said : 'Railroad fare in this State 
 is three cents a mile. Here is one dollar. Now, you get on a train 
 and ride thirty-three miles, no matter in what direction, and get the 
 conductor to put you off in the woods when you are thirty-three 
 miles out, and then you strike out through the woods for a new life/ 
 
 "The fellow did exactly as I told him. I got a letter from him the 
 other day, and he said that he got into the woods and struck for 
 a new life. He got a school, sent for his children, rented him a home 
 and was doing well. 
 
 "A few weeks afterward a first-class tailor took me into his store 
 and gave me a seventy-five-dollar suit. I spent about thirty dollars 
 on that poor drunkard, and made forty-five dollars clear. Why 
 don't some of you fellows speculate that way?" 
 
 If greatness is measured by the service a reformer does, Mr. Jones 
 deserves the appellation "great reformer." In scores of communi- 
 ties throughout the land, under the spell of his preaching, the civic 
 
330 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 conscience has been quickened, and the social and political reforms 
 have been permanent and far-reaching in their results. Mothers' 
 hearts breaking over their erring, wayward sons have had their 
 mourning turned into joy. Lonely wives creeping through the 
 watches of the night have been enabled to put on the garment of 
 praise for the spirit of heaviness. Discouraged and despairing men 
 have had their vision enlarged, and their faith strengthened. For 
 a score and a half of years, wherever Mr. Jones has gone, his serv- 
 ices have brought about such results. As a reformer he had the 
 boldness of a Hebrew prophet. He had the spirit of a Savanarola. 
 He possessed the courage of a Martin Luther. He had the elo- 
 quence of a Whitfield, and the earnestness of Moody. He had the 
 passion of John Knox. Like John the Baptist, the axe was laid at 
 the root of the tree. His message was a vital and fundamental one 
 for all classes, but in a peculiar sense, for those lives who needed 
 reformation. 
 
 VII. — THK AUTHOR. 
 
 Mr. Jones had no mean reputation as a writer and an author. 
 While his arduous evangelistic work demanded much of his strength 
 and time, he took occasion to contribute articles to the secular press 
 and religious papers. He often felt that it was his duty, and he de- 
 sired to devote more time to literary work. There are half a dozen 
 or more volumes of his sermons that have been printed. Any one 
 who has read his sermons can see the unique position that he filled 
 as a writer. For years he was contributor to the Atlanta Journal, 
 and the articles covered nearly every important issue of the day. 
 Some of his most thoughtful and prophetic utterances are to be 
 found in those weekly letters. A number of prominent lawyers have 
 said that they have not missed reading one of those articles since 
 they began. Other prominent citizens have spoken of the deep inter- 
 est they took in the paper, because of his contributions. During his 
 life he was associated in the editorial work of one or two religious 
 papers. His writings in those papers were as unique as his preach- 
 ing. People were always eager to get anything that came from his 
 pen. The royalty on his books ran up into the thousands of dollars 
 
Sam P. Jonks. 331 
 
 the first few years; however, he didn't pay much attention to the 
 publications, and a great deal of the money never reached his hands. 
 All sorts of publishers got out books purporting to be from him. 
 The authorized publishers of these books were the M. E. Publishing 
 House, South, Nashville; the Western Book Concern, Cincinnati; 
 and the Canadian Book House, Toronto. A later book was pub- 
 lished by a Subscription Book Concern in Nashville. 
 
 VIII. — THI) PHILANTHROPIST. 
 
 Thousands of dollars that came to him as royalty was used in 
 philanthropic work. As a philanthropist, Mr. Jones deserves con- 
 sideration. While his gifts were not in large sums, to a few insti- 
 tutions, he contributed liberally and generously to worthy enter- 
 prises, wherever he came in contact with them. He was always the 
 most liberal contributor in erecting great tabernacles and auditori- 
 ums in the cities where he repeatedly held meetings. He gave lib- 
 erally to the schools and colleges where poor boys and girls were 
 being educated. He was instrumental in starting a female college 
 in his town, which was afterwards converted into a public school 
 building. He took special delight in helping orphans' homes and 
 such worthy institutions. He came to the rescue and helped indi- 
 viduals who were threatened with financial embarrassment. He 
 helped the struggling colored people in his own town and in many 
 places where he gave them special services. He was a liberal con- 
 tributor to municipal reform movements, and to the missionary 
 cause. The Young Men's Christian Association appealed to him 
 very earnestly, and in many places he inaugurated movements and 
 raised the money to build Y. M. C. A. halls. In a number of the 
 leaidng cities where he worked, these Young Men's Christian Asso- 
 ciations are a monument to his generosity and efforts. A great 
 many families were educated by him, and there are ministers in the 
 Southland filling prominent pulpits to-day who love and honor him 
 for the support that he gave their widowed mothers, while they were 
 struggling through college. Perhaps, for twenty-five years, or 
 more, he made on an average of thirty thousand dollars a year, but 
 much of it was given away, where in his wisdom he thought best. 
 
332 Sam P. JonKS. 
 
 In speaking to a friend last summer, he said : "The nearest I can 
 ■estimate, I have made over seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars 
 with my tongue." He was a generous and liberal contributor to 
 every worthy cause. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 A Summary. 
 The Fiftieth Anniversary. 
 
 "Cartersviu,e, Ga., October 16, 1897. 
 '"To the Atlanta Journal: 
 
 "You have requested me to give you something apropos to this, 
 my fiftieth anniversary jubilee. I have written upon almost all 
 -conceivable subjects except scientific subjects, and unless I was a 
 scientist to the manor born and educated to the clan, I know I shall 
 ;not be able to say just what ought to be said, and leave unsaid just 
 what ought not to be said. 
 
 "I tell you it is no small thing to be fifty years old. The world is 
 mot much interested in babyhood, though the child is father to the 
 man ; and then the world is not much interested in young manhood, 
 though character reaches from the cradle to the coffin. There is not 
 *a day in human life but that character is being builded, associations 
 being fixed and destinies being settled. 
 
 "I was born of religious parents, taught in the ways of virtue and 
 manhood, and escaped the evil that curses so many human lives up 
 to the beginning of the war between the States. My father joining 
 cthe ranks of the Southern Confederacy, I joined the ranks of the 
 devil. How I pity a boy of the tender age of fourteen years in times 
 .like those ! I believe the war wrecked more young men than it killed 
 old men. From that period of age between fourteen and twenty- 
 iour I learned the lesson that the way of the transgressor is hard. 
 But marvelous facts in a human life, I have been from the age of 
 twenty-four to the age of fifty as honest and faithful a champion for 
 ;manhood, truth and vitrue, integrity, honor and right as I ever 
 .missed the mark along that line in former years. It was not only a 
 
 (333) 
 
334 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 revolution in my life, but regeneration in my soul that transformed 
 me from the practice of wrong to the championship' of right. 
 
 "In 1872 I began my ministerial life as pastor. From the first I 
 wanted to get the juice out of a text. How will I get the juice out 
 of my text? was the supreme question. And the juice is all I ever 
 wanted out of the text. Others may deal in bones and hoofs and 
 horns, and that which is dry and tasteless, but I always wanted the 
 juice, and always wanted to give juice to others. I never attended a 
 theological 'cemetery/ Till this blessed day I know nothing of sys- 
 tematic theology as a science. I never studied 'hermalettics,' or 
 'exegetics' or 'polxemics.' I never studied nor taught oratory or 
 rhetoric. I have always believed that there were three essentials to 
 an effective speakr : First, clearness ; second, concentration ; thirdly, 
 directness. The average speaker can not be clear unless he bathes 
 the subject in a flood of light by illustration. Let an audience see 
 what you are talking about. Second, concentration. Put a whole 
 lead mine into one bullet. Then, thirdly, directness ; aim where you 
 want to hit and something will be lying dead around in that neck of 
 the woods. 
 
 "I have made the Word of God the limit and boundary line of 
 truth. I have considered myself free to think within that boundary 
 line. I have never been hampered by rule or schools. God's Word 
 has been the circle and. God himself the orbit around which my mind 
 has moved, I have been called a crank, mountebank, clown, fanatic 
 and fool ; and I have gathered all these titles up and am willing to 
 wear them with honors and cast them down at my Saviour's feet 
 at last, emblems of my loyalty to Him and my fidelity to my convic- 
 tions. Men have criticized me everywhere. If I had preached as the 
 schools teach and systematic theology directs, and logic and gram- 
 mar demand, I would have been criticized as little as other men, 
 preached to as few people as other men, and moved in as small cir- 
 cles as other men. A thousand times I have preferred mental train- 
 ing to mental culture. The preacher who reads and studies all the 
 week and stands on the Sabbath day and vomits intellectually that 
 which he has taken in during the week, may please the fancy, 
 but will never move the conscience of an audience. It is in the men- 
 
Sam P. Jones. 335 
 
 tal world as it is in the world of physics. A man who has studied 
 forestry until he knows all the trees, and all about trees and writes 
 fluently on their nature and quality don't amount to much in the 
 practical world. The mineralogist who knows the weights and 
 names and kinds of ores and writes fluently upon that subject, may 
 have his place in the world. But the man who sees an axe handle in 
 a tree, and an axe in an ore bank, has the genius to put the two to- 
 gether and thus furnish an implement that every farmer needs, he it 
 is the world applauds. So in the world, the man who gathers the 
 nuggests of thought here and yonder and puts them together until 
 he has an idea that moves consciences, builds character and fixes 
 destiny, he it is in the mental world that is doing good, and not the 
 mental glutton who feeds and fills his mind simply to vomit it back, 
 because he has not the power of assimilation. The mental training 
 that harnesses every faculty of the mind, perception, conception, 
 memory, judgment, reason and imagination, and drives them like so 
 many horses in a team, tapping the one that drags back, is the kind 
 we need. I would no more carry a manuscript in the pulpit to help 
 my memory than I would carry a bundle of fodder to urge along a 
 lazy horse in my team. Do the faculties of the mind like the team- 
 ster does a lazy horse, lambast them, and if memory or perception or 
 imagination does not come to time, pound the life out of them and 
 make them come to time. 
 
 "This is the way a man fifty years old feels and thinks. I was once 
 much wiser than I am to-day. When I was twenty-one years old I 
 looked upon Daniel Webster as an idiot, and if Solomon had come 
 around I would have sent him forthwith to the asylum. But I am 
 now at that period of life when I am only able to see what a fool I 
 was then. This much on that line. 
 
 "This anniversary is a unique one to me. It is the first jubilee 
 anniversary I have ever had. What a royal time it is to have fifty 
 friends and brethren to sit at the table in my own home — men from 
 perhaps twenty different States, men whom I honor, and men who 
 have honored me with their presence at my home. It's an honor to 
 any man when fifty busy business men will quit their homes and busi- 
 ness and come afar to be present on an occasion like this. It is an 
 
336 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 honor I do not deserve and an honor which I profoundly acknowl- 
 edge. Wife is the author of this unique program for the jubilee. 
 When she first suggested it I thought she would perchance invite the 
 friends from a distance, they would send their excuses and we would: 
 have simply a jubilee with our home friends at Cartersville, Ga.. 
 But such the friends willed should not be, and we had a jubilee an- 
 niversary with forty-nine friends sitting at our table at dinner, and 
 all our Cartersville and vicinity friends gathered with us in the 
 evening at an informal reception. The very thought of it makes me- 
 think more of my wife's husband and my children's father. I 
 tell you, a swallow-tail coat, plug hat, tooth-pick shoes and red cra- 
 vat fit into this occasion better perhaps than any occasion of my life.- 
 Who wouldn't don all these things on an occasion like this? As I 
 have said before at my silver wedding, when I donned this full- 
 dress attire and my friends laughed at me in my swallow-tail coat, I 
 told them I never had one before, and they could see that I had it on; 
 mostly behind. 
 
 "I notice my wife showing me a little more honor than usual and': 
 my children tip their hats and bow more reverently to the patriarch 
 and pater familias. My horse seems to move with a quicker step 
 and the servants on the place eye me as I pass by and then look at 
 each other as much as to say: 'He don't look like it's in him, but 
 sho' he is a big man in his way.' 
 
 "After the trials and hardships of twenty years' constant labor this- 
 forms an oasis, pleasant occasion that makes me feel grateful to God 
 and love my fellow man more. To the friends here and yonder who- 
 do not participate personally in this occasion, I send words of greet- 
 ing and cheer, and above all things say to them that the richest re- 
 ward God has given me on earth is the faithful men and women of 
 America, who have, through criticisms and sometimes misrepresenta- 
 tions, ever been faithful in their prayers and good will towards me.. 
 I have not lived in vain, thank God, and while life shall last with me- 
 I shall count myself happy for the honors done me on this our jubilee: 
 occasion. 
 
 "Sam P. Jones.'" 
 
I- * 
 
Sam P. Jones. 337 
 
 Just a year before the day Mr. Jones's body lay in state at the 
 Capitol of Georgia, President Roosevelt was in Atlanta, and learn- 
 ing that Mr. Jones was in the audience, asked to be presented to him. 
 Mr. Jones was conducted to the platform, and was introduced to 
 the President in the presence of fifty thousand people at Pied- 
 mont Park. Upon meeting Mr. Jones, Mr. Roosevelt expressed 
 great pleasure, and said : "Mr. Jones, you, in your way, are doing 
 for this country and the people what I am trying to accomplish in 
 mine. I heartily endorse your good work, and hope that success 
 will continue to crown your efforts. The next time you visit Wash- 
 ington I want you to telegraph me in advance, and I want you to 
 be my guest during your stay in the Capitol City." 
 
 After Mr. Jones acknowledged the ■ introduction, the President 
 asked for Mrs. Jones, saying he would like to meet her. Mrs. 
 Jones came forward, and was introduced to the chief magistrate. 
 As Mrs. Jones shook hands with him, she said : "President Roose- 
 velt, I am glad to meet you, and I think you are the second greatest 
 man in America. There is the greatest," she said, pointing to her 
 husband, as he stood with his arm linked in the President's. The 
 President good-naturedly replied, "Ah, you don't think Sam's 
 great." 
 
 After his death, Rev. Russell H. Conwell, LL.D., president of 
 Temple College, and pastor of the Baptist Temple, Philadelphia, 
 wrote : 
 
 "Rev. Sam Jones always reminded me of a great cedar tree stand- 
 ing on the side of Monte Viso, on the northern boundary of Italy. 
 It had been broken down by an avalanche when it was small, but 
 had recovered itself, assuming in its growth very curious shape and 
 immense strength. It is now so large that it holds back the ava- 
 lanche which used to scour the side of the mountain and make trav- 
 eling very dangerous below." 
 
 The late lamented Bishop Beckwith, of the Episcopal diocese of 
 Georgia, and one of the most eloquent pulpit orators this country 
 has ever produced, was never a man of extravagant speech or sen- 
 sational ideas in public utterance or private talk. Praise from him 
 was praise indeed. Bishop Beckwith said : 
 
 12 j 
 
338 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Sam Jones has done more good in Georgia than any man I 
 know. I would be happy if I could go into the presence of my 
 Maker with Sam Jones's record." 
 
 These three testimonials, one from the President of the nation, 
 another from one of the most distinguished ministers of the United 
 States, who says that he got his inspiration from Mr. Jones, and 
 the other from a distinguished churchman and bishop, with a thou- 
 sand more which might be given in summing up the influence and 
 work of his life, but we prefer to let Mr. Jones's own words close 
 the chapters, covering his work as a preacher, evangelist, and 
 lecturer : 
 
 "Ivike Saul of Tarsus, I was turned right about, and now for 
 thirty-four years, I have been obedient to the heavenly call. I spent 
 eight years of my life as a pastor upon different circuits in the 
 North Georgia Conference. Then I took the agency of the Or- 
 phans' Home, and fed and clothed and cared for the orphan chil- 
 dren during my evangelistic work for more than twelve years. I 
 have been out of the pastorate for seventeen years, and my life has 
 been given almost wholly to evangelistic work, covering almost 
 every State in the Union and most of the principal cities and towns. 
 I do not affirm with absolute correctness, but I estimate that I have 
 seen five hundred thousand people turned from the error of their 
 ways into a better life under my ministry. I have preached, perhaps, 
 to more than a million of people a year for the past twenty-five 
 years. I have known as many as twenty-seven hundred people to 
 join the churches in a series of meetings, and frequently as many 
 as a thousand. I have been but an humble instrument in the hands 
 of God in this work. His has been the power, so to Him shall be 
 the glory. Reckoning outside of the grace and power of God, I do 
 not understand my own work. But God tells us that with Him all 
 things are possible, and that he has chosen the weak things of this 
 world to confound the wise, and that this treasure is in earthen 
 vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of 
 man. 
 
 " While my life has been one of continued toil, carrying me away 
 from home perhaps eleven months in each year for more than twen- 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 339 
 
 ty-five years, yet looking back over these years, I can but say if I 
 had a thousand lives I'd consecrate them all to this work, for the 
 highest post of honor and the grandest work mortal man can do is 
 to be in a position where God will help him, and then do faithfully 
 the work God would have him do. Profoundly convinced from the 
 start till now that the grace of God had wrought a mighty change 
 in my own heart and life, and with an ever-growing faith in the 
 power of Christ to save all men, I have gone unflinchingly on with 
 my work proclaiming what I believed to be the truth as it is in Jesus 
 Christ. I have been criticised much — sometimes justly, but always 
 criticised. It is part of the penalty awarded to success, and as I 
 have frequently said, the train that raises no dust, makes no noise 
 and kills no stock must have run very slow or been side-tracked 
 along the way. 
 
 "Amid it all I have borne nothing but the kindly spirit toward all 
 mankind. I have never stickled for creeds, nor been an expounder 
 of dogma. I have simply championed that which I knew was right 
 and denounced that which I knew was wrong. In this work God has 
 given me a thousand friends for every enemy that I have found' and 
 a freedom of liberty which few men have enjoyed. In all these years 
 I have gone where I pleased, staid as long as I pleased, said what I 
 pleased while there, and left when I pleased. Sometimes they have 
 threatened to drum me out of town; but I have always answered 
 back, saying : 'Boys, I've got the drums ; I won't lend them to you. 
 I am going to drum you out before this thing is over.' 
 
 "I am profoundly grateful to God that at this moment of my life 
 I can lay my hand on my heart and turn my eyes into the faces of 
 the millions of people who live to-day and say that I do not cherish 
 an unkind feeling toward any man alive. Looking over these years 
 I can see the mistakes of my life have been many. I can see where, 
 in a thousand ways, I might have improved lost opportunities and 
 shunned breakers upon which I well-nigh foundered. But with the 
 years behind me and whatever God may allot to me in the days and 
 years to come in this world, I have no disposition to go back and 
 pull the same hills and fight over the battles again. I have no dis- 
 position to ask for an armistice; I have no desire to compromise. 
 
340 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 I shall never change my methods or alter my plans until better meth-« 
 ods and truer plans shall be given me of God. The myriads of ap- 
 proving faces and warm handshakes and kindly God-bless-you's 
 which I have received all along the way make up the sweetest memo- 
 ries that I carry with me to-day. I wish for humanity all peace 
 and happiness here and a crown of everlasting life hereafter. 
 
 "My faith in God and my faith in humanity grows as the years 
 go by. I believe in God with all my heart, and never had more 
 faith in humanity than I have to-day." 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 "Dead Soldier of the Cross Comes Home/' 
 
 The last home-coming of Mr. Jones can not be told of better than 
 to quote from his home paper, the Cartersville News: 
 
 "Rev. Sam P. Jones, the great evangelist, is dead. He died on 
 Monday. 
 
 "What a pang of sorrow this announcement has caused. Not 
 alone to the people of Cartersville, his home town, is the knowledge 
 that he is no more a source of deep gloom, but to the people all over 
 the Union, which was his field. 
 
 "The news of Mr. Jones's death when it first reached the city 
 through the Western Union telegraph office, was not believed. Al- 
 most every one who heard it thought there must be some mistake 
 about it. It said he was found dead in Louisville. His whereabouts 
 had been pretty well known to most of the people. He was supposed 
 to have been on his way home from Oklahoma City, Olklahoma, 
 where he had been holding a meeting, but his supposed itinerary 
 did not include Louisville. However, the doleful news was later 
 confirmed by a private telegram. When the people began to no lon- 
 ger doubt the awful truth, then there was great manifestations of 
 sorrow among all, every eye looking into every other eye with a dis- 
 tressed cast which meant with no mistaking, an overpowering com- 
 mon sorrow. Many there were who could not' mention the event 
 without breaking down in a flood of tears. The force of the great 
 loss to the community pressed down with great weight upon the 
 hearts of all. 
 
 "The particulars of Mr. Jones's death as finally obtained were 
 about thus : He was on his return from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 
 He had been holding a two-weeks' meeting there. He was coming 
 ihome over the Choctaw division of the Rock Island Route. The 
 
 (34i) 
 
342 Sam P. JonSs. 
 
 train reached Perry, a small town twelve miles out from Little Rock, 
 Ark., where a freight wreck detained it. On the train with him 
 were Mrs. Jones, his two daughters, Mrs. Annie Pyron and Miss 
 Julia Baxter Jones, his assistant and secretary, Mr. Thomas Dun- 
 ham ; Rev. Walt Holcomb, of Nashville, Tenn., who has been assist- 
 ing him in his meetings; Prof. Edwin Smoot, who has been assist- 
 ing him as vocalist. They were all aboard the sleeper. At about six 
 o'clock Mr. Jones arose from his berth and put on his clothes. He 
 then sought the porter of the car and had his shoes shined, joking 
 the porter in a light vein the while. He woke his daughter, Mrs. 
 Pyron, complaining of a collicky feeling, and a pain about his 
 stomach. He asked her to prepare him a cup of hot water. While 
 the water was heating his daughter sat down beside him on the seat 
 in the open space in the sleeper. He seemed to continue in pain, and 
 Mrs. Pyron called Mr. Holcomb. Then the others of the party were 
 called. As Mr. Holcomb, with Mrs. Pyron, was ministering to the 
 sick man as best he could, Mr. Jones fell suddenly over the seat, 
 striking the hard part and causing a small abrasion of the skin on his 
 face and hands. He evidently tried to speak, but made no audible 
 utterance. He died practically in the arms of Mr. Holcomb. A phy- 
 sician was summoned, but reached the train too late to be of avail. 
 Heart failure was supposed to have been the cause of his death, but 
 this was doubtless superinduced by an attack of acute indigestion, to 
 which Mr. Jones was subject, and from which he had suffered 
 greatly. 
 
 "At Little Rock the body was under the care of an undertaker, 
 embalmed and prepared for the homeward journey. Mr. Tom Dun- 
 ham says that the sorrow, when it was known that Mr. Jones was 
 dead, was wonderful to witness. At Little Rock men, weeping, 
 pushed their way to where the body lay, saying they had been con- 
 verted under Sam Jones's preaching and expressing what wonderful 
 things he had done for them, individually, and as it was there, so it 
 was at every stop that was made where the people could get access 
 to the presence of the sacred remains. All along in the towns and 
 the country, people stood with bared heads on the side of the track 
 in respect to the great man, whose corpse was passing. At Memphis, 
 
Sam P. Jones. 343 
 
 Nashville and Chattanooga the interest and sorrow manifested was 
 especially great. 
 
 "Mr. Jones's remains arrived at his home on his birthday, a birth- 
 day, too, that had been planned for as a happy occasion, where the 
 members of the family and the relatives would gather. A birthday 
 dinner was to be a special feature. The big turkey had been killed 
 and all the preparations for a home feast had been made. It was 
 the evangelist's fifty-ninth birthday, and enjoying it with his friends 
 and family, he was to have gone on to Holly Springs, Miss., there to 
 open a meeting, assisted by Rev. Walt Holcomb and Prof. Smoot. 
 Alas ! that death should have destroyed the plan ! 
 
 "Mr. John W. Thomas, Jr., president of the Nashville, Chatta- 
 nooga & St. Louis railway, like his father, has been for some time 
 a warm personal friend of Sam Jones. When he knew of his friend's 
 death, and the place and circumstances, he immediately interested 
 himself in the matter of assisting to get the remains to their intended 
 destination. He sent a special engine and coach to bear the remains 
 from Memphis to Cartersville. 
 
 "At one-thirty o'clock Tuesday afternoon the special bearing the 
 remains of the evangelist reached Cartersville. Bulletins, telling 
 the whereabouts of the special at different times after it left Chatta- 
 nooga were posted in public places, and the announcement had been 
 made that the fire bell would be rung for twenty minutes before the 
 arrival of the special to give the people notice. As soon as the first 
 solemn peals of the bell were heard, and even before, the people be- 
 gan to gather about the depot, and by the time the train arrived 
 practically the population of the entire town had gathered. On the 
 train with the remains were : 
 
 "Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Pyron, Miss Julia Jones, Mr. Thomas Dunham, 
 Rev. Walt Holcomb, Prof. Edwin Smoot, Mr. Ruohs Pyron, Mr. B. 
 C. Sloan, Rev. French Olliver, Rev. J. A. Bowen, Rev. G. W. Duval 
 and Mr. Sam P. Jones, Jr. 
 
 "The body was removed from the special to the city park, where 
 the box was removed from the beautiful casket. The casket con- 
 taining the remains was then placed in the hearse by Mr. J. W. 
 Jones. A procession of citizens was then formed to escort the re- 
 
344 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 mains to the home. The hundreds of men that gathered all formed 
 a line. The mayor and council were present in a body, and fonned 
 a part of the escort. The solemn procession moved toward the home 
 and made a touching spectacle. All through the gathering and in* 
 the march people of both sexes, and all ages, were seen weeping. 
 The love and appreciation of Sam Jones in his own community was 
 never more fittingly exhibited than in the manifestations of grief 
 shown when the last that was mortal of the great man had reached 
 the confines of the town. 
 
 "At the home the procession of citizens formed a single file on 
 each side of the walkway and in the space between the files the body 
 was carriecl into the home. A loving invitation was then given for 
 everybody to go in and view the remains. 
 
 "In single file the hundreds that gathered moved into the west par- 
 lor, where- the remains lay, and going by the casket took a last look 
 at the familiar face of the man they so loved. In through the front 
 door went the thousands of white friends, while from the rear came 
 the hundreds of colored people who almost worshipped "Mars* 
 Sam," and the two files met and passed at the casket of their be- 
 loved friend — stood uncovered and equal in the presence of the 
 mighty dead." 
 
 One of the truest pictures of perfect devotion was that of Mr. 
 Thomas Dunham, who never left Mr. Jones from the time he died 
 until he was placed in the vault at Westview. Tom Dunham had 
 only two objects in life for the past twenty years — to be near Sam 
 Jones and to be of service to him, and when the object of that un- 
 failing devotion died he felt the world to be a void. He was con- 
 verted under Mr. Jones's ministry in the great Cincinnati meeting, 
 and since that day has been one of his most devoted friends, and a 
 real "body- friend." While his devotion during Mr. Jones's life was 
 something remarkable, it was not until his death that it was per- 
 fected. All the way from Memphis he stood at the head of the 
 casket, and, without eating or sleeping, gazed upon it almost every 
 moment. 
 
BOOK THREE 
 
 The End 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 The: Funeral Service. 
 
 The funeral service of Mr. Jones was conducted in the Carters- 
 ville Tabernacle. There was no church large enough to accommo- 
 date the thousands that had come to pay their last tribute to his 
 memory. It was very appropriate that this service should be held 
 in the Sam Jones Tabernacle, as Mr. Jones had built it, and for 
 twenty years had held annual evangelistic services there. 
 
 Two special trains bearing Atlanta people arrived about noon. 
 Every regular train which arrived in Cartersville was crowded with 
 persons from all parts of the South. Among these were many 
 prominent people and personal friends. 
 
 The funeral march was completed a few minutes after two 
 o'clock, and soon began to move towards the Tabernacle. Delega- 
 tions from secret orders to which Mr. Jones belonged composed the 
 honorary escort and led the procession. The Rome Commander}' 
 of Knights Templar and local lodges of Masons and Knights of 
 Pythias were well represented. 
 
 Following the fraternal orders were the honorary pallbearers, 
 which followed the hearse, lined on each side by the active pall- 
 bearers ; then the carriages, which were arranged in the following 
 order as far as the seventh : 
 
 The first five carriages contained the immediate family and rela- 
 tives and close friends. The sixth and seventh carriages, Bishop 
 Galloway and the ministers who were to assist in the funeral service. 
 
 The line of march was direct from, the residence to the Tabernacle. 
 A block from the home several hundred schoolchildren entered 
 the funeral procession, accompanied by the members of the school 
 board. 
 
 The ministers of the town were the honorary pallbearers. The 
 
 (347) . 
 
348 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 active ones were John S. Leake, L. S. Munford, W. H. Howard,. 
 Jno. H. Wikle, Jas. W. Knight, J. W. Vaughn, Dr. R. J. Trippe^ 
 Robert Milan, J. C. Wofford and Mayor Paul Gilreath. 
 
 The great Tabernacle was appropriately draped, and presented a 
 sad spectacle. Every available seat was taken by those who had been 
 thronging the city all day from all sections of the country, and from 
 various parts of the county. 
 
