WE had three splendid meetings at Altoona. The morning Testimony Rally showed warmth and zeal and love for the Lord, the Truth and the brethren. The afternoon meeting for the public was in the Opera House, which was well filled with an audience of about 1000. The evening session for the interested was attended by about 275. God's blessing was with our united efforts, we believe, and we already know of some good results.
Arriving at an early hour we had the privilege of visiting the Penitentiary, where a number of "brethren" are confined for misdeeds committed while they were still under the blinding instructions of "orthodoxy." We could not see all, on account of prison rules, but those whom we did meet gave good evidence of the truth of the Apostle's words, "He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
The Testimony Rally was at 10 a.m. and was a great success. A goodly number attended from nearby points and the general witness was to the mercy of God and special thankfulness for the Truth. The service for the public was in the new "Memorial Hall," the largest auditorium of the city, said to seat 3500. It was packed full, 200 on chairs on the platform, 300 standing, and several hundred were unable to obtain admittance when the public safety authorities closed and locked the doors. It was a grand audience which gave close attention for nearly two hours to our theme, "To Hell and Back." The evening address to the interested many of you already read in the Dispatch. The attendance was about 700, the majority of them being people who had heard in the afternoon for the first time. The friends had prayed much and labored hard for this meeting and had spent much money in wise advertising, that their fellow-citizens might have the privilege of coming in contact with the Truth, and they [R3883 : page 342] felt greatly blessed and encouraged by the results seen and hoped for.
Only one Texas Convention was announced—at Dallas, Oct. 13,14—but at a date too late for announcement in the WATCH TOWER the appeals from San Antonio and Houston prevailed. The determining arguments were that the Editor when at Dallas would be within 300 miles of the other points, that to visit them would consume little more time, and that the majority of the friends could not afford to visit Dallas.
At Dallas we had a splendid gathering of the "brethren," representing every section of Texas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The only drawback was the rainy weather, which interfered with the attendance of the public, but in no sense dampened the spiritual ardor of our own people.
The Convention opened Saturday morning, Oct. 13, and closed the following Monday at noon. The largest attendance was about 400; 20 symbolized their consecration by immersion.
The Editor left Dallas for San Antonio on Sunday night. At the latter place two public meetings were held—Monday afternoon and evening. The latter, in the Grand Opera House, was attended by about 1000 who gave excellent attention.
Leaving on the night train, Houston was reached Tuesday morning and there two public services were held—afternoon and evening—about 350 being present at the closing session. Thence by train two days and three nights brought us in safety to the Bible House, Allegheny, on Friday morning, Oct. 20.