Month: June 2025

Billy Sunday One Man in Millions, South Bend Tribune, c. 1913

Citation: The South Bend Tribune. Sat, May 10, 1913 ·Page 11

Billy Sunday, 1908. Author’s Collection.

In connection with the coming of Mr. Sunday not a few of us have been guilty of judging the man before seeing him or hearing him. Current reports, like most current reports have been one-sided and unfair. Mr. Sunday’s preaching may have many of the faults upon which hearsay has so extensively dwelt. When one listens to the man, however, one finds these faults largely obscured by the man’s numerous and tremendous excellencies.

That Mr. Sunday is a man of genius, not even his bitterest opponents will dispute. That he is clever and brilliant and witty and eloquent admits absolutely of no question. Not one man in 10,000,000 possesses Mr. Sunday’s enormous powers. The man not only draws the vast audience but what is much more he deserves the vast audiences.

Success Through Ability.

Mr. Sunday ascribes his amazing success to the soundness of his doctrines and the righteousness of his platform. In this, Mr. Sunday is admirably modest. As matter of fact, Mr. Sunday’s success is due not to his doctrines but to his ability. Fortunately his tremendous ability is being devoted to a good cause. Yet the same ability would attract similar throngs no matter what the cause and what the doctrine.

To hear the man makes one think of an Elijah, an Amos, an Isaiah, a Savonarola.

That Mr. Sunday is sincere there exists no real ground for doubting. Hardly would an insincere man be so marvellously effective. Insincerity is the death of eloquence. And Mr. Sunday is superbly eloquent.

Again it is difficult to see just wherein Mr. Sunday would be tempted to be insincere. Men are insincere when they have no other means of gaining their ends. Mr. Sunday does not need to be insincere. Insincerity is the weapon of the weak. Mr. Sunday possesses a Titan’s strength.

Regrettable Feature.

The crudeness and naivete of some of Mr. Sunday’s doctrines may give rise to the suspicion of insincerity. This is indeed perhaps the only thing about Mr. Sunday that need be seriously deplored. His prejudiced attitude toward the high criticism and toward the doctrine of evolution, not to mention his furious attacks upon Unitarianism, Universalism, Christian Science, Spiritualism and other doctrines, coming as they do from a man of his influence, are distinctly regrettable. It is hard to see just what is to be gained by these attacks. Just how the salvation of souls is to be furthered by assaults on this, that or the other doctrine is far from easy to understand.

Still, many a great speaker has had a child’s philosophy. The question has actually been raised whether a broad philosophic vision is compatible with fiery throng-swaying eloquence. The philosopher and the orator rarely dwell together in the same person. It is not unlikely that advanced views in philosophical and theological matters would preclude a man’s burning with white hot ardor. It takes a narrow channel to give a strong current. Broaden and deepen the channel and the current becomes slow and feeble. A large philosophical horizon means, as often as not, a frail and listless propaganda. Therefore there need be no doubt as to Mr. Sunday’s sincerity even though his theological outlook be somewhat contracted. His wonderful effectiveness proves his sincerity.

Money No Object.

The most unjust of all charges brought against Mr. Sunday is that of mercenariness. A man with whom money is an end and aim could not possibly do what Mr. Sunday is doing. If Mr. Sunday derives large sums of money from his activities, it should be remembered that every cent of it is given freely and eagerly by the myriads whose hearts he has stirred. A man of Mr. Sunday’s ability and fidelity is well worth all the money he receives. Considering the work he is doing, several times the sum would not be excessive and undeserved compensation—surely not unnecessary compensation. In view of the energies he expends, Mr. Sunday requires means for adequate rest and recuperation not to mention provisions against premature aging and even death. There was not a little pathos in his intimation a few nights ago that, at the rate he is working, a high old age for him is not probable.

It should be well known by this time that the collections up to the last day of the meetings and some of the collections on the last day go to defray expenses. The very persons who have been disparaging Mr. Sunday for urging liberality of contributions might be the first to censure him as a “dead beat” if, remiss about urging contributions, he should fail to meet his financial obligations.

Rendering Great Service.

Mr. Sunday would be rendering the community an inestimable service if he did no more than bring those magnificent crowds together to listen to that sweet music and to sing those beautiful songs. What a powerful stimulus to the sense of human brotherhood and solidarity when thousands congregate and in unison set their hearts beating to the rythm of holy thoughts harmoniously expressed!