 Special provision was made at the Tabernacle for the colored 
 people. Many of them failed to get a seat, and stood around the 
 building. The colored people of Cartersville loved Mr. Jones as 
 devotedly as the white people, and they were glad for the privilege 
 of attending the service. When one of the preachers mentioned his- 
 triumphant entrance to glory, some of the faithful old servants 
 were heard to shout "Glory to God." 
 
 The casket was placed on the platform, where Mr. Jones had de- 
 livered his last sermon a few weeks before, and was covered with 
 flowers which had been sent by loving friends. 
 
 The Scripture reading, as the remains entered the Tabernacle,, 
 was by Rev. G. W. Duval, his pastor. The first song was "How 
 Firm a Foundation," which was announced by Rev. McRee, his 
 presiding elder. 
 
 The Old Testament lesson was read by Rev. J. E. Barnard, pastor 
 of the Cartersville Baptist church. 
 
 The New Testament lesson was read by Rev. W. E. Cleveland,., 
 pastor of the Presbyterian church here. 
 
 The prayer was made by Rev. J. A. Bowen, of Winona, Miss.,, 
 a life-long friend. 
 
 The quartette, consisting of Mr. E. O. Excell, Charlie D. Till- 
 man, French E. Oliver and Edwin R. Smoot, sang Mr. Jones's 
 favorite gospel song, "The Old-Fashioned Way." 
 
 The first address was made by Rev. Walt Holcomb, in which he- 
 gave an account of his last work and death. 
 
 The next tribute was delivered by Rev. Geo. R. Stuart, who- 
 spoke of the years of his association with Mr. Jones. 
 
 By special request, Judge John W. Akin, of Cartersville, Georgia, 
 one of the foremost lawyers of Georgia, sometime President ot 
 
Sam P. Jones. t -w ... 3 4Q 
 
 the Georgia Bar Association, Representative for five years from. 
 Bartow county and Senator-elect from the district in which Mr- 
 Jones resided, then spoke of "Sam Jones, the Citizen," as follows :: 
 
 "The Dead Soldier of the Cross comes home." 
 
 "From churches, splendid and lowly; from tabernacles and bush 
 arbors and amphitheaters; from the lecture platform and the pul- 
 pit; the 'Dead Soldier of the Cross comes home.' 
 
 "From the soft winds of Florida, which blow through the jasa- 
 mine and the magnolia ; from, the far white fields of Canada,, where 
 the Ice King reigns; from the Empire of the West, where the 
 mighty Pacific 'breaks on Calif ornian and Oregonian shores ; from 
 the snow-crowned peaks and wondrous beauty of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains ; from where the blue-green flood of the great Columbia rushes 
 through the Cascades down to the caverns of the deep; from the 
 •Rio Grande, pouring its yellow flood into the emerald bosom of the 
 Gulf of Mexico; from Minneapolis and New Orleans; from New 
 York and San Francisco; from Chicago and St. Louis and Cincin- 
 nati ; from the throbbing capital of the new-made State, the thriving, 
 bustling, busy Oklahoma, where his last great work was done ; from 
 the hundreds of cities and towns and villages and hamlets where 
 unnumbered multitudes hung upon his words and were moved to 
 better things; from the far, wide fields in which with shield and 
 sword he fought stout battles for God and humanity ; from all these, 
 the 'Dead Soldier of the Cross comes home.' 
 
 "He. comes to his own people; to those who knew him longest 
 and who knew him best ; to those, as may be seen from, the tearful 
 eyes and heard in the muffled sobs of this mighty throng before me 
 now, who loved him as Friend, as Companion, as Brother. 
 
 "He comes to the old county of Bartow in the older State of 
 Georgia ; where the ashes of his father rest ; where his kindred and 
 friends who dropped by the wayside before him have gone to sleep ; 
 where the beautiful Etowah ripples and murmurs through hills and 
 valleys ; and where old Pine Log Mountain, a silent sentinel voice- 
 less but grand, stands out against the rising sun like some giant 
 sapphire, cameo-cut, in the reddening glory of the opening day. 
 
350 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "To this, the 'Sam Jones Tabernacle/ his own handiwork, from 
 beneath whose ample roof thousands have gone forth quickened 
 to higher impulses and moved to a, nobler life ; to> white-haired men ; 
 to women tottering with age ; to those in the full strength of mature 
 years; to young men and maidens blossoming out of youth; to 
 little children, their prattle hardly ceased; to these thousands of all 
 ages and conditions, stunned into the numbness of grief by the 
 shock of his sudden death within one moon of that last Sunday 
 of the last of his twenty-one Tabernacle meetings on this spot, 
 where the largest audience ever gathered here saw him, strong, 
 sturdy, full of life and vigor, with wondrous voice and flashing 
 eye, and heard him preach as only the one Sam Jones could preach ; 
 to this vast throng and to this hallowed spot, the 'Dead Soldier of 
 the Cross comes home.' 
 
 "I would that I might speak of him, as one may speak of 
 another whose years of neighborly intimacy and friendship have 
 made him know that other's mind and heart. I would that I might 
 tell the instances in his life, showing the many-sidedness of the 
 man; of his qualities as husband and father, friend and neighbor, 
 lecturer and preacher. I would that I might tell of the pleasant 
 and, to me, instructive social intercourse between us ; of our inter- 
 change of thought on things temporal and eternal ; of the new rev- 
 elations of his brightness, his wisdom, his goodness, his genius, 
 which our friendship gave me occasion to know, as I saw more and 
 more of his inner mind and heart. But the limitations of this hour 
 forbid. 
 
 "I am to speak of this Shakespeare of the pulpit in his character 
 of Citizen. 
 
 "It is a great word' — 'Citizen.' The ancient Romans had some 
 idea of the greatness of the citizen when they formed from the 
 same root the two words, Citizen and State. The multitudinous 
 oppressed and despised of France had some notion of its importance 
 when, in the blood and fury of the Revolution of 1789, they sought 
 to abolish all titles except this one — 'Citizen' — which they decreed 
 should be bestowed alike upon all. So, when we wish to dignify 
 
Sam P. Jone;s. 351 
 
 the office of President of this great Union, we speak of him as the 
 First Citizen of the Republic. 
 
 "To be a good citizen is to contain within one's self the sum of 
 all the virtues. One may be a good father, husband, brother, son, 
 church-member, neighbor, friend, without being a good citizen; 
 •but no one can be a good citizen without being all of these and more. 
 The good citizen obeys the law and practices all civic and personal 
 virtues, helps others, strives to raise not only the individual but also 
 the mass, puts his shoulder to the wheel of every enterprise designed 
 for public good, interests himself in the Republic, the State, the 
 county and the town in which he lives, selects, the best candidates 
 and the best platforms and helps to vote them into' office, condemns 
 public wrong and sustains public right, is willing to fight — aye, 
 if necessary, to die — for his country and the right. It is of such 
 stuff that heroes are made; not only those who die in battle, but 
 also — what is often harder — those who, amid difficulties and dangers 
 and conflicts, to struggle for the bettering of the people and the 
 uplifting of the State. 
 
 "Few men can bear this test. Many — I believe, the major- 
 ity — strive to reach some such ideal. Most, perhaps all, fall short 
 of this goal of the Perfect Citizen. 
 
 "Measured by this standard, tested with this rule, this remarkable 
 man whose tenement of clay lies before us draped with the white- 
 and-black emblems of death was of lofty stature. If not the Per- 
 fect, he was at least the Commanding and Conspicuous Citizen. 
 
 "Some men, illustrious away from: home, are at home incanse- 
 quential figures. Some indeed are greater the farther from home 
 they are. But Sam Jones, the Citizen, was greatest here — in the 
 homes and on the streets of Carters ville, amid the people of Bartow 
 county. 
 
 "What shall I say of him as Citizen? Ask the men who stood 
 for law and order in this county in times bygone, when activity, 
 zeal and courage were needed most for the public weal. Ask the 
 men, in the church and out of it, some of whom yet bear scars of 
 that conflict when the great fight was being fought out in this 
 county, victory in which drove barrooms from the soil of Bartow 
 
352 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 forever. Ask those friends and fellow battlers in that cause who 
 know what dangers he risked and faced at the hands of misguided 
 men, who later recognized his valor, his faithfulness and his right- 
 eousness. 
 
 What shall I say of him as a Citizen? He stood for the right, 
 as God gave him to see the right, in all departments of human life 
 and endeavor. He hated sin, public and private. He hated stin- 
 giness and meanness and smallness in the private citizen as well as in 
 the public official. He may have made mistakes. He may have 
 misjudged parties and policies and their representatives. He may 
 have been deecived by men and associations of men. But he tried 
 to see the right; and in that effort of mental vision, he had an instinct 
 for truth and good far beyond that of most men. 
 f "He loved Tightness and he hated wrongness. His perception of 
 the moral qualities of human conduct was so keen and sharp as to 
 seem instinctive. And perhaps it was instinctive. We know not, in 
 Its entirety, the source and cause of the individual consciousness of 
 tight and wrong. But reason, no less than human experience, 
 demonstrates the fact that, in spite of environment and education, 
 there is in some men more than in others a born intuition of such 
 principles. This born intuition as to right and wrong differentiated 
 the moral perception of Mr. Jones from that of the vast majority 
 of mankind. 
 
 " Armed with this marvelous intuition, he recognized as a citizen 
 the expression of right and wrong in the conduct of men. He saw 
 this, as it were, by the lightning flash of truth through the storms 
 and clouds of men's passions. 
 
 "And when he saw it, he never faltered or wavered. At once he 
 reached down a helping hand to lift up the right and the right-doer. 
 At once he struck out boldly at the wrong and the wrong-doer. In 
 neither case did he aim at the individual except as the individual 
 was the means through which right was to triumph or wrong was 
 to crush. Thus it is that wrong-doers whose evil works he de- 
 nounced in pulpit or on platform with tongue of fire, while often 
 for the time-being enraged, in the end frequently — nay, with prac- 
 tical unanimity — came to like him and to admire him. His life's 
 
Sam P. Jones. 353 
 
 work is full of illustrations of this truth. It is absolutely true that 
 nothing of personal animosity against the individual who did the 
 wrong inspired his invective or rankled in his breast. It was the 
 thing he aimed at — not the man. It was wrong-doing and evil- 
 living and such misconduct as flows from a life dominated by these 
 things — it was this, and this only, which he abhorred and despised 
 even unto the white heat of righteous indignation. Like the Master 
 whom he served, he hated the sin, he loved the sinner. And when 
 the sinner turned about and set his face to the light of righteous- 
 ness, he had no more kind, sympathetic and helpful friend than Sam 
 Jones. 
 
 "It is of these principles put in action by him as a citizen that I 
 would speak to this vast and sorrowing throng, so many of whom 
 knew him, admired him, loved him. And, as related to his character 
 as a citizen, I would speak of one other phase of mind and heart 
 in which he was remarkably like some of the greatest men of all 
 times. It is this: While he was sometimes mistaken in the man, 
 he rarely misjudged the mass. While he was occasionally deceived 
 by the shrewd and designing as to their real character and motives, 
 yet he never misjudged human nature in its entirety nor as to its 
 tendency. It is needless to seek reasons for this psychologic atti- 
 tude. One familiar with biography will recall many remarkable ex- 
 amples of similar trend. Who can forget the numerous instances 
 where the great Napoleon selected for his deepest confidence and 
 his most important offices men whose real character, as shown by 
 subsequent events, he entirely misjudged. Yet who more clearly 
 and instinctively than Napoleon perceived the real nature, the real 
 desires, the real passions, the real tendencies and the real character 
 of that great nation which bore in victory the Eagles of the Empire 
 on every battlefield of Europe ? 
 
 "Let me add that the one evil which he fought hardest and 
 longest and bravest was the monstrous evil of whisky. He de- 
 nounced all the concrete sins. He was an enemy to gambling, 
 social and commercial, to lewdness of thought and of life, to cov- 
 etousness, to profanity, to immorality of every sort. But never 
 -did he wield sword so deadly or give blows so vigorously, so un- 
 
354 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 compromisingly, as when he struck at the unmitigated and inex- 
 pressible evils of whisky and whisky-drinking. In this he spared 
 no opponent, improved every chance of attack, drove to the hilt 
 his sword, asked no quarter, and refused all compromise. What- 
 ever the future may have in store for the liquor traffic, its defenders 
 and apologists may rejoice that Sam Jones's voice is hushed and 
 his tongue silent. And yet, like the spirit of the martyrs, this voice 
 will not be silent ; for in the memories of those who heard him, and 
 in the minds of those who will read his sermons and lectures and 
 speeches, now that he is gone, the Lucifer of Rum may yet find an 
 Archangel Michael, the brightness of whose sword and shield not 
 even the gates of death can entirely obscure. 
 
 "Once more I ask myself, what shall I say of him as a citizen" 
 Alas, alas, how vain are words ! And yet I can not leave this plat- 
 form without saying something about this loved and loving man 
 which comes very close to the hearts of many in this hushed and 
 reverential throng who felt not merely the greatness, but the sweet- 
 ness and tenderness of this, the First Citizen of our county and our 
 town. His labors kept him away from us most of his time. When 
 here, it was generally for a few days only. Yet he did not come 
 home without asking as soon as he came who was sick, who was 
 in trouble, who was afflicted and sorrowful among the people of his 
 own community. And when he found the homes into which death 
 or sorrow or sickness or affliction of an)^ sort had come, he straight- 
 way knocked on the door of that home. He entered that home. 
 He brought brightness and cheer and comfort and good-fellowship 
 to that home. He soothed the sorrowing. He comforted the 
 afflicted. He read the Bible to the sick and prayed for them. 
 
 "Not only this ; but these Christ-like attentions to men and 
 women and children were not confined to those who lived in fine 
 houses and wore fine clothes. He entered the homes of the poor, 
 the humble and the lowly. He went into log cabins with puncheon 
 floors, and cracks in the walls through which the winter wind 
 whistled. He put his gentle hand on fevered heads resting some- 
 times on a straw mattress without a pillow. In such homes he left 
 not only kind words, but bread and meat and medicine. He not 
 
Sam P. Jones. 355 
 
 only prayed, but he sent the doctor. Of many such cases I know 
 myself. Of others I have heard' — rarely from him, and then only 
 incidentally. 
 
 "Social generally he was not. He had no time. His life was 
 filled with other and greater things. But while he neglected — for 
 very lack of time, if for no other reason — what some may call the 
 requirements of social life, he did not neglect those who needed his 
 visits, his attentions, his kindness. 
 
 "Of Jesus we read in the Gospel that 'the common people heard 
 him gladly/ If this be the test of the divine character of one's 
 message, then the message delivered by Sam Jones was divine ; 
 for surely nowhere for many, many years has there been one whom 
 'the common people heard' more gladly than they heard Sam Jones. 
 He understood them. He sympathized with them. He had com- 
 passion upon them. 
 
 "And this compassion expressed itself not alone by word of mouth 
 in pulpit and tabernacle. It made itself felt in the gentle, unob- 
 trusive ministrations of which I have just spoken. 
 
 "You will forgive me for thinking, as I speak these words, of how 
 he came to me and to my home when I was so long under the 
 shadow of affliction; of how his visits brightened and cheered; 
 of how his humor beguiled away pain of body ; of how like one of 
 God's ministering angels he was. Is it possible that I shall not hear 
 him speak again — that I shall not behold the flash of his wonder- 
 ful eye, nor see him smile in that way of his so charming, nor shake 
 his hand? Ah, Science stands helpless and heartless at the grave. 
 But there is something stronger and higher than science and reason. 
 Faith speaks, and I listen ! 
 
 "This is no time to take his measure. It is not needful; and if 
 it were, we do not know as yet how to measure- him. He is too 
 close to us. We can not even realize that he is dead, as men say. 
 We must see him: in the perspective. Perhaps we shall not see his 
 perspective at all. Perhaps this; will be left to other generations. 
 
 "Those who live at the foot of the mountain rarely look upon it or 
 think of its beauty, its grandeur and sublimity. They can not. 
 They are too close to it. The Swiss cottagers, dwelling as their 
 
356 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 fathers did before them among the Alps, never think to look up 
 toward the heavens and see the white beauty of the Matterhorn's 
 icy peaks piercing the blue of heaven and reflecting the red glory 
 of the setting sun, after night has fallen and the stars are shining- 
 down upon the simple peasants in the valleys far below. They 
 are too near to the Matterhorn. They have lived too long in sight. 
 of its surpassing beauty. 
 
 "May it not be so with us, as to the character and attainments 
 of this man whom we memoralize to-day? It is, as it were, but 
 yesterday that we heard him speak, that we shook hands with him,, 
 that we met him on the street, that we talked with him and that. 
 he talked to us. It is only a few years — so swift does time run 
 by — that he was unknown beyond the limits of the first humble- 
 circuit which he traveled as a Methodist itinerant. Even while- 
 applauding multitudes have grown and grown in numbers as his 
 fame deepened, broadened and widened; yet it is but truth to say 
 that few, if any, have yet read and studied with sufficiently thought- 
 ful criticism his sermons, so remarkable for their simplicity of 
 thought and word, and also for the hold which they take upon the 
 reader ; of his witticisms, maxims and proverbs, the pungent strength 
 of which may not be seen without reading and rereading; of the 
 philosophy of his thought upon things religious; of the wondrous- 
 versatility of his talent; of his undoubted genius. 
 
 "We may be the Swiss peasants living far down in the valley,, 
 looking on the commonplace things of life, seeing only the- 
 lines of local environment. We may now and then glance upward 
 at the mountain and wonder, perhaps, how high it is and how far 
 above us are its dazzling caps of snow; and then turn back to the 
 narrow current of our lives. 
 
 "And so I ask myself the question, will not multitudes yet un- 
 born look upon this Matterhorn and see it towering up, and up, and 
 up, far away into the skies, and gaze with rapt vision upon the 
 splendor of its lofty crest, white and beautiful beyond our power 
 to see or know?" 
 
 The funeral oration was delivered by Bishop Chas. B. Galloway* 
 
Sam P. Jones. 357' 
 
 a life-long friend and a great admirer of Mr. Jones. His splendid: 
 tribute is given in full. 
 
 "I am here not to eulogize the distinguished dead, but to lay a, 
 flower upon the grave of a personal friend, and pay grateful 
 tribute to the memory of a most remarkable man. I have come 
 'to weep with those that weep/ A great State has lost its best 
 known citizen, a great church its most popular and powerful 
 preacher, the nation its most noted evangelist, and the cause of 
 public morality one of its mightiest and most fearless champions. 
 In the strength of his years when his sun was at the zenith, before his - 
 powers had begun to fail, or his voice to lose its charm, this great 
 man in Israel has been summoned to his rich reward. 
 
 "What strange paradoxes were wrapped up in that masterful 
 man and his brilliant career. He was a genius without eccentricity,, 
 a great personality without peculiarities, unique without being 
 erratic, a wonderful orator without the graces of oratory, a marvel- 
 ous preacher with little concern for the rules of homiletics, and 
 a philosopher without the aid of a pale guide and a student's lamp.. 
 
 "He had all the gifts, without the cultivation, of a great 
 philosopher. What he lacked in learning was made up in the 
 keen penetration and clear discernment of a student of human 
 nature. If limited in his familiarity with history, he knew the- 
 forces that make history and determine destiny. 
 
 "Had his knowledge of books equaled his acquaintance with 
 men — had he known the history of the human heart as well as 
 he knew its great motives and subtle passions — he might have 
 commanded a much larger place in the story of his times. 
 
 "He had many rare qualities and attractive virtues, but one great 
 gift — the gift of commanding utterance. And upon that his fame 
 will rest and his influence abide. His pre-eminence was as a 
 preacher. God anointed him to be a prophet in Israel, and clothed' 
 him with a power seen but a few times in a generation. He was 
 not called to wield a pen, but to be a voice crying in the wilderness. 
 He might have succeeded at the bar, but his throne was the pulpit, , 
 and his mission the redemption of his fellow men. 
 
 "And what a master of assemblies he was! Measured by the* 
 
358 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 multiplied thousands that crowded again and again to hear him, 
 and by the dead consciences he awakened, and the penitential tears 
 he started, and the high purposes he inspired, and the reforms he 
 instituted, and the converted souls he led to his Lord, he must 
 go down in history as one of the most conspicuous figures of the 
 last half century. 
 
 "Were I called upon to state, in a few words, the qualities that 
 gave greatness to this master of assemblies, and enabled him to 
 sway with the wand of a magician the vast thousands that crowded 
 to his ministry, I should say they were his philosophical insight 
 into the secret springs of motive, his power of lucid and luminous 
 statement, his rare, genial humor, the breadth and wealth of his 
 genuine love for humanity, and the marvelous qualities of his 
 wonderful voice — all under the domination and inspiration of the 
 Holy Spirit. 
 
 "He s,aid more quotable things than any man of his generation. 
 There are few homes in which some saying of his is not repeated 
 He had a genius for proverb-making. 
 
 "I believe that one secret of his strange power as a preacher 
 was the fact that all his appeals were directly to the human 
 conscience. His theory was that the conscience was on the same 
 level, whether in a philosopher or a child — whether in a.schola- 
 or an illiterate. And that the message needed to arouse the one 
 could not fail to awaken the other. Therefore, like St. Paul, he 
 felt himself a debtor to the Greek and the barbarian, to the wise 
 and the unwise. 
 
 "He demonstrated the fact that the day of the preacher and 
 public speaker had not passed. The living voice is as potential 
 to-day as ever in the world's history. The printed page may inform 
 the mind, but the living messenger is necessary to kindle passion 
 and urge men to action. The preaching function of the priesthood 
 can never lose its authority. As in the olden times, when Isaiah's 
 voice was heard in Israel, and Paul preached on Mars Hill, the 
 divinely called man with a message will ever be the mightiest force 
 in his generation. 
 
 c-> 
 
 His life of almost unexampled activity was dominated b 
 
 v one 
 
Sam P. JonSS. 359 
 
 high and holy purpose — to do good to his fellow men and faithfully 
 serve his generation by the will of God. From that purpose he was 
 never deflected, and from God's service his heart never felt the 
 slightest alienation. To that high aim every ambition was 
 subordinated, and every energy put in commission. 
 
 "Believing that Providence had clearly indicated his field of 
 largest usefulness, to be unconfined by the narrow limits of a local 
 pastorate, he retired from the regular itinerant ministry, and made 
 the nation his parish. Whatever the judgment of others as to the 
 wisdom of that course, he never doubted that God had ordered it 
 and His blessings would approve it. In every State of the Union 
 his voice was heard by eager thousands, preaching with the same 
 fearless fidelity and Christly sympathy as to the humble friends and 
 neighbors on his first Georgia circuit. 
 
 "Without attempting any recital of the facts of a brilliant history, 
 I shall merely mention a few features of a noble character. 
 
 "First of all, because above all and best of all, our honored 
 brother was remarkable for the strength and solidity of his* moral 
 character. There was granite in its foundations, and every living 
 stone was polished after the similitude of a palace. Flaws there 
 may have been, but no fissures — discolorations, but no suggestion 
 of disintegration. The storms of life sometimes strained, but never 
 moved it. The rains descended, the floods came and the winds 
 blew, but when the sky had cleared he stood unshaken and majestic 
 as a mighty mountain. However much men may have criticised his 
 utterances, or questioned the wisdom of his policies, no one ever 
 doubted the integrity and purity of his character. Had there been 
 in it any serious weakness, some curious or critical or envious eye 
 would have quickly discovered it and loudly proclaimed it, but 
 throughout his brilliant career, every hour in the fierce public glare, 
 his mission and methods as a reformer inviting and encountering 
 stubborn hostility, he fought and wrought and finally died, without 
 the faintest shadow on his beautiful character. There were notches 
 on his trusty blade, but not a blur on his noble name. 
 
 "He genuinely loved his fellow men, and never lost hope for hu- 
 manity. He believed in a gospel that can redeem a world, and like 
 
•360 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 his Lord, he went out to seek and save the lost. And no poor 
 prodigal ever got so low or wandered so far as to be beyond the 
 reach of his hopeful message and helpful sympathy. And that 
 made the world love him so. There is nothing more divinely 
 attractive than the radiance of hope, and nothing more cheerless 
 and forbidding than the notes of discouragement and despair. Tell 
 ;a poor, blasted, blistered soul that there is hope for him, and his 
 wailings will turn to pleadings, and his despair into the tones of 
 prevailing prayer. It was this ever-reiterated gospel for the worst 
 sinner that helped to attract the thousands to his ministry. 
 
 "The bells of St. Michael's, in Charleston, S. C, that have chimed 
 the hours of morning and evening prayer since Colonial times, have 
 -a strange history. They have crossed the Atlantic ocean five times. 
 During the Civil War they were shipped to Columbia for safe- 
 keeping. But on a certain famous march to the sea they were 
 burned and broken into fragments by the hands of a vandal. Every 
 sacred piece was gathered up, and all shipped back to the foundry 
 in which they were originally cast. There they were made anew 
 -and brought home to the tower of St. Michael's without the loss of 
 a single note or the lowering of a single majestic tone. 
 
 "Thus, this good man believed God could do with every sinful, 
 broken human life. Gather up scarred and scattered fragments, 
 make them anew in His image, and put cathedral music into the 
 redeemed soul. 
 
 "His moral courage was nothing less than sublime. What he 
 conceived to be the path of duty he would pursue, though a lion 
 crouched in the shadow of every tree. No threat of man, or fear 
 of all the legions of darkness, could stay his course or hush his 
 imperial voice. And yet there was in him nothing of rashness, 
 and he never spoke without premeditation. His was not a harsh, 
 but a gentle nature. He had a strong, soft hand. The tones of 
 his voice were authoritative, but the undertones were gentleness 
 and love. Though he sometimes showed the sternness of a Hebrew 
 prophet, he really had the tenderness and sweet persuasiveness of 
 an apostle. Who but this master of the human heart could unite 
 such startling and overwhelming plainness of speech with lyric 
 
REV. JOB JONES, MR, JONES' BROTHER. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 361- 
 
 tenderness and irresistible persuasiveness! With a sternness that 
 was at times as awful as Sinai, he united a pathos that made every 
 eye a fountain of tears. 
 
 "If he sometimes used the muck-rake, it was not simply to expose 
 the rottenness of society and the wickedness of the world, but that 
 the healing light of the truth might shine upon and cure it. He 
 uncovered sin that it might be destroyed. He rent the robe of 
 hypocrisy that its ghastly deformity might cease to deceive. But 
 for every penitent he had a mantle of charity, and for every home- 
 coming prodigal a joyous welcome. 
 
 "He was free from the weaknesses and vices of narrow natures. 
 His great soul was too generous for jealousy and too broad for 
 bigotry. Envy found no hiding-place in his brotherly and sunny 
 heart. He coveted no man's position or possessions, and envied no 
 human being his fame or his fortune. It never occurred to him 
 that any rival stood in the way of his attainments or achievements. 
 No Mordecai sat in the gateway of his noble soul. He rejoiced 
 that the world is wide, with an inviting field for every honest toiler^ 
 and ample reward for every faithful workman; that there is a 
 chaplet for every heroic brow, and a throne for every really royal 
 soul. While deeply appreciative of his large place in the nation's 
 esteem — pardonably proud of his wonderful and long-sustained 
 popularity — he generously rejoiced in the honors and success of 
 every worthy man. I never heard him speak a disparaging word of 
 any mortal who had high aims and a serious purpose. His generous 
 hand would have withered had he attempted to pluck a star from 
 another's crown. Such magnanimity is one of the final tests of 
 true greatness. 
 
 "But time fails me to speak more at length of my glorified friend. 
 We would fain have kept him longer, but the Lord knew best. His 
 was a life that can not go out ; it will go on. 
 
 "The end came, not exactly as he had hoped, but as beautifully 
 and triumphantly as any heart could wish. It was just after a great: 
 revival in which, as on so many notable occasions, God had wonder- 
 fully honored his ministry. With the tears of a penitent still 
 gladdening his eyes, the tired preacher was told that it is time to 
 
362 Sam P. JonSS. 
 
 rest. Between a revival and an expected family reunion, the angels 
 met him and carried him to the house of many mansions. In that 
 heavenly home may there be no vacant chair !" 
 
 At the close of Bishop Galloway's address the quartette sang 
 "My Heavenly Father Knows," 
 
 The closing prayer was by Rev. John D. Culpepper, Iuka, Miss., 
 who was associated with Mr. Jones in some of his evangelistic 
 meetings. 
 
 Bishop Galloway pronounced the benediction. 
 
 After the ceremonies the remains were carried back to the home 
 and remained there until Friday morning, when his body was re- 
 moved to Atlanta. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 Body Li£s in State: in Atlanta. 
 
