The Evangelists Come to Aberdeen
A pair of traveling preachers fill the Methodist church, blending fire-and-brimstone theology with the wit of a circus ringmaster.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
As outlined in the Herald of last week, revival services were begun in the Methodist Episcopal church of this city on Sunday morning under the direction of Evangelists Connolly and Struble. The accounts of the work of these men in Seattle naturally had the effect of arousing interest; and when Mr. Struble arose to speak, he looked out upon a very fine audience. Mr. Connolly spoke in the evening to an audience which filled the auditorium. Both are good singers and preachers, alternating with such freedom as to be practically one man in their efforts. Mr. Connolly's subject was 'Repentance.' He preached the plain truth without gloves, and roars of laughter greeted many of his ludicrous illustrations. A prominent gentleman of Aberdeen, somewhat given to caustic humor, described the occasion as a 'pretty good show' and Mr. Connolly a 'successful ring master.' The general verdict was that a plain-spoken man had told the plain, unvarnished truth.
“A prominent gentleman of Aberdeen, somewhat given to caustic humor, described the occasion as a 'pretty good show' and Mr. Connolly a 'successful ring master.'”
Public revivals were the major civic entertainment of the 1890s, serving a social function similar to modern town hall debates or viral public performances. While the venues and the rhetoric have changed, the tension between the 'showmanship' of the speakers and the earnest search for community belonging remains a constant in local life.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.