The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-07
REV. ]. SUMNER STONE
And His Remarkable Work In the
slums Of New York.
FORMER WHEELING mann
Whose Life is Consecrated to Lifting
Up tho Fallon---Curious Open Air
seryIccs..-Food For the Hungry and
Help For the sick.--Assisted by His
Wife in the Work.


Of the remarkable work which is being
done III tho slums of the great metro
polls by Rev. ]. Sumner Stone, so well
known in Wheeling. The article is
illustrated and contains an excellent
portrait Of Mr.. Stone. Tho following
description Of the man and his work, as
given by the Advertiser, will be read with
interest by his hundreds Of friends and
acquaintance in Wheeling:
An odd, interesting and impressive
Bcene is enacted every evening in the
open air Mt the east side Of Washington
Square and Washington place. Repro
duced OH a canvas 1t would make i won .
derful picture in it's conglomeration OF
colors, of types OF humanity and the
mixture OF races and nationa!ities. 1t
would be impressive for its religious
elements, and interesting for its dcpic-
ton OF quaint typesandnovel characters.
In the background OF the scene are
the dark, Gothic arches Of tho Asbury
Methodist Episcopal Church, the place
OF worship OF some OF New York's arts.
tocratic families before the tide OF
fashion swept them northward from
their historic old mansions. The
church in those halcyon days had the
tenets OF tho Dutch Reformed denomi-
nation held forth from its CNrven pull
pit, and had for its stanchest pillar, old
Cornelius Vanderbilt. But with the
migration from the square of the rich
and influential it lost its prestige and
declined until the membership dwin-
died down to a metaphorical handful.
Its career since has been unnoteworthy,
until little more than year ago,
when the Rev. ]. s. Stone, who had Just
returned from seven years OF arduous
missionary work in India, took hold OF
it
1t is this young clergyman who forms
the central figure in the background OF
the picture. With him are his wife, Il
gray-haired cornet player aud three or
four other auxiliarieS. In tho fore
ground, in the street and on the edge
Of the square, is a molly assemblage Of
people OF all classes, ages, types and
nationalities. It is the lower element,
however, which predominates-the den
lLtllb Vi li0 bluHInt thV POOAi WY w
PRAYED, the homeless, the goddess;
There are picturesque Italians, .decked
out in gorgeous colors, workingmen
still dusty and begrimed from the days
toll, mothers withbabes attheir breasts,
pale-faced girls OF ten or twelve years OF
age, staggering under the burden OF Il
little brother or sister, rum-sodden
tramps, and smart youths reeking with
blasphemy and cigarettes.
The setting sun is shedding q glorious
flood OF golden light over the square as
DR.. Stone, his wife and assistants take
their places on the steps Of the church
and begin their Jealous work OF teach
ing the Gospel to a class rarely, if ever,
found inside church walls. They COM
lnence by singing hymn, to the &c
compartment of tiny organ and the
cornet, whose far-reGching strains bring
from the dizzy southward-lying streets
: a.crowd which soon swells to many hun
dreds. II is true most OF the Italians
among them understand few, ii any, OF
the preachers words, yet his earnest
ness and a nameless something in his
personality seem to attract them, for
they come again and again to these
meetings. OF course, many in the au-
dience are drawn thither simply through
curiosity. There are loNfcrs and SCOT
fers, who hang around in groups, in
dulging in ieering and blasphemous re-
marks, and criticising in their coarse
vernacular tho proceedings in general
and the various speakers who address
them. But at the first sound OF Dr.
stones voice the most unruly become
silent and often attentive.
Whether it is the quiet dignity Of his
manner, or the fact that these keen
witted sons OF the slums recognize in
tuitively the friendship and sympathy
which this man feels for their kind, it is
certain that he exercises singularly
magnetic influence upon them. He
speaks in language that the humblest
who know English can understand, and
he knows how ito win and hold their
attention, and illustrate by homely an
ecdotes truths which would otherwise
be beyond their comprehension.
DIR. Stone begins these outdoor meet
ings in the springtime, and continues
them as late in the fall as the weather
permits. He has succeeded in bringing
into the work many prominent citizens
interested in reaching the poorer peo-
pie, and receives material support from
them, his principal patron being S. w.
Bowen, OF No. 1873 South Fifth avenue.
Every Sunday evening, at $50 o'clock,
Especial service is held in the basement
ofthe church for the "Armyof Despair"
as the tramps, the homeless and poor
unemployed are called. Immediately
afterwards a large cup OF hot coffee and
two huge sandwiches ARE served to these
forlorp, half.staryed wretches. Fully
ten thousand persons have been as
sisted in this way during the past year.
The good done is incalculable. Many
came Mt first hardened and degraded,
listening unwtllingly to the prayers for
the sake OF the food thoy would receive,
Finding themselves to their surprise
not received as miserable outcasts, and
reminded that hell alone awaited them,
but treated us unfortunate fellow crea-
lures who had but to ask to be forgiven,
great numbers of them have been won
over to new and honest life. 1t was
not mere cold charity that was extended
TO them, but systematic brothcrly love.
DR.. Stone and the members OF his
congregation soon found themselves
pitiably besieged with prayers for a
nights lodging. Here is another prob
ion. To discriminate between the
worthy and unworthy was impossible
TO give them money was inadvisable,
With his characteristic Promptness
this practical philanthropist set to work
and established early last winter wood
and coal yard at No. 10 Minetta street
where for the price OF u few hours work
at saving and splitting kindling wood