 The Atlanta people, who felt such a loss at Mr. Jones's death, 
 desired an opportunity to see him before his burial. The General 
 Council of the city met and adopted the following resolutions : 
 
 "Whereas, We have learned with profound sorrow of the sud- 
 den death of Rev. Sam P. Jones ; and 
 
 "Whereas, He was much beloved by our citizens, because of his 
 constant interest in the upbuilding of our city and his many efforts 
 to advance and improve its social and moral condition, and our peo- 
 ple desire to pay tribute to his memory and to testify to their regard 
 for him and his work ; therefore, be it 
 
 "Resolved, by the Mayor and General Council, That we extend 
 to his family this formal expression of our sincere sympathy, and 
 that we feel a personal bereavement by his death ; be it further 
 
 "Resolved, That we request his family to permit his body to lie 
 in state in the Capitol of Georgia that his thousands of friends may 
 view his remains and give expression to their appreciation of his 
 life and service." 
 
 On motion of Councilman Wikle, the following committee was 
 appointed to go to Cartersville to attend the funeral : 
 
 Councilmen Wikle, Patterson, Martin, Terrell and Foster, and 
 Aldermen Quillian and Harwell. 
 
 In response to this earnest request, his body was carried to At- 
 lanta the morning after the funeral. 
 
 The special train left Cartersville at eight-thirty o'clock. Mr. 
 John Welch, the engineer, upon whose engine Mr. Jones had ridden 
 so many times, and who himself was one of Mr. Jones's oldest 
 friends, pulled the throttle. Mrs. Welch rode on the engine with 
 her husband. They had draped the engine in black and white, and 
 
 (363) 
 
364 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 in front of the engine, just under the headlight, was a life-sized 
 ■portrait of Mr. Jones appropriately draped. 
 
 The casket was borne to the train by the pallbearers who as- 
 sisted at the funeral, and who accompanied the remains to Atlanta. 
 
 At least two thousand people were gathered at the depot when 
 the special left. A great many close and intimate friends from 
 Cartersville and Atlanta followed the remains to the city. As the 
 train started off many were in tears. Mr. Jones was something 
 more to Cartersville than the great revivalist ; he had been a friend 
 and neighbor. 
 
 All along the way at each station great crowds assembled to see 
 the train go by. 
 
 At ten-thirty o'clock the party arrived in Atlanta. Two hours 
 before the arrival of the train a throng of people began to gather. 
 They stood about the depot, on the streets, and lined up on the via- 
 duct under which the special train passed. As the muffled whistle 
 announced the arrival of the train, the people uncovered their heads 
 and stood reverently around the station, on the viaduct and in the 
 streets. 
 
 The local ministers and a committee of the Council appointed to 
 have charge of the body while in Atlanta met the train. The com- 
 mittee stood on each side of the depot entrance, the ministers to the 
 light, and the prominent citizens to the left. The floral offerings, 
 consisting of roses, chrysanthemums, orchids, and many other 
 flowers, had been fashioned into wreaths, crosses, and other designs, 
 were first removed from the baggage-car. Through the passage- 
 way the pallbearers bore the casket, covered with floral offerings, 
 to the hearse, which Mr. Patterson, the undertaker, had waiting 
 outside. 
 
 The family and friends of Mr. Jones was then directed to car- 
 riages. Mrs. Jones and the family were driven to the home of Mr. 
 R. P. Milan, while the body was taken to the Capitol. 
 
 The cortege proceeded slowly through a dense crowd up Pryor 
 to Decatur street, thence to Peachtree, along Whitehall to Mitchell, 
 and across Mitchell to Washington street and the entrance to the 
 Capitol. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 365 
 
 All along the streets people bowed their heads out of respect to 
 the memory of Mr. Jones. Waiting at the Capitol was even a 
 greater throng than that which had been at the station, and upon the 
 streets. One of the most touching scenes was when Rev. H. L,. 
 •Crumley, Superintendent of the Decatur Orphan's Home, with a 
 dozen or more little girls wearing the blue uniform of the institu- 
 tion, walked down from the Capitol to the street with their arms full 
 of flowers. The pallbearers removed the casket to the Capitol. 
 The orphan children followed close by. The casket was placed 
 under the great dome of the Capitol, where hung the life-sized 
 ipaintings of Toombs, Stephens, Grady, Hill, Gordon, and other 
 ^distinguished men. Mr. Jones had been personally acquainted with 
 many of these great men of Georgia, and held them in the highest 
 esteem, while they appreciated his ability and work as a minister. 
 
 When the casket was placed in the center of the Capitol building, 
 while the thousands of people filled the rotunda and every entrance, 
 waiting for a chance to take a last look at the quiet features of the 
 beloved dead, Rev. French E. Oliver, of Chicago, a co-worker of 
 Mr. Jones, and an intimate friend, standing at the head of the cas- 
 ket, paid the following tribute to the memory of his departed friend : 
 
 "Rev. Sam P. Jones was the greatest admixture of contrast that 
 ever combined in one human being, so far as my reading, observa- 
 tion or personal acquaintance can gauge. He had the dauntless 
 courage of a thousand brave men, and the sympathy and tenderness 
 of the sweetest woman. He was the great diagnostician, studying 
 the pathology of the pandemics, endemics and epidemics of mankind, 
 morally and religiously. Then he became a master surgeon, driving 
 the scalpel into the diseased parts, causing excruciating pains to the 
 one into whom he drove the instrument — but he was in the next 
 moment the soft-handed, sweet-voiced nurse, administering the 
 balms and tonics to the suffering sinner. 
 
 "He was a whole fearless regiment, sweeping across the battle- 
 field with cyclonic fury, leaving the field strewn with the wounded 
 and dying ; then he was the whole Red Cross society, following in 
 the wake of the caustic cataclysm, bringing the comfort of a thou- 
 sand loves to the aching hearts. Brother Jones never gave a thorn 
 
366 Sam P. Jon£S. 
 
 without a rose ; he never gave honey-comb without the honey ; he 
 never hurt a man in this world, in his great ministerial career, but 
 for the purpose of tearing off the mask and allowing men to see 
 themselves. 
 
 "To him the pulpit was no gilded prison cell in which to palaver, 
 palliate or pander. He had no fear of poignant persecution, no bow 
 to make before a reprobate task-master, ruling a degenerate company 
 of pulpit puppets with a rod of gold. While some pulpits dealt in 
 painted fire, Sam Jones dealt in real fire. Irrevocable conviction 
 swept him into a relentless warfare, where he did more to strengthen 
 the backbone of the American preachers than any man who has ever 
 labored in this country. To him — as he told me a few weeks ago in 
 his home — the pulpit was a throne, whereupon he was called to sway 
 his scepter of righteousness, love and faithfulness. 
 
 "He had the conviction that he was sent of God — I know he was ! 
 To this age when cowardice, superficialities, poltroonism, policy- 
 seeking and infidelity surged like billows over the religious as well 
 as the political life of our nation, he was as truly God's prophet say- 
 ing, 'Thou art the man' as was Nathan in his day. His strength can 
 only be measured by the burden he bore. The cross that he bore was 
 heavy ; he suffered pains which would have made a giant crouch and 
 cower like a belabored hound — but he bore them as a prince of 
 Israel, which he was. I heard him tell recently how the sorrows of 
 the grave encompassed him, and when it seemed that his goal was 
 despair, God seemed to speak audibly to him these words : 
 
 " 'When through the waters I cause thee to go, 
 The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow, 
 For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless 
 And sanctify to thee, thy deepest distress.' 
 
 and when he turned and told his precious wife the answer of God to 
 his heart, she said : 'My darling, God gave me the same words at the 
 same moment.' 
 
 "I know how mellow his great heart was. I have prayed and 
 wept with him in his own home, where the evidences of weakness or 
 
Sam P. Jones. 367 
 
 strength in any man are exhibited. He showed that he was a tower 
 of strength ; he fought a good fight ; he finished his course. The in- 
 trepid warrior has faced earth's last battlefield. To-day he is wear- 
 ing a crown which God gave him when he lifted the cross from his 
 tired shoulders. He has met Jesus Christ and God the father, and 
 now he may be talking with Daniel, or Abraham, or Paul or John. 
 ■He has kissed his mother, and grasped his father's hand. His little 
 babe which went before him has welcomed him into the city. Let an 
 object pass one inch earthward or skyward at the point of equipoise 
 where is registered the limit of the earth's attraction, as well as the 
 limit of the sun's attraction, and instantly it will move earthward or 
 sunward. Brother Jones reached that point in the spiritual firma- 
 ment, for there is that point of spiritual equipoise between earth and 
 heaven. Heaven's attraction drew him home to God forever." 
 
 The body remained in the Capitol from eleven a.m. to four p.m. 
 The people began to pass through the building, and there was a 
 constant stream of humanity for five hours. As they took the last 
 look at the man they loved many tears flowed down their cheeks, and 
 with deep emotion they passed by, frequently speaking of how he 
 had helped them in their lives. One good, earnest Christian woman, 
 as she took her last look at him,, said, "Oh, I can't stand it," and 
 as she walked away she fell toi the floor. She was hastily carried 
 into the office of the Comptroller, and was laid upon a lounge, but 
 was soon dead. She was a personal friend of Mr. Jones. 
 
 It is estimated that at least thirty thousand people looked into' his 
 face during the hours. Finally the doors were closed, and the Capitol 
 grounds were soon crowded again, when the doors were reopened, 
 and for ten minutes the people passed by the casket. If his body 
 could have remained there during the evening hours, after the day's 
 work had ended, there would have been not less than one hundred 
 thousand people who would have looked into his calm and blessed 
 face. 
 
 The body was removed from the Capitol to the Westview 
 Cemetery, the last funeral rite was read, and the casket placed in 
 the vault to remain there until removed to the family vault in Car- 
 tersville. 
 
368 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Sam Jones is Home. 
 
 Across the fields the light is softly stealing — 
 
 Sam Jones is home ! 
 Though at the cross of pain sad ones are kneeling 
 
 In sorrow's gloom, 
 'Round God's great throne joy's songs are loudly pealing — 
 
 That he is home ! 
 
 States on his bier their wreaths of fame are placing ; 
 
 And Time its home 
 Has opened and Fame's fingers, his name tracing, 
 
 Write him her own ; 
 But Georgia's arms for all time are embracing 
 
 Her son — at home. 
 
 Sin-shattered hearts that knew him here are feeling 
 
 The shadows lone — 
 But, ah, look up ye, who in grief are kneeling, 
 
 Ye hearts that mourn — 
 Above the clouds which round you now are stealing — 
 
 Sam Jones is home ! 
 
 O. G. Cox. 
 
BISHOP CHAS. B. GA^OWAY 
 
REV. GEO. R. STUART. 
 
Mtmatwl §>nmt& 
 
 A jmhltr tribute ttt % rijararter mxh utnrk af % late 
 
 #attwrf p^rto jfmra 
 
 JRgman Auditorium 
 
 gumfcag afternoon, ($ttabn iumttg-ngljil} 
 ®«t0-tl|ttrtg 0*jrhtrk 
 
 13 j 
 
Programme 
 
 Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald, Chairman 
 
 Mr. Allen G. Hall, Vice-Chairman, Presiding 
 
 I. 
 
 Music 
 
 Invocation . . . . . . . Rev. Wm. T. Haggard 
 
 II. 
 (Orations 
 
 " The Preacher" Rev. R. Lin Cave 
 
 "The Man" . . . U. S. Senator Edward W. Carmack 
 
 Music 
 III. 
 
 Rev. W. F. Tillett Prof. J. W. Brister 
 
 Prof. J. J. Keys Hon. John Bell Keeble 
 
 Music 
 IV. 
 
 Limited to those converted under Mr. Jones's preaching 
 
 V. 
 
 "His Last Days" Rev. Walt Holcomb 
 
 Music 
 
 VI. 
 Invitation Dr. R. A. Torrey 
 
 Doxology Benediction 
 
 Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Mkmoriai, Tributes. 
 
 There were memorial services held all over the country in honor 
 of Mr. Jones, and beautiful tributes paid him by devoted friends. 
 It has been impossible to speak of all these services, and publish the 
 many tributes. We mention the services in Nashville, Chattanooga 
 and Atlanta. These memorial services were held in the largest 
 auditoriums in these cities. The immense throngs began to pour 
 into the buildings soon after dinner, and sat from two to three 
 and a half hours. While every available space was occupied, the 
 people were turned away by the thousands at each place. 
 
 The Nashville American, in speaking of the memorial services at 
 the Jones-Ryman Auditorium, said : 
 
 "No more magnificent tribute has ever been paid to the 
 memory of any man, citizen, or soldier, by the people of 
 this section, than the expression of love and honor to the life 
 and character of Sam P. Jones, which they voiced at the 
 Jones-Ryman Auditorium on Sunday afternoon. The number who 
 came to pay tribute to this great man of God, to drop a tear upon 
 his grave, to express a personal sympathy at his death, to testify 
 to the great work for man and Christ that he had wrought upon 
 the people, was limited alone by the capacity of the building in 
 which the exercises were held. 
 
 "The meeting was called to order and presided over by Dr. Allen 
 G. Hall, moderator of the last General Assembly of the Southern 
 Presbyterian Church. The invocation was offered by Rev. Wm. T. 
 Haggard. 
 
 "Rev. Lin Cave, of the Christian Church, was the first speaker, 
 and paid a tribute to Mr. Jones as a preacher. He said : 
 
 " 'My heart prompts me to say I speak to you with feelings of 
 
 (371) 
 
372 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 emotion. He to whose memory we pay grateful and loving tribute 
 to-day was my friend, always ready to do me a kindness. Though 
 not thrown into close social contact with him as were some of you, 
 I loved him with a strong and steadfast affection. Death paints 
 our loved ones in softer and fairer colors, and brings us to see, as 
 we did not see before, 
 
 "Their likeness to the wise below, 
 Their kindred with the great of old." 
 
 " 'And so to-day, with an affection sanctified and strengthened by 
 sorrow, we appreciate his life and labors more highly than while 
 he lived. I have been asked to speak of him as a preacher, and in 
 doing so it is just and safe to say he stood among the foremost of 
 his time. He was the best-known evangelist in this country, and 
 ranks with the two or three best-known in the world to-day. He 
 was wonderfully endowed by God, and has blessed and helped to 
 save more people of all classes than perhaps any other preacher of 
 this generation. He enjoyed unusual and widespread popularity, 
 especially with the common people, and was greatly loved. While 
 his body was in the Capitol at Atlanta for a few hours, it is esti- 
 mated that fully thirty thousand persons came and looked on his 
 face. If all who had been cheered, blessed and led by him to a 
 better life could have followed his body to the grave, the cortege 
 would have been one of the largest ever seen on such an occasion. 
 It is justly claimed that to be a useful preacher, one must have 
 piety, natural gifts and skill. By this measurement Sam Jones was 
 one of the greatest and most useful preachers of any age. He was 
 a good man, pure in heart and life, rich in natural gifts and unex- 
 celled in skill and tact in the use of them. He was in no* sense a 
 theologian; he rather hated theology. He cared little or nothing 
 for creeds and the doctrines of men, but he loved Christ and 
 Christianity. Theology, he said, was man-made. Christianity was 
 of God. If I misrepresent Him, my brethren, call me down, for I 
 have no desire to do Him any injustice. This enlarged his useful- 
 ness and gave him such great power, far greater than I can fully 
 describe. Let me give, instead, the estimate of a leading secular 
 
Sam P. Jones. 373 
 
 journalist written some years ago: "If we were asked to analyze 
 the power of Sam Jones we would say that the chief elements are 
 clear mental vision, fearless soul, kind heart, and unbridled, witty 
 tongue. His good eyes enable him to see the world just as it is — 
 its sad things, its funny things, its sham things, its brutal things, 
 its terrible things, its beautiful things. His fearless soul leads him 
 to describe what he sees, and the immense force of truth and realism 
 becomes his ally. His kind heart enables him to denounce, yet not 
 drive away; to chastise, yet love; to punish, yet win the culprit. 
 His want of reverence for others, their ways of speech and of life, 
 unchains him from the shackles of cant, custom, routine, and con- 
 ventionality. It frees him from imitation. He thus gets room for 
 his own individuality to grow, his foundation to play. Being freed 
 entirely from the chains which enslave so many thousands of public 
 men, his genius shines like a star— inexhaustible, radiant." There 
 never was but one Sam Jones. In speaking further of his great suc- 
 cess and his influence as a preacher, I wish to say he. was abso- 
 lutely fearless, a man of both moral and physical courage. He 
 was ready at any time, and in any presence, to say what he be- 
 lieved God wished him to say, and he would have said it in front 
 of the cannon's mouth had he known that while speaking his body 
 would be blown to atoms. I think we may apply to him the famous 
 eulogy of Regent Murray at the grave of John Knox, "There lies 
 he, who never feared the face of man.'' He was at the same 
 time very humble. Notwithstanding his widespread popularity 
 and vast personal influence he had the spirit of humility, and was 
 always ready to yield his place if there was any one who could do 
 better than himself. Again, as a preacher, he was intensely prac- 
 tical and used present conditions and occasions with wonderful 
 effect. He was thoroughly earnest. Abrupt, terse, vehement, fiery 
 in style, his simple sentences at times were flashes of lightning in 
 a dark night, his words volcanic explosions from a fire long burn- 
 ing within, and all who heard them always felt their tremendous 
 power. Some one who has drawn a distinction between Cicero and 
 Demosthenes says when the former spoke people said, "How well 
 Cicero speaks," while, when Demosthenes spoke, they said, "Let us 
 
374 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 go against Philip." We may draw the same distinction between 
 him and many other preachers. When people hear them they say, 
 "How well they speak/' but when they heard him they were aroused 
 and moved to say, "Let us go and fight the devil and all forms of 
 sin." I have heard him at times in pathetic exhortation show such 
 bursts of passionate grief for lost souls that men who had been un- 
 touched and unmoved by others were made to tremble and weep as 
 children. Finally, he was loving and full of sympathy for lost hu- 
 manity, and all mankind. To strike and spare not, was the motto 
 with which he faced the sinner. To help and rescue, was the sec- 
 ond motto which redeemed the fearless first. He was as swift to 
 succor as he was to smite. He was as tender in healing as he was 
 terrible in arousement. He was full of the milk of human kind- 
 ness, and was the enemy of no man. He loved God and his fellow- 
 men, and those who abused him most bitterly will find out some 
 day that he was their real friend, and always aimed to do them 
 good. Some have criticised him for lack of refinement and his use 
 of ridicule and irony. Elijah is a striking example of the use of 
 ridicule in sacred discourse. He mocked the priests of Baal before 
 all the people. Ridicule was to him a fair way to expose the ab- 
 surdity of idolatry. All irreligion has aspects and elements that 
 are absurd, and it is allowable and useful to show this by irony and 
 ridicule. In Proverbs it is condemned as folly, and depicted with 
 the keenest sarcasm, and there are slight touches of irony and scorn 
 in the epistles of Paul. In my estimate of him, I do not forget the 
 well-known words of Cowper in his description of the preacher, 
 Paul would hear, approve and own. "He that negotiates between 
 God and man, as God's ambassador, the grand concerns of judg- 
 ment and of mercy, should beware of lightness in his speech. Tis 
 pitiful to court a grin, when you should woo a soul; to break a 
 jest when pity would inspire pathetic exhortation." He consecrated 
 humor, ridicule and wit as few, if any, have ever been able to do, 
 and tried always to use them only for God. 
 
 " 'May God bless and sanctify this service to the salvation of 
 every unsaved person here." 
 
 "Following Dr. Cave's tribute, Dr. D. B. Towner and wife, of 
 
Sam P. Jonss. - 375 
 
 Chicago, sang a very sweet and effective duet, entitled 'He Knows.' 
 
 "The next address was delivered by United States Senator, Ed- 
 ward W. Carmack, who spoke of him as 'The Man.' Senator Car- 
 mack's loving eulogy is printed in full : 
 
 " 'Ladies and Gentlemen : There needs no excuse for the ap- 
 pearance of a layman to participate in the exercises of this occasion, 
 for Sam Jones belonged to all the people, and the scopje of his in- 
 fluence was as wide as the whole field of human life and activity. 
 And so I have come to pay my brief and simple tribute to the 
 memory of one whose death is an affliction because his life was a 
 blessing to mankind. 
 
 " 'The world has often made heroes of its own worst enemies, 
 has called him greatest who has done most to multiply its sorrows, 
 has builded its monuments to the destroyers and not to the savers 
 of men. The time is coming when men will find some other stand- 
 ard for human greatness than genius linked with selfishness and 
 ambition, when the world's memorials will be wrought for those who 
 have served it best. When that time comes, few men will have or 
 deserve a higher monument than Sam Jones. 
 
 " 'There can be no nobler epitaph written above the dust of any 
 man than to say that the world is better for his having lived, and 
 only the records of eternity can reveal the magnitude of the work 
 that Sam Jones has done for his fellow men. 
 
 " 'With mental gifts that would have won him distinction in any 
 field of endeavor, he chose to devote all his powers to the services 
 of his Master and of mankind. He fell, a self-devoted victim in 
 the midst of his labors. We often say that the days of martyrdom, 
 when men died by the stake, or the fagot, for conscience sake, have 
 passed. But Sam Jones was as truly a martyr as any of old. His 
 own will bound his limbs to the stake of duty and his spirit kindled 
 the flame in which his body was consumed. Because he had no pa- 
 tience, no sympathy, with evil, the thoughtless or malevolent have 
 charged him with a want of charity. But he laid down his life for 
 humanity, and "greater love hath no man than this." It is a strange 
 aberration of reason that finds a want of love for mankind in a 
 hatred of everything - that is injurious to man. That was the only 
 hatred that ever found its way to the heart of Sam Jones. 
 
376 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 " 'There has been much speculation as to the secret of his mar- 
 velous success as an evangelist. In the early days of his fame, it 
 was freely predicted that he would prove a nine-days' wonder, whose 
 popularity would wane with the novelty of his style; but, though 
 he never changed his manner or his methods, he steadily grew and 
 increased in power, and death found him not yet at the zenith of 
 his greatness. 
 
 " 'The real secret of his success lay in the fact that Sam Jones 
 the preacher, never effaced Sam Jones, the man. He never made 
 himself an intellectual hermit whose mind lived apart from the 
 world and busied itself only with ethical abstractions. While the 
 basis of his nature was spiritual, he was intensely practical, in- 
 tensely human. While a careful reader of his sermons could not 
 fail to see the deep thought of a powerful mind, he prepared him- 
 self for his work, not so much by secret meditation in the closet, 
 as by keen observation of what was going on in the world. His 
 mission was that of a wise and faithful commentator on the daily 
 doings of men. He sought to enforce the lesson that to be a good 
 Christian you must be a good man, you must lead a good life. 
 In his phrase, "Quit your meanness," he summed up his conception 
 of practical repentance. "Cease to do evil, learn to do well" might 
 have been the text for every sermon he preached; and what was 
 evil and what was good he portrayed with objective vividness of 
 treatment by illustrations drawn from actual experience and the 
 daily life of the people. By direct and particular application, he 
 gave life and meaning to general precepts and invested his preach- 
 ing with a human and immediate interest such as no mere exegesis 
 of Scripture, however learned and eloquent, could ever command. 
 He thundered against the actual, visible manifestations of evil. He 
 held up to the public gaze the common vices of the time. He waged 
 war not against the devil in hell, but against the devil in this world. 
 
 " 'He was often criticised for the extreme aggressiveness of his 
 methods and the severity of his language. But Sam Jones wrought 
 with a rare knowledge of human nature. To treat the evil-doer 
 with too great tenderness and respect often serves only to flatter his 
 sense of self-satisfaction and confirm him in his evil ways. Sam 
 
Sam P. Jones. 377 
 
 Jones dealt with vice as a thing utterly detestable, and he would 
 admit no excuses for the vicious man. He covered him with the hot 
 lava of his scorn, he lashed him with ridicule, he made him mean 
 and contemptible in the sight of men. He thus humbled the pride 
 of the evil-doer, made him despicable in his own eyes, and drove 
 ■ him to reformation of his life as the only means of recovering his 
 self-respect. 
 
 ' 'He cared little — perhaps, too little, — for forms of doctrine. 
 His theology was expressed in the lines, 
 
 "For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, 
 He can't be wrong whose life is in the right." 
 
 " 'Even an avowed infidel was not so repulsive to him as actual 
 wickedness. He often said that the horns and hoofs belonged not 
 so much to the theoretical infidel as to the man who denied God, not 
 with his lips, but in his life. 
 
 " 'He once said that a poor sermon with the power of earnest- 
 ness behind it was more effective than the most powerful sermon 
 without the spirit of earnestness. One great secret of his own 
 power as a preacher was the intense earnestness, the manifest sin- 
 cerity of the man. All the powers of his splendid intellect could 
 not have made him the great evangelist he was if his words had 
 come cold from the brain instead of hot from the heart. 
 
 " 'In the earlier years of his career he was made the target, not 
 only for injudicious criticism, but the calumnies of the vilest char- 
 acter. He was not insensible — no man can be entirely so — to these 
 malevolent attacks, but he bore them with outward composure and 
 gave to slander its most crushing answer — a pure, upright life. 
 
 " 'He was sometimes criticised for overstepping the proper limi- 
 tations of a preacher's calling, and for dealing with matters foreign 
 to the pulpit. But Sam Jones was the man always as well as the 
 preacher, and his alert and active mind was interested in everything 
 that concerned the welfare of man. These criticisms were doubtless 
 sometimes sincere, but for the most part, these proceeded from men 
 whose way of life would not bear a particular application of gen- 
 eral precepts. These always prefer the kind of preacher who drones 
 
378 Sam P. Jonks. 
 
 vague abstractions to a somnolent congregation and deals with sin 
 in such a way as not to disturb the repose of the sinner. It was 
 because he was the reverse of this type that Sam Jones was such a 
 power for good in this world. 
 
 " 'But beneath all this frluntness of speech and manner was a 
 heart overflowing with love and charity. It was because he loved 
 the sinner that he hated sin. He but expressed his devotion to the 
 welfare of humanity in the intensity of his loathing for the vices of 
 his time. 
 
 " 'To those who knew him, he was a man easy to love — frank, 
 open, kindly, "with malice towards none, with charity for all." To 
 those who did not know him thus, we only need to point to the 
 fruits of his ministry. Men do not gather grapes of thorns nor 
 figs of thistles. A corrupt tree can not bear good fruit. Only a 
 great and good man — a man great in his goodness and good in his 
 greatness — could have yielded to the world, so great a harvest. And 
 finally, if he who saves a soul from death covers a multitude of 
 sins, how trivial, even in the eye of divine perfection, must seem 
 the failings of Sam Jones when he appears at the great bar encom- 
 passed by a throng of human souls rescued and redeemed through 
 his ministry/ 
 
 "Dr. W. F. Tillett, Dean of the Theological Department, Van- 
 derbilt University, was the first of the number selected to make 
 three-minute addresses. He said that he was glad to be permitted 
 to bring a rose from Vanderbilt and lay it on the grave of this 
 great man. 
 
 " 'As I sought the character and work of him we loved to call 
 Sam Jones, it seems to me it was he who struck the point where 
 our modern civilization needed attention. He touched the greatest 
 blot in our modern life, intemperance and the gambling-dens. Is 
 there a work that our reformers could do, that would be greater than 
 eliminating these evils ? That strong and mighty sentiment against 
 the open saloon that is growing greater every day, is due in no 
 small degree to the work of our friend and brother. This was 
 one of his greatest works, and I believe it will survive. 
 
 " 'I rejoice to be able to say that the man to whom we pay honor 
 
Sam P. Jonss. . 379 
 
 never delivered a message that the audience could not say that be- 
 hind his eloquent sermon was a pure Christian life. While many 
 times I grant he called forth a laugh at the expense of education 
 and theology, but if I had a boy at Vanderbilt University struggling 
 to get an education, and I had only to mention the fact to Sam 
 Jones, he furnished the necessary money to educate that boy. When 
 all things are considered, Brother Jones must be pronounced one of 
 the most remarkable, original and gifted men that Methodism has 
 ever produced. We may write his epitaph "He purchased deathless- 
 ness with death." 
 
 "The next three-minute address was delivered by Professor J. J. 
 Keys, of the Nashville High School. He said : 
 
 " 'The secret of Sam Jones's great power was his love for hu- 
 manity. He did not have to tell you that he loved you. It was 
 not necessary. He made you see yourself as you really were. I 
 first heard of him twenty years ago in Michigan, when a newsboy 
 passed through a train selling copies of his sermons. I devoured the 
 book at one sitting ; little did I dream then that some day I would be 
 called upon to take part in a great service like this in his memory. 
 Let us send up a prayer of thanksgiving that it was our blessed 
 privilege to sit at the feet of this great man and through him learn 
 the way of life/ 
 
 "Professor J. W. Brister, of Peabody College for Teachers, 
 made the next brief address : 
 
 " 'The whole nation, especially the South, mourns his loss. Nash- 
 ville grieves, and rightly so, as over the departure of an own son. 
 For here he did some of his most notable preaching, and here he 
 scored many of his greatest triumphs. 
 
 " 'From that first great meeting held yonder on Broad Street, 
 twenty-one years ago, his friends multiplied, and his service and 
 its benefits to our city increased with cumulative effect. 
 
