Prophetstown, Illinois campaign, July 1906

Closed July 8th, 1906. Republican-Northwestern. Tue, Jul 10, 1906 ·Page 3

SUNDAY PROMOTES GREAT REVIVAL

At Prophetstown—Converts Nearly the Entire Town—Collection Totals Greater Number of Dollars Than There Are People in the Town.

Evangelist Sunday’s campaign at Prophetstown, a town of 1,800 people, has closed. At the closing meeting a fund of $2,300 was made up for the evangelist and his helpers. People in that vicinity are enthusiastic over the effect of the meetings. The Sterling Standard says: The greatest of Rev. W. A. Sunday’s meetings in Prophetstown was held last evening in the tabernacle—after the series of revival meetings were thought to be over. Mr. Sunday had consented to remain over one day and preach one more sermon to the Prophets and the people down that way are rejoicing today and are saying, “It is well, it is well!”

Great Upheaval.

The tabernacle was nearly filled with people mostly from Prophetstown, a majority of the audience being young people. No one was especially looking for so great an upheaval within the forts of sin as occurred last night, when 125 people went forward to grasp Billy Sunday.

by the hand and by this act accept God’s plan of redemption as preached for four weeks by the evangelist who, for that length of time has been in their midst.

All Classes and Ages.

There were all classes of people in that assemblage who went forward—old gray heads, active hard headed business men, women, young ladies—and young men, among the latter being a score of more who have long been “hitting the grit” on the downward path. The righteously inclined people of Prophetstown are glad to the bubbling over point today over the havoc wrought in the devil’s ranks last night.

Great Change in City.

They say that it means a change of the moral level of the city, well filled church pews, a quiet and law-abiding Sabbath and finally—the last year for the saloon keeper and his business in Prophetstown. It wasn’t the singing that did it all last night, for Billy Sunday led it himself; it wasn’t particularly the sermon, although one of the best delivered during the past month, but it was the everlasting pounding away of Mr. Sunday, morning, noon and night, for four long weeks, that finally culminated in a smash up of the hosts of satan who have long besieged the little city on the Rock.

Effect of Sunday’s Work.

The entering wedge was set Sunday afternoon when the able and convincing talk was given on the liquor business—when Sunday skinned the booze shops of Prophetstown of all the gilt and plate glass, leaving exposed to his 2,500 masculine hearers the woe, despair, lost hopes, ruined fortunates and wrecked humanity within.