The Portland daily press., 1885-07-21
THE sALvATIoNISTS..
Blood and Fire Meetings at Old
Orchard Yesterday.

| The fire, opened yesterday by the Eastern
| batteries, was kept up with little intermis-
| sion throughout the day. There were between
four and five hundred people in the audi
| ence. The early knee drill was attended
with manifestations of power.
| There was no morning march. Captain
Erickson of Brunswick led Salvation meet
| ing at II a. m. The captain is a slender
young lady with pretty face and a pleasant
manner. One is hardly prepared for the
vigorous "amens" which issue from the
| parted rosy lips. She makes lively leader
and the meeting progressed favorably to the
end. Happy Maria, Hallelujah Porteous
and others bore witness to the saving power
of grace The respectable" were urged to
advance to the penitent form.
An aged gentleman fromBrunswick, in the
| course of his remarks, referred to the cap
| tain as nice lady.
sob, he called you lady," 1--WE call them
| lasses," ''Now see what good name you've
| got" and similar remarks came in such a
volley from the platform that the old gentle
man well nigh lost the thread of his dis
course.
A hymn was sung with fixed bayonets,-
theI arm appraised, with the index finger
pointing upward. When any peculiarly ap-
propriate remark was made, the leader Or
dered volley,-which means a rafting dis
charge of "amens," at an extremely high
pitch of voice.
Captain Thatcher, who has been impris-
oned seven times at Augusta, led the 2.3O p.
m. march. There were a good many who
- ~ hoe -
waited to fall in when the flushed and dusty
army returned from their toilsome march
through the blistering sand.
They came upon the platform with colors
flying and drums beating, shouting and sing
ing at the top of their voices. A free and
easy was led by Captain Thatcher as soon as
the soldiers had recovered breath. The
main difference between salvation meeting
and free and easy is that the hymns in the
latter service are set to rollicking negro mel
odies or the tunes of drinking songs and the
order is a sort of -you-please, exhorta-
ton, praise, prayer and minstrelsy following
in quick succession. Captain Thatcher pre-
serves good order upon the platform and his
manner is reverential His reading of the
139th Psalm and of the hymns was as de-
corouS as the Strictest churchman could
wish
At $50 p. m. Captain White of Great Falls
led the march. The cool breeze borne in on
the turn of the tide rendered this part of the
days programme less uncomfortable than in
the previous march. Recruits had been ar
irving all day and the afternoon parade was
quite imposing. There are now several
corps colors
The evening meeting was led by Mrs. Sym
monds This lady has quite romantic his
tOrV Coming tn this pOuntrV at the Of
II as recruiting officer for the Salvation
Army, her success has been something I'M
precedented. She has been ably assisted by
her mother, Staff Captain Shirley, who ac
cOmpanied her as lieutenant but has been
promoted to the position she now occupies
as divisional officer, not doctor of divinity
as the types had it yesterday. Miss Shirley
was not strong enough to bear the response
bility of an Office so she has taken as part
ner the sturdy cornet player, Captain Sym
Symmonds. The little lady is very popular
with the army. Her manners are quiet and
refined and the meetings conducted by her
would not shock the sensibilities of the
most fastidi0us.
The following is today's programme:
700 a. m.-Knee drill, led by Captain Jackson
II. 90 a. m.-,salvation meeting, led by Mrs.
Tamage East Weymouth.
ESQ ., 'm.MMarc6, led by Captain Grant of
800 D. m.%Bood and Fire Meeting, Captain
$50 D. m.-FIare-up March, led by Captain
Garner of Saco.
100 p m.~Salvation Meeting, led by Captain
Layton of Salem.
Little Mamie Snow of Augusta is the baby
drummer.
The cornet players are Capts. Jack Dale
and SymmondS.
A red stripe denotes captain; a blue,
lieutenant, and yellow, cadet.