 " 'Hardly a home in all the community but has indirectly felt 
 the influence of the mighty work he here wrought; and thousands 
 of them have been directly benefited and blessed. Hardly a church 
 in all the section but numbers among its members one or more 
 Sam Jones converts, and in many churches they may be counted by 
 
380 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 the score. And these converts, many of them, stand in the fore- 
 front of Nashville's religious leaders, faithful in building up and 
 strengthening the church, ready and zealous in every charitable 
 work, powerful in every movement for civic reform. 
 
 " 'Nashville owes him an incalculable debt. At her hands he 
 deserves all honor and praise. This splendid auditorium ought to 
 be rechristened the Jones-Ryman Tabernacle ; and on either side of 
 the great organ, some day to be installed, ought to be placed a life- 
 size statue — one of Sam Jones, who inspired the building ; the other 
 of Tom Ryman, his follower, who labored with unflagging zeal and 
 invincible faith towards its erection/ 
 
 "The last of these short speeches was made by Hon. John Bell 
 Keeble, of the Nashville Bar. While it was very brief, it was one 
 of the most appropriate speeches of the afternoon. He said that 
 'the common belief that the day of oratory was passed, is a fallacy. 
 The spoken word was one of the most potent powers for good, and 
 would always be. God has always used the voice of man to effect 
 His work on earth. John the Baptist, Paul, Jesus Christ were all 
 great orators. Sam Jones had the brain, the heart, the wit, humor 
 and pathos that set fire to the words that went from his month. 
 His eloquence opened the doors of men's money-safes, and caused 
 them to turn loose their money for the glory of God, and the belief 
 of men. The best of all, this man never prostituted his gifts of 
 oratory, but used them to bring men to God, to revitalize their lives, 
 to show them the cross of Jesus Christ, and so portray Him as to 
 cause men and women to yield to Him their services and dedicate 
 their lives to His cause.' 
 
 "After these brief addresses, Mr. Charles Butler, soloist in the 
 Torrey-Alexander meetings, sang 'The Glory Song.' A number of 
 persons who had been converted under Mr. Jones's ministry in Nash- 
 ville made one-minute talks, while many stood in all parts of the 
 building testifying in that way the appreciation of the man who had 
 led them to the Savior. 
 
 "The last address was delivered by Rev. Walt Holcomb, of Nash- 
 ville, who was with Mr. Jones at the time of his death. Mr. Hol- 
 comb spoke on 'His Last Days' as follows : 
 
Sam P. Jones. 381 
 
 . " 'Mr. Chairman and Friends of Brother Jones: From Carters - 
 ville I bring the love of the bereaved family, to the thousands of 
 friends of our glorified brother, who are gathered this afternoon to 
 pay honor to the memory of the truest friend Nashville ever had. 
 [Turning to Bishop Fitzgerald.] And to you, my dear Bishop Fitz- 
 gerald, Mrs. Jones sent special love because of your great love for 
 her late husband. Of all the cities where Mr. Jones labored, there 
 was none other that he visited so frequently, and spoke with deeper 
 solicitude and more tender affection. He loved Nashville. When 
 I look upon this sea of faces and follow the hundreds who were 
 turned away, and have watched you sitting here for nearly three 
 hours, I feel sure no city loved him better, and has suffered a greater 
 loss at his untimely death. 
 
 " 'I have been asked by your committee to speak on "His Last 
 Days." It was during his latter days that I knew him personally. 
 I shall never forget the first time I met him. It was at Charlotte, 
 N. C. I was in the Southern station waiting for a train. I heard 
 a conversation going on between a telegraph-operator and the man 
 who was sending the message. After the operator had counted 
 the words and looked at the signature, he threw up his eyes and 
 said, "Is this Mr. Sam Jones ?" "Yes, sir," he replied, "that's my 
 forgiven name. How much do I owe you?" "Well," said the 
 operator, "you don't owe me anything. You can't pay for a tele- 
 gram that I send." I walked up to him, extending my hand and 
 giving my name, and called attention to a Bible conference that I 
 was connected with at Montreat, N. C. He looked at me from head 
 to foot, as if he were sizing me up, as much as to say, "Kid, where 
 were you jumped up, anyway?" I tried to explain to him our con- 
 ference, while showing him the announcements. He said, "Well, 
 thank you, but I can read." Then he gave me a hearty grasp of 
 the hand and an earnest "God bless you," and boarded the train for 
 home. That day I was drawn to his kindly heart. 
 
 " 'A few months later he went to Wilkesboro, N. C, for a re- 
 vival meeting. On Thursday before the meeting began on Sunday, 
 I received a note for him, in which he said, "I can not go to Wilkes- 
 boro before next Monday. I want you to go up Saturday and 
 
382 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 'hold the fort' until I come." Saturday I went to Wilkesboro, and 
 along the way people from towns and the surrounding . country 
 were at the depots to get a peep at the great Georgia preacher. 
 Sunday morning came, and the large tent was crowded with people 
 to hear him preach. I preached the best I could to a disappointed 
 audience. From then till preaching to his last audience in Okla- 
 homa City, I never refused a request he made of me. Mr. Jones 
 always looked upon that meeting as the most marvelous, next to 
 the memorable meeting he held here, twenty-one years ago. The 
 liquor traffic was so entrenched in the county that its grip upon the 
 people was something appalling. He pitched into' that infernal busi- 
 ness, and at the close of the meeting Wilkesboro was practically a 
 temperance town, and Wilkes county, a temperance county. I 
 shall never forget the last service. Business had suspended, peo- 
 ple were there from far and near, and Mr. Jones took for 
 his text, "Lord, what wait I for?" He took up the sinner and 
 discussed the various excuses that they offer for not becoming 
 Christians. Such sarcasm, invective, ridicule, I never heard in all 
 my life. Such wit and humor was never crowded into an hour; and, 
 when he finished preaching, he had literally, by the help of the 
 good Spirit, ridiculed and laughed them out of their sins. When 
 the invitation was extended they ran over each other to get to the 
 altar. I shall never forget his radiant face. He had been sick, 
 weary and worn for months. He said, "I am a dying man." But 
 that morning heaven and earth seemed to meet, and he clapped 
 his hands and stamped his foot, and with the tears streaming down 
 his cheeks, exclaimed, "Thank God for a scene like this; there hasn't 
 been such a happy soul in my body in the last twenty years." 
 
 " 'One of Mr. Jones's favorite texts was "I have fought a good 
 fight ; I have kept the faith ; I have finished my course ; henceforth 
 there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." He was a real 
 Christian soldier, and fought the battles of life more manfully than 
 any one whom I have ever known. His faith was as simple and 
 mighty as that of a little child, and it was lost in the personality 
 of Jesus Christ. None ever entered the Christian race who kept his 
 eyes more fully upon the goal and strove harder to win the crown. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 383 
 
 No man ever lived who tried harder to get to heaven. His home- 
 going must have been as happy as a schoolboy running home. A 
 friend had this dream the night before his death. He dreamed 
 that he was in heaven with Mr. Jones. He saw him standing in 
 one of his characteristic attitudes near the pearly gate, with one 
 of his expressive and significant smiles covering his face, shouting, 
 "I got here at last; I pulled some of the steepest hills of any man 
 that ever reached the gates of pearl, and by the good Lord's reach- 
 ing down and snatching me away, I was saved from pulling steeper 
 ones." 
 
 " 'When I think how the devil tried to ruin his young life ; how 
 he tried to cripple him in his ministry; how he tried to defeat him 
 in the end, and had he succeeded, what a victory it would have been 
 for the devil and his kingdom, there comes to my heart peace and 
 joy that lift me above the indescribable sorrow and peculiar grief 
 I have felt. 
 
 " 'A prominent citizen of his town said to me, "I had just fin- 
 ished reading Mr. Jones's last letter in the Journal, written from 
 Oklahoma City, in which he said how he was fighting the world, the 
 flesh and the devil, when the telegram announcing his death was 
 received. While my heart was aching, I couldn't refrain from 
 shouting 'Glory to God, he has quit fighting the devil and gone to 
 playing with the angels.' " 
 
 " 'Last Monday morning, on a Rock Island train from Okla- 
 homa City, just fifty-two miles beyond Little Rock, Ark., we were 
 blockaded by a freight wreck. This was about four o'clock in the 
 morning. Mr. Jones arose and dressed about half-past five. He 
 sat and talked to the porter who was shining his shoes. Then suf- 
 fering from nausea, he called to his daughter to arise and har ', Twai 
 a cup of water. While waiting for the water, they were enge^d 
 in conversation, when suddenly he collapsed. She called me, say- 
 ing, "Oh, Mr. Holcomb, hurry to papa, I believe he is dying." In 
 a moment I was by his side with his hands in mine, drawing his 
 noble head to my heart, saying, "Oh, Brother Jones, what's the 
 matter?" He looked at me and attempted to speak, but the words 
 died in his throat. Then I realized that the fatal stroke had put 
 
384 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 an end to all that was mortal, to the best friend I ever had. His 
 noble wife, two of his daughters, Mr. Dunham and myself, had 
 clustered around, while a serene and heavenly expression formed 
 in his face. Without a struggle he left us as peacefully and quietly 
 as daylight ever glided away into eventide. We knew that his 
 white soul had slipped off to a brighter world. Perhaps God, in His 
 infinite mercy, caused the train to stop long enough for His wearied, 
 tired and faithful servant to lie down and die. 
 
 " 'Mr. Jones lived on trains more than any other man. He loved 
 railroads, steam-engines, fine cars and Pullmans. He loved the 
 railroad men from the president of the road down to the humblest 
 porter. Among the most beautiful illustrations that he used were 
 stories of railroad life and scenes. Next to his beautiful home, in 
 what place could he have passed away that would have been more 
 like home to him ? 
 
 " 'We watched over his sacred body until we reached Little Rock, 
 where it was turned over to the undertaker. The railroad officials 
 of the Rock Island offered every courtesy — even their own private 
 cars — to carry his body and family home. Upon our arrival in 
 Memphis, the president of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 
 Railway had a special train at our disposal. All along the way men 
 and women stood around the station with bleeding hearts, moistened 
 eyes, and uncovered heads, paying a silent yet mighty tribute to 
 the man they loved so well. Never was a train pulled more gently, 
 and seemed to be on a more sacred mission than the one that took 
 him home. 
 
 " 'Mr. Jones has always said that he wanted to die "in the har- 
 ness"; that he wished to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit, 
 and if, perchance he should see fit, to lead him through the hardest- 
 fought battle of his life, and after that, go home. Surely, this wish 
 was granted. 
 
 " 'In speaking to me he said, at the close of the Oklahoma meet- 
 ing, "This last year I have had three of the hardest campaigns of 
 my life." He then spoke of the arduous work in Cincinnati, in his 
 last great meeting, when victory crowned his labors. Then he 
 spoke of the difficult campaign in Evansville. Then in Oklahoma 
 
Sam P. Jonics. 385 
 
 City, when he had more to contend with, humanly speaking, and 
 yet through it all never murmured or complained, and had over- 
 come more than ever before. The last thing he said about it was, 
 "My hands seem to be in the mouth of a lion. I will pull them out 
 as gracefully and manfully as I know how." 
 
 " 'That evening on the train he was in a very happy mood. For 
 several hours he sat and talked with us. After supper he spent an 
 hour or more in conversation with some commercial men. He was 
 talking to them about the sins of men in general, and said if a man 
 had real respect and love for his mother, that he always stood a 
 fair chance of reformation, but when a boy allowed the love for a 
 good mother to die out of his heart, he was ordinarily beyond the 
 reach of God's love. He was preaching as earnestly to that hand- 
 ful as he had done a week previous to one of the largest audiences 
 of men that ever assembled in Oklahoma City. Leaving the men, 
 he joined the family circle again, and in a little while kissed each 
 member good-night. 
 
 " 'His attention was called to a poor consumptive with his broken- 
 hearted wife, who were in the day-coach. He immediately called 
 the Pullman conductor and had them assigned a berth. He said, 
 rising to his feet, "Captain, here is the money for the berth. If 
 that poor fellow should pay it himself, perhaps he wouldn't have 
 anything left when he reached Memphis. So I'll pay it, and I'll 
 have something left over." May I ask, "What had he left over?" 
 Before we reached Memphis he had gone to his reward. Here is 
 what he had left over: "For I was an hungered and ye gave me 
 meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and 
 ye took me in ; naked, and ye clothed me ; I was sick and ye visited 
 me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw 
 we Thee an hungered and fed Thee ; or thirsty, and gave Thee drink ; 
 when saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in; or naked and 
 clothed Thee ; or when saw we Thee sick and came unto Thee ; and 
 the King shall answer and say unto them : Verily, I say unto you, 
 inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my 
 brethren, ye have done it unto me." I had rather be called to 
 
386 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 heaven after having done a kindly deed like that than to leave any 
 other finished work in the world. 
 
 " 'Before retiring he went to the berth of the sick man, then ut- 
 tered the last words I ever heard him speak. He bowed by the 
 berth, taking the man by the hand, saying: "I'm sorry to see you 
 suffering so. I am glad that we found you, and can serve you. I 
 hope you will sleep well to-night. If you should need any help, 
 don't fail to call me. I shall be glad to come to you." Then turn- 
 ing to his wife, he said, "When we reach Memphis, I'll see that you 
 get transportation to your home." 
 
 " 'After Mr. Jones's death, I found some money on his person, 
 and recalling his last words to her, I went to the berth and said, 
 "Pardon me, but I heard Brother Jones speak of getting your trans- 
 portation, and wish to know if you have sufficient means to get 
 home.'' The tears came into her eyes, and she said, "That's one 
 thing that has been troubling me. We haven't enough money to 
 get home." I handed her the money, explaining that it was Brother 
 Jones's, telling her I would finish for him his last act of kindness. 
 
 " 'I have related to you my first impression of him, and recounted 
 some of the incidents of his last days. Now, I shall speak of him 
 as a man and preacher, as he appeared to me during his last days. 
 
 " 'In making a sympathetic study of Mr. Jones, we must consider 
 him first of all, as a man. I am proud of the respect given the min- 
 istry, because of its high and sacred calling, but I am prouder when 
 the world respects a minister, because of the manhood that lies back 
 of his profession. God never made a bigger nor grander thing 
 than when He created a man. I say it reverently, He can not make 
 a preacher out of anything but a man. And, if I were to start out 
 in search for the most manly man, I would not stop until I came 
 into the presence of Mr. Jones. Taking him as he daily lived, in all 
 the transactions of life, he was the most exemplary character I ever 
 knew. To my mind, he was the cleanest, noblest and grandest spirit 
 that has lived. I never saw him do a small deed ; never heard him 
 speak an unkind word, and never heard him offer an uncharitable 
 criticism. While his conviction of right and wrong were the strong- 
 est, his contempt for shams and hypocrisies were the keenest, and 
 
-Sam P. Jones. 387 
 
 his determination to do right the most indomitable; yet he had the 
 kindest, gentlest and most forgiving heart that ever throbbed in 
 the bosom of man. When he spoke of the people who did not come 
 up to his ideal of life, there was always such considerateness and 
 tenderness in his criticisms, that all the sting was extracted from 
 his words. He was as free from sensitiveness and jealousy as an 
 angel. As a man, I do not hope to see his like again.' 
 
 " 'As a preacher, he was the greatest that ever stood before an 
 American audience, and I believe that he will go down in history as 
 one of the greatest and most marvelous ministers of the gospel of 
 Jesus Christ. I have heard his most objectionable utterances, and I 
 wish to say that never for a second, did the words of the man in- 
 fluence me, but for God. There was a peculiar power that he 
 wielded in his most denunciatory words that made a man see the 
 pure and the good, and kept mere words from influencing the mind 
 for evil. I always went away from his preaching and lecturing loving 
 God better, with the Bible more real and precious to my heart, and 
 with a sweeter and truer love for mother and home. 
 
 " 'His great gifts in speaking were wit, humor, sarcasm, pathos, 
 all under marvelous control, and completely concentrated upon the 
 effect that he wished to produce. Never was there a day that he did 
 not create smiles and drive away the burden from the hearts of his 
 fellow men. He started waves of laughter and merriment that en- 
 circled our nation. His pathos was the rarest and sublimest ever 
 given to man. It was never more in evidence than the last night 
 he preached, in which he said, "How I would like to go to heaven." 
 The entire audience wept like broken-hearted children. His sar- 
 casm and invectives were of such keenness and sharpness that no sur- 
 geon's knife has ever served him better than these weapons served 
 him. His oratory, unlike that of other men, will go down in history 
 as the cleverest, most winsome and powerful of any man living or 
 dead. From generation to generation his unique and matchless 
 words will be handed down in private conversation, and it will re- 
 quire no printed page to preserve them. They will be repeated 
 again and again by those that are to follow us. 
 
 " 'The great audiences that attended his ministry for nearly 
 
388 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 thirty-five years outnumbered those addressed by any man since the 
 world began. 
 
 " 'At a Western Chautauqua he dropped in to spend a short while 
 with his family. When it was noised abroad that he was on the 
 ground, there was a general request that he preach. The director 
 of the Conference arranged the program so as to give the people an 
 opportunity to hear him. He was tired and worn out from a long 
 lecture tour, and refused to speak in the open air at the Hillside 
 meeting. Finally the rain drove the people into the auditorium, and 
 he was asked to address them there. The Rev. John McNeil, the 
 distinguished Scotchman, had been announced for the eight o'clock 
 hour. Mr. Jones preceded him, with the understanding that he 
 should speak as long as he felt impressed to, Dr. McNiel stand- 
 ing in the rear of the building while Mr. Jones was swaying the 
 great audience. The Scotchman seemed to forget that his time was 
 being encroached upon, and was watching the performance and 
 the scene with the greatest pleasure and delight. Just before nine 
 o'clock he walked up on the platform, and instead of being angry, 
 as some preachers would have been, he spoke in the most extravagant 
 terms of Mr. Jones's address. He said in substance : "I have crossed 
 the Atlantic, and returned to my Scotch people many times," and, 
 then, looking at a thousand or more prominent ministers, gathered 
 from the leading cities of the United States, he said : "Not once 
 have my people asked about any of you men, but they have always 
 asked 'Did you see or hear Sam Jones while in the States ?' I shall 
 take great pleasure upon my return in telling them that such an op- 
 portunity had been given me." After reading the thoughts of many 
 before him, he said: "Now, you preachers will say that anybody 
 can talk like Sam Jones. Well," replied McNeil, "I would advise 
 you to try it; if you have anything up your sleeves that will draw 
 the crowds, hold them, and move them, as this man does, you begin 
 at once. Whatever you have up your sleeve, shake it down next 
 time you appear before your people." The great "Scotch Spurgeon," 
 as he is known in th^ old country, realized that behind the wonderful 
 things that Mr. Jones had said was a strong will, a big heart, a 
 ponderous brain, and a powerful personality, consecrated to God, 
 
Sam P. Jones. 389 
 
 with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which accounted for the 
 wonderful power that he had wielded over the audience. 
 
 " 'In all of his ministry and work he had encountered many critics. 
 Some of them were really jealous of him, which was back of every 
 - fault they found in him. Others were too fastidious in this day of 
 great wickedness, in high and low places ; however, during his long 
 ministry most of them changed their minds. Perhaps nine-tenths of 
 them passed away before he died. The other tenth has been con- 
 verted in his death. 
 
 " 'Last fall in the Cincinnati meeting a prominent minister left 
 the great Music Hall in company with an unsaved man. As they 
 walked down the street, the preacher was critcising Mr. Jones un- 
 mercifully; the sinner was silent. They came to the parting of 
 their way ; the unconverted man took the minister by the hand and 
 said : "It seems that the sermon didn't affect you like it did me. All 
 the time he was preaching I felt that I was the meanest sinner that 
 ever lived, and realized that if God didn't help me that I was lost 
 for both worlds." On the way home the minister asked himself the 
 question : "How much of my preaching would it take to make a 
 man feel that way?" The more he thought about it the more he 
 became convinced that Mr. Jones was right and that he was wrong. 
 I noticed in the Cincinnati Twites-Star that he makes a manly con- 
 fession of his mistake, and writes a beautiful tribute to the memory 
 of Mr. Jones. 
 
 " 'I feel that I have lost the truest, noblest and best friend I ever 
 had. To say I loved him, expresses it mildly. God only knows 
 how his love and interest in me and my work have helped and 
 strengthened me. His memory will ever be fresh, sacred and sweet 
 to my heart. I am a better man for having known him and gone 
 with him through sunshine and shadow. May his great mantle 
 fall upon a thousand ministers of the gospel. God's richest, sweetest 
 and best blessing be upon his precious wife, and the children that 
 were dearer to him than life. In the language of another, I would 
 reverently say : 
 
390 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 " Sleep on beloved, and take thy rest, 
 Lay down thy head upon thy Savior's breast, 
 We loved thee well, but Jesus loved thee best; 
 Good-night ; good-night ; good-night." 
 
 "Dr. R. A. Torry, who was conducting evangelistic services in 
 the city, closed the memorial services with an earnest appeal to the 
 unconverted to come to Christ. He said: 'It was my privilege to 
 speak the closing words at a memorial service in Northfield, Mass., 
 of the late Dwight L. Moody. It is now my privilege to speak the 
 closing words at the memorial service of another great evangelist. 
 Sam Jones is now on the other side of the river saying to all the 
 unsaved of Nashville, "Come over here." 
 
 " While thousands in this city yielded to his appeals' during his 
 ministry, there are others who resisted his tender entreaties, but 
 now his voice is calling louder than it ever did before in this taber- 
 nacle. I don't believe that Mr. Jones would feel that this service was 
 complete unless an opportunity was given to accept Christ, and I 
 am going to ask those of you who will become Christians to rise to 
 your feet.' Quite a number arose, and then Dr. Hall asked Bishop 
 O. P. Fitzgerald to pronounce the benediction." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 (Memorial Services — Continued.) 
 
 The Memorial Service at the Auditorium, Chattanooga. 
 
 The citizens of Chattanooga have always claimed that there was 
 no city in which Mr. Jones and his work were held in higher esteem 
 than Chattanooga. He had conducted several meetings there, and 
 had appeared frequently on the lecture platform. The Chattanooga 
 papers had a great deal to say at the time of his death, and the peo- 
 ple were very generous in their words of expression and love. It 
 was soon suggested that a great memorial service be held in the 
 Auditorium, October 21st. The many friends and admirers of Mr. 
 Jones carried out the suggestion and arranged for the service. 
 
 Early in the afternoon great crowds were seen going towards the 
 Auditorium, and before the hour appointed for service people were 
 being turned back by the hundreds. The great Auditorium was too 
 small for the audience who came to participate in the service. It 
 was an audience made up of distinguished citizens, lawyers, physi- 
 cians, politicians, bankers and business men The audience was also 
 composed of the clergymen and Christian laity of the different de- 
 nominations. The platform was crowded with the pastors and 
 choirs of the city. 
 
 The opening song was "Nearer, my God, to Thee," led by Mr. E. 
 O. Excell, of Chicago, who was Mr. Jones's chorister for twenty 
 years, and was with him in the last meeting he held. The great 
 audience joined reverently in singing the grand old song. This was 
 followed by a duet, sung by Mr. E. O. Excell and Mr. Oscar Seagle. 
 The song was written by Mr. Excell, and entitled "I am Happy in 
 Him." This was followed by a prayer, when Mr. Seagle sang "The 
 Ninety and Nine." Mr. Seagle sang this song a number of times 
 
 (391) 
 
392 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 in Mr. Jones's great evangelistic meetings, and it was one of his fa- 
 vorite songs. Dr. J. S. French, of Centenary Church, read a scrip- 
 ture lesson, which was the last one that Mr. Jones read in public. 
 Mr. Excell sang the song that Mr. Jones loved best, "The Good Old- 
 Fashioned Way." 
 
 There were a number of brief tributes, but the leading address 
 was made by Rev. Geo. R. Stuart. Mr. Stuart was the constant 
 companion and co-worker of Mr. Jones for years, having gone from 
 the pastorate of the Centenary church, Chattanooga, to assist Mr. 
 Jones in evangelistic work. It was very appropriate that he should 
 make the principal address at this service. He said : 
 
 "My friends, an occasion like this has two objects, if properly ob- 
 served; the first is to pay proper respect to a great character, the 
 second is to bring to* God those who are present. 
 
 As I come to you this afternoon I feel that I could not properly 
 represent the life of this great man, if the second point were not 
 the prominent one. It would be a difficult thing to make the name 
 of Sam Jones any broader, to make his life any better known, or 
 to bring his work forward in bolder type than his life has written it. 
 
 We have met at this hour, in common with other great gather- 
 ings all over this country, to pay our tribute of respect and love to 
 a really great man. 
 
 He was great from every side of greatness in a preacher. First, 
 he was a good man. For sixteen years, I was at his side; we 
 roomed , together; we slept together; we prayed together; we 
 walked together; we planned together; we traded together. 
 
 This is one man whose heart and life I know, and I say to the 
 glory of God, and to his honor, that I write him down in my heart 
 as the cleanest, truest, straightest, best man God ever permitted 
 me to know. 
 
 On this platform stands Prof. E. O. Excell, of Chicago, who in 
 all these years was with us, and was even with him before I knew 
 him intimately, and, as we talked together the past four days we 
 have looked into each other's tearful eyes and said : "The greatest 
 man this country has ever known has passed away." He was a 
 good man ; not only good, but he was great. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 393 
 
 I have been with him before every class of audience this country 
 affords. I have stood for a month with him in the city of Boston. 
 I have stayed with him in the great tabernacles preaching to the 
 colored people in the South. I have stood with him in the great 
 country districts of our land. I have stood with him in every con- 
 ceivable place almost, and heard him talk to almost every conceiv- 
 able class of people, and before them all he was marvelously great. 
 
 The culture of Boston hung on his lips like the illiterate colored 
 man of the South, and he was the minister of righteousness to all 
 alike. The Supreme Judge sat side by side with a twelve-year-old 
 boy and their faces shone alike as he preached. 
 
 There are three things which make a man great : His goodness, 
 his inherent powers of greatness, and his service to the people. No 
 man has served his country for God like Sam Jones. 
 
 Standing by the side of his casket in the Capitol of Georgia at 
 Atlanta, I watched the thousands of people pass by. I said to a 
 man standing near : "Open your watch and see how many pass by 
 in a minute; I want a correct record of the people who look upon 
 his face." 
 
 After he held his watch a minute, I counted through the period 
 and estimated that thirty thousand people looked upon his face in 
 the few hours I remained there. 
 
 And as they passed by, hurrying along, I looked at the great, the 
 poor, the rich, the white, the colored, the little boy, the old man, the 
 little girl, the old woman, the strong, the feeble, and as I saw them 
 pass they wiped the tears from their faces, and I said to a man 
 standing beside me: "He preached marvelously while he lived; 
 but his cold lips preached to the greatest audience before whom he 
 ever stood." 
 
 He was not accidentally great; he was great by the facts and 
 qualities which make men great. 
 
 There are four things which make a great preacher; natural 
 gifts, and character to back up these gifts; a gathering of these 
 gifts together and the Holy Ghost to make these gifts sufficient. 
 
 Sam Jones was naturally gifted; he had a great mind; he was 
 a great student, not of books, but of men; of current events and 
 
394 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 moving social affairs. He was one of the best-posted men on the 
 great issues of this country that the country ever had. Going into 
 a great city, he would stand up and preach his two or three sermons 
 and the people would say, "Who has been talking to him?'* and 
 they would say, "Who has been reporting the situation to him?" 
 
 He could go into a great city and lay his fingers on its pulse, and, 
 like a skilled physician, tell the great disease prominent in its social, 
 moral and civil life. 
 
 He knew the great men of this country ; knew their lives ; knew 
 the great advances of this country and knew their trend. He knew 
 the great moral movements of this country and how they were set 
 in motion. 
 
 Never a morning came that the daily papers were not in his 
 hands, and when he passed over a paper you could not call his atten- 
 tion to a movement in this country he had not studied — a marvelous 
 mind, studying the marvelous movements of the age in which he 
 lived. 
 
 He was a marvelous judge of human nature; this was not acci- 
 dental. When God makes a great man he begins early to make 
 him. 
 
 A man who accepts God's conditions and God's circumstances, 
 and works out with God, God crowns with greatness his efforts. 
 
 He was marvelously endowed with natural wit, and humor bub- 
 bled and sparkled naturally with him. What a marvelous instru- 
 ment it has been to him ; how it has attracted the people, and how, 
 attracting the people, he has done honest work for God. 
 
 But all of these natural gifts would have been worth little to that 
 man having not been backed up by a great character. He had a 
 moral character which stood like a solid rock — he was the most 
 honest man I ever knew. 
 
 Think of him ! In a long life before the people, with his enemies 
 digging him up at every corner, there has never been revealed 
 to the world a solitary dishonest act. And how often he has said : 
 "A man who throws as many stones as I throw could not live in a 
 glass house." 
 
 Think of how the men have dug at his character, and dug at his 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 395 
 
 life. Where is the man who ever dug up a black act connected with 
 him? 
 
