National Republican., 1883-08-01
THE sEAMAN,s RETREAT.
A Restaurant Transformed into n House
Of Prnycr-whot Hns Been Done In Two
Months.

Restaurant Transformed into n House
OF Prayor-whot IIns Been Done in Two
Months.
REPUBLICAN reporter last night found a
crowd of ladies, gentlemen, and children
around the doors of the Sailors Retreat and
Reading Rooms, corner Eighth and l. streets
southeast. Squeezing his way inside he found
the large lecture room crowded by an inter-
ested audience of exercises conducted by the
Weman's Temperance union. Miss Smith
the famous railway evangelist, led the meet
ing, which was interesting and instructive
Memory went back to the years gone by, when
in this same room crowds nightly assembled,
not to pray or to worship, but to bias
pheme and curse. For it had been
% famous restaurant, where tho attrac-
tions of jolly landlord a really
superior cuisine and q well stocked bar of
liquors nightly brought together n large
| crowd The change was startling to one who
had seen both kinds of life in the house. All
around the house, from the navy yard gate
up Garrison street to the Wallach school,
| tlared tho lights of many restaurants. Just
across the street We're several in q bunch.
! The temperance building ioomed up in the
midst of these restaurants like an advance
| guard, forlorn hope, that had penetrated
the camp of the enemy. One involuntarily
thought of Paul planting the standard of
| Christ in the very heart of the pagan forum.
This building was occupied just two months
! ago to-day by temperance and Christian or
| ganiaatiOn who named their enterprise " the
| Sailors Retreat aud Reading Rooms" Its
! primary object is to throw Christian and
| temperance safeguard around the sailors who
come up from the navy yard. The building
| is three stories high, and has II two story an
mex. On the first floor of the main building
the old bar rooms the lecture room, de-
voted at nights to meeting. Back of this is
| the library aud reading room. Upstairs is q
room for the holding of temperance society
| meetings at night, and used in the daytime
| as an ice cream saloon. The third story is
devoted to lodging. There are two beds in
each room, and all looks clean, nice, and COM
Portable. 1t is proposed, with the aid of
funds to be donated by friends ef the cause, to
fit up the annex as billiard hall, with
ch equers chess and dominoes, and have a
kitchen therein for n lunch room. The price
of lodgings is less than seven cents night,
and the ice cream coffee, and edibles will he
furnished at the same rate. There is no idea
Of making money out of it. The object is to
provide u temperance resort for sailors and
all others who are peculiarly exposed to
temptations. The attractions of billiards,
&C., will bring many TO this place who
would otherwise go to liquor saloons. The
furnishing Of coffee, ice cream, lunch, &C., at
nominal rates, in conjunction with the
lodging room, ana tne library VIII, lt is
thought, have the effect of withdrawing
many from the liquor saloons, where
they go now for want of an attractive
temperance resort 1t is not thought
that the enterprise will become self-sustain-
ing, but it is calculated that by means of tho
lunch and lodging features the expense will
be reduced to the minimum and that the
Christian friends of the object will contribute
the small remainder. The reading room and
library, though small seems to have a good
start, and contributions of books and papers
are solicited.
founder OF the enterprise Mr.. Emmons, an
employe of the navy, is secretary, ana Mr..
Harris the day superintendent. The enter
prise is one that appeals strongly to the gen.
erous sympathies and encouragement of all
temperance and Christian people in the COM
lnunitN.