Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-23
THE BETHEL.
A Good Neutrality-suspicious. and Instrue-
lions for the waits of the wOFId-IH-
teresting Facts Concerning the
Works of the Memphis Bethel
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IL
Proposes.

AssociRffOn-What IL
Proposes.
The Memphis Bethel Is now estab-
lished about six years, and during that
time there was no day passed which did
not witness some good deed done, merit
orious alike in the sight of just-thinking
men and angels. 1t is an incorporated
institution, having been chartered by
the Legislature of the State. The pres
ent directors are NJ. P. flanagan, W. L.
Scott, George w Jones, James 7.
Leath, A. A. Barnes, n. w. Speers,
Charles Kortrecht, j. G. Mills, George
E. Stahl, r. g. Craig, A. s. McNear and
Henry Graft.
The members of the Bethel met In
the rooms of the Medical College in Ex-
change Building, where they have met
every Sunday for five or six years past
for devotional and other exercises.
During the term of its existence nearly
twelve hundred children have attended,
been comforted, instructed and edited,
and the seeds Of a good future implanted
in their little souls. In the language of
the Soclety's circular; "Many Of them
have been reclaimed from a course
produced public injury. Some have be-
come members of other Sunday-Schools,
and become attached to churches, and
promise well for the future" A sewing
school has been established for girls, pre-
sided over by large-hearted, kindly and
accomplished ladies, by whom rude, ig-
norant and slOvenly girls have had a
little polish put upon their manners and
decent clothing upon their persons.
LARGER OPERATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
The Bethel seeks still larger opera
tons and greatly increased influence.
1t needs, first of all, an eligible lot, of
its own, upon which it may erect, as it
may be able, suitable building. In a
proper building it would, as has been
done in other cities, establish a soup
house, and industrial schools for boys
and girls, with suitable libraries. 1t
would greatly enlarge its Sunday-school
by appliances of comfort and attraction,
not now attainable, and would provide
regular preaching and religious instruc-
ton for the parents of the scholars, and
other adults, now wholly without such
advantages. And it would furnish to
the benevolent a medium through
which their charity may be intelligent
ly, judiciOUsly, and generally dispensed
Such lot has been selected, and will be
purchased as soon as the money can be
obtained.
PREVENTING CRIME.
As it is acknowledged by every one
that it is much better to prevent than to
cure crime, so is the Bethel an institu-
ton superior to others of charitable
nature, inasmuch as it aims at prevent
ing crime. 1t takes the child lust enter
ing upon a downward course, and saws
to it, "StOp! avoid that deep pit that is
yawning before you; step out of that
path of perditiOn and enter the fold of
the LOrd.n Tue Bethel aims at impart-
ing Christian culture to little ones who
have none to care for them. 1t aims at
saving the little wanderers who are al
ways so plentiful on the streets, and
whose education, if they have any, is Of
vile and dangerous character; an edu-
cation just sufficient to enable the pos
SCISSOR to suck the poison from wicked
publications, police news and illustrated
literary gates of hell. Is it to be Won
dered at that our land furnishes the
most highly educated and finished vii
lains III the world? Is it not time
for us to stop boasting of our grand
educational system? One terrible,
crushing fact stares us in the face and
warns us to stop boasting, and that is
that our daily record of crime is greater
than that of all the rest of Christendom,
and continues TO grow with fearful rap
idity, and will continue to grow, until
we give the youth Of our country a
Christian education.
This is what the Memphis Bethel
aims at doing. Hitherto its operations
have been confined. There Is every
prospect now that the association Of
earnest gentlemen who are diligently
working will soon succeed in establish
ing a large house, where their works
will become more extensive and more
efficient.
NEW HOUSE.
There is lot in view which the AS
ISOLATION intends purchasing as soon as
means can be got. 1t is at the junction
of Adams stree. and Charleston av-
enue-a most eligible site-upon which
these energetic Christian labOrers propose
to build. John NJ. Lea has already sub
scribed two thousand dollars in turnpike
stock toward the enterprise. We may
also state that the following subserip-
tons have been made:
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
NJ. P. flanagan, $3.50; Henry Craft,
500; George Z. Stahl, 500; George w. !
Jones, 500; A. S. McNear, 500; A.
A. Barnes, 500; w. L. Scott, $50; ]. c. !
Mills, 500; Ford, Porter & Co., 500
paid; w. H. Wood, S200-paid; OrgiI |
Bros. & Co., S1OO-paid; Menken Bros,
500; J. c. Medley, 10O-paid; Thomas |
H. Hamilton, S20O-paid; Sehoolfield & |
Hanauer, S100-paid; FsrgasOn & Clay, |
Sl00-paid; NJ. L. Meacham, Sl0O-paid; |
j. B. Kirkland, S50-paid; Gage & Fish
er, S50-paid; Martin & Hellsman, $50 |
paid; w. S. Bruce & Co., S50-peid; |
William Jack, S50-paid; w. B. Gal
breath, S25-paid; S. w. Ward, S25-
paid; n. Fontaine, S25-paid; A. Wood
ruff, S25-paid; ]. L. Petit, Sl0-paid;
w. Simpson, S10-paid; A. w. Roberts, |
Sl0-paid. These subscriptions, with the |
liberal donation of John Nj. Lea, make |
up a sum of about four thousand five
dollars to start their new es-
Enlistment on. This is but compare
lively small, yet it viii serve to show
that these good men are true and char
table; who, in the midst Of the worlds
business, do not forget "the waits of the
world"