Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-25

Mission work in Cities.
The work of the Advent Mission of the
Episcopal church in New York city,which
was recently brought to II close, for the
present, has been watched with very great
interest by the Christian churches and
workers of all denominations all over the
land 1t has been, in certain sense, a
test of the practicabiity of extensive
church mission work among the lower
classes in great cities and centres of popu-
laton. There were many fears that
it would prove Il failure, as so many
previous efforts among This class of
population have proved to be. The held
:, undoubtedly, the most difficult and in
most Instances the least fruitful, of all
,hich Christian missionaries in our own
ana have entered upon; and the success
u the Advent mission in New York is all
more significant and gratifying.
IS cop Iuttlc of Utah, who has been the
,lu, # lht enterprise and has conducted
" III from the beginning, tells the
DiHrci,Hiuu that when first called upon
10 undertake. the task he had "a feeling
f dour. It. to the efficacy of special ser
wees tcnou =, lclhaps, to undue excite
ucnt' Put the good which has re
suited, can hardly be overestimat-
IT, In he first place, the work
y the Advent mission has inspired new
ICtiVity among Christian churches of all
denominations in conducting what is call
I'd "relivHl work. in their own conmuni-
ties. In most of the denominations this
department of church work has been
langulshing. Their evangelstic efforts
have been remote and indirect. Home
ssionary work has been largely inter
pected to mean mission work on the from
tier, in small and remote communities
ana unenlightened sections, while the
vast army of "home heather" at the
very doors of our houses of worship has
been suffered to work out its own saliva
ton in the best way it could. The Adj
vent mission entered upon the great field
of home work, which had been so long
neglected. Its example has served to rouse
church members everywhere to "A sense of
their responsibility and duty, and the re
suit will undoubtedly be a revival of
evangelistic work in our large cities and
towns.
The Advent Mission has proved that the
irreligouS classes in our large commune
ties can be reached by properly organized
and conducted mission work ON the part
of the churches. \ goOdly number of con
versions have been made during these spe-
cial services in New lork-many of them,
undoubtedly, of persons who would never
have been reached in any other way and
the general result has been such as to en-
courage the churches throughout our
broad land to unite, i'll their respective
communities, in efforts of kindred
nature. All Christian hearts must hope
that this will be the grand result.
a New Hampshire correspondent of the
New York ErcHinJ Post, Mr.. c. b. Rice
of 1 laIemont, suggests some of the com
pensations likely to attend the operation
of the valued policy" insurance law, in
that State, which present new side OF
the subject. While Mr.. Rice does not de
fend the law and thinks it was ill-consld
cred and unwse legislation, he says that
| by compelling the manufacturers TO adopt
extraordinary precautions against fire, III
the construction of their mills,.i is going
| to very greatly reduce the amount of los
| by fires, as well rs the sums paid for in
surance. Looking at the subject from 4
purely public standpoint Mr., Rice says
Do you realize the direct cost to the
country each year from fires which are SCI
tor the sake of obtaining more than the
real value from the insurance companies
Well, | believe this sum is from $4,000,
600 To so, 900, 900 each year. OF course thi'
makes the country at large 50 mucl
poorer, does it not To the msuranc,
companies, if they can get enough addl
tlOual premium from their honest Gus
toners To net them II fair dividend ant
growing surplus, it Is very properly u an
not finding tauit with thtmJ all that they
concern themselves about But To tn,
country at large, it seems To me, 1t Is I
most mOmeutous question to DEVISE some
system which shall prevent TINS oNer-ln
surance, and at the same time make 1t To-
the interest of the owner To prevent ire
in every way possible. Better urum I
public point of view have no Insurance
with all the incidental individual hard
ships, than the present horribly, reckless
lY cNtravagaut method, with its accom-
panying crime.
Possibly one or two years hence, Whel
the total fire losses in this state, with al
the incidental cost, shall show reduction
of one half the old-tmc cost To the state
your editorial eye may not look down II
such plying contempt on the Granite
State, even though the legislators do hay,
their hair full of hayseed, and certainly d'
not know much about !aw-making.
Interesting If Vrue,