The Accidental Ethnographer (3c)—The Great Melbourne Revival III

One year ago on Round and Square (9 June 2011)—Living and Learning: Finding the Way (道).
Click here for the introduction to the Round and Square series "The Accidental Ethnographer." (Coming Soon)
Click below for other posts from "The Great Melbourne Revival":

Revival 1              Revival 2              Revival 3              Revival 4

[a] Todaybourne RF

I gave a lecture at the Doylestown Historical Society on June 1st, as part of Doylestown, Pennsylvania's big bicentennial celebration. The subject was the American explorer and evangelist William Edgar Geil (1865-1925). This is part of a larger project that I am working on this summer in Doylestown with the help of Beloit College anthropology major Megan Nyquist '14. As I did a few weeks ago in preparation for another lecture (on another subject), I am posting some of Geil's own writings. This was enormously helpful to me the last time I tried it, and I think it is worth another try. I will, over the course of my summer research, post my lecture and some of the early results of the research Megan and I are doing. In the meantime, though, I want to start the "Accidental Ethnographer" series with William Geil's own words. I will post two or three readings from each of Geil's dozen books over the course of May and June.

[b] Melbourne revival

William Edgar Geil was a world famous figure in his day, and the reasons he has been lost to history (from his death until now) are as interesting as the underpinnings of his fame. Here is a very brief overview. In a day before anthropology or Chinese (or African or Micronesian) studies had a toehold in world universities, William Edgar Geil traveled the world, took extensive notes, returned to Doylestown, and wrote books. Depending on how you count them, he wrote almost a dozen—many of them thick and substantial in ways that a turn of the (last) century reader would understand, even if many people today would not. He traveled across central Africa in the first decade of the twentieth century, spent a year in Australia and New Guinea, and then found an abiding love for the study of China (which is where I "met" him, in a manner of speaking). He traveled the length of the Great Wall, journeyed the Yangzi River from Shanghai into southeast Asia, visited all of China's provincial capitals, and is the only Westerner to have written a book about his travels to all five sacred mountains of China.

He wrote about it all, and he took pictures. The former is not without problem; the latter is easily his legacy. It is all a fascinating picture of an American abroad in a peculiarly resonant time in American history—from the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 to the end of World War I. This series will grow as my research does, but let's get started with Geil's own words—a little from each of his published books.

 ***  ***

We're keeping it going for two more days, and our reward will be that we will understand a good deal about Geil from the perspective of those—at least one—who viewed Geil. J.A. Packer continues his account of William Edgar Geil's triumphant role in the Melbourne revival at the turn of the twentieth century. Pay close attention to the way that Geil is portrayed here, especially with regard to gender and class...110 years ago.

Ocean and Isle—The Great Melbourne Revival III

William Edgar Geil (1902) 

THE GREAT MELBOURNE REVIVAL
BY J.A. PACKER OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH STAFF

"See that?" asked Mr. Geil, as he threw himself into an approved fighting attitude and worked his right arm up and down with clenched fist at one of those Monday services. "That's free will. (Laughter.) If you don't believe it, get in front of it, and that'll be predestination." The crowd of business men laughed at the sally. "I want to say I like you men for this. This meeting, more than any other in Greater Melbourne, represents self-sacrifice. I don't know when some of you men eat your lunch, and yet you seem to look first rate!" At another town hall gathering Mr. Geil introduced a novel method for circulating air. The building was uncomfortably crowded, and hundreds had been turned away from that and the preceding meeting for business me. 

[c] Ventilation RF

Consequently the atmosphere was oppressive, and before commencing his address the evangelist asked for a little relief. "Open all the doors and windows, and see if you cannot get a little ventilation near the roof," he called out to the ushers. This having been done, he continued, "And now I want you all to remain standing and to take our your handkerchiefs, and wave them. Keep shaking them till you see me stop." Everybody obeyed instantly. It was a strange sight to see 3,000 people thus seeking to ventilate the building, and amuse themselves at the same time. The waving lasted for a couple of minutes.

Some amusing correspondence was received by Mr. Geil during the mission. Much of it included questions to be answered. Mr. Geil was always equal to the occasion. Desperation had apparently driven some of the city unemployed into a facetious mood, though it hardly sat well on them. At one of the meetings for business men Mr. Geil acknowledged the receipt of a letter from the "secretary of the unemployed," as follows: "Dear Sir,—The unemployed sent a note to you on Tuesday, asking for your assistance. You stated that you would put the matter before the Lord. The unemployed are in the hall, and would like to know if the Lord has started any work or relief, as they have no dinner and are starving!" 

Mr. Geil declared that he had every sympathy with men who wanted work and couldn't get it, and especially with men who were starving, unless it were due to drink or laziness. To test the bona fides of the letter, he asked all the men present who were without the means of getting a dinner to stand up. After some hesitation, seven men responded. "Very well," said the evangelist, amid great applause from the crowded gathering, "you men will be provided with dinner free of charge at the Salvation Army." Unlike the nine lepers in the gospel, who failed in their appreciation, all seven men took the evangelist at his word and were rewarded with a good square meal.