A religious campaign of the kind that Mr. Sunday is leading expresses the progress of democracy more profoundly than any other movement of our day. At the basis of Mr. Sunday’s work is a thought which is the most democratic thought in the world, the thought namely that every soul is worth saving. Beneath the roof of that tabernacle, class discriminations are utterly obliterated. The only possession that counts for anything there is a person’s soul. The Sunday campaign is attended by the earnest realization on the part of thousands that nothing is really good excepting “the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

Fourteen hundred years ago Saint Augustine said:

“Thou hast made us for Thee, O Lord, and restless is our heart until in Thee it finds its rest.”

Only Kind of Life.

A quickened realization of this truth seems to be the quest of this revival. We of South Bend are coming now to understand better than ever before that the life of exalted thoughts and pure affections and clean conduct and worthy deeds is after all the only kind of life that is worth living.

Mr. Sunday has dedicated his extraordinary talents to bringing home this truth to persons of all classes and of all callings. May there be an abundant harvest from his sowing. May there be “showers of blessings.” May the cleansing torrents of righteousness surge through our community making every life sweet and holy and pure.

The South Bend Tribune. Sat, May 10, 1913 ·Page 11

South Bend Tribune labels Billy Sunday as the ‘Real American Product.’

BILLY SUNDAY REAL AMERICAN PRODUCT

EVANGELIST IS DISCUSSED BY WILKES-BARRE, PA., MAN.

COMPARED WITH OTHERS

Billy Sunday, 1908. Author’s Collection.

Writer in Newspaper Compares Former Baseball Player With Famous Evangelist of Few Year Ago—Does Much Good.

The Tribune’s Special Service.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa., May 9.—Rev. William A. Sunday and his methods have been reviewed from so many angles that it seems difficult even for a veteran to add anything to the sum total of knowledge of this wonderful evangelist, says “G. A. E.” writing for the Wilkes-Barre Record.

Continuing “G. A. E.” who made a careful study of the evangelist while he was conducting his campaign here, says:

“However, as the preachers say, ‘firstly, secondly, thirdly and one word more,’ and this may be ‘finally and in conclusion.’

“Billy Sunday, as we now familiarly term him, stands in a class by himself, and if I compare him with evangelists of other days it is not for disparaging comment or odious comparison. He is peculiarly an American product and becomes immediately at faith with his audiences because of his intense patriotism, his love of the starry flag and his intense belief in the present and future greatness of the United States. He is a paladin of defense.

Sunday Protector.

“No, siree, the devil shall never capture this country so long as Billy Sunday can put up his dukes or raise his voice in protest.

“I have been privileged to hear many great pulpit orators and revivalists both in this country and abroad, among the latter, Weaver, Spurgeon, Booth (before his Salvation army days) Moody, Torrey. Of these for keenness of argument, beauty of diction, fierceness of invective and charm of pathos. I would place Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon in first place, with Gen. W. Booth in the next. But from speech of my mother and grandparents even these giants could not compare with Whitfield, Williams O’Wern, Charles Wesley, Christmas Evans and Rowland Hill. The men I have named were all different in their method, none of them staying long in one place, and their work was largely denominational in character. These men were all successful and their trumpet calls led many to a newness of life.

Orthodox Gospel.

“The story they told and the gospel they preached was the old orthodox one, ‘He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.’ Sunday’s success is in proportion as he sticks to the old doxv and the old ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ but it is worth noting that while the old exhorters emphasized ‘hell fire,’ and ‘fire and brimstone,’ Billy does not add to the agony of those consigned to the place prepared for unbelievers by using those words.

“Mr. Sunday, like Spurgeon and many other successful exhorters, is a voluminous speaker, but not a profound thinker. He has read for dramatic effect, he has skimmed the literature of the English race for illustrations, and is endowed with a slang vocabulary that is simply astounding. He uses his knowledge with such marvelous effect that all who come ‘to scoff return to pray.’ His earnestness, his transparent honesty, carries all his hearers with him and his slang solecisms are all forgotten in his clarion call for repentance, his denunciation of all that is bad, vile and wicked and in his praise of God, home and country.

More Lasting Good.

