“The next day an increased number of women went forth, leaving the men in the church to pray all day long.  On this day the contest really began, and at the first place the doors were found locked.  With hearts full of compassion, the women knelt in the snow upon the pavement to plead for the Divine influence upon the heart of the liquor-dealer, and there held their first street prayer-meeting.  The Sabbath was devoted to a union mass-meeting.  Monday, December 29th, is one long to be remembered in Washington as the day on which occurred the first surrender ever made by a liquor-dealer of his stock of liquors of every kind and variety to the women, in answer to their prayers and entreaties, and by them poured into the street.  Nearly a thousand men, women and children witnessed the mingling of beer, ale, wine and whisky, as they filled the gutters and were drunk up by the earth, while bells were ringing, men and boys shouting, and women singing and praying to God, who had given the victory.

“On the fourth day, the campaign reached its height; the town being filled with visitors from all parts of the country and adjoining villages.  Another public surrender and another pouring into the street of a larger stock of liquors than on the day before, and more intense excitement and enthusiasm.  In eight days all the saloons, eleven in number, had been closed, and the three drug stores pledged to sell only on prescription.

“Early in the third week the discouraging intelligence came that a new man had taken out license to sell liquor in one of the deserted saloons, and that he was backed by a whisky house in Cincinnati to the amount of five thousand dollars to break down this movement.  On Wednesday, 14th of January, the whisky was unloaded at his room.  About forty women were on the ground and followed the liquor in, and remained holding an uninterrupted prayer-meeting all day and until eleven o’clock at night.  The next day—­bitterly cold—­was spent in the same place and manner, without fire or chairs, two hours of that time the women being locked in, while the proprietor was off attending a trial.  On the following day, the coldest of the winter of 1874, the women were locked out, and remained on the street holding religious services all day long.  Next morning a tabernacle was built in the street just in front of the house, and was occupied for the double purpose of watching and praying through the day; but before night the sheriff closed the saloon, and the proprietor surrendered.  A short time afterwards, on a dying bed, this four-day’s liquor-dealer sent for some of these women, telling them their songs and prayers had never ceased to ring in his ears, and urging them to pray again in his behalf; so he passed away.”