The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-01

FhESlDENI v. hlCdAhD FOoO. +
Societies is a new work, and that Port
land particularly is interested in this
effort to extend the work to-. the sailors.
It was with great pleasure that he in
troduced Miss Antoinette P. Jones.
United States Christian Endeavor Super
intendent of Floating Societies, miss
Jones said that in the navies and. com
merce of the world theresare over3, 900, 00C
seamen. They are exposed to ore.perils
in the cities than on the sea, becau sc
they understand them less. Yet unlike
the landsmen, sailors retain the largest
sympathy towards the good and pure.
Will the good seed spring up in their
souls? You have only to try it and see.
They become very strong ashore, dedi-
eating their-lives specially to the service
more frequently than landsmen Once
convert the sailors and see what a union
between us and the foreign missions
they would be- In Alaska it has been
said that the evil, influence was brought
in by the sailors.
Now Christian Endeavor sailors are
holding meetings there. Isn't that good
news?
.Remem berssthat sailor only gets drunk
once in while, while landsman in the
same level of life may be drunk all the
time. When the sailor sees only the
rough edge of our cities, is it any won
der that he..feels that no one cares for his
spiritual welfare? Don't ever be afraid
to speak to sailor. He appreciates it
if a pure woman speaks to him.
But what is Christian Endeavor for
sailors? It is just the same on shipboard
as on the land The sailors are in one
port, then another. They cannot be local
lied. But this Floating Society takes
the place of the local society for u.s..
There are instruction cards, that they
take them from place to place. About 900
belong to these Floating Societies, Of
which there are 81 in number These
men have hard times. You know moth
ing about it. To speak in society here
is not like doing the work on shipboard.
They are among trough men, who abuse
them, They are also put in places. of
danger because "they are saved"
There are four little societies on ocean
steamers, the largest being "a members.
There are $50 Christian Endeavorers on
the men-of-war. Miss Jones then read
letter from Christian Endeavor sailor
on board the warship Chicago. speaking
of the fact that the meetings were held
on deck, where all can see and hear
There is a splendid work among the
sailors on the Great Lakes. At Marine
Hospitals and Life Saving stations, the
work is also going on. Miss Jones said
that many of the letters that came to
her are very hard to read, and that onr
Yankee boys are the worst spoilers and
writers of ALL Scandinivans and Ger
mans are eager to learn the language, and
are particularsin chirography. She read
a letter from German sailor on a yacht
which was remarkably well expressed.
The Christian Endeavor. sailor as rule
keeps his pledge as well as the Chris
tian Endeavor workers on the land. Lei
us Join hands everywhere and ring out g
loving assurance to Jack that "One is
our Master, even Christ, and all ye are
brethren
After Miss Jones's address it was es
pecially appropriate that President Foss
should announce to be sung "Throw out
the life line" He then announced tina,
he wanted Miss Bickford of Biddeford to
tell story about tramp steamer. She
said that her father was q sailor, that
she had spent many weeks along 1.-THE
Maine coast, and knows what the life
of a sailor is. She then described what
a tramp steamer is, and said that she
wanted q regular Christian Endeavol
tramp steamer, manned wholly by
Christian Endeavorers who are doing
their regular work and who yet can seek
to help their brother sailors. If only