“The old school of revivalists were of the itinerant class, moving rapidly through the country, their evangelism seemed sudden in its effect and I am afraid somewhat evanescent in its general results. It is just here that Mr. Sunday’s campaign gives promise of more lasting good. His coming has been carefully prepared for, his meeting place is undenominational in character. It is a movement conducted with great business acumen and sound common sense. He trains the ministers and church workers in such a way as to make them capable of caring for the harvest when it comes. Like a good farmer, he prunes the fruit trees with vigor, cuts out all the dead wood and sprays them well to get rid of moths, beetles and canker worms, so that when the new fruit shall ripen it will be sound and beneficial. ‘And the leaves of the trees shall be for the healing of the nations.’ Mr. Sunday is a man endowed with a great faith. He prays for the blessing, he prepares for the blessing, he is sure of getting it and it is therefore no surprise that he is so eminently successful.

Campaign Well Conducted.

“The late revival in Wales was a marvelous spontaneous outburst of religious fervor and roused large sections of the community. It was conducted by a young man named Roberts, who was ill fitted both mentally and physically and he subsequently broke down. Want of well directed effort, want of unity on the part of the churches to look after and care for the converts robbed the movement of much of its success. The converts were left to the mercy of the world, flesh and the devil, and thus the promise of a great and last revival petered out.

“The Sunday campaign is conducted vastly different. It is an old evangel, presented in racy Americanesque speech and run upon up-to-date business principles. The evangelical churches are a unit. It has been aided by the enterprise of the daily newspapers and publicity is given to the religious movement unknown to our fathers. Despite a few doubting Thomases the spirit of success is in the air, for the Wyoming valley is realized that the ‘hour and the man’ glorious religious revival has just passed and the effects of it are to continue.”

The South Bend Tribune. Fri, May 09, 1913 ·Page 7

Rescue the Perishing ‘personal worker’s’ resource during Billy Sunday campaigns, c. 1911

RESCUE THE PERISHING

PERSONAL WORK MADE EASY.

That ye may KNOW how ye ought to ANSWER every man.—Col. 4:6.

SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND HINTS FOR BEGINNERS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.—Eph. 6:17.

ARRANGED BY “FRED” R. SEIBERT

Author’s Collection

Books Proving Handy.

Those who assist in the personal work at the tabernacle are finding that the little book on this line of endeavor sold by Fred Seibert to be of much value. The ex-cowboy, in addition to selling the book on personal work, handles the hymnals and has for sale two of Billy Sunday’s sermons, ‘Moral Lepers’ and ‘Three Groups.’

The South Bend Tribune. Mon, May 12, 1913 ·Page 9

Billy Sunday souvenirs sold at his revival campaigns

PUBLISHER OF SUNDAY SOUVENIRS IS IN CITY

H. A. Lorberg Will Remain Through Balance of Campaign.

H. A. Lorberg, publisher and dealer in postal cards, portrait buttons and other souvenirs of the Billy Sunday campaign has reached South Bend and will remain in the city throughout the balance of the revival. Mr. Lorberg, who has followed the party for years, has secured quarters at the Y. M. C. A. and will shortly open a place in this city, where his wares will be placed on sale.

Mr. Lorberg not only carries with him pictures of Billy Sunday, but he also has copyrighted photographic souvenirs of various kinds relating to other members of the party. He also has charge of the sale of a number of songs and books, which were written and published by various members of the party. Among these publications is the book of the Acts, written by Miss Grace Saxe.

For a long time Mr. Lorberg had difficulty in keeping possession of his book of hymns for worship in the tabernacle. This he overcome or attempted to overcome several months ago, by marking with letters two inches high on the backs of his hymnal “Thou shalt not steal.” The scheme has been effective, Mr. Lorberg says.

The South Bend Tribune · Mon, May 05, 1913 · Page 7 · (South Bend, Indiana)

Poem sent from Wilkes-Barre, PA to Billy Sunday c May 1913

Just prior to starting the late April 1913 South Bend revival campaign, Billy Sunday finished his campaign in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He was apparently sorely missed just days afterward as a citizen-employee from Vulcan Ironworks sent this poem to the South Bend Tribune, published Mon, May 05, 1913 ·Page 7.

Copyright 1908. Author’s Collection.

Tribute to Sunday.

Tell your friends, we knew a fellow

Who’s the real thing through and through.

He’s a friend well worth having,

And he’ll be a friend to you.

When he came to old Wilkes-Barre,

Some of us were pretty tough.

And we thought that Billy Sunday

Was a grafter, sure enough.

But, one night we went to hear him—

With a banner and his band—

And we found that Billy Sunday

Is the best man in all the land.