 Many have criticised him because he received large sums of 
 money, but, to me, the disposition of the money which has come 
 into his hands, through all these years, has been the most mar- 
 velous thing connected with the man. 
 
 He talked like a bosom friend to me, as he was; his life is an 
 open book to everybody. Almost every step of his life has been 
 published. 
 
 I can say what will surprise you, but I believe I tell the honest 
 truth when I say I don't believe he ever invested one single dollar 
 but that he invested it to help somebody else. He so often preached 
 the doctrine, too, that God will take care of those who take care of 
 His cause, which is singularly illustrated in his own life. 
 
 But God has in a strange way blessed him. He was one of the 
 most liberal, the most charitable men I ever knew. No man ever 
 came to him, in all my acquaintance, and reached out a hand and 
 begged for help that he did not get it. 
 
 Honest in his transactions, honest in his dealings with God's 
 money, honest towards the world, honest in friendship — no man 
 ever had a truer friend. There was no sham, no hypocrisy. I 
 never saw him do a thing for show in my life. He was sincere, 
 honest, and candid from beginning to end. 
 
 The characteristic that made him the greatest of all, probably, was 
 his indomitable courage. I never saw him cower. I never saw him 
 wince. I have sat with him in the hotel when men would come in 
 and say : "There are a hundred armed men organized who are 
 going to shoot at you when you go on the platform to-night." 
 When they were 1 gone he would look at me and smile and say, 
 "They are all scared." 
 
 We would get in the carriage and drive out to the tabernacle 
 and he would go in and step out on the platform. He would go 
 as calmly and quietly as I ever knew a man, and enter upon his 
 invectives of sin; and, in the very midst of his terrific arraign- 
 ment, he would stop and say, "Now is the time to shoot." 
 
 I have seen men come in and sit down in his room and say, 
 
396 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 "Brother Jones, it will not do to touch upon this, and that, and the 
 other subject in this town; it is so organized, so fortified, that to 
 stir it up will ruin everything." The first time he got on his feet 
 in that town he would put his crowbar under that very thing and 
 turn it upside down. 
 
 I never saw him stop a moment for fear of public criticism, or 
 human opinion of what would happen. He asked one question, and, 
 having answered it, he moved straight ahead. His question was, 
 "Is it right?" Having settled that, there was no other question 
 for him to answer. 
 
 God teach us a lesson from that. 
 
 But, with all these characteristics, Sam Jones would not have 
 been great but for another — that was the religion of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. That is the thing which made him great. 
 
 His faith was as simple as a child's faith. I never saw him raise 
 a question about the truth of the Bible, or the authenticity of the 
 Bible, the existence of God, or the divinity of Christ. 
 
 He walked upon these great truths, and planted himself. He 
 believed God would rule and control. 
 
 Many a time, in our hard-fought battles, when it looked to me as 
 if everything was going to burst, he would turn his calm face to 
 mine, and say, "George, God still lives; He will see us through." 
 
 I thank God that I ever came into contact with such an humble 
 and simple, but marvelous faith as that man had. He was conse- 
 crated to his work. 
 
 I have read his mail and seen him turn his back upon Bureau 
 letters, in which there were thousands of dollars offered for lecture- 
 courses, and talk with a plain preacher from a backwoods district 
 and take out his little book and write down the very dates for 
 which the Bureau called and give them to this humble place, and 
 leave the preparation and remuneration entirely to him. 
 
 In all my years of experience with him, I have never known 
 him to make financial conditions, but to one man, and he always 
 regretted that — the preacher said he would not do it in any other 
 way. They were afraid they were going to be robbed by him, I 
 suppose, and he let it go. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 397 
 
 Brethren, we stand to-day on this platform to offer this tribute 
 to a man who will be greater fifty years from now, in the minds 
 of the people, than he is to-day. 
 
 A Cartersville man, as he stood in Atlanta watching the great 
 throng passing by, whispered to me and said, "George, we didn't 
 know what a great man was living in our town; he has lived and 
 died before we found out how great he was." 
 
 This country has not yet found out how great he was. He has 
 talked to more people than any other man who ever lived in 
 America. There is no man to-day who has moved more people to 
 better lives than he. 
 
 He has led more people to consecration to God, and reformed 
 more men in their personal lives, and more communities in their 
 civil and moral conditions, than any man who ever spoke on the 
 American platform. 
 
 And I stand in my place and say to-day, that I do not believe 
 any preacher has ever died in America who is as sincerely and 
 broadly known as Sam Jones. 
 
 As I have passed up and down this country, railroad men, mer- 
 chants, citizens, preachers — every class of people have gripped my 
 hand and almost invariably a tear would start in their eyes and 
 they would say, "We have lost a great friend and a great man." 
 
 The last thing I want to say is this : "I want to thank God for ever 
 being associated with a man so honest through all his life, so brave 
 in all his conduct, so clean in all his transactions, so consecrated to 
 God's service, so simple in his faith, so baptized by the Holy Spirit, 
 and so marvelously useful to the cause of God and humanity. 
 
 This country will never forget the fact that Sam Jones lived and 
 denounced every wrong, and stood for everything right. May God 
 anoint men in this country to be true, honest and consecrated, 
 grave and fit for the work of God. 
 
 This one personal thing : I have felt for four days as if one whole 
 side of my being has been turned out. The loneliness has been 
 crushing — just to think that I will never see the man or hear his 
 voice again, or put my heart close up to him again. What a loss 
 personally. And the nation and the individual feels the loss almost 
 as a personal friend. 
 
398 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 Let us to-day pledge God a better life. Let us to-day in our own 
 lives reach out towards something higher, so that some bright day 
 we may go to the heaven in which he believed, and meet him, with 
 loved ones, in that better country. 
 
 God help us." 
 
CHAPTER XL. 
 
 (Memorial Services — Continued.) 
 
 Memorial Services in Atlanta. 
 
 The Atlanta people not fully satisfied with the honor they had 
 conferred upon Mr. Jones, decided to have a special memorial serv- 
 ice for him. As the Baptist Tabernacle was the largest auditorium 
 in Atlanta, and where Mr. Jones had preached so many times of 
 recent years, it was decided that the service should be held there. 
 The building had already been decorated for the homecoming 
 of Dr. Broughton, and while the decorations, might have been out 
 of place for memorial services to any other man, yet we believe that 
 the brightness and cheerfulness of the decorations would have 
 pleased Mr. Jones. 
 
 In the centre of the rostrum was a vacant chair, just above it a 
 life-sized picture of Mr. Jones. Just to the right of the pulpit was 
 this inscription: "Sam P. Jones, Georgia's Beloved Dead." Aside' 
 from this there was no sign of mourning. There was an outpouring 
 of the people. Early the building was full to overflowing, and thou- 
 sands were turned away. Row after row of earnest faces, young 
 and old, rich and poor, high and low, with a sense of the sacredness 
 of the hour listened attentively amid smiles and tears, to the words 
 of the speakers. 
 
 Mr. William D. Upshaw opened the exercises with a very beauti- 
 ful tribute to Mr. Jones, and then turned the services over to ex- 
 Governor Northen, who presided. After prayer by Dr. C. E. Dow- 
 man, of the First Methodist church, Governor Northen spoke briefly 
 of Mr. Jones, saying he stood for three things : First, for a strong 
 conviction of duty ; second, for a great purpose in life ; and third, for 
 a remarkable individuality. He labored for God and humanity, said 
 the Governor, and labored in his own individual way. He was al- 
 
 (399) 
 
400 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 ways himself and never tried to be anything but himself. He was 
 unique in the service of God and humanity. 
 
 There were brief addresses by Mr. Reuben Arnold, Mr. J. K. Orr, 
 Dr. Chas. O. Jones, Chief Henry Jennings, Dr. C. E. Dowman, and 
 Rev. Walt. Holcomb. 
 
 The service was interspersed with several beautiful gospel songs, 
 which were some of Mr. Jones's favorites. Mr. Edwin R. Smoot 
 sang "I Want to Go There" ; Mr. Charlie Tillman sang, "Unan- 
 swered Yet"; and Messrs. Tillman and Smoot sang, "Saved by 
 Grace." 
 
 REMARKS OF RSUBDN R. ARNOLD AT THE) SAM JONES MEMORIAL,. 
 
 "Lives of great men are the strongest lessons humanity can have. 
 It is for this reason biographies are written. It is for this reason we 
 scan with close scrutiny the birth, the environment, the growth, the 
 characteristics, the successes and the failures which mark the ca- 
 reers of the illustrious dead. Well has it been said that the proper 
 study of mankind is man. The history of the world, so far as it 
 entertains or instructs us, is only the history of the human race. 
 
 "While it is said that no man's life can be truly chronicled until 
 the impartial hand of the future historian lifts the veil, still it is a 
 glorious sentiment which calls us together over the bier of a departed 
 brother to discuss his virtues and glean from his life its teachings. 
 In his life Sam Jones has been so recently a part of our country's 
 history, that under the inspiration of these surroundings, under the 
 spell of this music, I feel that he has burst the cerements of the tomb 
 to be with us again. 
 
 "Sam Jones was a pioneer in his particular field of evangelistic 
 work. No narrowness of creed held him in its grip. His soul was 
 as broad as the universe. No denomination could claim that he be- 
 longed peculiarly to it. In death, as in life, he was the common 
 property of us all, and before he was surrendered back to the earth, 
 it: was meet that his body should lie in state in the marble halls of 
 Georgia's Capitol, where the people he loved so well could take a last 
 look at his mortal remains. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 401 
 
 "Mr. Jones's career shows the remarkable possibilities of American' 
 life. The opportunities afforded in our republic bring out all of 
 merit that there is in every citizen. With no training for the minis- 
 try, Mr. Jones rose to heights that few men, bred to the cloth, can 
 ever hope to attain. As I listen to the story of his life, it reads like 
 some dream. And his was not a career that shot up suddenly, and 
 as suddenly, like a rocket, shot down again. He became a fixed star 
 in the firmament, and his lustre grew brighter with the years. 
 
 "His career shows that strong traits of character will assert them- 
 selves and break through all environment. He began life as a law- 
 yer, but that calling did not suit him. His life as a lawyer ended 
 with a short period of dissipation. But though dissipated for a 
 short season, Sam Jones never could have been anything but a good 
 man. This straying away before taking his final step for good made 
 him all the stronger when he turned his face towards the light. It 
 was impossible for him to have wandered except for a brief season. 
 The Arabian philosophers applied to those who were possessed of 
 mental vagaries this test : 'If thou be such by the will of God, then 
 remain as thou art; but if thou be such as the result of mere pass- 
 ing conjuration, then resume again thy former shape.' Sam Jones 
 fairly rushed to his great work for which he was, above all men> 
 fitted by nature. 
 
 "His methods were not artificial. He talked in simple language^ 
 as do all great men. He imitated nobody. He realized the great 
 truth that if a man is to have force it is by being himself. He spoke 
 great truths in a line which other men would take pages to cover. 
 He reached men whom the more scholarly could not impress. There 
 is no calculating the good he has done. 
 
 "He was absolutely fearless. Like Brutus, he was armed in hia 
 honesty that the threats of the vicious passed him by as the idle, 
 wind which he heeded not. 
 
 "And yet with all the force, with all his denunciation of crime and 
 
 vice, there was not the slightest touch of bitterness in anything he 
 
 said. Those who differed with him, respected him. He exemplified 
 
 the great truth that vice and sin are to be denounced, but the poor 
 
 1*3 
 
402 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 erring mortals who succumb to them are to be pitied and reformed — 
 not hated and driven further from the path of right. 
 
 "He had wonderful balance, common sense and judgment. In 
 reading his newspaper articles, I was struck with his knowledge of 
 politics, economics and other material questions. 
 
 "But the crowning glory of Sam Jones's method of discourse was 
 his never-failing sense of humor. It was this power which attract- 
 ed other men and first got their attention. He was then enabled to 
 drive home his great truths. 
 
 "In conclusion, let us hope that long may the memory of this 
 wonderful man live in our country ; and I am thankful for the priv- 
 ilege of being able to say a word in praise of his virtues." 
 
 Dr. Len G. Broughton, pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist church, 
 made the closing address, which is as follows : 
 
 "Perhaps there is no man in Atlanta to-day who feels just the 
 same kind of sorrow that I feel. Sam Jones and myself were very 
 intimate in our relations. I do not know why he should have con- 
 descended to be such a close, personal friend to me, but he never- 
 theless was one of the best friends I ever had. Two years ago he 
 stood on this very platform on the occasion of a welcome service 
 arranged for me by my people upon my return from two months' 
 preaching engagements in London. Those of us who were present 
 at that time will never forget his humorous and at the same time 
 beautiful words welcoming me back to my place and to my people, 
 
 "It seems a bit strange that to-day being my first service after my 
 return from another preaching engagement in London that I should 
 be standing here speaking these words in a memorial service to 
 him. It is one of the hardest tasks that I have ever had to perform. 
 I first heard of his death off Sandy Hook, as my ship cast anchor, and 
 the pilot came on board bringing the mail. The news was conveyed 
 to me by my wife. She had just heard it, and hastened to write me. 
 I shall never forget the feeling of my heart as I read the sad words : 
 'Sam Jones is dead. He died on the train near Little Rock, Ark. 
 Sad! sad! sad!' I went immediately to my cabin, shut the door 
 behind me, and cried like a child. As soon as I got ashore I hast- 
 ened to a telegraph office and telegraphed his good wife, saying: 
 
Sam P. Jon^s. 403 
 
 'My heart is with you to-day. I leave on the next train for home. 
 Can I serve you ?' 
 
 "I had no idea at that time that this memorial service in our Tab- 
 ernacle was being arranged, so I telegraphed my assistant, Mr. E. 
 H. Peacock : 'Arrange for Sam Jones's memorial at the Tabernacle 
 Sunday night/ 
 
 "As I came along down through the States I got the Atlanta 
 papers, and they told me of this memorial service which was ar- 
 ranged to be held this afternoon, and that I was to be one of the 
 speakers. I knew then, of course, that Mr. Peacock would not 
 arrange for the service at night ; that this would do for us all. 
 
 "In speaking of Sam Jones, I wish to do so under three differ- 
 ent heads : 
 
 "First, Sam Jones as I first knew him; second, as I last knew 
 him; and, third, as I shall know him. 
 
 "Sam Jones, as I first knew him, was a curiosity. I came in touch 
 with him just after I entered the ministry. I was attending a con- 
 vention in Goldsboro, N. C, and he lectured at the opera house. He 
 gave his lecture, 'Get There and Stay There/ Well, to say I was 
 impressed does not express it. To me, as I now remember him, he 
 was the funniest man I ever saw; and then, too, he was the most 
 pathetic man I ever saw. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. 
 One thing I shall never forget, and that was a story that he told. 
 He said when he was a circuit rider in the mountains of Georgia 
 an old preacher came to him one day and said : 'Sam, you know I 
 can out-preach you any day, and yet the people of my circuit are 
 leaving me every Sunday and coming over to hear you preach. I 
 want you to tell me why it is, and, if you can, tell me how to prevent 
 it; for it has come to pass that I never have more than a baker's 
 dozen to hear me/ 
 
 "Sam said : 'My brother, if you will do what I tell you, it will not 
 be so. You will have no trouble in keeping your crowd/ 
 
 '"Well," said the old . preacher, 'I will try/ 'No/ said Sam, 
 'you must promise to do exactly what I tell you/ 'All right," said 
 he, 'anything to get a crowd/ 'All right/ said Sam ; 'next Sunday 
 when you go to church begin promptly at n o'clock; announce 
 
404 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I 
 |! 
 
 your. hymn, read your text, and then stop. You will probably see 
 some of the old bench-warmers sitting on the front pews about half 
 asleep. Double up your fist, strike the palm of your hand, and say : 
 "Boo!" Say it just as loud as you can. If nobody moves, do so 
 again, and again ; and still if nobody moves, jump off the platform 
 and grab the first one that you come to by the back of the neck and 
 pitch him outdoors heels over head. Get back on the platform, look 
 out over the house, and you will see the last man going out, and 
 he will do what the last man always does, look back to see what is 
 taking place. Just as he looks back, double up your fist, strike the 
 palm of your hand again and say "Boo !" as loud as you can. He 
 will then jump up twenty feet, and light on the ground. Then, you 
 make for your old gray mare, say as you go through the yard, 
 "Brethren, I will preach here again next Sunday morning at n 
 o'clock." If any one starts to you, just say "Boo!" Go home and 
 lock yourself up in your room. 
 
 " 'In a few hours' time the reporters from Atlanta will be up. 
 They never heard of you before, but they will be there to interview 
 you and to see what has come over you. Do not let them into your 
 room whatever you do. Finally they will begin to beg, and when 
 they do, you put your mouth to the keyhole and whisper, "Boo!" 
 Tell them all you have to say is you will preach again next Sunday 
 morning at 1 1 o'clock at the same old stand. 
 
 " 'Those reporters will at once leave, and next morning in the At- 
 lanta papers there will be great headlines — "Boo! Boo! Boo!" etc. 
 Think of it ! Two columns on the front page in the Atlanta papers 
 all about you! They have never heard about you before. Next 
 Sunday morning go to church, and when you get there you will 
 find five thousand people. They will be from all sections round 
 about, and at least half a dozen newspaper reporters will be in the 
 crowd.' 
 
 " 'Oh, pshaw, Brother Jones,' said the old preacher, 'hush your 
 foolishness. What on earth will they be there for?' 'Yes,' said 
 Sam, 'that is just exactly what I expected you to ask. That is just 
 what I wanted you to ask. They will be there to see and hear a 
 man who has done something. That's what they will be there for. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 405 
 
 The trouble with you, brother, is, you have said enough, but you 
 have not done anything, and what this world wants is men who do 
 things.' 
 
 "I say I shall never forget this story. I am sure no one else ever 
 will after they have heard it. It made a great impression upon me, 
 especially coming as it did at the very time I entered the ministry. 
 1 am sure I profited by it more than I will ever be able to tell, for 
 from that day until this I have tried to do something. I have failed 
 in many respects, indeed in most of them ; but it has not been be- 
 cause my intentions have not been good. I thank God for that 
 story and for the blessing that it brought into my life. This was 
 Sam Jones as I first knew him, and through all the years that have 
 intervened he has been the same practical, common-sense philoso- 
 pher.- I have never seen a day since then that I have not believed in 
 him. I have preached with him many a time, and have held meet- 
 ings with him. He has held meetings with me. This pulpit has 
 always been open to him. He knew it. Whenever he wanted to 
 come to Atlanta he felt perfectly free to write me and say : 'An- 
 nounce me for Sunday. I will be down to preach for you.' One 
 time I remember his calling me up over the 'phone and saying: 
 'Don't you think your people need a little stiffening in their back- 
 bones ? If so, announce me for Sunday. I will come down and do 
 my best.' 
 
 "He was always my friend. By pen and by word he always spoke 
 a good word for me. Sometimes I have felt that he did it under 
 protest, for I did not see how any man could so completely ignore 
 my mistakes to exalt my virtues; but he was always charitable 
 enough not to criticise me for my mistakes. No man ever had a 
 greater, braver and truer champion than I had in Sam Jones. 
 
 "I want now to say a word about him as I last knew him. It was 
 just before I started on my recent trip to England. We met on the 
 streets of Atlanta. We talked awhile, and then separated. He 
 said to me : 'Broughton, you are going to London. Preach old ser- 
 mons while you are there. Take a rest as far as possible, for if you 
 don't mind you are going to kill your fool self. You know,' con- 
 tinued he, 'you haven't got much sense, and you are working what 
 
406 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 you have got mighty hard trying to make up for what you "hain't" 
 got.' Everybody knows that this was just like him. He was 
 always free with those he loved. They understood it, and thorough- 
 ly enjoyed it. I remember during that conversation another thing 
 he said. We were talking about our work at the Tabernacle, and 
 especially about our Tabernacle Infirmary. He said : 'I know you 
 are always in a strain to get money for your different institutions, 
 and especially the hospital, but don't worry about those things. If 
 you get in a tight, call on me. Take it easy. I am going to be dead 
 some day, and I want you to be here to fight when I am gone.' This 
 is how he appeared to me when I last knew him, the same jolly, 
 joking, optimistic character, full of wit as keen as the point of a 
 needle, yet deep in sincerity and forceful in application. 
 
 "He went with the harness on, the same old harness that he had 
 worn these years. Unlike many men, he had retained his individ- 
 uality, the same individuality that characterized his early life. He 
 seemed to have been cut out for a definite work, and God kept him 
 straight at it until the day of his death. 
 
 "I wish now to say a word about him as I shall know him, for 
 I truly expect some day to strike hands with him again. What a 
 great meeting that will be! How interested we will be in each 
 other's story ! He will be telling me how he has found it in heaven, 
 and I will be telling him how things went on after he left us. It 
 will be a great meeting time, for we shall not lose any of our 
 friendship by reason of the separation. It was too true for that. 
 True friendships are not interrupted by separation. They abide 
 forever. 
 
 "But I find that I can not trust myself to speak on this line. Only 
 let me give you these words. They seem to suit just here, because 
 they draw a contrast between the two worlds, earth and heaven : 
 
 "Down below a sad, mysterious music, 
 
 Wailing from the woods and on the shore ; 
 Burdened with a grand, majestic secret, 
 Which keeps sweeping from us evermore. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 407 
 
 "Up above, music that entwineth, 
 In eternal threads of golden sound, 
 The great poem of this strange existence, 
 
 All whose wondrous meaning hath been found. 
 
 "Down below, the grave within the churchyard, 
 And the anguish on the young face pale, 
 And the watcher, ever as it dusketh, 
 Rocking to and fro with long, sad wail. 
 
 "Up above, a crowned and happy spirit, 
 Like an infant in the eternal years, 
 Who shall grow in light and love forever, 
 Ordered in his place among his peers. 
 
 "Oh, the sobbing of the winds of autumn! 
 Oh, the sunset streak of stormy gold ! 
 Oh, the poor heart, thinking in the churchyard, 
 Night is coming and the grave is cold! 
 
 "Oh, the rest forever, and the rapture! 
 Oh, the hand that wipes the tears away ! 
 Oh, the golden homes beyond the sunset! 
 Oh, the God — that watches o'er the clay!" 
 
 Tribute by the Rev. A. W. Lamar. 
 
 The death of Rev. Sam P. Jones was a national loss. No man 
 who has lived in America has ever spoken to so many people as he. 
 For thirty years he went up and down the land preaching civic 
 righteousness; preaching temperance; preaching family religion; 
 preaching salvation. He gathered and held longer greater audiences 
 than any man of whom history tells. There was a charm to his 
 wonderful voice; there was a fascination in his quaint and homely 
 way of putting things ; there was a keen edge to his sarcasm ; there 
 was a spontaniety to his wit that astonished ; his repartee was in- 
 
408 Sam P. Jon*;s. 
 
 vincible; his humor disarming; his reasoning cogent and unan- 
 swerable; his philosophy was deep, underlying even his most 
 trivial utterances; his eloquence was often sublime and overpower- 
 ing. He had the eye of the eagle for seeing things afar, and the 
 heart of goodness to love the truth seen. He understood human 
 nature in all its moods and tenses, and he knew how to play upon 
 every string of the harp of a thousand strings. He understood, as 
 few public speakers understand, the uses of humor and pathos in 
 public address. For this reason his spiritual surgery amputated 
 more limbs than any other spiritual surgeon, and killed fewer 
 patients. 
 
 Princely soul ! Generous ! Gentle ! Fearless ! Gifted above the 
 millions of men, yet full of true humility ! Lover of God, and lover 
 of men — will this earth ever hear again the voice or throb to the 
 footfall of another like him? 
 
CHAPTER XIJ, 
 
 Appreciations prom Distinguished Men. 
 
 Bishop O. P. Fitzgerald. 
 One of the Bishops of the M. E. Church, South. 
 
 Sam Jones ! that is what we loved to call him while he was yet 
 with us. That is what we love to call him now since he is gone. 
 The familiar name — a household word in all this land we love — 
 meant so much that was dear and sacred to us. It meant more than 
 can be known fully by any man who did not know Sam Jones. 
 
 Sam Jones ! The name with us stood for a courage that stood all 
 tests. In its mildest manifestation that courage amounted to au- 
 dacity. In its highest sweep it reached a moral sublimity that it 
 would not be easy to describe in words. Sam Jones fought real 
 evils that had strong defenders. He knowingly roused the wrath 
 of enemies who hated him for his cause's sake. Every evil thing 
 felt weaker when he was in the midst. 
 
 The coming of Sam Jones always made a stir ! It meant a fight 
 between darkness and light. Sam Jones in Atlanta, Nashville and 
 elsewhere was like Paul at Ephesus : the men who sold the whisky, 
 shuffled the cards, and ran the faro banks in these American cities 
 acted like the makers of the shrines of the goddess Diana. They 
 attacked Sam Jones for the same reason ; their craft was in danger 
 as long as that voice of the man of God was left free to speak the 
 truth. That voice burnt in their consciences like fire. 
 
 Sam Jones ! To us that name stood for a faith like that described 
 in that precious eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, 
 telling us of "the elders who by faith obtained a good report." When 
 the telegram went from lip to lip in Nashville saying, "Sam Jones 
 
 (409) 
 
410 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 is dead !" great was the shock in all circles. It seemed to me almost 
 as if an audible voice whispered in my inner ear : Another name for 
 that list of worthies who by faith obtained a good report. 
 
 Sam Jones's faith was the secret of his power. He had the faith 
 that took Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. His faith was 
 choice: the way was plain, the truth was clear, the life was real. 
 If Sam Jones ever had doubts, he never carried them into the pul- 
 pit. No, no! he carried them to God in the secret place, that God 
 who sees in secret and rewards openly his faithful servants. If a 
 poor, bewildered, despondent soul came to hear the gospel as Sam 
 Jones preached it, he felt the touch of a man with the power of a 
 mighty faith in God.- 
 
 Sam Jones spoke the language of certainty in the pulpit. Con- 
 version as he knew it brought a great peace to the pardoned soul. 
 Consecration as Sam Jones knew it and preached meant a complete 
 self -dedication to God that brought from God a joy that was divine. 
 
 Sam Jones, when he drew the line between the church and the 
 world, describing the joys that last in contrast with the things that 
 perish with the using, had in his testimony the note of victory from 
 a man who had fought that battle and won it. That note of cer- 
 tainty in his preaching was the outcome of an experience that was 
 all his own. What he had felt and seen with confidence he told. 
 
 Sam Jones did verily possess that power of faith that produced 
 its fruits as described by the apostle Paul in Hebrews xi. 23, 24 : 
 "Subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises. ,, 
 
 The victories of Sam Jones were the victories of faith — the faith 
 that chooses Christ, the faith that believes Christ, the faith that 
 obeys Christ, the faith that receives with holy gratitude the peace, 
 the love, the power that Christ imparts to the receptive soul. 
 
 Sam Jones was so very human that he got close to all sorts of 
 people. That humanness in him made his pathos irresistible. Sam 
 Jones was akin to every one who had known trouble. And that 
 took us all in, for none have escaped. He was a follower and an 
 apostle of that Christ who to those that were able to bear it made 
 sorrow the badge of discipleship and the door of entrance into the 
 larger liberty and clearer light promised to those who are told that it 
 
Sam P. Jones. 411 
 
 they ffer with Him here they shall also be glorified together with 
 Him. 
 
 Sam Jones's gospel was a glad gospel. His Saviour was a Sa- 
 viour mighty to save. 
 
 But Sam Jones, it goes without saying, was not blind to the tragic 
 side of this world whose mysteries we can not fathom, this world 
 whose tragedies were deep enough to bring to its rescue the Son of 
 Cod, this lost world which He came to seek and to save. Sam 
 Jones's conception of sin was bitter ; he had felt its sting ! He had 
 wrestled with its mystery; he had groaned under its intolerable 
 burden. He looked upon sin as the enemy of God and the destroyer 
 of men. To Sam Jones Satan was no abstraction or creature of the 
 imagination, the imaginary head of a shadowy kingdom of dark- 
 ness. No, no! The hell against which Sam Jones warned his 
 hearers he described in New Testament language. It should not be 
 thought strange that those warnings, thus expressed, were so often 
 attended by that strange power of conviction accompanying New 
 Testament truth expressed in its own very words. Yes, truly, Sam 
 Jones believed in a God who hated sin. The lurid pictures he drew 
 of the sinfulness of sin, and of the doom of the sinner unrepentant 
 and unpardoned could not have been drawn in milder colors by an 
 honest preacher who believed what Sam Jones professed to believe. 
 He was awfully in earnest, and that earnestness expressed itself in 
 the language of the Book itself — and this was a secret of Sam 
 Jones's power. 
 
 But the secret that lay deepest of all is found in the fact that the 
 Holy Ghost bore witness to the truth as it is in Jesus, according to 
 His own promise, and in the use of His own marvelous methods. 
 To Sam Jones the Pentecostal dispensation meant the coming of 
 Pentecostal power whenever and wherever it was invoked under 
 Pentecostal conditions. Sam Jones was a battery charged, and 
 trailed directly against the forces of evil. Bless his brave, true 
 heart ! His answer to the threats that were sometimes made against 
 him was usually expressed in terms of mingled defiance, ridicule and 
 pity toward those who threatened. 
 
