The morning call., 1892-12-27
IT IS LAUNCHED.
The LifebOat FIOated With
a Big Dinner.
IMPROvIDENTS PRovISIONED.
The Salvation Army Starts a Noble
Work by Practically Feeding
Twelve Hundred Souls.

yesterday.
1t was launching-day for the Salvation
Army's "Lifeboat," or shelter-house at the
corner Of Sacramento and Kearny streets,
and the ceremonies opened with big free
dinner on the premises.
Over 1900 victims of their own or others
improvidence availcd themselves of the
unique opportunity to GET free square
meal.
| In the first batch admitted there were 247
hungry souls, who listened to Major KEEP
pel's blessing and then fell to with vim al
the long tables arranged throughout TWO
large rooms.
Five hundred pounds OF beef, one sheep
for mutton stew, 500 pounds Of baked beans,
four sacks OF potatoes, quantities of turnips
and carrots, loads OF bread. cakes, 400
pounds of plum pudding. coffee and tea
galore and fifteen cans Of milk quickly dis
appeared.
The red-shirted army fitted around in
lively style under the direction OF Captain
j. r. MeAfee. handing out food and collect
ing the used dishes.
In the kitchen Cook Thompson, with a
waiting staff including two japanese, per-
spred freely amid the sayory steam, and
jerseys was not unlike big football scrlm-
mage.
There were plenty of girl soldiers in uni
form. helping and yet chatting together
girl-like rs they met.
Want dinner. sir?" asked red-shirt OF
broken-dOwn. dilapdated visitor. Second
table, please"
The man addressed Strengthened up under
the kindly respect Of the sir" and took his
place beside his comrades In hunger
They were queer lot
Young as well as old, red-nOsed as we'll as
others having pale, high-bred features.
braZen as well as timid.
There WAS a singular absence of overcoats
among them. and when one came in sur
mounted by light PANAMA hat and further
corner or a white handkerchief pTotrudiug
from tho breast pocket. IL was no surprise
when the owner OF all these luxnres paid
for his dinner aud said lie had only come In
to test the fare.
The younger guests were the most Dashed
| oy their position, but many confessed that
they had not eaten square meal for days,
and others offered to come in next morning
and help wash up tile dishes for the sake Of
few scraps for breakfast.
The majority expressed their thanks to
| the army IN upmIstakably earnest terms.
Hope you enjoyed yourself?' would say
a soldier.
TITS great" WAS the husky response, as a
batiered-levking piece of humanity squeezed
| his way cut
Pm much obliged to You for your hospi-
| tality," would be the thanks Of some man,
wha had seen better days.
III ever L get u dollar TO spare it goes
| right here for the army" said an other, as he
shook hands on leaving.
Gradually the crowd thinned out, and
Mrs. MeAfee. the manager Of the rescue
work. found time TO talk.
oh, I'm SO glad it has been such sue
cess." said she. earnestly.
People said we wouldn't find a thousand
| people to come TO dinner. but we knew
/ better. Last year we had about 1900 70
dinner aud supper together.
Beside to-day's dinners. we cooked
| turkeys and plum buildings Saturday aud
made up dinners, which we sent out te
widows and orphans.
You will only see few women here, al
| though many Will come in later for baskets
| of broken meats. The women mostly dom
| like to come in with men.
There have been about ten women. Thar
| old lady there is 20 years DID, the daughter
Of minister. and her second husband is in
| the insane asylum. She has not q tooth in
her head and doesn't know where to get heI
| next meal.
what will she doP Oh. the BOYS will
| look altar her; perhaps chip in ten ceIr
| epises or in some. other way see TO heI
case"
just at that moment the old lady jabbed
her knife into a passing sugar-bowl and
| licked 1t of with evident relish.
The boys are so kind" resumed Mrs.
| McAfee. and so helpful. But we DO miss
| Sparkle.
'Who was Sparkle? He was typical
case of improyidence, many results OF
which you see around you.
Sparkle was BriIisher who ran through
thIee fortunes. He occupied high posi-
| ton in India, but was such n ladyktller and
al dol I
Dufferin, the wife of the Viceroy, declared
either Sparkle must leave India or she
Spankle's brother is a Superior Judge mn
country somewhere In India, but he couldn' I
| save him.
so Sparkle found himself in San Fran
cisco after three months tear.
lie woke up one morning at the Palace
Hotel, where he had been making thing
howl Tor weeks. and found he had only $50
left.
What did he do with it? He chartered
special car and went down to Fresno.
where he landed penniless and soon fell
into the hands OF the army, joining three
years ago.
".0f course he was only one, and the
others are as good as gold, but lie was so re-
sourceful. quick, gentle and cheerful all the
time he wore the red shirt that we miss him
greatly.
Where is he? Why. his brother. the
Indian Superior Judge, sent him S17, 600 and
De Invested it In land at Fresno, where lie
Is living.
HE helps all he can still, and all the
fiuit here to-day used in the buildings comes
from friend Sparkle"
Mrs. McAfee sighed as she spoke OF the
armys loss in this apparently hopeless
scapegrace. but frightened up TO ask:
Please tell THE CALL readers that the
army IS always in want of cast-off clothing,
anu II any one will drop postal 10 us we
VIII at any time send wagon for bundles. -
AS the army's guests passed out they were
shown the baths ready for use and the in
formation was received with some GOODNESS.
NO dinner guest applied for the luxury,
which viii be held in reserve for the NIGH
dodgers.
In the afternoon a choral meeting was
beld IN Congress Hall, where the dedicatory
services In honor Of The Lifeboat" started
in the evening.