The daily gazette., 1880-03-12
From the N. Y. Star.
Salvation's Army Arrived.
One Captain end SIX Lleuten-
ants All EauHSsI az Sos"e 'e'

THE VANGUARD OF NUMEROUS ENG
LIsH CORPS WHO PROPOSE TO RE-
CLAIM OUR NoN-CHURcH-Go GoERs BY
INAUsURATINa RELIGIOUS sERvI-
CEs IN PUBLIC PLACES.
The "Salvation Army" purely
English institution for the purpose Of
reclaiming the thousands who are not
connected with any regular church,
made its entree yesterday with squad
of seven females of uncertain age,
every one of whom is an officer. This
band of pioneers made the stormy
passage across the sea in the steerage
of the steamship Australia, and held
the first public exercises yesterday af-
ternoon at Castle Garden. They sang
several of their English street hymns
which had been set to popular Ameri-
can tunes. one Of them running, SWAY
Down Along the Stormy Jordan" be-
Ing adopted to the meter OF Way
Down Upon the Suanee River" They
sang well without any attempt of af-
fectation, their voices ringing out in
clear tones that could easily make the
welkin ring along the docks ,or in
crowded halls. The only man in the
party is George Raillon, who is called
s'Commissionaire." The women are
PAIL officers, one being. captain and
the others lieutenants. They are dress
ed in dark-blue cloth ulsterettes, trim
med with orange binding. On their
''dicer" hats is broad scarlet ribbon,
on which is emblazoned in gold let
ters, "Salvation Army" They carry
banner to be used in all public SER
vices. It is made of red and blue
cloth with a gold sunburst in the CEN
tire, over which in orange colored let
ters is the same title which is spread
over their Derby hats. .ir'
The history OF this religio US body az
narrated by Commissionaire Raili0n, is
that in 1866 Rev. William Booth, q dis
senter from the Church Of England and
afterward Methodist, was impressed
with the necessity for administering 70
the spiritual wants OF the great floating
mass who attended no church, and he
started q band of street preachers. In
1878 the present name of Salvation
Army was adopted, and open air and
warehouse services were inaugurated,
consisting Of singing, prayers and ex-
horations. The band had increased In
September, 1879, to 122 corps, under the
command of 1876 officers, using for week
ly services 148 theaters, warehouses and
halls, with an AVERAGE rate Of 146,000
open air and 10000 indoor services.
They preached to 1000 people every
Sunday evening and to 2, 200, 600 on the
streets each week. During the four
teen years this religious band has been
in existence 257 converts have been
made officers, and there are now In the
army 3,256 ready to speak out door
in any place to which they may be
sent. 1H
The Salvation Army Is maintained
solely by basket collections taken up al
the services. The vanguard now here
were aided over by the Home Society
with the understanding that they would
refund the passage money. The income
of the army last year from all sources
was SS2,7 100, of which $22,7O0 was q
general fund, and all raised by eoliec'
tons, .t..,,,1 ~
The circular, printed, on crimson
tinted paper, giving the objects Of the
organization, states that ''The Saliva
tion Army is not composed of wilc
and thoughtless fanatics. 1t is not I
mockery or burlesque-the deYoteei
having borne with meekness, public
reproach and reprobation. 1t is not Q
new religion, o new sect or q new
church, but an army organized for the
benefit Of the wording classes, hun
dreds of whom have been saved from
| drunkenness and vice and are now
actively engaged in working for the
| Master,
3 The members If the Grand Army
of Salvation bear with them certifi-
Gates from the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, Earl SALISBURY, twenty-three
Mayors and Magistrates, Seventeen
Superintendents of Police and 129
clergymen of the Church of England
and other denominations, who say
"While we are not willing to endorse
all that the, army do, we scheerfully
state that they have not labored in
vain. and that they gather congrega.
tions that never attend church, and
we have seen marked improvement
in the morals even of the worst peo-
pie in some of the towns in which
they have labored." 80.
| Inc iduleS uoSlTe IL W Do ulSJluCJly
understood that the colors of theii
banner are typical of religious sub
iects and that the yellow colors have
no reference whatever to the Orange.
mems associations. with which they
have no affiliation., The ladies are
strong and robust and are the perfect
picture OF sound health. They are
about 80 years old, Aand--well, they
are, far from good-looking.
Before leaving England they wrote
a letter to James Gordon Bennett,
who they were led to believe, on ac
count of his singular munificence foi
Irish relief, was the great American
George Peabody, requesting that he
| would hire theatre for them and at
tend to their bill posting, which he
didn't do. The first exercises will be
given in some theatre on Sunday
night.