 That last element of Sam Jones's power — a pity that was like the 
 
412 Sam P. Jone;s. 
 
 pity of the pitying Christ for sinners — was the chief element of his. 
 power as an evangelist. That pity can have but one Source. It can 
 not be counterfeited successfully. It can not be resisted by even the 
 coldest and hardest hearts. The preaching that lacks this pity, 
 whatever else it may have that might commend it to the carnally- 
 minded, is only a sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal. The love 
 of Christ constrained Sam Jones. That love he expressed mostly in 
 Christ's own way, reciting to the people in Christ's own words what 
 He had said, or illustrating His love by Christ's own acts. 
 
 In one of Sam Jones's evangelistic gatherings there was usually 
 that which reminded us of New Testament times and doings. The 
 great crowds, the tenderness that melted all hearts, the satire that 
 made sin look so cheap and silly, the methods that broke over all 
 conventionalities — what came with Sam Jones was something like 
 what is here described. It got to be so that where he came at the 
 call of any community, a great stir of this sort was looked for, and 
 there was no disappointment — for God was with him. The notes 
 of victory in his last battle were still in his ears when he started to 
 his home in the Georgia hills, but, as it proved to be, to that home 
 prepared for him by his Lord up yonder where sin and sorrow can 
 not enter. To that home Sam Jones had directed many in the name 
 of his Master. They are together with Him now. 
 
 Among the readers of this chapter those who know. Sam Jones 
 as I did will repeat with me the words we find in i Corinthians 1 5 : 
 57 : "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 Nashville, Tenn. 
 
 ReX J. Wilbur Chapman., D.D., 
 Secretary General Assembly's , Committee on Evangelistic Work. 
 
 It has been my privilege to know Rev. Sam P. Jones for a number 
 of years. I first heard him in 1887 when I was a pastor in Albany, 
 N. Y., and he was conducting meetings with Prof. E. O. Excell at 
 Round Lake, not far from Saratoga Springs. I heard him preach 
 a sermon on "All things work together for good," and I can still 
 repeat the outline, and remember the sermon as if it were preached 
 
Sam P. Jones. 413 
 
 yesterday, and the impression it made upon me. I came away from 
 that service with one of the most distinguished preachers in our 
 country, and I heard him say after he had listened to the same ser- 
 mon : "I have heard to-day the greatest preacher which it has ever- 
 been my privilege to hear." 
 
 I consider Sam Jones one of the most remarkable men of his 
 generation. He was peculiarly called to God to rebuke sin. His 
 wit and his wisdom came from an inexhaustible source of supply. 
 He was not always understood. Now that he is gone, however, 
 the references of all the newspapers to him, almost without excep- 
 tion, say that he has made his place in church history, and the fol- 
 lowers of Jesus Christ, not only to-day, but in days to come, will; 
 rise up to call him blessed. 
 
 He loved God, as was clearly indicated in his preaching, and he. 
 loved men. Some of the greatest sermons that have ever been de- 
 livered to men flowed from his lips and rose from the depths of his. 
 heart. God not only gave him wide observation and a great expe- 
 rience, but he trained him through trial and suffering to be the man 
 that he was. 
 
 And yet I am told that no one knew Mr. Jones until they had met 
 him in his own household. I have a vivid picture in my mind now 
 of his being at the World's Fair at St. Louis with the most of his. ; 
 family, and it was a constant delight to me to look across the dining-, 
 room of the hotel and see his face wreathed in smiles as he talked 
 with those whom he loved. 
 
 A friend of mine who was recently his guest, says that he was a, 
 veritable priest in his own household, and that the members of his 
 family loved him with a passionate devotion. He was as true as, 
 steel, and as honest as the day is long. 
 
 He was the most generously paid man on the platform to-day, 
 and yet he was constantly giving to those who were in distress. It 
 was his delight to work beyond his strength that he might have, 
 wherewith to give to those who needed it. 
 
 Two of my friends who have labored with him constantly, each 
 said the same thing, without knowing that the other^said it — "Sam 
 Jones was the cleanest, whitest and purest man in all this world.' ' 
 Personally, I thank God that he ever lived. 
 
CHAPTER XUL 
 
 Appreciations prom Distinguished Men. 
 
 Sam Jones Dead! 
 hon. john temple graves. 
 
 If the brief, startling message of the morning wires be verified 
 by later dispatches, Sam Jones, of Georgia, the most famous evan- 
 gelist of modern times, has been gathered swiftly and suddenly into 
 reward and rest. 
 
 If it be true — and there are few possibilities of mistake— the end 
 has come as Sam Jones would have it come. In the full flush of a 
 glorious and militant life, on the march, in full harness, with eyes 
 bright, with record clear, with the conscience clean, with the echoes 
 of applause and laughter and cheers yet ringing in his ears, the 
 dauntless evangel, the vital reformer, the militant preacher, the 
 eloquent orator, the unequaled humorist, without suffering, without 
 waiting and without anxiety, answers the instant roll-call and is 
 dismissed from present service and promoted to a higher and a 
 nobler sphere. 
 
 A brave man physically, Sam Jones was a brave man morally, 
 and spiritually without fear. The problem of death had faced him 
 as an imminent issue more than once during the years of feeble 
 health about him, and we may be sure there were no coward tremors 
 and no shrinking back when the death angel swooped with his 
 sudden summons to the great tribunal where men must give ac- 
 count. 
 
 And the great evangel had small need to fear the verdict of the 
 Supreme Justice who presided there. His was a faithful and a 
 
 (414) 
 
Sam P. Jonss. 415 
 
 fearless life. He had been true since the plighting of his faith to 
 Christ. To strike and spare not, was the motto with which he 
 faced the sinner. To help and rescue, was the second motto which 
 redeemed the fearless first. He was as swift to succor as he was 
 to smite. He was as tender in healing as he was terrible in arouse- 
 ment. And the terror of many an awakened sinner had been soft- 
 ened in the tenderness of a penitent's forgiven tears. And through 
 terror and through conscience, through tenderness and tears, he 
 had fought the Master's fight, he had gathered the Master's peo- 
 ple, and roused and comforted, and wounded and healed, and in 
 the crowds that followed him, and in the multitudes which heard 
 him, as they heard his Master, gladly, he had justified the commis- 
 sion which had been given him to preach a real gospel to a dying 
 world. 
 
 If in the darkness and loneliness of a night upon the rushing rail, 
 the brave, bright soul of the evangelist went out to meet its Maker 
 all alone, we may be sure that the tears and the tenderness, the 
 love and the laughter, the fear and the faith, the hope and the 
 heartfulness of the thousands who had followed him through life, 
 were crowned by the "well done" of the Elder Brother who held 
 his hand as they walked through the last shadows to the light and 
 beauty of the Father's throne. 
 
 BY HON. WIUJAM JENNINGS BRYAN. 
 
 "Sam Jones, the famous evangelist, died last week, and his death 
 removes from the scene of action a man whose life-work resulted in 
 great and permanent good to the world. His earnestness, his evi- 
 dent sincerity and his plain, common-sense way of putting things, 
 made him a favorite with the people. No one ever was in doubt as to 
 where Sam Jones stood on any question confronting the people, and 
 many of his quaint and blunt sayings have passed into proverbs. 
 
 "Many years ago Sam Jones was engaged in a great union revival 
 meeting at Plattsburg, Mo. One of the visiting ministers asked him 
 one day why he did not use better language and refrain from so 
 many 'slang' expressions. 'My dear brother,' replied Mr. Jones, 
 
416 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 'I am a fisher of men. I judge the efficacy of my bait by the results 
 1 get. When one of your soft-spoken, namby-pamby little preachers 
 can show a bigger string of fish than I can I'll try his kind of bait.' 
 
 "For a quarter of a century Sam Jones was a prominent figure in 
 the pulpit and on the lecture platform, and if life is measured by 
 what men put into it, instead of what men get out of it, then Sam 
 Jones's life was a success. 
 
 "Sam Jones had a great mind, directed by a great heart; an elo- 
 quent tongue enlisted on the side of humanity; a marvelous energy 
 employed for the improvement of society." 
 
 In Memoriam — Sam Jones, 
 by hon. thomas e- watson. 
 
 "That was bad about Sam Jones, wasn't it?" he asked, meaning, 
 of course, the sudden death of the great evangelist on a railway car. 
 
 No, it was not bad. It was, in many respects, an ideal departure 
 from this terrible world. He had lived his brightest day, had done 
 his best work — and he fell in the midst of his renown, before the 
 benumbing murmur began to buzz in his ears, "He is not what he 
 once was." 
 
 He had just closed a great series of religious meetings. For days 
 and days he had been doing the Master's work, living face to face 
 with the Most High. Not lecturing for money. No ! Preaching the 
 Gospel of the good life, of the salvation free for all. 
 
 With the benediction on his lips he passed away. With a prayer 
 in his soul, his great heart ceased to throb. 
 
 Like the soldier who falls in the battle-line, after he has fought 
 a good fight and won the field, so fell Sam Jones. 
 
 Bad? No, by the splendor of God! It was a glorious death, a 
 beautiful death, an enviable death. 
 
 The night before he was killed, Caesar heard his companions dis- 
 cussing the question of what kind of death was most to be desired. 
 He was busy with affairs of state, but he paused in his work to ex- 
 press his opinion of the death which was most to be desired : "That 
 which is least expected." Next day he got it. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 417 
 
 Think of what was spared to Sam Jones. There was no heart- 
 rending torture of protracted pain. There was no dreary* martyr- 
 dom of bedridden sickness. The wife of his youth was at his 
 side; the infinite peace of God was in his heart. 
 
 What more? There had been no pitiable decay of intellect, no 
 saddening decline of influence, no loss of the ear of the world, no 
 dropping away of friends. 
 
 Yet he must have known that, if he continued to live, from year 
 to year, inexorable Fate would drag him nearer the bleak regions 
 of Old Age wherein one's Joys steadily diminish and one's Sorrows 
 remorselessly multiply. 
 
 Bad ? No, it was not bad. Providence let him win success when 
 it was still sweet to the taste, and then mercifully took him away 
 from the horrors of that pathetic decay, that appalling process of 
 going back to childhood — that second childhood which has all the 
 helplessness of the first, with nothing to disguise, alleviate or offset 
 its repulsiveness. 
 
 Did I not see the once lordly Robert Toombs totter about in the 
 care of a man-servant, too feeble of mind and body to be trusted to 
 travel alone? Did not Alexander H. Stephens linger upon the 
 stage until it gave one the heartache to hear him try to make a 
 speech ? 
 
 Would it not have been a mercy of heaven if the stroke of paraly- 
 sis which struck down William H. Crawford at the height of his 
 fame, and powers, had stretched him dead? What did it leave of 
 that greatest of Georgians but a broken mind in a broken body ? 
 
 Ah, give me that beautiful death which saves me from the un- 
 utterable miseries of senility and decay. 
 
 God knows there's little enough in life, even at its best; but the 
 crudest weakness which nature curses us with is the timorous cling- 
 ing to life when there's nothing left to live for. 
 
 Marlborough in his dotage — too melancholy to contemplate! 
 
 Dean Swift a driveller and a show — the mind recoils from the 
 spectacle. 
 
 Sir Walter Scott still trying to write when all the force and fire 
 and creative genius were gone — pitiful to the last degree. 
 
418 Sam P. Jonss. 
 
 Napoleon in captivity, fat to unwieldiness, querulous, vainly beat- 
 ing his broken wings against the bars of his cage, garrulously hold- 
 ing forth upon the glories of his past — it is too sad for words. 
 Better, a thousand times better, had he died at Waterloo with his 
 face to the front — spur on heel, blade in hand. 
 
 Mozart died beautifully — while they chanted the Requiem which 
 marked the high-tide of his genius. 
 
 Mirabeau died grandly — while he still stood in the midst of the 
 French people, an Atlas bearing social order upon his back. 
 
 William Pitt died enviably — in the prime of his strength, while 
 still the uncrowned monarch of Great Britain. 
 
 Stonewall Jackson died gloriously — with the praise of his chief 
 warming his heart, the shouts of victory gladdening his ears, and 
 - the faith of a Christian robbing death of its sting. 
 
 Henry Grady died a lamentable death — for he seemed to die too 
 soon. His serious life-work seemed just begun. To be stricken 
 down and consigned to chill darkness and forgetfulness when his 
 youthful strength was so abundant, his blood so warm and eager^ 
 his feet so ardent for the march, his arm so strong for the fight — 
 it seemed a hard, unmeaning fate. 
 
 But Sam Jones was nearing threescore years. The heat and 
 burden of the day were behind. The best of his strength was spent. 
 The glory of the afternoon had come — and the twilight could not 
 be far away. Better that he should wear out and not rust out, 
 better that he should fall with his armor on, victorious to the last, 
 than fret and pine away amid the shadows of mocking memories. 
 
 To me, then, it seems that he died as he would have chosen to 
 die — in a blaze of glory. Sooner or later the few, the very few, 
 who really love us must weep at our graves— a difference of a few 
 days, or a few months, will not lessen the sorrow. Not all the 
 preaching since Adam has made death other than death; and the 
 grief of those who survive the beloved dead is a burden which 
 humanity allows no affectionate soul to escape. 
 
 God pity the bereaved wife! God pity the stricken. children. 
 
 As to Sam Jones himself, he had lived a great life, and he met 
 a glorious death. No braver soldier of the cross ever stormed the 
 
Sam P. Jones. 419 
 
 citadel of sin. No uniformed follower of Lee or Grant ever marched 
 with greater purpose or fought with greater pluck. Against vice 
 in all its forms, he brought every weapon known to the armory of 
 right, and he used them with a force and skill and tireless energy 
 which made him the most powerful evangel of Christ that recent 
 history has known. 
 
 Brilliant, witty, wise, eloquent, profound in his knowledge of 
 the human heart, no man ever faced an audience who could so 
 easily master it. 
 
 From laughter to tears, from indifference to enthusiasm, from 
 levity to intense emotion, he could lead the multitude at his will. 
 Under his magnetism and will-power the brazen libertine blushed 
 for shame, the hardened criminal trembled in fear, smug respecta- 
 bility saw its shortcomings, sham Christians forgot to be self-com- 
 placent, social hypocrites fell upon their knees, and the miser opened 
 his purse. 
 
 I met Sam Jones in 1879, when he was poor and unknown. He 
 came, unheralded, to conduct a revival in our town. I heard him 
 preach a few times, recognized a genius, and predicted his renown. 
 His wonderful career, afterwards, was no surprise to me. Since 
 that day, in 1879, when we took each other by the hand — two poor 
 and unknown young men — I have been his admirer, his friend, 
 ever glorying in his rise. 
 
 Yet, in all our passing to and fro, we met but twice in the sub- 
 sequent twenty-seven years, and then for a moment only. Now 
 and then we hailed each other from a distance, through the news- 
 papers, but we met no more. He moved in his orbit, I in mine, and 
 each had his work to do. And now his is done, and well done. 
 
 He was the greatest Georgian this generation has known; the 
 greatest, in some respects, that any generation has known. 
 
 "Duty is the sublimest word in the language," said Robert E. 
 Lee, himself the flower of Anglo-Saxon manhood. 
 
 That Sam Jones fell at the post of sacred duty — died with the 
 Master's message to erring man fresh from his lips — seems to me 
 beautifully fitting, superbly appropriate. 
 
 Once he said, touchingly, "When all grows dark and doubtful — 
 
420 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 human wisdom failing — and I can not see my way, I lift my helpless- 
 hand, and pray : 'Father, take Thou my hand/ " 
 
 Somehow, somewhere, it must be that heroic souls find, in better 
 worlds than this, tasks which are worthy of their diviner gifts. All 
 this, and more, some day we'll understand. "Father, take Thou my 
 hand," the loyal soul prayed; and now, in His own good time, He- 
 has taken it. 
 
BOOK FOUR 
 
 Sayings 
 
CHAPTER XUII. 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones. 
 
 "Our church don't forbid dancing," exclaims one. Which is 
 your church ? All of the grand churches of the land are outspoken 
 against it. If any church sanctioned dancing I would not stay in the 
 little thing long enough to get my hat — I would run out bareheaded. 
 
 I wouldn't give the spirit of the old negro woman down South 
 for all of the alleged faith of some Christians. She was coming 
 down the street with a big basket of clothes, singing happily as a 
 lark, when a citizen said to her : "Good morning, aunty ; you seem 
 to be happy as a lark this morning." "Well," said she, "I is, boss." 
 "Have you any money laid up?" "No, boss, I hasn't." "Have you 
 a home?" "No, boss." "Well, how do you live?" "I washes 
 fur it," said she. "The Lord is my shepherd and I ain't gwine to 
 want." 
 
 "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation." When 
 God's dinner-bell rings all you want is an appetite, and you can 
 walk in and there's a place for you. 
 
 I despise to see a man who knows more than everybody else in 
 the community, and who does not know enough to behave himself. 
 Some men have not got sense enough to be decent. 
 
 Don't imagine that because you have burned up no meeting-house 
 and killed no preachers you will get in at the fool's door. 
 
 Don't allow your boys to learn gambling at home, and then you, 
 in a hypocritical old age, go around bewailing their fate. A woman 
 in Chicago told me her husband worked hard all day, and she played 
 cards with him every night to amuse him. I told her to ship him to 
 an asylum, for there they play cards for amusement. A game of 
 cards is the game of starvelings, mentally and spiritually. Sisters, 
 
 (423) 
 
424 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 you who have such husbands, I tell you what to do: Buy him a 
 tin horse and a tin horn. Make him straddle the tin horse and blow 
 the horn for him. Sister, don't let the children laugh at him. Tell 
 the children that their little papa has worked hard all day, and 
 wants to be amused. Sister, sister, get him a tin horse. 
 
 God have mercy on men who have not got sense enough to be 
 faithful to the vows made to % their wives ! 
 
 I can stand anything better than I can stand a hypocrite. I al- 
 ways did have a hatred for shams and humbugs and cheats, and of 
 all the humbugs that ever cursed the universe, I reckon the religious 
 humbug is the humbuggiest. 
 
 Now the general pulpit style of America is about like this : "Here 
 I am, Rev. Jeremiah Jones, D.D., saved by the grace of God with 
 a message to deliver. If you repent and believe what I believe, you 
 will be saved, but if you do not, you will be damned, and I don't 
 care much if you are." 
 
 I 'am sorry for the preacher that has got so low down in his the- 
 ology that he is trying to establish the fact that there is no hell. I 
 know of men trying to establish the fact that there is no hell. A 
 gentleman said to me a few days ago that the fact was nearly es- 
 tablished. I said to him : "When did you start your exploring 
 party down there, and when will they return to report?" 
 
 The infidelity that is hurting the church in this nineteenth cen- 
 tury is not theoretical infidelity; the infidelity that is demoralizing 
 the church and the world is practical infidelity: the fellow that be- 
 lieves the Bible and won't do one thing. Now you have got a fool 
 and a rascal mixed in one compound. It is the most awful com- 
 pound that Christ ever tackled. He believes in prayer-meetings, 
 but he has not been to one this year ; he believes in the missionary 
 cause, but he gets out with the least he can give; he believes in 
 family prayer, but you can't prove it by his wife and children. He 
 goes on the principle that he that believeth not shall be damned, and 
 he believes in everything. If your sort was put on the market and 
 everybody felt toward you as I do, you would not bring much — 
 you would not. j 
 
Sam P. Jo^ES. 425 
 
 The church of God is the last place to be solemn in, provided you 
 have lived right. If I have lived a true and upright life, when I 
 meet Christians I will smile. If I have been swindling widows and 
 dishonoring my God and myself, when I come to church there will 
 naturally be the solemnity of the graveyard. 
 
 I have met with hard old sinners who have said that church 
 members have stood in their way. I don't wonder at this. Why, 
 some church members gouge each other. Some borrow money from 
 each other and never pay it back. Some backbite each other. No 
 wonder they go for old sinners. I never call any names, brothers, 
 but each fellow knows his number when I hit him. Let's get right, . 
 and there will be found enough water in the fountain of life to wash 
 away every speck of dirt. 
 
 ThErE are old money-lenders in this city who, if they were to 
 get to heaven, would not be there three weeks before they would 
 want to set up a sort of corner-lot business. 
 
 Quit your meanness, and tell God you mean it, if you wish to be 
 saved. You need not be skipping around the Lord with the devil's 
 old musket on your shoulder. 
 
 God pity the man that is boarding with his wife in a fifty-thou- 
 sand-dollar mansion, and is cheating the widow and orphan ! 
 
 "I have doubts," says one. Well, you just quit your meanness 
 and you will quit doubting. 
 
 Fiviv tell you one thing, riches you get wrongly will not only curse 
 you, but will curse your family after you are dead and gone. I 
 was talking this evening about the ill-gotten gain of some man in 
 
 . A poor family was found by a reporter starving to 
 
 death and nearly frozen in the late cold spell, and when they came 
 to find the cause it was found that they were making garments for a 
 
 house in that was paying fifteen cents a dozen. That 
 
 sort of money will turn into brimstone, and you will carry enough 
 brimstone to hell with you to burn you forever, if that's the way 
 you get your money. I will tell you another thing: Fifteen cents 
 a dozen for making garments is communistic fire that will burn this 
 country up some of these days. 
 
426 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I 
 
 What is hell at last? It is the very quintessence of selfishness 
 
 and selfishness is hell. There is not an element in hell that does not 
 enter into selfishness, and the supremely selfish man has already 
 lighted the fires of hell in his soul that shall burn forever. 
 
 Sin is the one thing in the universe that permanently damages 
 a man and eternally damns him. Disappointment may worry him, 
 and grief may sadden him, and adversity may bring hardship and 
 hunger to his life, but blessed be God, sin is the only thing in the 
 universe that can leave its permanent mark on character — a mark 
 which shall last forever. 
 
 One sin is enough to cut the soul adrift from God. I've seen 
 men who were not afraid to die ; but I never saw a man who was not 
 afraid of the judgment-bar of God. 
 
 There is nothing in grace that will make you a sober man with 
 a quart of whisky in your stomach. 
 
 L,ET us quit drinking, boys. A dram-cup in my hand broke my 
 father's heart. Quit drinking, boys. It'll drive the roses from 
 your wife's cheeks, and they will never come back again. 
 
 From a governor down to a dog pelter, I would not vote for a 
 man that touches, tastes or handles whisky to save my life, and 
 you can never redeem America with a legislature whose breath is 
 tainted with whisky. 
 
 I have never seen but one man in America that would stand up 
 and say he drank whisky and never told his wife a lie about it. 
 Have you got one here to-day ? Is there a man who drinks whisky 
 that never told his wife a lie about it? If there is, stand up. I 
 want to see you. I expect some of you would have stood up, but 
 your wives are with you and you don't want to be caught in a lie. 
 
 This liquor traffic has come down to where it is a question of 
 blood and death and hell. These women are getting tired of seeing 
 their husbands go down to drunkards' graves; these mothers are 
 tired of seeing their sons go to a drunkard's hell. 
 
 I WENT down into the dirt to bring back a wayward son to a good 
 woman, and she turned up her nose at me. God help you to turn 
 
Sam. P. Jones. 427 
 
 up your noses at your drunken husbands and boys, and not at the 
 man who brings them back to God. 
 
 Watch the association of your children. Do not allow your 
 boys to go with young, rich debauchees simply for the money. Why, 
 some of these scoundrels can get drunk on Saturday night and 
 then on Sunday evening go to church with the sweetest girl in the 
 family. We need some old-fashioned daddies who would meet 
 these young bucks at the door and kick them clean out into the 
 street. Some girls in a Southern city married a lot of fellows to 
 reform them. That town soon had a batch of whippoorwill widows. 
 
 We are all created on a common platform ; we are all redeemed 
 on a common platform. When God gave one a chance he threw the 
 gates open to all. 
 
 Itf God will empty your heads and hearts of all the error you 
 have packed away in them, I will preach enough truth to save you 
 to-night. 
 
 That old Colonel will sit out there on the street and pronounce 
 his opinion, so and so. Young men will say, "It is my opinion." 
 They got that from the old Colonel, and he got it fresh from hell. 
 They all say, "My opinion." Very few men think. One or two 
 great minds do the thinking for Europe. One or two great minds 
 do the thinking for America. 
 
 A man incased in" his own opinions is beyond the reach of the 
 power of God. See the old farmer in the house smoking quietly : a 
 storm gathers, and a cloud loaded with electricity is overhead ; the 
 lightning strikes the rod on the chimney and throws itself into the 
 earth, and the farmer sits and smokes as if nothing had happened. 
 The gospel of Christ flashes above the heads of the multitude and 
 descends with sin-killing power, and strikes this outside incasement 
 of every man's own opinions, and runs off into the earth. 
 
 The less sense a fellow has, and the less he thinks, the more opin- 
 ions he has. 
 
 What is culture worth if it is but the whitewash on a rascal? 
 I would rather be in heaven learning my A Bc's than sitting in 
 hell reading Greek. 
 
CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 If a man hasn't enough religion to pray in his family, he hasn't 
 ■enough to take him to heaven. 
 
 Take an ordinary Methodist, now a backslider, and strike him 
 down with a six-weeks' spell of typhoid fever, and you can do more 
 to get him better spiritually than by preaching five hundred sermons. 
 Shake a sinner over a coffin and turn him loose and he will hit the 
 ground running a mile a minute. 
 
 Going to church is like going shopping: you generally get what 
 you go for — no more and no less. A woman will go into a store 
 with a hundred thousands dollars' worth of goods all around her, 
 buy a paper of pins and walk out; that is all she came for. 
 
 At every conference you notice delegations going up to the bishop 
 from the leading churches. One delegation will go to the bishop 
 and say: "Bishop, we want you to send us a preacher this year 
 that is popular with the young people." Another delegation will 
 say : "We want you to send us a preacher that is popular with other 
 denominations." Another crowd will go in and say : "Please send 
 us a preacher that is popular with sinners." Another crowd will 
 say: "Send us a preacher that is popular with everybody." But 
 I tell you that I never heard of a delegation going up to conference 
 and asking the bishop to "Please send us a preacher that is popular 
 with God Almighty." 
 
 I am willing for anybody to have more money than I have, and 
 more land than I ever expect to have, and more stocks and bonds 
 than I can ever get, but I am not willing for any man that walks this 
 earth to have more religion than I have. I can get as much as a soul 
 full, and that's about as much as an angel can get. If I am a Chris- 
 
 (428) 
 
Sam P. Jones. 429 
 
 tian I will be a Christian ; if I am a Methodist, I will be a Methodist ; 
 if I am a Presbyterian, I will be a Presbyterian, and if I am a Bap- 
 tist, I will be a Baptist. I am going to be one all over, through and 
 through, but I wouldn't be a little old dried-up, knock-kneed, one- 
 horse, shriveled nothing anywhere. 
 
 I don't care what a man says he believes with his lips ; I want 
 to know with a vengeance what he says with his life and actions. 
 
 Did you ever look at your heart until you saw it? You have 
 glanced at it. The hardest thing a fellow ever tried to do in this 
 world is to be good with a bad heart. A man was once trying to 
 cleanse out his spring. He was working and tugging away, when 
 a stranger came along and said, "Say, look here; take that hog out 
 of the spring, and all will be well." Many a man is trying to cleanse 
 the spring of his life with the devil wallowing in the fountain. 
 
 The best way in the world to kill a fellow is to love him to death ; 
 then you don't have to bury him. 
 
 You turn the lovable side of your character on everybody else, 
 and everybody will love you. You turn the unlovable side of your 
 character to every one, and they will do the same. I moved into 
 a settlement once, and the man I lived next-door neighbor to was 
 not liked by anybody, and he did not like anybody. I went in there 
 and turned the lovable side of my character to him, and he did the 
 same to me. I found out that when he came there he had turned 
 the unlovable side of his character to every one, and every one had 
 turned their unlovable side to him. 
 
 Fve heard it said that God loves good people and hates bad 
 people. Glad it's a lie. God loves the meanest man that curses 
 this world to-day as much as he loves the best man on earth. A 
 mother has five boys. Four of them are preachers, the other is 
 dissipated, godless, bad. You can go to that mother's house and 
 say what you please about those preachers, but don't you say any- 
 thing against poor John. If you do the mother will jump on you 
 in a minute. She doesn't allow anybody to say anything about John. 
 
430 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Love is not only the divinest and sublimest, but the most omnipo- 
 tent power in the world. 
 
 He who loves the most is the one who's got the immortal capital. 
 God give me love for a millionaire field in heaven. You'll have 
 plenty of elbow-room there. Thank God I've not got anything in 
 this world to forgive. I shall never get mad with any man unless 
 he treats me worse than I have treated the Lo'rd Jesus Christ. 
 
 If everybody on earth loved God supremely and his neighbor as 
 himself, then we would have a heaven on earth, and we would need 
 no more restraints on earth than they need in heaven. 
 