[d] Square RF

The infidels of the city tried hard to draw Mr. Geil. In the course of one address he remarked:—a certain infidel, whose name I will not mention because I do not wish to take time stopping to disinfect my mouth, was an officer in the American war. When in the firing line for the first time, with a fair opportunity to show what stuff he was made of, instead of running towards the enemy he commenced running in the opposite direction—(laughter)—and never stopped until he came to a pig pen and jumped in there. (Laughter). 

Birds of a feather. (Renewed laughter.) Might hard on the swine, I should say. (Great laughter.) But even he had declared that Jesus Christ is the sublimest character in history." This was taken up by one or two small fry infidels, who wrote to the papers and challenged Mr. Geil to name the "certain infidel." In vain was the net set, however. Mr. Geil was too old a bird thus to be snared. So the infidels waxed bolder, and one of them in grand eloquent style offered to back his challenge with £25. Mr. Geil simply smiled. Those who knew the infidel laughed outright at this audacity, and wondered whose money he was thinking of risking.

Nothing showed Mr. Geil's astonishing powers of adaptation more than the great meeting of railway men which he conducted at Newport by special request of some of the men who had heard him at Footscray, heard of him, or read about him in the papers. It was one of the most interesting and encouraging gatherings of the whole series, and the best evidence of this was given in the fact that some days later a request was sent to Mr. Geil, not from a few, but from the great body of men as a whole, to visit them again. The service was held at noonday, near what is known as the water tower. A lorry had been drawn up near the fence just outside the workshop yards for Mr. Geil to speak from, for there was no desire to infringe on the Government regulations, which prohibits anybody entering the workshops or the yards, although permission had been given for the service to be held. 

[e] Whistle RF

A few minutes after the lunch whistle had sounded the men came trooping over, until nearly every man in the works, according to the officials, had lined up on the banks facing the lorry. There were about 1,500 of them, besides about 500 inhabitants of the district, who stood out in the roadway around the lorry. Some of the men had not finished their lunches, and brought billy-can and all with them to finish their repast while the meeting was proceeding. Others sat down and proceeded to enjoy their smoke. Everybody was in good humor, and the novelty of the gathering seemed to impress the men. Directly the meeting began, it was interesting to note, pipes were put aside and lunches were forgotten, and the men became eagerly attentive to the devotional as well as to the musical exercises.

Mr. J.J. Virgo, who, in addition to his labors as joint organizing secretary, lent valuable and highly appreciated musical assistance at most of the big meetings of the mission, led off by singing "Life's Memories." "Now, men," interjected Mr. Geil, "I'd like to have him sing another verse of that. What do you say?" In response came a chorus of "Hear, hears," and Mr. Virgo sang again. Then the men joined in a popular hymn. "Now men," continued Mr. Geil, "the religion of Jesus Christ is a common-sense religion. I'm going to ask a brother to pray for thirty seconds, and just you keep your hats on. I believe we'll show just as much reverence by keeping our hats on as by taking them off, and we shan't run any risk of catching cold."

[f] C-hapel RF

"The Three C's" was the subject of Mr. Geil's address. "I never enjoy any meetings more than these midday services," began Mr. Geil. "At home in America I am constantly speaking in the large factories and shops where they make engines and things like that. I like to have an audience that is not all dressed up. It looks more like business. He wanted to speak on three of the most wonderful things that had ever taken place in the history of this planet at noontime. It was at noontime when Jesus Christ was crucified and hung on the rough, unplaned timber at Calvary. That was the most stupendous and far-reaching event that had ever happened. To think that the Son of God should permit himself to hang by four nails in a tropical heat, between earth and Heaven, with a diadem of thorns on his head, as the price of sin! 

The second "C" was the conviction of Saul on his way across the hot plains of Damascus. The third "C" was conversion, as illustrated by a thrilling story of a railway man in American which appealed immediately to the men. In closing, Mr. Geil asked them to settle in their minds and hearts that very instant that, God helping them, they would accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and, with His help, lead a Christian life. During the last half-minute left before the whistle should blow for the men to pick up tools, Mr. Geil said he wanted to have the privilege of praying for them. Neither the man who had come to hear, the man who had sung, nor the man who had preached got paid. On all sides it was a labor of love. "Thank you, gentlemen," said Mr. Geil as he closed his prayer. The men responded with hearty hand-clapping. 

Click below for other posts from "The Great Melbourne Revival":

Revival 1              Revival 2              Revival 3              Revival 4

 Notes

[1] William Edgar Geil, Ocean and Isle (Melbourne: Wm. T. Pater & Company, 1902), 273-277.

Bibliography

Geil, William Edgar. Ocean and Isle. Melbourne: Wm. T. Pater & Company, 1902.

[g] Gathering RF