Smyrna times., 1880-03-31
The Salvation Army.
THE EXPERIENCE OF REPORTER WHO WAS
MADE A PRISONER OF CHRISTIAN WAR Ry
CAPTAIN SHIRLEY AND HIS LADY VOL
UNTEERs.


Times reporter, who called at the residence
OF Captain Shirley in search Of information
last week, will give some idea of the meth.
eds Of the little band of Jealous Christians.
calling themselves the Salvation Army, who
have been labering for the conversion of
sinners for some months in that city. Cap
tain Shirley and his army live in the neat
three-stOry brick house No. 2O46 Kroslsr
street, small thoroughfare running from
Nerris to Diamond, between Fifth and
Sixth streets. knock at the door was
answered by a small, pleasant.facsd
man, with a brow inclining to baldness
He was dressed in dark clothing His
loose fitting blue sack coat had standino
collar bound with red and bore on each
side the letter IS" This gentleman said
that he was Captain Shirley and invited the
visitor to enter. The door opened into the
front room. 1t was evident that the captain
had just finished his dinner, for the rest of
the family were still sitting around the
table. Besides Mrs. Shirley there were four
young ladies One of these was the can
tains daughter, two Of them were English
girls, who came here to labor with Captain
Shirley, and his family, and one of them
was an American recruit. These ladies
were dressed much alke-in black, with
H..
combed down smooth on the forehead and
not a sign of an ornament about them.
They all had an appearance Of goodness
which cannot be counterfeited and which is
never seen except on the faces of modest
women.
THE SOLDIERS THSRNY PATH.
In answer to questions Captain Shirlev
and his wife and daughter gave soma
account Of the origin of the Salvation Armv
which was, they said, founded in London
about fifteen years age. They told how
the army bad grown in England until there
were now over two hundred stations there
how they began their work there, on the
streets, in October last; how they were
driven by the police from corner to corner:
how they secured from the owner the use Of
vacant lot at Norris street and German.
town avenue and tho use Of the large room
adjoining the chair factory at Sixth and
Oxford streets; how they had been peltsd
with rotten eggs and rotten potatoes when
they 6rst began their out door meetings.
and how rowdies came to their hall to dis
turb them, but h0w they new enioved per
feet police protection, and how about three
hundred conversions had thus far attended
their eforts-all this was told without any
air of complaint, selfPiety or self praise.
but as a simple statement Of fact. 1t would
be impossible to imagine a more cheerful
company than Captain Shirley and his
family at home. The visitor was about to
put up his pencil when he was startled by
Mrs. Shirley, who said
Now, my brother, how is it with yeu
Have you given your heart to God ?n
81 came here to interview you, not to be
interviewed" the visitor replied, laughing.
trying to evads the question But the
earnest woman was not to bo put off. She
would have an answer, and when she got
| 1T she began to,plead and sxort with much
fervor and no little elequsnce. At last,
laying one hand on the shoulder of the
reporter and grasping his right hand with
her own and looking earnestly into ha
eyes, she said, I'VE never let an opportu-
| nifty go by. We never meet person
without trying to lead him to the Lord,
even those that wO meet and talk with on
the street. We are going to pray with you
before you co."
ONE MAN AND FIVE WOMEN.
Visions of being prayed over by one mar
and five women flashed through the mind
of the visitor, and he made feeble effort
to escape by stammering " ana afraid it
won't do any good.
"Well, it certainly won't do any HARM"
said the lady.
"No, it won't hurt any man to be prayed
for by good people" plucking up courage,
now that he saw that ho was in for it.
In the meantime the young ladies had
cleared away the dinner things and had got
out their little hymn books. Ahd then, at
word from the mother, the daughter
struck up one OF the Moody and Sankey
hymns, with the refrain,
Hallaujah IL Is DONE
believe in the Son.
I'm saved by the blood of the crucihed One,
which was sung by the whole company with
much spirit and harmony, the mothers alto
and the fathers bass being in pleasing
accord with the sopranos OF the young
ladies. When the singing was ended the
evangslists fell upon. their knees, and az the
Captain began his prayer, pstitiening for