 You goody-goody church folks are going around the whole Chris- 
 tian world to-day singing, 
 
 "Oh, to be nothing, nothing." 
 
 and you have sung it until it has got to be true of you. That is just 
 about the way the whole thing has come out — just nothing. If 
 you want to be nothing, just lam in. I don't ! I want to be a man, 
 and I want to be something, and somebody, and I want to go some- 
 where when I die, and I would rather go to hell than to go no- 
 where. 
 
 "Gentleness."" Beecher once had a horse brought to him for a 
 buggy-ride, and he asked, "Is that horse gentle?" And they an- 
 swered: "Yes, sir; he is not afraid of anything in the world, and 
 he will work anywhere." And Beecher said: "I wish I had one- 
 member in my church like that — not afraid of anything, and will 
 work anywhere." I saw a great big fine bay horse once that would 
 not work anywhere except to a light, striped buggy. These Sunday 
 morning eleven o'clock Christians are striped-buggy fellows. Some 
 of you have not been to church only at eleven o'clock Sunday morn- 
 ing for years. That is the dress-parade crowd. These striped- 
 buggy fellows ! If you were to hitch them up to a prayer-meeting 
 they would run away. If you were to hitch one of them up to 
 family prayers he would kick the buggy all to pieces. A liberal, 
 cheerful, working woman is worth her weight in diamonds to any 
 community. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 431 
 
 Got another class. The class that will go out to battle and the 
 very first shot that hits them — "Ouch !" — and they're gone. 
 
 Sometimes a captain gets shot. "I ain't going back any more 
 and get shot." 
 
 God will never take this world with the gang He has got on it 
 now. 
 
 If you'll give me one thousand people who have religion like 
 Peter, James and John I'll take this town. There's plenty of people 
 in this city who will come up and say, "Stick it to them, Brother 
 Jones. You can't lay it on too hard," and when I ask them to come 
 on, they say, "My wife is more feeble than ever before; my three 
 children are down with influenza, and I think one of them has got 
 heart trouble." 
 
 That's the way of it. 
 
 The wedding over, the honeymoon passed, and years of happi- 
 ness come. One day the husband began to drink. There is a vol- 
 ume of ten thousand pages in that very sentence. If woman knew 
 what it meant. If every man could see into the future. He could 
 read it and would not go on. 
 
 The spirit of gentleness and the spirit of temperance. Be not 
 only temperate in regard to liquor, but be a total prohibitionist on 
 that subject. 
 
 I want to tell you, brethren, that it takes more money to run one 
 old red-nosed drunkard than it does to run any member of the 
 church in this city. 
 
 Every signature put to a license in this city by the authorities 
 stamps the concurrence of every voter in the city in the nefarious 
 business. The bar man sells the drug to feed his wife and family, 
 and the revenue derived from licenses goes to defray some petty 
 matter of lighting or cleaning the streets. The bar man is a gentle- 
 man and you are the guilty parties. If I were going to sell whisky 
 I would come to Toronto, the nicest city in the world, and get a 
 license from the Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians in author- 
 ity. When I died I would tell my wife to put the license in my 
 
432 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 coffin that I might have it when the Angel Gabriel sounded the last 
 trumpet to awake the dead to judgment. When God called me to 
 account I would pull out my license, signed by the Christian people 
 of Toronto, which I paid for, and which authorized me to sell 
 whisky, and do you know God would send the whole shebang into 
 hell together. 
 
 I want to see a man who drinks whisky and never told a lie 
 about it. 
 
 The girl that will marry a boy whose breath smells with whisky 
 is the biggest fool angels ever looked at. 
 
 If your husband loves whisky better than he loves you, you had 
 better get away from him — the sooner the better. 
 
 Several told me that they drew a long breath of relief when I 
 announced that I would carry on a prohibition meeting. 
 
 They say: "I tell you, I think barrooms are better than blind- 
 tigers." They want saloons and let hell flourish and heaven rot. 
 
 This is the plain English about the matter. 
 
 What do you think of an elder who has to think of the question 
 about barrooms before he can answer? When you ask a preacher 
 he says : "Why, I consult my board, and if they are, why I are too." 
 
 How many people do you know who would go to the front ranks 
 and spill their last drop of blood for the salvation of these people 
 here in this city? 
 
 I don't want to be a gentleman if I have to get drunk. Do you ? 
 No man can be a Christian and drink whisky. 
 Whip the fight. We can put whisky out of this town if we go 
 in to whip the fight. 
 
 A felxow said to me: "I can raise the devil as well as you can, 
 but I always get licked." I told him he had better stop. There is 
 no use in raising the devil if you are going to get licked. 
 
 I never will be satisfied in Georgia till we put legs on all the bar- 
 rels and demijohns in Atlanta and move them away from our boys.. 
 
CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 How did I become a drunkard? By drinking wine like some of 
 you do. If any man had tasted what I have and been where I have 
 been, he'd be recreant if he did not preach as I do. You get some 
 letters as I do and it would go to your heart. I'm not only not go- 
 ing to drink but I'll fight it to perdition, and when perdition freezes, 
 then I'll fight it on the ice. If you can make it any stronger than 
 that, put my name to it. 
 
 Nobody but an infernal scoundrel will sell whisky, and nobody 
 but an infernal fool will drink it. 
 
 Because) you are reckless and can rush into fearful dangers with- 
 out a quiver of the muscles. So many men are reckless. An Alpine 
 hunter shoulders his gun and walks along an eight-inch path, while 
 the dog beside him quivers with fear. Don't rush into the face of 
 God at judgment unprepared. At best, we have only threescore 
 years and ten. You, with your constitutional vigor, may go to 
 seventy and be pouring into your body poison all the time. Strong 
 drink sends many a man to his grave twenty years before his time. 
 Men are greedy to be lost, and anxious for damnation. 
 
 Temperance is a great regulation force of man's life. No man 
 can drink whisky and be a Christian. Bob Ingersoll, the worst 
 in the country, says whisky is God's worst enemy and the devil's 
 best friend. I never got so low down as to discuss a man who drinks 
 vile lager beer. There ain't a four-legged hog in the country that'll 
 drink beer. But lots of two-legged hogs will. And the ladies are 
 absolutely drinking beer for their health. Shame on them! The 
 only hope of America is in her sober mothers, for when they de- 
 bauch themselves their children will be born full-fledged drunkards. 
 15 j (433) 
 
434 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Faith works by love, purifies the heart, and overcomes the 
 world. Have you got that ? Then you have got light. 
 
 You don't believe what you don't see. Did you ever see your 
 backbone? Some men believe they have a backbone, when it is 
 nothing but a cotton string run up their backs. 
 
 ThERE are two different kinds of faith. There is a faith that is 
 always in a receptive attitude. With mouth wide open and hands 
 extended, about all you hear from that sort is: "Lord, give me 
 something." What is it you want? "Oh, just something, that is 
 all. Just give me something." Everlastingly on the beg. And 
 some people think they can not get along unless they are begging 
 all the time. Look here ! Did I tell the truth when I said God was 
 our Father and we His children? I know what that relation is. 
 Suppose when I go home to my sweet children that every time they 
 come around me they are begging: "Papa, please give me some- 
 thing; anything you please. Please give me something." Con- 
 tinually begging ! Why, I would carry a brush with me whenever 
 I went home and give them a good whaling. 
 
 The hardest thing a poor fellow ever tried to do in this world 
 is to give himself to God just as he is. He wants to fix up and 
 brush up and arrange the matter. Oh, how we do hate to turn just 
 such a case over to God! We would like to make him about half 
 way what we want him to be before we turn him over. It's the 
 hardest job a man ever undertook to turn himself over to God just 
 as he is. 
 
 I wii.iv choose to be a Christian and won't bother about God's 
 promises. He is not slow to do His part. 
 
 Th£r£ are ten thousand ways to hell and only one to heaven, but 
 with a good guide we need have no fear of losing our way. 
 
 The difference between Christ and the modern preacher is that 
 Christ said, "Follow me," and the preacher says, "Get down there 
 at the altar and agonize." 
 
 Most of the churches of this country are in the wagon. Some 
 
Sam P. Jones. 435 
 
 singing, some dancing, some cursing, some praying, some drink- 
 ing, all in the wagon, and the little poor preacher out in the shafts. 
 
 I TKiyiv you what tickles me: to see an old sinner come in and 
 pull out an old, lame, dwarf member of the church, and lay him 
 down and measure by him. "Look here, boys ; I am as long and 
 broad and good as this member of the church !" I would die, if I 
 was a decent man, to lay myself down by the side of such a man. 
 Why don't you go and pick out one of these grand old Christians? 
 You would look like a rat terrier lying beside an elephant. You 
 quit measuring by these dwarfs. 
 
 Every barroom is a recruiting office for hell. 
 
 The wife either makes or unmakes her husband. 
 
 SelF-dEdicaTory love is the very bed-rock and foundation upon 
 which you can build a happy married life. 
 
 Take the marital relations. No holier or diviner institution was 
 ever known to man. Tamper with it and you are tampering with 
 the very foundation of society. Our mothers, the emblems of virtue, 
 and our daughters the duplicate of their mothers. If a man tam- 
 pers with virtue down there it means two charges of powder and 
 a charge of buckshot. 
 
 The first question in this world is this question : "What will be- 
 come of my children?" I notice this spring that little Anna has 
 on Mary's dresses. Little Mary has outgrown them. I notice that 
 little Paul has on Bob's coat. Bob has outgrown it. I say, "Wife, 
 see how these little fellows are growing!" but they are growing 
 a heap faster in my heart. When they are young they step on 
 our toes, and when they are grown up they step on our hearts. Oh, 
 you mothers ought to go in partnership with God in rearing your 
 children ! 
 
 Thank God for these singing, shouting mothers ! There is 
 music in their voices. 
 
436 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I f 
 
 God pity a mother that has to send her children to a dancing- 
 school to learn grace and manners. 
 
 LET me say in all kindness the reason I despise card-playing, 
 drinking, dancing, and all worldliness, is because I know they are 
 the subterfuges of the devil to keep us from thinking about our 
 immortality. If there is no harm in them, they will curse you for- 
 ever, because they will keep your mind off things that will save 
 you forever. 
 
 Iff I had ten thousand angels to preach to to-day, every word I 
 should say would be pure. Our Saviour preached to men. His 
 sermon on the Mount would not have had so much in it about 
 adultery if He had been preaching to angels. God keep me dead 
 honest in dealing with souls. I want to lay my gun on the rail and 
 aim straight. If I hit you on the side, I did not mean to hit you 
 there, but right square in the head. If you think I hit you acci- 
 dentally, you never made a greater mistake in your life. I hit you 
 with malice aforethought. 
 
 But some of you say, "Now, Jones, you are too hard on us. 
 This is a hard country. Everybody looks out for himself, and I 
 am obliged to live." That's a lie. You ain't. How come you to 
 think you are obliged to live? Why, you ain't obliged to live a 
 minute, but you are obliged to do right. That's one excuse for 
 this roundabout way of serving your Almighty God. 
 
 Just as the makers of a piano can put it in tune, God can set the 
 Ten Commandments to music in man's soul, and all will blend 
 in perfect beauty and harmony. 
 
 We're mighty like sheep. The tendency of a sheep is to stray 
 off. 
 
 When you have spent all, it seems, so far as you are concerned, 
 that nobody else has anything. 
 
 Iff I had a thousand tongues they should all talk for Christ; a 
 thousand hands, they should all work for Christ; a thousand feet, 
 I'd put them all in the way to heaven. 
 
MR. JONES' LAST PICTURE. 
 
 Taken in April, 1906. 
 

 
 
 ^? 
 
 
 *»► 
 
 
 V. 4gpr 
 
Sam P. Jones. 437 
 
 David was a great sinner, but he was a first-class repenter. 
 
 -What the alphabet is to a man of learning, repentance is to a 
 man going to heaven. 
 
 God don't want anybody to prove anything that is true. 
 
 To get there in the grandest and best sense of the word is to have 
 your citizenship on earth pass you to your citizenship in heaven. 
 
 Sometimes a fellow ain't mad about what he's mad about. 
 
 A man will not confess his sins before he quits them. 
 
 The Lord has a magnificent army on dress parade. 
 
 I iyiKE to see the cross fences in the church pastures taken down. 
 I like to see the Presbyterian come over in the Methodist pasture 
 a while and the Methodist go over and feed on the final persever- 
 ance grass awhile. Somehow or another when they come back they 
 stick better. 
 
 Good Lord make us so earnest fighting the devil and sin that we 
 will forget which our church is. 
 
 A Christian girl runs a great risk when she marries a sinner. 
 
 There are few men in this world better than their wives. 
 
 It ain't whose wife you are, but what sort of a wife that fellow 
 has got where you live. 
 
 I bEUEve a blessing is one of two things. It is either given by 
 God to man because that man has done his duty and God has paid 
 him, or because God knows he has determined to do his duty and 
 has paid him on credit. 
 
 It is the little things in this life that keep up the worry. 
 
 Religion, when you boil it down to a concrete, is nothing more 
 than something to do, something to love, and something to hope 
 for. 
 
CHAPTER XLVL 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 If I hew to the line and let the chips fly where they will, the 
 people say, "Oh, Sam Jones said it. He can say anything." Well, 
 now, if I can say anything and if I am the only one that can, then I 
 think I ought to keep at it all the time. 
 
 Some people think they can't be pious unless they are everlast- 
 ingly begging for something. 
 
 I pray for my daily bread, but I have to hunt for my corn-pone 
 with the sweat running down the hoe-handle. 
 
 ThKRE is many a man and woman in this house who have tried 
 to raise their son a gentleman, and their daughter a lady. One is 
 twenty-one, and the other eighteen. One marries and moves off 
 to himself. He is not a Christian, and what a dangerous thing it 
 is to project a boy on this world who doesn't know Jesus Christ. 
 Your daughter marries. She knows nothing about God and hope 
 and heaven. She goes out into the world to be a wife and mother 
 of a home. God pity the home when a mother don't know God, 
 and where the wife doesn't know Jesus Christ. Home religion, 
 home piety. Brethren, I say it with all the earnestness of my heart : 
 I would rather raise a true, noble, loyal boy to Christ and the right 
 and he just have sense enough to plow a straight furrow, than to 
 be the father of the brightest genius in America or in this dominion 
 and project him upon the world a dissipated godless wretch that 
 will debauch himself and set a bad example to the world. It is not 
 how much sense the boy has got, but how much religion ; not how 
 well have you trained him in business, but how close does he live 
 to Jesus Christ? I'll tell you another thing: When a father hasn't 
 left his boys anything but money, he has left them bankrupt. 
 
 (43«) 
 
Sam P. Jones, 439 
 
 A man of conviction — who says a thing because he means it, 
 and means it because he says it ! I like that kind of a man. 
 
 A great many people think that a man has to go to an altar to 
 be saved. Confidence in a man is not religion. That altar business 
 started down in Georgia about sixty-nine years ago. Where did 
 the sinner go before that time? Have they gone to hell because 
 they did not go to the altar? A man who believes only in what he 
 can see doesn't believe he has got a backbone. I am not running 
 on understanding. I could not get to my front gate on understand- 
 ing, but I could get from earth to heaven on believing. I am run- 
 ning on believing now. 
 
 Thank God for a bee-line to the good world! Do you know 
 what a bee-line is? The bee, after going from flower to flower 
 with its velvet tread, extracting the honey, soars above the tree-tops, 
 and makes a bee-line for its hive. Happy, happy — thrice happy — 
 will we be when, after extracting all the sweets out of this life, we 
 can soar above the world, and make a bee-line for the glory land ! 
 
 The fact is, a man gets religion a good deal like he gets the 
 measles. A fellow gets tangled up with the measles, and in about 
 ten days the doctor comes, gives him a cup of good hot tea, and 
 tells him to keep on taking that until it breaks out; and then keep 
 it broke out, and he will be all right. So some of you have got 
 tangled up in this meeting until you feel as bad as a fellow with the 
 measles before they break out. A few hot cups of gospel tea will 
 make religion break out all over you. Then keep it out, and you are 
 all right. But, like the measles, if it goes in on you, it will kill you, 
 sure. 
 
 God never does anything for a man that he can do for himself. 
 The Lord is too busy for that — to be doing things for men that 
 they can do themselves. God never quit drinking for any man; 
 that is the man's own lookout. God never quit lying for anybody ; 
 that is your own job. God never quit stealing for anybody; that 
 is your own business to look after. 
 
440 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 The church is the last place to be solemn, provided you have 
 lived right. 
 
 Look on the inside. When you know yourself you can fight 
 your battle. 
 
 You know what a sentinel is ? He can't sleep. You are the same 
 for the Lord as he is for the army. 
 
 l£ I am a revivalist, I've grown to be one just as the fingernails 
 have grown on my fingers. 
 
 You pack your preachers in an icehouse and abuse them all the 
 year because they don't sweat. 
 
 Everything they say about me helps me. If they lie about me, 
 I'm so glad it's a lie that I can't get mad. If they tell the truth 
 about me, I'm so sorry that I can't get mad. So I always keep in a 
 good humor. 
 
 I once knew of a new pastor who, upon taking charge of his 
 church, was met by a delegation of the deacons previous to deliver- 
 ing his inaugural sermon. They said: "Now, brother, you musn't 
 preach about fashion, because our fashionable members will be out 
 to hear you. You musn't preach about dram-drinking or liquor- 
 selling, because several of our members who are liquor-sellers will 
 be out to hear you. You musn't preach about covetousness, be- 
 cause several of our millionaire members will be out to hear you." 
 "Well, what can I preach about?" he asked in great perplexity. 
 "About the Mormons," replied the good deacons; "give 'em blazes; 
 there won't be a Mormon to hear you." 
 
 Feeding is moral perspiration. 
 
 The secret of a happy life is to do your duty and trust in God. 
 
 I'd rather die on a well-fought field of battle than run away and 
 speculate on the spoils of the war. 
 
 I never see a woman put her nose at me but I say to myself: 
 "All right; some of these days the devil will foreclose his mort- 
 
B. O. EXCEIvL. 
 
QUARTETTE THAT SANG AT MR. JONES' FUNERAL. 
 Chas. Tiij,man. E. O. Excei/e,. 
 
 F. E. Oliver. E. R. Smoot. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 441 
 
 gage on that nose and get the whole gal with u." Whenever you 
 see me with a grubbing-hoe on my shoulder I'm out after grubs, 
 and if you ain't a grub sit still — I'm not after you. Do you catch 
 the idea? 
 
 When you think a preacher has got wings you are mistaken. 
 
 Suppose I had received a box by express. It is iron and wood 
 and it is all in a bunch and I say I can't make out what it is ; put it 
 in the garret with the rubbish. A day or two after I get a book 
 with pictures in it and directions how to put my machinery to- 
 gether, I follow the directions and have a sewing-machine. It does 
 its work like a thing in life. The man that made that machine 
 made the book and the man that made the book made the machine. 
 Listen ! Sixteen years ago I was all out of fix. Sixteen years ago I 
 got the book and put myself together and I have been running all 
 right ever since. I say that the man that made me made the book 
 and the man that made the book made me. 
 
 ThERE are some people who like to be a hammer, but they won't 
 be an anvil. We preachers are all willing to be hammers and strike. 
 The softest people in the world are the preachers and editors. They 
 are always pounding, but they won't be pounded on. Those who 
 criticise are the hardest to take criticism. . I don't object to them 
 pounding me. If they can pound me I can pound them. If your 
 toes are stepped on just grin and bear it. I like a bulldog the best 
 in the world. You can hold him up by the ears two days and he 
 won't whine. I wish we had more bulldog in us and less bench- 
 legged fice. Endure affliction. 
 
 How can we win souls to Christ ? Some of the churches say rent 
 the pews. My, my, my. If Sam Jones should charge admission 
 they would get up and say he was making merchandise of God's 
 v/ord. 
 
 Show me a church that does not believe in revivals and I will 
 show you a church that looks like an abandoned cemetery. Stag- 
 nation! Stagnation! Stagnation! Talk about enthusiasm! We are 
 not suffering in that line. Stagnation is the last station this side of 
 
442 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 damnation. I say that we Methodists and Baptists and Presbyte- 
 rians believe in revivals. We go for them. But revivals are not the 
 best things in the world. Rather the need of revival is a proof that 
 we are not right. It is an abnormal state of things that makes re- 
 vivals necessary. I want to be understood. So long as the churches 
 work on the plan they now work on, revivals are a necessity. What 
 would become of us without them ? 
 
 A great many people object to pointed preaching because it 
 pains them, they say. This suggests the story of the old lady whose 
 daughter's tooth ached. She sent for a dentist. He came and pulled 
 out a pair of big, old-fashioned forceps. The old lady screamed 
 out, "Don't put them things in my daughter's mouth; pull it out 
 with your fingers !" That would be mighty nice if it could be done. 
 God bless you all ! if you will let me get the old gospel forceps hold 
 of these teeth, I will bring them out, but I can not pull them with 
 my fingers. I want that understood. 
 
 The difference between the devil and the penitentiary is, that the 
 penitentiary works you hard and boards you, but the devil puts you 
 to the meanest, dirtiest jobs in the world, and makes you board 
 yourself. 
 
 Shall I ask you little dudes and dudines how to preach the gos- 
 pel? 
 
 If any one thinks he can't stand the naked truth rubbed on a lit- 
 tle thicker and faster than he ever had it before, he'd better get out. 
 of here. 
 
 If negative goodness was religion, then one of these lamp-posts 
 out here would be the best Christian in town ; it never cursed, nor 
 swore ; not drank a drop since it was made ; it never did anything 
 wrong. 
 
 The lawyer who knows as little about Blackstone and the Su- 
 preme Court reports as the average Christian does about the Bible 
 would never have but one case. The sheriff would be his next 
 client. ■' i 
 
CHAPTER XLVIL 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 Look here, brother, I have had about as much trouble in some 
 days of my life as you had, but I never took more trouble to bed 
 with me than I could knock off* at one lick. 
 
 Politicians have no more heart than a Florida alligator or a so- 
 ciety woman. 
 
 When you dilly-dally and waver about religion, let me tell you, 
 brethren, the devil puts you down, soul and body, on his side . . . 
 As men live so they die, and if you can't afford to die on the devil's 
 side, let me say to you that you had better not get on that side at 
 all. 
 
 I have the profoundest contempt for those colonels and majors 
 and judges who grace our curbstones and saloons. They have noth- 
 ing to commend them to God but their money and their means. If 
 there is anybody I want to see go to heaven it is poor white folks 
 and niggers. 
 
 Do you know what a cornstalk revival is? Well, if you were to 
 pile up a lot of cornstaiks as high as this house and burn them up 
 there would not be a hod full of ashes. We want a revival of 
 righteousness. We want a revival of honesty. We want a revival 
 of cleanliness and purity. 
 
 I know when a man opens his mouth on the fuinous effects of 
 whisky he is dubbed a "political preacher," a politician drumming 
 for some party. I don't go much on party myself. That's so. I 
 want the political parties of this country to crawl up out of the 
 mud and wash themselves from head to foot and put on clean 
 clothes before I have anything to do with them. 
 
 (443) 
 
444 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 Heu, is the center of gravity for wickedness ; heaven is the cen- 
 ter of gravity for righteousness. This is the lineage of damnation,, 
 and the lineage of salvation. 
 
 There are more little lawyers in this city who think that if they 
 missed being at court, justice would be overruled and constitutional 
 government destroyed. There are doctors who don't have three 
 cases a week who think that if they miss an hour from their office 
 the whole town would break out in yellow fever, smallpox and the 
 like. Poor little fellows. 
 
 What is a military general worth to his country who never fires 
 a gun or gives an order? That's the way to look at it. 
 
 If you think the world needs you you're a fool. You die and 
 they lay you out here and the world moves on as though you were 
 never born. 
 
 When a man is bragging that his father is a colonel, you may 
 put it down that his father is ashamed of him. 
 
 Ignorance is round as a ball and slick as a button; it's got no 
 handle to it and you can't manage it. 
 
 Foolishness is the stuff what you rub on fools. 
 
 Let's make it fashionable to love God and keep His command- 
 ments. 
 
 When God gives a man a good wife and fifteen children or so, 
 he's all right; when the devil gives him a society woman, and a 
 poodle dog, he's in a bad way. 
 
 Society is a heartless old wretch ; and if you don't get out of it 
 you will go to hell with it. 
 
 Methodism never could do much at being fashionable. 
 
 You will go to the store and give four dollars a yard for a piece 
 of goods — and the more it costs the better you like it — and then 
 you will go over to Sister Brown, a poor, good woman in your 
 
Sam P. Jones. 445 
 
 church, and give her half a dollar for making it; and if the devil 
 doesn't get you it is because he ain't got anything against Sister 
 Brown. The meanest woman in the world is the woman who will 
 give four dollars a yard for her dress, and then go over to that 
 poor old woman who is a member of her church and jew her down 
 to the last nickel she can get her to make it for. 
 
 A gr^at many people, with what little religion they have, will 
 run out in the corner and sit down and say, "God save me and my 
 wife, and my son John and his wife, us four and no more !" That 
 is the sort of religion that is cursing the world. 
 
 Christian, if you don't do the clean things they will jump on 
 you. If you don't live up to what you profess, the meanest sinner 
 in the town will point the finger of scorn at you. Don't forget that ! 
 If a horse is sound, he don't mind being currycombed; but if he 
 is not sound and has any tender spots, he will kick and bite when 
 the comb is run over his hide. Why, if he's sound, he'll just lean up 
 against the comb and enjoy it. That's the way it is with the 
 Christian. He don't mind criticisms if he's all right, but he'll kick 
 and squirm if he ain't. Yes, he will. 
 
 There is a class in this community that I have a hearty con- 
 tempt for, and yet I pity them. They come up to the preacher and 
 tell him to scratch off their names. They_are goin' to quit. Ain't 
 goin' to try any longer. What would you think of a man that 
 would get trusted every day at your store for a year, and then 
 walk in on Christmas, owing you five dundred dollars and tell you 
 to scratch off his name ; he is going to Texas ? You would tell him 
 to go to Texas or to perdition. You would want your five hundred 
 dollars. Yet this man comes into the church and lives five or six 
 years, and has had a thousand blessings, and yet he says he is go- 
 ing to quit. Going to quit telling the truth; quit staying sober; 
 quit being a man, and going to be a dog. If you take a small auger 
 and bore into that man, you won't bore very long until you dis- 
 cover he is all dog but his hide. 
 
 HERE are a hundred before me who have promised God, in time 
 
446 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 of extremity, they would do better. Sister, you promised it to him 
 on your death-bed, if he would restore you. That is what discounts 
 death-bed repentances. Men get well from their death-beds and 
 never do any better. They have lived and never did better, and I 
 am afraid when they died they were lost. 
 
 There is so much sham in this country — a religion with a brown 
 stone front and brickbat, mortar and stick back. Let's have a 
 brown-stone religion all around. 
 
 I know of one church when twenty were praying for the millen- 
 nium and two hundred were playing for the booby prize in a pro- 
 gressive euchre. Such Christians as that would not be in heaven 
 six months before they would be gambling for each other's crown. 
 
 What is a little party ? It is nothing but a big party with short 
 clothes on. What is a big party ? It is nothing in the world but the 
 anteroom to a ballroom. And what is a ballroom ? It is the ante- 
 room to a german. And what is a german ? It is the anteroom to 
 eternal disgrace. And what is eternal disgrace? It is hell-fire. 
 Now you see how it goes. 
 
 A woman who had seen the german said to me : "Mr. Jones, you 
 can tell the world it is nothing but hugging set to music." A boy 
 at a dance was asked by his companion to get up and dance. "No/* 
 said he, "let's sit down and hug." I like that boy's grit. 
 
 If you will testify that dancing helps you to be religious, and 
 helps you to be good, and helps you to live right ; if you will testify 
 so, in order that we may have one way, we will adopt the dancing 
 route and a dancing-hall in every member's house, and will have 
 movable pews in the church and every Wednesday night will move 
 the pews and have a dancing meeting. If dancing is a good thing 
 let's all assist ; if it's not, let's all give it up. 
 
 If there is a thing in this world I have the profoundest contempt 
 for, it's the infernal dancing-master going through the land de- 
 spoiling the young people of our country. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 447 
 
 God never gave a woman a child to debauch it by sending it to a 
 dancing-school kept by an old hook-nosed Frenchman. 
 
 Go into a ballroom with your Christian light. It will go out. It 
 won't bum there. 
 
 Some people will forego their religious happiness and their relig- 
 ious usefulness for the sake of having three dances a year. A wo- 
 man goes and she dances. She goes again and dances, and dances, 
 and dances, until she opens her eyes in hell — but she danced. 
 
 Sow little parties and reap big ones. Sow these and reap ball- 
 rooms. Sow these and reap germans, and from these reap spider- 
 legged dudes, and from these you'll reap a half thimbleful of 
 calves' foot jelly. 
 
