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Show CLIMBING UP THE GOSPEL STAIRS The Salvation -Army liaises "Hallelujah" "Hal-lelujah" in Chicago. Caicago, March 31. Morning, afternoon after-noon and evening parades were indulged in by the Salvation Army yesterday, winding up with a mass meeting at Central Cen-tral Music Hall in the evening to fitly celebrate the sixth anniversary of the organization. Through the deep mud the army marched with flying colors. Drums, trumpets and tambourines were loudly sounded, and, the enthusiasts kept j irrra tjontirraons Binging of their 'Own, pe-j culiar songs. Three policemen headed the march, but their services were not needed, for, though the odd procession was mercilessly "guyed" all along the line of march, no attempts to create any trouble were made. Passing the Criminal Crim-inal Court House in the afternoon the army raised such a tumult that Judge Tuley had to take a recess until the motley mot-ley crowd had passed out of hearing. It was rare fun for the gamins, and for all the spectators for'that matter, but through it all the vaj-'ant soldiers, both , men and women, trudged bravely on, with never a smile. Our army it is rising, How martial it appears. The hosts of hell surprising,-Climbing surprising,-Climbing up the gospel stairs. The song was shouted by the army to the refrain of "Climbing up the Golden Stairs," as, amid the din of drum-rolls and the jingle of tambourines, it filed into Central Music Hall, last night, and took its nlace on the extended platform. The soldiers clad in their inflamed garb of red flannel, and the women attired in Shaker bonnets and somber gowns, rushed to their seats, appartently in confusion, exclaiming: ex-claiming: "Hallelujah! Hallelujah, I belong to the Salvation army!" The goodly number of camp followers overflowed over-flowed the parquet and filled the two front rows of the dress circle. Without ceremony Mrs. Wass came forward and opened the exercises with a long prayer. She exhorted the audience to get down on its knees, which it did with alacrity, and, when the "amen" was pronounced, it was echoed by 400 voices in concert. Staff Captain Walsh, an alleged ex-minstrel, ex-minstrel, favored the company with a song and dance, with banjo accompaniment. accompani-ment. The verses were "Salvation for You." The last line of each stanza was drowned in a tremendous chorus, the blare of cornets and the din of tambourines. tam-bourines. Each verse was introduced with three badly-executed clog steps, which were the source of pious amusement amuse-ment to the gathering. A convert named Ashman, a convert of Joliet Penitentiary, sang "Danger We'll Brave." He, had1 done time for five years, he said, but now i he was marching on with Christ's army. Cries of "hallelujah!" When the tumult tu-mult of ear-splitting song and shouts of hallelujah had subsided, he called Upon all who had ever been arrested to stand up. Fifty responded. Here Commissioner Commis-sioner Smith explained that the crime for which they had been arrested was not that of burglary, but for breaking into the devil's kingdom. The criminals ' moved in line, giving an accurate exhibition ex-hibition of the lock-step. This brought down the house, and the ex-convicts resumed re-sumed their seats, deluged with a demonstration demon-stration of the wildest kind. Smith again jumped up, and swinging his arms frantically at the audience, then at the soldiers behind him, and while thus engaged explained the way of sal-. vation. Male and female soldiers alternated alter-nated in giving their experience. One tough-looking citizen said he was a hard man in his time what the boys called a "smart Aleck" but now he was saved. Before he had time to get back to his seat a hysterical female bounded forward shouting : "Glory to God ! In my youth I rejected him ! Now I have salvation ; it is free! Glory to God!" The Hartelian sisters, by far the best musicians in the party, accompanied a pretty refrain with violins. The simple words, which", backed up by a strong chorus, gave a pleasing effect, were : Wonderful words, Beautiful words, Wonderful works of love! There were more experiences related by the leaders, and enthusiasm knew no bounds. |