Newspaper Page Text
2
living ears; a message strong enough to transcend
the silence of death itself. The Capitol building
has seldom held a more earnest and reverential
assembly than that which gathered there on the
morning of October 19 to view the body of Sam
Jones—the crowd was almost more than the cordon
of police could manage, for although it was a
multitude quiet, orderly, and sad, each individual
was determined to gain the last glimpse of the great
man. The galleries which look down upon the space
beneath the dome were filled during the entire time
and the scene from the highest point was inde
scribably impressive. The bright morning light
filtered through the glass dome and tempered by
distance, fell gently on the silent sleeper’s face;
the people, in a steady stream from the main en
trance flowed on and on and on, past the solemn
bier and out toward the rear of the building. One
group, however, remained of all—the
young orphans from the Methodist Orphans’ Home
at Decatur, which had been for twelve years under
the personal management of Mr. Jones. To these
children who loved him was accorded the privilege
of standing by his side as long as they desired.
Tom Dunham’s Friendship.
And there was yet another figure to whom the
order to “make room for the others” was not
given. This figure sat at the head of the casket,
almost as quiet and as silent as the still form at
his side. And the place was his by right of twenty
one years’ devoted friendship—a friendship which
it required a strong man like Tom Dunham to show
and to practice. “A body friend” he has been
called, for during the time mentioned Tom Dunham
was never separated from Sam Jones, ready for his
every beck and call, and during the days that in
tervened between the sudden passing of Mr. Jones
and the final burial service, Mr. Dunham never un
dressed for sleep and never left the side of his
friend, scarcely for a moment, day or night.
Closer than Damon and Pythias or even David
and Jonathan, was the friendship of these two
men, for it took the form of no knightly deeds of
sacrifice or valor, but chose the harder paths of con
stant hourly helpfulness and watchfulness. Mr.
Jones had remarked for twenty-one years, when
they were in the same town, he had never gone
to rest for a night without the helpful hand of
Tom Dunham being extended in some small services
which showed deep love and loyal devotion. A
beautiful memorial is this—to have won even a
single heart’s complete allegiance—and yet Sam
Jones won thousands such, who would have been
almost as ready as Tom Dunham to live or die
for him.
Atlanta’s Attitude.
Even with the halo which death casts we are not
blinded by it so as to be unable to see clearly all
the environment of Mr. Jones’ career. He had
many enemies—many opponents both in a polit
ical and religious way—yet what truly great man
has not? As a reformer, Mr. Jones was fearless;
as a foe io the liquor traffic he was ever active and
as an urgent denouncer of civic laxness he was per
haps more virile than any man in the South. No
official office was safe from his invective, if he
found cause for attack, and many a time was he at
variance with the municipal government of Atlanta.
But this fact was not resented by the city—on the
contrary, as has been shown, the city council hon
ored his memory and so far encouraged the peo
ple to do likewise, especially the young people,
that a half holiday was given in the schools in
order that the pupils might pay a visit to the Cap
itol where the body of the evangelist lay in state.
The Great Sunday Memorial.
Again, it was decided that even the scenes at
the Capitol were not enough, and some of the prom
inent citizens arranged for a special memorial ser
vice to be held at the Baptist Tabernacle Sunday
afternoon.
Again was there an outpouring of the people—
"heralded only by simple statements in the daily
papers, yet thousands heard of the plan and crowd
ed the building to the very doors, hundreds being
turned away.
How many times had Sam Jones himself occu
pied the Tabernacle pulpit! How many times had
The Golden Age for October 25, 1906.
his voice sounded throughout the building in quaint,
eloquent tones urging, “blistering,” exhorting, en
treating his hearers to lead the right life and enter
the “path that leads to peace.”
Space forbids more than a brief mention of the
speakers and their words on this occasion, but we
give our readers all we can of this wonderful meet
ing. .
A Coincidental Brightness.
It so happened that the Tabernacle building was
handsomely decorated for the home-coming recep
tion to be given to Dr. Broughton on Monday even
ing and these decorations, though seemingly a little
incongruous, were left during the memorial service.
Just above the pulpit there was placed the inscrip
tion, “Sam P. Jones, Georgia’s Beloved Dead.” but
apart from this there was no single sign of mourn
ing for the passing of the life which the people
gathered there to honor.
It was an inspiring sight and one never to be
forgotten—tier on tier of earnest faces, young and
old, rich and poor, creed and creedless, each im
bued with a deep sense of the sacredness of the oc
casion, and all listening with ready unction, smiles
and tears, to the words of the speakers.
• Professor B. C. Davis, of the Tabernacle choir,
led the congregational singing.
Dr. C. E. Dowman, pastor of the First Methodist
■Church, led in prayer, thanking God for the con
secrated powers of such a man as Sam P. Jones.
And then Charlie D. Tillman, the author of the
famous “Revival’’ hymn-book, and Edwin Smoot,
singer with Sam Jones and Walter Holcomb sang
as a duet, “Some Day the Silver Cord Will Break.”