How he hits the old ‘booze-fighter,’

And his cussing, spewing life—

Tells you how he starves his children,

Kills his poor, long-suffering wife.

Then he preaches Christ the Saviour

And His divine love, until

All the crowds just melt around you,

“Leaving God and you and ‘Bill.'”

When he says, ‘Don’t trust your feelings

“Come to Christ. He’ll never fail.’

And he holds his hand out pleading,

‘Fore you know, you’ve hit the trail.

Why, he makes sin seem so awful,

And religion seems so grand,

That you wish ten thousand “Billies”

Could sweep over this whole land.

But the best part can’t be told, friends,

How God fills your heart with peace,

And with hope and strength and courage,

And with joys that never cease.

So, three cheers for “Billy” Sunday,

Yes, three cheers, and three times three,

For the man who makes salvation

Plain to men like you and me.

And through all this great republic

‘Twould be mighty hard to find

Your grateful bunch of fellows,

Than his friends, the undersigned.

The South Bend Tribune speculated in 1913 that Billy Sunday would be a good ‘politican.’

SUNDAY WOULD BE GOOD VOTE GETTER

POLITICAL WRITER LOOKS OVER BASEBALL EVANGELIST.

COULD HAVE CROWD SURE

Billy’s Fearlessness and Independence Would be Bound to Win Masses if He Was Out for Office.

BY THE POLITICAL WRITER.

It may be said safely that a good percentage of the men and women who sat in open mouthed amazement at the tabernacle yesterday and saw Billy Sunday sway thousands by his magnetism, hypnotism and Lord-knows-what-ism afterward asked themselves the question: ‘Why didn’t he go into politics?’

Billy Sunday’s most bitter enemies must admit that he is a leader of the natural-born species. His characteristics, his personality, his impulsiveness, his methods and that seductive ‘come-on-I’ve-got-you’ smile make him a power whether it be in evangelistic work or in a ‘swat the fly’ campaign.

Could Get Votes.

Billy Sunday, c. 1908. Author’s Collection

On the political stump Billy Sunday could get votes. It is idle to deny that fearlessness and vote-getting go hand in hand. They are so closely interlocked that there has never been a great vote-getter who was not brave and courageous in saying what he wanted to say regardless of the fear of adverse criticism. That’s just Billy Sunday’s line. To him a liar is a liar, a hypocrite is a hypocrite, a man is a man and a woman is a woman. He calls a spade a spade and does it from the housetops.

Billy Sunday undoubtedly would achieve as much success in politics as in a religious movement. Perhaps the latter critics are possibly more charitable in the belief that this gives the one under the acid test a greater opportunity to show his good. Billy Sunday does not seek charity or consideration, but rather goes after his auditors hammer-and-tongs.

Like a Fighter.

In politics that would result in delivery of the goods the same as in religion. All men like a fighter and Billy Sunday yesterday demonstrated that he can scrap from the drop of the hat. Such an individual would have followers in politics, followers of all kinds and description from curbstone heelers to nation wide statesmen.

Under a convention system Billy Sunday would shine. Any man who can double himself into a knot, hit the floor and ceiling alternately, chase from one side of a platform to the other, shake his fist at a packed auditorium, telling all of them that they are doing wrong and telling some of them that they are quite on the direct route to hell—any man who can do so much in one breath and get away with it would have no trouble in turning a political convention into his way of thinking. If Billy Sunday appeared at an old time county convention and made a speech as dramatic, as fiery and as spectacular as he did yesterday, the delegates would be fairly falling over one another trying to get aboard his political band wagon.

“A Real Dandy.”

Asked what he thought of Billy Sunday, Gov. Tener, of Pennsylvania, who played ball against him back in the nineties, made answer in his semi-soliloquy and semi-quiz fashion: “Wouldn’t he make a dandy in politics?”

Those who know something of politics and who have heard Sunday quite agree with Pennsylvania’s chief executive.

The South Bend Tribune. Sat, May 03, 1913 ·Page 13

In the same edition of the newspaper, this story was also posted.

SUNDAY WOULD LIKE ONE POLITICAL JOB

EVANGELIST LETS OUT SECRET OF AN AMBITION.

Billy Pines to Get on School Board Some Time so He Can Raise Salaries.

