St. Paul daily globe., 1891-03-15
An transformations Charity
That Is Doing the Very
Best Of Work.
Reduction Of Salaries Dis
cussed Quietly by the
Delegation.
Practical Men Denounce as
Grandmotherly the
Boiler Bill. -

renders it desirable that some survey be
| had of the field of labor, and sugges-
tions made as to ways and means there
| fore. For general reminder we will
state that the adoption of the plan for q
floating bethel was, after long and care
| full consideration, and realization that
| for permanent property. atfording ade-
| Quate accommodation for the full work
of the association III building suitably
located on land, the sum of at least
1 $4,000 for land and structure would be
| requlred-and that without more Or
| ganized results than our association
| could show, it was not to be expected
| that adequate results financially would
| follow an appeal TO the citizens of St.
| Paul.
A floating structure, on the other
hand. could be built and equipped for
| about One-tenth of that amount: it could
be placed at a favorable point for COM
! mencement of most OF the work con-
| telnplated: it would accommodate quite
large work, and with sufficient proba-
7 bility of duration of service to warrant
| the expectancy that it would very fairly
| fill the want until results were manifest
! to warrant the association in movement
for complete and permanent bethel on
! shore.
A bethel, ID the Western meaning of
luG ASIill, 10 d lUuiudllOH embracing
| home and facilities for divine worship,
social privileges and educational pur-
| poses. 1t is not, strictly speaking. a
| mission, though missions maybe planted
| from it, not. with precision stated,
| charity, though extensive beneYolence
may be carried on in connection with it.
| 1t Is always undenOmlnatiOnal. strictly
non-proselyting, The bethel chaplain
meets the stranger, becomes his or her
friend and helpful adviser, until that
| stranger becomes settled in neighbor-
hood and church association, i'll the lat
| ter respect being directed to communion
| of birth or choice. and then the bethel
chaplain's function ends. 1t has spe-
| cial reference to boatmen, railway op-
| eratlyeS and classes of working pOpula-
| tioll whose aYOcatiOnS compel Separa-
ton from settled home and church life.
A bethel has likewise function in
| gathering for religious and industrial in
| struction persons without regard to sex.
| principally residents of wharf and what
may be called downtown districts, who
| unless reached by such all agency gen
orally drift wider apart from the settled
| social and religious life OF the COM
munity. a bethel if adequately Sus-
| tanned may become through its technical
! schools, its reading room and literary,
its museum and art collection. its club
ROOMS, its social appliances, peoples
| palace "a home beautiful = giving
| broader education to the masses-even
as the specialist finds liberal provision
| for higher education at our colleges and
| universities.
ii is therefore suggested and urged
! that from the day of opening the work
| of the Floating Bethel be upon lines
| embraced i'll such broad and cOmpre-
| heusiye plans, provision being at once
made for the following departments:
firSt-Chapel services. These to con-
slSt of Sunday afternoon lectures or ser
mons by the chaplain or by invited
clergymen OF various denominations, or
lectures by laymen, accompanied by as
high an order OF musical service as can
be secured; also Sunday night gospel
service, and two week night puolic
services, one of which shall be Cos
pei temperance meeting.
Sec0nd-A Sunday secoOl, with Spe-
cial adult classes, embracing both sexes.
Third-A system of Industrial schools.
Sewing and cooking schools for girls
AMI q helping hand, or school for moth
ers, the object to be instruction and
suggestion in household economy-the
art of making homes attractive, and the
proper home training of children. In
connection with the Industrial work of
tliC 1 iOtliti9 IPCtiiCl IL W III DC DCCcSSuIN
to consider and decide in regard to the
neighb0rhood schools already estab-
lished by Mr. Pierce, and to what eX-
tent continuance of that work can be
carried on by this association.
fourth-kcadlng room and library.
This should, as means Justify, be made
specially attractive and Ofutility, through
special publications for mariners, rail
way men and mechanics. 1t should be
made the initial step to a mechanics in
Stitute, with works of reference. mod
els. drawings, etc.
Fifth-A club room or rooms for So
eial and other entertainments for the
classes alluded to in section 4.
SiXth-A bethel home. For this de-
/ partfnent there has already been COM
hletGd what Oh q steamboat would be
called Statcrooms, containing thirty-siX
berth beds. The plans call for eXten-
sion of lodging facilities on the upper
deek.4.-t
most earnestly urge that upon the
Floating Bethel no attempt be made to
compete with the l0-cent lodging houses
that doubtless, as in other large cities.
already exist in st. Paul. That our
beds be furnished to the utmost extent
of comfort, and carried on with q strict
insistencc of cleanliness, they being
made fully equal to the best steam
boat statereom bed. That no charge of
less than twenty-five cents per night be
made when rented to paying guests.
That other occupancy be, under proper
restrictions, to legitimate objects of
eharity-aS far as possible confined to
the classes who are special wards of the
Bethel. DO not undertake the functions
OF the police authorities, or the county
pogr-house, or your city relief society
as in provision for religious instruction
you would avoid crossing the lines of
the regular churches. If the time
should unfortunately come when your
city needs special provision for the
professional way-farer, you need
way-farer's lodge, with wood yard,
compulsory bath, and doube-heated
laundry oven for determination OF
undesirable animal life, | think that.
with our Bethel, wisdom will be found
to organize and carry on to the full
extent of probable resources a dis
eliminating charity, and on lines that
will meet approval of citizens and
churches,
Sevcnth-Lunch and dining rooms,
for the use of visitors to the reading and
club rooms. and ether persons citizens
of St. Paul, or visitors from other towns
and cities. l recommend that these
features be commenced with lunch
counter aud limited bill of fare; mod
crate prices but sufficient to insure the
best service. Provision will doubtless
be provided for charities and meals at
at nominal rates III an apartment eSpe-
cially provided. But for house to
beat the public house, you want some
thing more attractive in appointment
and service than the public house, and
a cuisine that friends of the Bethel de-
string to aid it by their patronage will
be more than glad TO call and eniOy
again.
The ST. paai Bethel association is
fortunate al this time of new departure
in the organization of the Ladies Bethel
A Il society.
rnco1omanfI that +be adiaS- cnciatv