 The woman that never helped the Lord never got much help 
 from the Lord. The best way to help yourself is to help somebody 
 else. You take society about this town. If I had the money that 
 the Christian women, so-called, pay at the theater during the year, 
 I could run every charitable institution in this town grandly. That 
 is a fact. You can't walk to church — it is too far; but you will 
 walk the next night a third farther to the theater, and your husband 
 does not really want to go. Let us try and reform ourselves on this 
 line. 
 
 Life's in a community. Here is a theater on this street. Here 
 is a prayer-meeting across the way. There they go, and you can 
 not tell whose dogs they are to save your life. But when they get 
 to the intersection of the streets, and they turn toward the theater 
 or toward the prayer-meeting you know who are the devil's dogs, 
 and who belong to the Lord. There is no use saying any more 
 about it for the forks of the road tell whose dogs they are. 
 
 A man once asked me how long it had been since I had been at a 
 theater. I told him I had not been at the theater since I had quit 
 being a vagabond. 
 
 And there are women in St. Louis that will go and hear things 
 in the theater whose tendencies are the most vulgar of the vulgar, 
 
448 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 and she will be tickled all over, and she will come to the church and 
 she will have her poor little nerves all shocked to pieces at some- 
 thing Sam Jones says, and she will turn up her nose at me, and I can 
 always tell when the devil has got a mortgage on a woman's nose. 
 It is always turning up. And he is going to foreclose it some of 
 these days, too, sister, and he will get the gal when he gets the nose. 
 
 Put the Lord Jesus Christ by you in a theater and see how he 
 looks at certain things said in that theater; and there are Meth- 
 odists in this house, and members in all the churches that patronize 
 those places, and if they were to go into your parlor the next day 
 and say the things they heard there the night before, you would 
 kick them over your front gate. 
 
 And I say to you to-day, God never prayed in any man's family 
 for him; God never took up anybody's cross for him. There is a 
 great deal of this work of salvation on your own shoulders, and my 
 great desire is to take hold of men and pull them up where God can 
 save them. I say it is a moral impossibility for God to take a man 
 to heaven when every step of that man's life is downward and hell- 
 ward. 
 
 Salvation or damnation is a personal matter. Nobody will die 
 for you; nobody will stand in your place at the judgment bar of 
 God. 
 
 Going to heaven is just like riding a bicycle. You have to keep- 
 a-going to keep-a-going. You got to keep a-moving — you can't 
 stop. 
 
 I put Christianity and infidelity together here and say, "Chris- 
 tianity, what have you done?" "I have come into the world on a 
 commission of mercy. I have founded orphan asylums. I have 
 brought peace to many a soul." "Infidelity, is that true?" "Yes, 
 that is so." "What are you doing, Infidelity?" "I am fighting 
 Christianity." I had rather be a convict than to have a job like 
 that. 
 
 A man or a chicken is no good without sand in his gizzard. 
 
CHAPTER XLVIIL 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 Here's your logic : Because God is good I'll sin and keep on fight- 
 ing him. I am sorry we ever fired a gun on that grand old flag at 
 Fort Sumter. But Beauregard did it. He turned his guns on it, 
 and the guns were answered ; back and forth went shot and shell till 
 the walls crumbled and were laid low. All at once a white flag 
 went up from the center of the fort. Beauregard said : "Boys, roll 
 back your guns and get your boats and don't suffer a hair on the 
 head of those men to be touched." Well, God has been firing at 
 this old world and we've been answering back hard, and many of 
 our fathers and mothers have gone down in the struggle. God 
 turned his big guns on us. I say let's run up the white flag. If we 
 do, He will say to his angels : "Roll back your guns, go down and 
 take the bread of heaven and give it to them. See to it that the sun 
 does not smite them by day, nor the moon touch them by night." 
 Who'll run up the white flag to-night ? 
 
 Fm really glad that our salvation does not depend upon our be- 
 lieving this or that creed. Many preachers devote most of their ef- 
 forts to showing that their creed is the only right creed, and defend- 
 ing it, instead of preaching Christianity to dying men. I am sorry 
 for the preachers who have a creed that needs defense. The Meth- 
 odist creed can not be swallowed by a great many men ; the Pres- 
 byterian creed won't go down with a great many wise people; nor 
 will the Catholic or any other creed. When we boil it down it 
 comes to just this: God never said that believers in the first five 
 points of Calvin should be saved, nor he who believes in the im- 
 mersion, nor he who believes in the sprinkling, nor that he who 
 believes in the final perseverance, nor that he believes in the im- 
 
 (449) 
 
450 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 mutability of the Pope, nor that he who believes in apostolic suc- 
 cession — shall be saved, but "Whosoever believeth on Jesus Christ 
 shall be saved. ,, 
 
 Some say, "My trouble is doubt." If you will take hold of your 
 doubt and pull it up by the roots, you will find a seed at the bottom, 
 and that seed is sin. If you will empty your hearts and meet the 
 conditions then the doubts will be gone. 
 
 IF you quit sinning you will quit doubting. 
 
 Infidelity can grow only on the soil littered by the lives of un- 
 faithful members of the church. That's it. Oh, for the faith that 
 takes God in as He is. The man who don't believe is a mere pigmy 
 in the church. I believe the Bible just as it was written, and I be- 
 lieve that the whale swallowed Jonah. I would have believed it 
 just the same if it had said that Jonah swallowed the whale. I've 
 got no better sense than to believe the Bible. Call me a fool for it, 
 and I'm a happy fool. 
 
 I believe every word in the Bible. I accept everything between 
 the lids of the Book. I have good reasons for my faith. 
 
 The best thing a man can do in this world is to do right, the 
 worst thing a man can do is to do wrong. 
 
 I want to be a true man — a man in the pulpit, at home, every- 
 where and under all circumstances. If I were to become satisfied 
 to-morrow that the pulpit was absolutely shaking the foundations 
 of my manhood I would come out of it, because I would rather be 
 one true man than forty preachers, and I want to get out of the pul- 
 pit just one day beforehand. 
 
 Every true man is an eternal millionaire. 
 
 I had rather be a man in the truest sense of the word than the 
 best angel in heaven. 
 
 Reputation is cheap. Reputation is like the glove. I may put it 
 on my hand or take it off, or rend it to pieces and throw it away, and 
 
Sam P. Jones. 451 
 
 not feel the loss of it. But character is the hand itself; and when 
 once it is scarred it is scarred forever. Character is immortal. 
 Character shall live on beyond the stars. Character shall live as 
 long as God lives. Character-building is the one work of true men 
 in this world. I used to want religion, when I was a sinner, to 
 keep me out of hell. I used to think that I would love to have re- 
 ligion that I might get to heaven. But heaven and hell are both 
 'secondary with me now. I want religion now and forevermore. 
 
 A man wants a soul big enough for God and the angels and all 
 men to come in and live with him. 
 
 If a man believes he is right the next thing he wants is courage 
 that will dare to do right. 
 
 I GET disgusted with some little fellows who are always talking 
 that they preach Christ, and nothing but Christ, to sinners. I would 
 as soon preach Socrates to an unconvicted sinner as to preach 
 Christ. He's got just about as much use for one as the other. The 
 law of God is a great moral force which moves the world and the 
 law is what ought to be preached first, that conviction may follow. 
 
 The devil has no better servant than a preacher who is laying 
 feather-beds for fallen Christians to light on. 
 
 There is one preacher in this town that won't come to these 
 -meetings, but he says he is a-praying for Sam Jones's success — and 
 won't come here. Praying for Christ to associate with a man he 
 won't. Too much of a gentleman. Win souls for Christ, that's 
 the evangelist's work. You say you can't find sinners. A Christian 
 
 in that can't find sinners. My, my, my, you can't find them ? 
 
 Ain't you a dandy? There are three kinds of setter dogs. One a 
 -cover dog ; one a single-bird dog ; one a retriever. One will flush 
 up whole droves of birds at once. Another kind will just get up one 
 at a time and you can kill them every pop. The retriever will go out 
 and find them and bring them to you. Now, which are you going 
 to be ? I wish you were more like setter dogs, spiritually speaking, 
 I mean. Now, don't you go and get mad and say that I compared 
 _you to dogs. I wouldn't hurt the dog's feelings. 
 
me.' 
 
 452 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I'd rather be a man than a dignified preacher. 
 
 I want to be a good man and a good husband, but God keep me 
 from being a "nice" preacher. 
 
 The; greatest blessing that ever crowned an American or a Cana- 
 dian church is a "game" preacher that is not afraid of man or 
 devil. 
 
 I would rather associate with a dog than with a profane swearer. 
 This may sound strange; but I know what I am talking about. A 
 man may associate with a dog until he becomes doggish; but a 
 swearer can make him hellish. A man's affinities determine who he 
 is, and what he is. 
 
 Many a man will lie down in hell and say : "My tongue damned 
 e." 
 
 You may baptize a man all over, but his tongue will come out as 
 dry as powder. 
 
 The Scriptures teach me clearly that my life can never be better 
 than my heart. The Scriptures teach me that a bad tree can not 
 bring forth good fruit; neither can a good tree bring forth bad 
 fruit. It also teaches me that no salt fountain can send forth fresh 
 water; neither can a fresh fountain send forth salt water. 
 
 Two years or more ago I walked through John Wanamaker's 
 store in Philadelphia. He told me some days he had three thousand 
 clerks. Ten thousand customers buying goods all at one time. I say, 
 "You've got everything, ain't you ?" He replies, "Mr. Jones, I have 
 worked for years to complete my store so that a customer can find 
 everything he wants. That's where my customers get their dinner. 
 I've got it fixed so that a man does not need to go out for his meal." 
 God Almighty was four hundred years getting up this Book and 
 every want of the universe can be supplied out of this Book. If I 
 had the billions of men of earth before me I would refer them to 
 this precious Book. Here's a blesed balm for every wound, a cure 
 for every ill. Thank God for this precious Book, divinely written 
 and divinely given to save the world. 
 
Sam P. Jones* 453: 
 
 This is the Book of books. This is the Book of knowledge. 
 This is the Book which tells how to get to heaven. Glory to God 
 for this precious Book. My mother lived by its precepts and pil- 
 lowed her head upon it. It was the Book of my father and the light 
 of his home. 
 
 Talk about Ingersoll, I never met an intelligent man yet that 
 had been damned by Robert Ingersoll. The only difference in 
 Ingersoll and any other fellow running after him is this : Ingersoll 
 plays the fool for fifteen hundred dollars per night, and this little 
 fellow runs after him and plays the fool for nothing and boards him- 
 self. And I tell you that Ingersoll is going to continue to play that 
 kind of fool as long as this country gives him fifteen hundred dol- 
 lars per night. 
 
 I NEVER met a sinner in all my work who said that Bob Ingersoll 
 stood in his way of coming to Christ. I never met a sinner who 
 was bothered about Ingersoll's blatant tomfoolery. If I did, I would 
 say : "Old fellow, you need not trouble about getting religion ; you 
 have not sense enough; God, in my opinion, will take you into 
 heaven at a side-door." 
 
 I want to see the day in this country when no decent woman 
 will put anything on her table that will made a fool of her husband. 
 The biggest fool woman in this State is the woman who will go to 
 the closet and get the demijohn and bring it out and fix up a drink 
 for her husband. You have not sense enough to keep out of the 
 fire; your place is in the lunatic asylum. 
 
 I have; never been converted, if a man must believe something 
 afterward that he didn't believe before. 
 
 Keep my boy poor and honest, and let him die a fool. If you 
 are doing wrong, quit it. 
 
 I NEVER had much confidence in a man that would do things in 
 New York that he wouldn't do at home. You have some of that 
 sort here. A fellow that is sober as a judge at home, when he goes 
 on a fishing tour can not get along without a jug of whisky; and 
 he drinks it all the way along and claims to be pious. 
 
454 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 The roar of commerce, the click of the telegraph, and the whistle 
 of the engine have well-nigh drowned out the voice of God. But, 
 amid all these rough trials and present transactions, it is well 
 enough to put our hand up to our ear now and then and look up and 
 hear what God has to say. Let us listen to that still small voice that 
 never misled a man a step, and never deceived a man's soul ; let us 
 listen to that voice which, if you hear it aright, will make you wise 
 unto salvation. 
 
 The great curse of the world to-day is not out of the church, but 
 in it. I know I touch upon ground that may bring out resentment, 
 but, brethren, the harder and louder I say this the more I resemble 
 my Divine Master. He gave the "amen corners" bringes- when- 
 ever he met them. Every denunciatory sentence He uttered was 
 to the church, to the members of the church. But to the sinner he 
 says : "You are like the lost sheep which the shepherd sought and 
 bore home on his shoulder." He didn't kick or beat the sheep, for 
 it could not stand it. But he thundered his reproof to the Scribes, 
 Pharisees and Publicans. All we want is a church like Christ wants, 
 to march forth and win the world for Him. God grant us power 
 to go out in the spirit of grace and bring back the lost sheep. It 
 would be healthy if every member of the church would ask him- 
 self these questions: "Suppose every other member was like me, 
 how would the spirit of prayer succeed? how would the expenses 
 be paid? how much sympathy would the pastor receive?" It 
 wouldn't be long before you came to this conclusion : "Here is the 
 biggest humbug God Almighty allows to live in the church." I 
 can stand a railroad humbug, a business humbug, a newspaper hum- 
 bug, but God deliver me from a religious humbug. I believe it 
 was at Princeton that some young fellows tried to fool a professor 
 who was a bugologist and knew bugs from creation down. Thev 
 made up a bug from the head, wings, feet and legs of different 
 bugs, and taking it to him, said, "What kind of a bug is this ?" He 
 replied, "Why, that's a humbug." Now, take the hands of a swin- 
 dler, the head of a keen trickster and the mouth of a saint, put them 
 together and you have the biggest kind of a humbug. 
 
CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 Don't worry about your money. God bless you, bud, they'll haul 
 you off in a shroud without a pocket — and if it had a pocket your 
 arm would be too stiff to get into it. 
 
 There are four things you can appeal to in a boy — his sense of 
 honor, his conscience, his pride, and, lastly, his hide. 
 
 Iff the public has to educate your kid the public should have the 
 right to lick your kid. 
 
 You fool clerks who gamble, you go to these upstairs rooms and. 
 let them milk you and turn you loose — just like the farmer does the 
 cow. Only the cow has got more sense than you. The cow gets 
 the grass and you get nothing. 
 
 We see God all around us. The mountains are God's thoughts 
 piled up. The rivers are God's thoughts in motion. The oceans. 
 are God's thoughts embedded. The dewdrops are God's thoughts 
 in pearls. 
 
 I BEWEVE that the whale swallowed Jonah, and the only reason I 
 don't believe that Jonah swallowed the whale is because the Bible 
 don't say so. 
 
 He has either a mighty long head or a mighty short creed who* 
 believes only what he understands. 
 
 Repentance is the first conscious movement of the soul from 
 sin toward God. 
 
 Thank God this old world has never seen the time when it did. 
 not take its hat off and make a decent bow to a good woman. 
 
 (455) 
 
456 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I didn't say a clerk who gambles will steal — I just 'most said it. 
 
 I BELIEVE the greatest moral monstrosity in the universe is an 
 impious woman. I can understand how men can be wicked, and 
 turn their backs on God, and live in sin; but the greatest moral 
 monstrosity is a woman with the tender arms of her children 
 around her, their eyes looking up into her eyes with innocent love, 
 and that mother despising God in her heart. 
 
 Religion is like measles; if it goes in on you it will kill you. 
 The trouble with a great many Christians in this city is, religion has 
 gone in on them. Keep it broke out on hands, feet and tongue. 
 
 Every day ought to keep good company. There is not an angel 
 in heaven that would not be corrupted by the company that some of 
 you keep. 
 
 In a Georgia town a number of girls married men to reform them ; 
 now the town is full of little whippoorwill widows. 
 
 Whisky is a good thing in its place, and that place is in hell. 
 
 The capacity of a woman for making everybody about her un- 
 comfortable can not be calculated by any known process of arith- 
 metic. 
 
 The Christian who will do things in New York that he would 
 not do at home is a very poor Christian. 
 
 It takes less sense to criticise than to do anything else. There 
 are a great many critics in the asylum. 
 
 I don't think much of dignity. My observation is that the more 
 dignity a man has the nearer dead he is. 
 
 There are three thousand guilty men in this audience to-night, 
 and if they thought they were going to be found out, there would 
 be an awful dusting out of town before to-morrow night. 
 
 When you find a man that is first-class at some one thing, you 
 will find him pretty good for everything else. 
 
Mr. Jones Playing Golf at Winona Lake, Ind. 
 
 Mr. Jones and Gen. Booth at a Chautauqua. 
 
 Mr. Jones in the Country. Mr. Jones and Senator Patrick Walsh. 
 
 A CHARACTERISTIC GROUP. 
 
LAST PHOTOGRAPH OF REV. AND MRS. SAM P. JONES. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 457 
 
 You don't believe what you don't understand? Do you under- 
 stand why some cows have horns and some are muley ? 
 
 Let's quit singing the "Sweet By-and-by" and sing the "Sweet- 
 Now-and-riow." 
 
 If you tell me what you love and what you hate, I will tell you 
 your character. 
 
 If the devil ever puts his foot upon a woman once, she never 
 gets up any more. 
 
 The biggest fool God's eyes ever looked upon is the woman who 
 stirs the toddy for her husband. 
 
 If my daughter only had one dress that should be a whole one. 
 If it lacked anything at all I should cut it off at the bottom' and not 
 at the top. 
 
 They will put you in jail for stealing a man's money, but you 
 can be an average church member and steal a man's character. 
 
 It is worth something to a man to belong to a good family. 
 
 Old sinners are not satisfied with us unless we live better than 
 they do. 
 
 A man is not a sinner because he is an infidel; he is an infidel 
 because he is a sinner. 
 
 I rather like the expression of that good old woman who cried 
 out: "Oh, Lord, if you will only save me in this world, you shall 
 never hear the last of it in the next." 
 
 Gossip is always about a person. Decent talk is about things, 
 and unless your neighbor is a thing you frequently indulge in gossip. 
 
 A man don't have to live, but a man must do right if he wants to 
 come out right. 
 
 I won't sell whisky. As I told you once, I've been fool enough 
 to drink it, but never was fool enough to sell it. [Laughter.] 
 
458 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 A good many people are going to be good when they get to 
 lieaven. Well, old feller, you'd better be good down here or you 
 won't get in. 
 
 A great many members of the church in town, you can't trust 
 them all ; they won't pay you. Just think of a man afraid of getting 
 to heaven for fear of meeting his creditors. 
 
 Now, don't you go away and say Sam Jones encouraged you to 
 commit suicide, 'cause I didn't. But I'd go down to the harbor and 
 -crawl under a wharf and die before I'd sell whisky, though. 
 
 FvE been solemn many times, and I went to a doctor for it, I did. 
 1 found I had a diseased liver, and got a prescription for it. And 
 there's many a fellow going through this world taking diseased 
 liver for a clean heart. [Laughter.] 
 
 Whenever I see an old maid I just know some feller hain't done 
 liis duty; and when I see an old bachelor, it makes me think of a 
 liog. I don't know why it comes up in this connection, but it does. 
 
 There's preachers in this town that wouldn't create a ripple of 
 laughter in their audience for any price — I don't believe they could, 
 anyway. They say the dignity of the pulpit must be -maintained at 
 any cost, and all they have done is to keep the pulpit way up in the 
 air. [Laughter.] 
 
 I want to see people come to prayer-meeting with a rush; pray 
 with a rush ; sing with a rush ; and stop a-blowing about their aches 
 and pains, ups and downs. 
 
 Tiviy tell you how I've stood all I've been through. I'm always in 
 a good humor, I am. I believe that fun is the next best thing to 
 religion, and if religion can't triumph over temperament, it ain't 
 much account. 
 
 Did you ever hear a shout in Boston ? If five or six would go ter 
 shouting here in this place to-day, a lot of old women would jump 
 up hysterically, and say, "Oh, I just can't stand this excitement in 
 a church." And these same old women will go home to-night and 
 
Sam P. Jones. 459 
 
 raise the devil with the cook over some burnt biscuit. [Great 
 laughter.] 
 
 It does tickle me to see the old devil's old gang trying to do like 
 the young gang. Some people in the church have run so long that 
 when the devil taps his gong you all, old people, hope to respond. 
 [Laughter.] 
 
 Why not preach the gospel so that it tastes good? I always like 
 sugar in my coffee and salt in my bread. [Laughter.] 
 
 Give me the gospel in its purity and power, and so I can relish it. 
 [Aniens.] Fix it so they'll love it. "Delight yourself in your 
 Lord." 
 
 Give me a cheerful, bright, happy Christian that loves God and 
 carries his love in his heart. I've mixed with all classes; haven't 
 mixed much with the solemn crowds, though, and don't have to. 
 
 When St. Peter said "add to your knowledge- temperance," he did 
 not have reference to you old red-nosed Methodists. Any man who 
 pretends to be a Christian and drinks whisky is a great big old hum- 
 bug — a two-legged hypocrite. 
 
 Society is a heartless old wretch, and if you don't get out of it 
 you will go to hell with it. 
 
 When the doctor says you can't live but an hour you'll want just 
 such a preacher as myself talking to you. 
 
 God bores through the top of a man's head to his heart and on- 
 down to his pocket. 
 
 If any of you don't like the way these services are going, there 
 are three doors — you are cordially asked to leave. 
 
 When your little cup's full you can just back out. 
 
 Red liquor and Christianity won't stay in the same hide. 
 
 How lovely is a patient woman. God pity the man who has a 
 forked-tongued wife. 
 
CHAPTER L. 
 
 Sayings of Sam P. Jones (Continued). 
 
 Every unfaithful official, every little prosecuting attorney who 
 compounds a felony or compromises a crime, is an insult to the 
 American people and very fit to be called worse names than crimi- 
 nals themselves. 
 
 Nine out of ten of these indecent pictures you see posted around 
 the streets on the walls are of women. Is it possible that women 
 <ire leading the immodesty of the age ? And do you know that peo- 
 ple get their cues largely from pictures ? 
 
 What you should want is an honest dollar, honestly earned. The 
 kind of a dollar which a man can put into his trousers pocket, put 
 his trousers under his pillow and let the eagle on the coin change 
 into a nightingale and sing him to sleep. 
 
 Terms like "hog" and "dog" sound very grating and harsh to the 
 ears of some of the good people. But residents of a city where 
 twenty-three hundred saloons are running every day in the week 
 are the last people who should clamor for decency. 
 
 And these fat old women, who must have their beer for their 
 health's sake ! They make me tired, that's what they do. If I had 
 a wife like that, when I went home I wouldn't say "Where is your 
 mother?" or "Where is she?" but simply, "Where is it?" 
 
 If a man has a pull he can commit every crime known to the laws 
 of the State and go un whipped of justice. I imagine that there are 
 about two thousand men with a pull who break the Sunday laws in 
 this city every week and are never called to account for it. 
 
 The preacher has many opportunities that he does not avail him- 
 
 (460) 
 

 THOMAS DUNHAM, FOR TWENTY-ONE YEARS, "HIS BABY FRIEND. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 461 
 
 self of. He eats his breakfast, reads his letters and attends to his 
 correspondence until noon. Then he says, "I'm tired. I think I'll 
 lie down and rest this afternoon," and all the time the devil is busy 
 working away. 
 
 WE preachers do not any longer speak with authority. If I should 
 go through Edison's laboratory and he should tell me not to touch 
 a live wire I would not do so. I should be an angel in a minute. 
 Preachers tell a man if he keeps on sinning he will go to hell, and he 
 leaves the church, saying : "Shucks, I have heard that before." 
 
 If a lot of bums, thugs and low-down people were to get together 
 and form a club and buy the best liquor they could get their hands 
 on and open a room somewhere, I'll warrant you it would not be long 
 before the police would raid it. But let it be a rich man's club; let 
 its members have plenty of money, gild their deviltry, put plenty of 
 frills and laces on it, and there isn't a policemen that won't walk by 
 the door, raising his hat to the club-house. 
 
 I was born a Democrat and raised a Democrat, and remained a 
 Democrat as long as I thought a Christian gentleman could. Then 
 I pulled out. You Republicans need not laugh. I thank God I 
 never got low enough to run with your gang. You Republicans 
 claim to be a party of great moral ideas. It's a great lie. You ran 
 this party for thirty years on a dead-stretch, and then when you 
 turned it over to the Democrats it was soaked in whisky from Maine 
 to California, and the government was in partnership with the whole 
 damnable business. 
 
 The roar of commerce, the click of the telegraph and the whistle 
 of the engine have well-nigh drowned out the voice of God. 
 
 We little preachers think that we are doing first-rate if we take 
 a text and announce about three propositions and discuss them for 
 an hour. But do you know that Christ in His sermon on the Mount 
 announced and discussed one hundred and twenty-five different 
 propositions in the compass of half an hour? 
 
 If I had a creed I would sell it to a museum. Creed shows itself 
 
462 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 in the laws of the last few hundred years. It was over creed that 
 men fought, and not over Christ. Orthodoxes are what has ruined 
 this world. 
 
 The back door of the church ought to be opened once a year and. 
 give all who have not lived up to its rules an opportunity to pass out. 
 
 Bob IngersoIvL — and I never call his name without feeling the 
 need of a disinfectant — says whisky is God's worst enemy and the 
 devil's best friend. He is good authority on that side. 
 
 When I first started out I was afraid I would hurt somebody's- 
 feelings. Now I aip afraid I won't. 
 
 You may not like my grammar. I am trying to get my style and 
 grammar down on a level with you. 
 
 God can't elect any man unless he is a candidate. 
 
 Every barroom is a recruiting office for hell. 
 
 Sow whisky and you'll reap drunkards. 
 
 Christ won't stay in a house with the cellar full of whisky. 
 
 The most demoralizing and damning thing and the most insidious. 
 is the city club. 
 
 I have seen men converted from the barroom and from every- 
 thing else, but never, never have I seen a man converted from a club- 
 
 Religion don't help a fellow to quit his meanness, but it helos. 
 him to stay quit. 
 
 Doubts are but the children of sin. 
 
 Repentance is quitting your meanness. 
 
 Infidelity is nine-tenths mouth. 
 
 Give your heart to God and he will comb the kinks out of your 
 head. 
 
 If ever my daughters cut off any of their skirts, I don't want them 
 to cut from the top. 
 
Sam P. Jones. 463 
 
 The tune of America is pitched to the dollar. 
 A man is never any better in politics than his party. 
 You can't bribe God's grand jury when you come to judgment. 
 You can cover up everything this side of hell with a five-dollar 
 bill. 
 
 Custom is the law of fools, and is ruining this country. 
 
 God pity the man who can't run his home without a deck of cards. 
 He ought to have been in hell long before he had children born unto 
 him. 
 
 If any man don't like what I say, let him come to me afterwards 
 and say so, and I'll — forgive him. 
 
 You dance with this world and you'll go to hell with this world. 
 
 I have no respect for Mahone's politics, but I like his answer to 
 the question, how much he weighed. He said : "I weigh ninety-five 
 pounds, but ninety pounds of that is backbone," 
 
 ThERE is more religion in laughing than in crying. If religion 
 consists in crying I have the best boy in the world. 
 
 I photograph your own ugliness, and you sit here and laugh 
 -at it. 
 
 Some people say I ought not to call a drinking man a lying rascal. 
 If he drinks, ain't he a rascal ? And if he says he can't quit, ain't he 
 lying ? Now couple the two things together and you have the lying 
 rascal. I talk plain. I call a spade a spade and a hog a hog. 
 
 I am a Methodist, and want to be the best one God ever made. 
 
 I don't worry much about the mysteries of the Bible or Melchiz- 
 •edeck's children, or such things as that. 
 
 IF I understood all about the Bible, I'd know that somebody that 
 didn't have any more sense than I have wrote it. 
 
 To think of the saloons being kept alive by members of the church. 
 
464 Sam P. Jones. 
 
 I don't speak from a theological, but a logical standpoint. I 
 never studied theology a moment in my life. 
 
 The word "convert" is from the Latin terms con and verto 
 — "turn altogether." Now, I used to think that every old sinner 
 was in a wilderness of sin and that it would take him a week to find 
 the road out, but I've found out now that when a man's converted 
 all he has to do is to turn right about. 
 
 Now, when a man wants to be converted he musn't just "con," 
 nor he musn't just "verto." He must "converto" — turn altogether. 
 
 Now, you've had your back on heaven and going hellward all your 
 life. Do you want the illustration any plainer than that? Here's 
 a man who has been drinking all his life. He is going to a saloon. 
 He decides to quit. What must he do to be converted? He must 
 turn from liquor and join a temperance society, which is the anti- 
 podes of the saloon. 
 
 A conversion isn't worth anything unless its a double conver- 
 sion. A man must be converted from something to something. 
 
 I was converted -from whisky to prohibition — uncompromising 
 prohibition. 
 
 The only thing I have to say against the saloon-keeper is that he 
 is just like a louse. He makes his living off the heads of families. 
 
 I have more respect for an old toper than one of these elegant 
 gentlemen who go in and drink liquor at a saloon, and then pose as 
 churchmen outside. 
 

 
 
 
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