Gospel Tracks Through Texas: The Mission of the Chapel Car
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Taylor, Wilma Rugh, PUBLISHER: Texas A&M University Press, ong>Inong> a different kong>inong>d of railroad car rolled ong>inong>to Texas, brong>inong>gong>inong>g ong>theong> "good news" of ong>theong> evangelical Gospel to transient railroad workers and far-flung communities alike. A mong>inong>istry to railroad men and ong>theong>ir families lay ong>atong> ong>theong> heart of ong>chapelong> car work, which over a period of fifty years saw thirteen rail ong>chapelong> cars mong>inong>ister to thousands of towns, maong>inong>ly west of ong>theong> Mississippi. Author Wilma Rugh Taylor's portrayal of this mong>inong>istry for ong>theong> one car, Good Will, which served Texas, provides a view of life ong>inong> towns such as Denison, Texlong>inong>e, Marshall, San Antonio, Laredo, Abilene, and Dalhart. ong>Theong> railroads thong>atong> carried ong>theong> Texas ong>chapelong> car ong>inong>cluded ong>theong> Texas & Pacific; ong>theong> Missouri, Kansas & Topeka; ong>theong> Souong>theong>rn Pacific; ong>theong> ong>Inong>ternong>atong>ional & Greong>atong> Norong>theong>rn; and ong>theong> Mexican ong>Inong>ternong>atong>ional. Taylor writes about ong>theong> travels of Good Will with fondness and an eye for detail. She describes ong>theong> car itself (its livong>inong>g area was just nong>inong>e by eighteen feet with a decorong>atong>ive rococo stencil on ong>theong> ceilong>inong>g), ong>theong> missionary couples who traveled ong>inong> it, and ong>theong> services ong>theong>y held. She considers ong>theong> philanthropists who supported ong>theong> mobile ong>chapelong> and ong>theong> guilt and oong>theong>r motives thong>atong> moved ong>theong>m. She looks ong>atong> ong>theong> issues ong>theong> ong>chapelong> car faced as it rolled ong>inong>to town: temperance, turbulent religious rivalries, racism and immigrong>atong>ion, ong>theong> role of Masons and oong>theong>r lodges ong>inong> rural society, and even ong>theong> devastong>atong>ong>inong>g Greong>atong> Storm of ong>inong> Galveston. A novel wong>inong>dow ong>inong>to Texas and railroad history, this book tells a warmly human story set on a larger stage of charitable works, evangelical fervor, and social change.