The morning call., 1893-01-29
MONEY Is NEEDED
To Carry On the Christian
Union Mission.
Church Subscriptions Inadequate to
Supply the Needs of the Poor
of San Francisco.

The Christian Union Mission is in need Of
funds. AT least $4,000 is required, so
says Steve Holcombe, tie manager, To carry
on the mission, or else the good work
which it has inaugurated will go for naught.
The mission, which is carried on at 729
Market street, was started early this month
to provide shelter and relief for the desti-
tute and to reclaim and save those OF the
fallen who wish to change their manner Of
life. Since the date of opening the mission
it has derived its subsistence solely from
tile various churches of this city. Now the
mission has expanded so much in its work
that the church subscriptions do not equal
the expenditures OF the mission. Every
day on an average about 42O meals are
served and at night the sixty beds are full,
not counting the 200 or more who sleep on
the benches. SO 1t can be seen this is no
small undertaking.
I'VE do not charge the poor unfortuna tes
who apply To us for help" said Steve HOg-
combc, the manager of the mission. when seen
by CALL representative Yesterday; the
way we do Il is simply this: When man
comes 10 US and asks for food and lodging,
no mat .er who I've is, or what he Is, or as 10
what his religious belief Is, we put him to
work saving wood or cleaning up Tor an
hour, and at the end Of that time give him
a ticket which entities him to one meal aud
lodging for the night. If the man is a
criminal or drunkard, or anything Of that
sort, we do not compel him 10 become a
Christian but we do set every advantage
open to bin TO become such. Al s o'clock
every night we have a prayer meeting,
which is always we'll attended.
Now II Viii be seen by the work that
We are doing that it will take ali the money.
and more, that we receive from the church
subscriptions 10 make further progress in
the mission. In this city there are numer-
Gus rich men To whom $4,000 is but trifie.
II one Of them would make donation Of
that amount to the mission he w0uld not
only be doing a noble deed to the suffering
humanity of San Francisco, but would also
have something o look back TO with pleas
ure during his Ife and leave a name which
would be iionoTed by the poor unfortunateS
he had helped by his donations.
Another good scheme which we have
concluded TO try" said Mr.. Holcombe, SIS
this. We had number Of cards printed
reading thus:
The bearer. on performing one hours work AT
the Christian Union Mission and complying with
the rules, is entitled 10 one meal or lodging IN
the mission.
These we have made into small books
OF three sizes, six. fifteen aud thirty tickets
in each book. Tue object of getting these
tickets printed is TO sell them To the mer-
chants of tins city, 40 that when a man
dence aud asks for help he will receive one
Of these tickets, and by doing one hours
work at the mission he VIII receive meal
or lodging there.
by doing this" continued Mr. Hol-
combe, THE people will not be imposed
upon; for instead If giving the man money
one Of these tickets will be given him, and
if be is ortby Of help he will do the one
hours work prescribed and receive the
help asked for. The tickets we will charge
for at the rate of SIX for one dollar.
In all the large cities of this country that
| have visited, including New York. Phila-
deiphia, Boston and Chicago" continued
Mr.. HOlcombe, "all have missions like the
one which we are trying to perfect; but
none are in more need of one than San
Francisco. We have another mission here
conducted by the Salvation Army. 1t Is. of
course, not as large as ours, but neyeTthe-
less it is very good one. There is one
fault which We find with il though. and
that is the charging of money for food and
lodging. AT the Christian Union Mission
we do not receive money from applicants
under any circumstance. and IL they want
help they have 10 work for it,"