The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-30

! Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentine Hepuo-
lie and in almost all the prominent ports of
the United States. The society has sent out
during the year All loan libraries Of 20. 1853
volumes The total number Of Libraries on
ships and 10 hospitals is 1907, containing
80, 400 volumes, accessible to 1904 men.
At the New York Sailors Home there has
been, during the past year, 1884 boarders.
! The total income was S26. 945 90 This is
the work, in outline, to be done by every
port society,"
Dr. bowman then gave a statement Of the
! work being carried on by the Savannah
| Port Society in providing pleasant retreat
| Tor the sailors that visit the port and making
| IL attractive In various ways. or the re-
ligious work Of the society he said:
THE religious part OF the work has been
kept up by devoted men and women, with
out the services Of chaplain or the pres
snce Of a minister. Some Christian people
have never thought that every Sunday even
ing services we're being conducted at the
soctety's room, attended sometimes by as
many as 100 seamen.
THE great want of the society at this
time is a competent and oonseorated minis
ter for chaplain.
'Such a man seems hard to find, but he Is
somewhere and the Lords eye is on him,
and he will bring him forward in answer
to prayer. This is a work Of peculiar diff
culties, requiring special adaptation, and the
man TO engage in 1t should feel that the
Lords hand is upon him and the Lords
voice calls him TO 1t.
This work presents wonderful oppor-
tunities for usefulness. With the thou-
sands Of seamen who visit our port annually
under his eye and within his reach. the
chaplain Of the Port Society could come in
contact with more men than any settled
pastor In the city, and through them. as
they sail from shore to shore, he could
come in touch with the ends Of the EARTH"
Dr. bowman closed with an eloquent plea
for the sailors to those whom, as he said +,
are so largely indebted to them.
THE OFFICERS REPORTS.
The reports of the officers of the society
were next read. The report OF the score
tary and treasurer, Mr.. T. Lloyd Owens,
showed that the total receipts for the year
were 1854 So and the disbursements
1884 06, leaving a balance Of 800 40 on
hand Tbs chief Items of the receipts were
annual dues of members $500. American
Seamen's Friend Society of New York
$500, interest on investment S54O,
donations S44 aud collections
at the last annual meeting 300 81. The
most important items Of the disbursements
were rent S403 40, superintendent S483, and
gas $l61 Al.
President Weed read his annual report.
IL is of interest as showing the work and
progress OF the society during the year.
After noting the change in the location Of
the sailors reading room the president re-
ferred to the work of the ladies' auxiliary
as follows:
The interchangeable ladies Of the Ladies' Aux
Hilary Aid Society have purchased beds aud
bedding, and are prepared, when the men of
this society can put in q proper man to take
charge of what they are ready to contribute to
take still further steps toward completing the
work looking to the provision for suitable dor
mitory for the sailors, in the summer months
more particularly. This is an adjunct that is
very much needed to complete our sphere OF
action. On every Sunday evening there has
been man to conduct religious services
Messrs. Tracy @. Hunter, James Earle, T. Fair
lie Cunningham, Joseph Clay, Thomas Clay,
Charles II. Olmstead, c. NJ. Gilbert, Henry D.
Valmore Lebey, Mr.. Houston and DR..
Stitt of the New York Seameu's Friend
Society have officiated. The attendance at the
services was good during the winter, from forty
TO hundred being present.
There Is devoted band of ladies' and gentle
men which during this year, as in the past
years, has given every Sabbath evening to this
work, furnishing the music, with an unfailing
service.
A FEATURE OF THE SERVICES
striking feature Of the services is the OPP
portunity given the sailors after the regular
order of services is ended to select any hymn
hymns as they have heard in their childhood, or
have sung at home. and the ladies raise the tune
and they all join in the chorus.
would like to mention the names of those
good women as have done in former years,
but must reluctantly comply with wish ex-
pressed by one of their number, that l should
not do so. TO use the words OF the petit
TONER: ut is the Masters work, and we are
satisfied with his approval"
The light OF such labor should shine, that men
every where should see that good work. Besides
the work on Sunday evening, the ladies Of the
Auxiliary Aid Society have given free concerts
every two weeks all through the winter, which
have cost much labor and proved most attract
i've to the sailor
The board OF managers Of the Port Society
desire to express to the ladies Of the Auxiliary
Aid Society their thanks for this constant labor
| in aiding the work of the Port Society.
we have no imposing structure with lofty
splre TO tell or our WORK in fact to the general
public eye nothing 20 attract general interest,
and were it not for these annual meetings there
are thousands in this city who would never
know that there is n Port Society.
Now, what does this work meauy What means
this reading room, with newspapers, periodicals,
this comfortable. social hall made warm aud at
tractive In winter, and pleasant as well In the
summer, where sailors can meet. read write let
tiers. play, chat over their voyages and tell their
yarns?
1t means that we are trying to provide a
| healthy place of resort. When a sailor enters
| this port what is he to do? Where is he to goi
| He is stranger, and naturally a prey to the
| first allurements and temptations which beset
| him, When he puts his foot on shore, where is
4
| In the narrow limits of the forecastle.
TEMPTATIONS ON ALL SIDES.
| Magnificent barrooms, gilded and adorned
with every tempting device, fling their doors
| wide open to him. A thousand and one dis
| reputable haunts beckon and call him to their
| seductions and, Christian men and women viii
/ You, will you not help us In the face of such
i odds to sustain the reading room, which we
offer the sailor, with its healthy, helpful sur
roundings, where proper reading matter, for
elgn and domestic, can be had; where ne can
pass his evenings there free from the seductions
| OF crime, and its damnable surroundings
| When we consider that the very existence of
| this city depends upon its commerce, is it too
much To ask you to help us in trying to offer
| the son OF commerce a healthy, wholesome
port? When every vice sends its harpieS after
| him, when every barroom and house of ill-omen
| fling open their doors and search him out as
| their prey, will you not help US to send a
Christian man to him also, aud aid in trying to
throw open a door, where he can receive
a welcome under Christian auspices? Surely,
| surely you will help us.
We want aid, we need aid and it is your duty
to help US. We want more members and beg
of you TO put your names on the cards in your
pews and extend such aid as you can
A collection was taken up for the benefit
of the society during the otfertory rendered
by Mrs. Haynes.
The exercises concluded with the bene-
diction by Rev. DIR. Vass.
THE soCIETYIS OFFICERS.
A meeting of the members of the Port
Society was held after the exercises. The
following board OF officers aud directors