Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1904 — A WONDERFUL REVIVAL. [ARTICLE]

A WONDERFUL REVIVAL.

Former BaeebaM Player Converts Thousands tn the West. For nearly a month and a half a religions revival tempest has been sweeping over northern Illinois and eastern lowa. The section covered with this religious outburst embraces a population of over 500,000, and of this number 200,000 have attended the revival meetings. Night after uight special trains have carried people by the thousand to Sterling, 111., and at one meeting 1,047 converts were made. No hail in the place was large enough to accommodate the crowds, and such a demand arose for the opportunity of hearing the sermons that a telephone system was Introduced and 188 cities and towns in lowa and Illinois were connected vfith the hall where the exercises were held, In this way 8,000 persons while sitting in their own homes were enabled to hear the sermons every night As:a result of the revival the different church societies In this part of Illinois have trebled and In some cases quadrupled their membership. Before the revival only 15 per cen< of the people of Sterling attended church; now the percentage has swelled until practically the entire community is drawn to ths churches. The wonder of this religions upheaval is William A. Sunday, a former baseball player of national prominence. He has been an evangelist eight years; After one of his sernious fourteen whist dubs disbanded and many other clubs, organized for pleasure, have gone out of business.