Mr. Upshaw Speaks.
Following this, in opening the exercises Mr. Wil
liam D. Upshaw, Editor of The Golden Age, said
in part:
“There are moments, I think, when the spirit re
ceives
Whole volumes of thought on its unwritten leaves.”
And in the tense and tender heartbeat of such a
moment today we begin this sacred memorial—
an hour that shall be focal of high and holy con
templations and vocal with the love and sorrow of
thousands.
Never since Henry Grady finished his marvelous
work at ten o’clock in the morning of life’s won
derful day—never since he yielded to what men
call death—have I been so anxious to attend the
funeral of a great and good man as I was to be
at Cartersville at the funeral ceremonies of Sam
P. Jones. But I was on bed over in Cobb county
and could not be at Grady’s funeral, and the death
of a relative would not allow me to mingle with
the weeping thousands who thronged the Carters
ville Tabernacle because its maker and master
had died.
But as I could not go there my pierced heart
feels a sort of melancholy compensation in the
privilege of suggesting Atlanta’s memorial. How
ever, priority of suggestion did not mean priority
of impulse, for before they had seen the suggestion
in the daily press, Messrs. Peacock and Johnson
of the Tabernacle congregation came to my office
at different hours to suggest a memorial service for
Sam Jones. And as soon as Dr. Broughton heard
the sad news on returning from England he rushed
to the nearest telegraph office in New York and
wired, not knowing what had been done, to arrange
for a Sunday night memorial for Sam Jones. Thus
the feeling was in all hearts and the suggestion
struck fire everywhere.
It is eminently fitting that the great heart of the
Atlanta that Sam Jones loved so well should gather
here to pay tribute on the Sabbath day—
“ That blest day to mortals given
To turn our thoughts from earth to heaven.”
Some great good men leave the impress of
their lives upon the world because of the conse
cration of their wealth; some because of the conse
cration of their genius, some because of the conse
cration of their eloquence. Sam Jones consecrated
all of these—but he did yet more—he consecrated,
perhaps as no other man ever did, an exquisite and
winsome humor.
(Concluded on page 7.)
ceives
Items of General Interest.
Horseshoes are sometimes made in Australia of
cowhide instead of iron.
In Calcutta consumption is only about half as
fatal among males as among females.
If a chameleon becomes blind, it no longer
changes color, but remains of a blackish hue.
The Japanese have taken to canning sardines.
Last year, 2,000,000 cans were sold by them.
Berlin now has over 6,000 cabs with taximeters—
dials indicating the distance traversed, and cost
to the passenger.
In Germany more than five hundred out of ev
ery thousand women reach the age of fifty years,
while only 413 men live' so long.
Postal facilities in China are reported to be im
proving through the service on fast trains between
Pekin and Hankow. These are expected to make
the run in thirty-six hours.
The City of St. Petersburg is proceeding vigor
ously with the development of its urban trans
portation system. An order has been given for
190 British-made electiic trolley cars.
A coat which has been placed on exhibition in a
London furrier’s shop is made of 1,200 rabbit
ears, which have been sewed together in such a
manner as to make a serviceable waterproof coat.
There are 713 newspapers printed in India, being
100 more than there were ten years ago. The num
ber of periodical publications (other than news
papers) is 747, being an increase of 284 within a
decade.
That disused railway tunnels need not be a drug
on the market is evidenced by the extensive and
highly successful culture of mushrooms carried
on in one of those sombre passages in the vicinity
of Edinburgh.
It is a peculiarity of Russian railways that their
stations are generally two miles distant from the
smallest towns and villages which they serve. This
is said to be on account of the danger of fire, the
houses in small places generally being thatched
with straw.
Professor Goldwin Smith some time ago formally
willed his brain to Cornell University. Some re
markable brains have been sold, not given. An
Englishman has disposed of his to an American
university for SIO,OOO. He is a man of little edu
cation, and for many years worked as a coal miner.
He has a marvelous memory, especially for dates,
and is now earning a good salary on the music
hall stage.
Senator Beveridge, of Indiana, once entered a
competitive examination for appointment to West
Point and lost his opportunity for becoming a
great soldier because he laughed at an inoppor
tune moment in the examination and was fined sev
eral points for indecorous conduct. The successful
aspirant for the place Senator Beveridge aspired
to fill was Captain Austin Hastings Brown who
died in 1903.
The public has always had considerable amuse
ment in criticising the forecasts of the “-weather
man” as they are made from day to day, but the
United States Weather Bureau now declares that
predictions can be made with considerable accura
cy extending over a period of six days. An expert
has been at work making such forecasts and the suc
cess of his predictions has been so marked that the;
system is to be continued. The method used is to
secure news of atmospheric conditions prevailing
over the entire northern hemisphere. Daily re
ports are also to be received from foreign countries.