The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-26
LOOKING AFTER JACK.
TEN THOUSAND SAILORS VISIT
SAVANNAH ANNUALLY.

DIR. W. c. Stitt of the American Sea-
mans Friend Society in the City to
Urge the establishment of Sailors
Home Bere-What the Society is
Doing for the SHilors-Dr. stitt's
Address Before the Port Society.
Rev. Dr. w. c. Stitt Of New York ad-
dressed the sailors at the Port Society's
rooms last night. DR.. Stitt is secretary Of
the American Seaman's Friend Society of
New York, and is editor Of its publications,
the Seoman's Friend, the Life Boat and
the Sailors Magazine, all Of which have
large circulation.
DR.. Stitt gave MORNING News reporter
an interesting talk on the work
Of the Seaman's Friend Society
yesterday. The society is sixty-three
years old and its work is very extern
sive, embracing all ths principal ports of
this country and large number of foreign
ports, including ports in India, Japan and
South America. There are fifteen home
stations and fifteen foreign stations, all
under the care Of the American Seamaas
Society of New York. The Savannah Port
Society is connected with the seaman's
society, and receives an annual appropria-
ton for the purpose of maintaining a chapel
here.
LOOKING AFTER THE sEAMEN.
DR.. Stiet has been connected with the
seaman's society for several years and is
deeply interested in his work. He IS nov
on a tour of the southern ports. looking
after the different seamen's homes aud
bethels which have been established largely
through the efforts OF the Seaman's Friend
Society. DR.. StitT is very Intelligent
man and talks well upon his work.
sailors are forgotten class, he said.
when everybody else goes to church or to
Sunday school. if they choose, in comfort
able and perhaps handsome places OF wor-
ship, nobody seems TO think that there are
several hundred or perhaps thousands of
sailors, according to the size Of the port, wan
deFing around thestreets without friend TO
speak a kind word to them and direct them
to some place where they may hear the gos-
pei preached or to give them word of ad
vice as to where to go and how to obtain
what they may need. The objsot of the
Seaman's Friend Society Is to look after the
sailors wants, not only moral aud religious,
but intellectual and bodily as well. 1t en-
deavors to save them from the low class of
boarding-house keepers and boarding house
runners and to furnish them
with reputable homes while on
shore, where they will not be feeced and
cheated out of their money. When they
are ''shanghaied" and the case comes to cur
knowledge, legal counsel is employed to
ferret out and prosecute the guilty parties,
aud bring them to punishment.
THE SAILORS HOMES.
/" At these homes the sailors have q place
where they can spend their time, amuse
themselves, have good reading matter, OBJ
tain direction and advice, and be given
occasional religious instruction. 1t is not
the policy of the society 30 prod religion
into the sailor at all times, but to present
it in the most acceptable manner.
"The New York society furnishes the
auxiliary societies with chaplaius. These
cnaplains are almost always. ex-sailors,
who have thorough Knowledge of the class
they have TO deal with. In most instance
they are strong, God>fearing men, and it Is
seldom that one Of them goes
back to owl ways. There are
great many more religiously inclined
men among the sailors than are gen
orally supposed. The Scandinavians who
furnish such large part of the sailors en-
teriHg our ports have good proportion of
| God-fearing men among them. Sailors are
subjected to great many temptations, and
| it requires strong man indeed to resist
! them.
READING FOR JACK.
| Another great work Of the society is its
| loan library department. 1t sends out loan
libraries in the forecastle of ships where the
sailors have ready ACCESS to them. We have
sent out over 10000 libraries since begin.
ming this branch in 1858.
There are forty-three volumes in each
library, well selected, containing the best
literature as well as the best religious works
such as are hest adapted to the sailors.
"Another important feature is the Sailors
! home in New York, which cost $50, 900,
where shipwrecked and distressed seamen
arc cared for. If crew is shipwrecked at
some foreign port they can be sent by the
United States consul to the Seaman's Friend
| Society in New York, where they will b.
taken care of and reshippsd.
There are 500, 900 sailors that coma into
the port of New York every year and $50,
| 900 iuto the port Of Boston"
DR.. Stitt mot the directors of the Savan-
nah Prot Society Saturday night and dis
cussed the work OF the society here. He
suggested the idea that the time had come
when Savannah should have sailors home.
| Savannah is growing wealthy and hen
| population is increasing largely through
| her commerce, which is carried hack aud
| forth by the hardships endured by the sail
| ors. Savannah could well afford to build
such a home Wilmington built sailors
| home q year or two ago which has been
conducted very successfully"
In support of DR.. Stitts argument it may
| be mentioned that at a close calculation
there are fully 1000 sailors in port now and
that the port is visited by over 10000 sailors
| during the year, who spend from few days
| TO month OF more here.