Billy Sunday let his audience in on a nice little secret ambition of his, during his talk at the tabernacle last night. Mr. Sunday does not particularly aspire to the job, but if he ever gets into politics he wants to be a member of the schoolboard. This he confided to the crowd during his eloquent discussion of home problems.

The evangelist gave his reason for wanting the job, in the following manner:

“I would like to be on a school board so I could double the pay and arrange 12 months work a year for every school teacher under my jurisdiction. It is a disgrace, the wages we pay ministers and school teachers. Raise teachers’ salaries and we would have better influence for good among the scholars as a result.”

Billy halted his speech for a moment, then added:

“There is one thing I would do if I was a member of a school board and that is I would give back to the teacher the right to lick our boys and girls. It was one of the greatest mistakes of the nation in depriving them of this right.”

Billy Sunday believed (c 1913) that the Y.M.C.A. was drifting from its core mission

Y. M. C. A. Drifting Away.

“They are fighting and talking about the needs of an institutional church, they are having gymnasiums and socials. But don’t forget the fact that salvation is the prime end of everything. I don’t object to the gymnasium and all such things if they make them a means to an end. But remember that salvation of the soul is the end which we need. That is what is the matter with the church to-day, she is losing sight of that one fact. The Y. M. C. A. is drifting away from what it used to do for the people. I don’t object to the Y. M. C. A. I don’t object to gymnasiums. I do object when they make that the prime thing, putting in pool tables and such things. The church and the Y. M. C. A. and the Salvation Army are getting away from the fact that the salvation of the soul is the supreme end. I want to see the salvation of the soul the supreme end of the world.”

Citation: The South Bend Tribune. Sat, May 03, 1913 ·Page 12

How did it happen that Billy Sunday, as a young child, became an orphan?

Citation: The South Bend Tribune. Fri, May 02, 1913 ·Page 17

HOW SUNDAY BADE HIS MOTHER GOODBYE AND JOINED ORPHANS

Billy Sunday and his brother, Ed, spent five years in an orphans’ home. Here is the story of his farewell to his mother and his journey to the orphans’ home:

My father went to the war four months before I was born. My mother drew a pension of $12 a month and the guardian ran off with most of the money. The wolf scratched at the cabin door, and finally mother said: ‘Boys, I’m going to send you to the Soldiers’ Orphans’ home.’ At Ames, Ia., we had to wait for the train and we went to a little hotel and they came about 1 o’clock and said: ‘Get ready for the train.’ I looked into mother’s face, her eyes were read, her hair was disheveled. I said: ‘What’s the matter, mother?’ All the time Ed and I slept, mother had been praying.

We went to the train; she put one arm about me and the other about Ed and sobbed as if her heart would break. People walked by and looked at us, but they didn’t say a word. Why? They didn’t know, and if they did, they wouldn’t have cared. Mother knew. She knew that for five years she wouldn’t see her boys. We got into the train and said, ‘Good-bye, mother,’ as the train pulled out.

We reached Council Bluffs. It was cold and we turned our little thin coats around our necks and shivered. We saw a hotel and went up and asked a lady for something to eat. She said: ‘What’s your name?’

‘My name is Willie Sunday and this is my brother Ed.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘Going to the Soldiers’ Orphans’ home at Glenwood,’ I said.

‘She wiped her tears and said: ‘My husband was a soldier and never came back. He wouldn’t turn anyone away, and I wouldn’t turn you boys away.’ She threw her arms about us and said, ‘Come on in.’ She gave us our breakfast and our dinner, too. There wasn’t any train going out on the ‘Q’ until afternoon. We played around the freight yards. We saw a freight train standing there, so we climbed into the caboose.

The conductor came along and said: ‘Where is your money?’ ‘Ain’t got any.’ ‘Where is your ticket?’ ‘Ain’t got any ticket. You can’t ride without money or tickets, I’ll have to put you off.’ We commenced to cry. My brother handed him a letter of introduction to the superintendent of the orphans’ home. The conductor read it and handed it back as the tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he said: ‘Just sit still, boys. It won’t cost you a cent to ride on my train.’

‘It’s only 26 miles from Council Bluffs to Glenwood, and, as we rounded the curve, the conductor said: ‘There it is on the hill.’ We went there and stayed five years.’

(Editor: 1872-1876)

Former Old Soldier’s Home, Glenwood, Iowa.
Former Old Soldier’s Home, Glenwood, Iowa. Billy Sunday lived here as a child with his brother, from 1872-1872. Author’s Collection.