Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-19

COMMANDER AND MRS. BALLlNGToN BOOTH.
thousands and thousands of copies of
Salvation publications of various sorts;
there are concentrated the executive
heads of the organization on this CONT
nent.
To say that this building is crowded is
putting it mildly. 1t is filled almost to
bursting with energetic workers. And
Just now it is a buster place than usual
even, because of the preparations that
are going forward for the Columbian
congress to be held in New York between
Sunday, Nov. II, and Saturday, Nov. Is.
When l called upon Commander Booth
to get some information concerning tine
congress and was shown into his little of
fee on the third floor, l came to under
stand why the building is not congested,
notwithstanding the volume of business
done there is several times too great for
the capacity of the structure. l discov-
cred the chief cause, humanity speaking,
of the marvellous forward progress of the
army.
Darlington Booth is an executive Won
der, prodigy as to working capacity,
and he overflows with that quality which
men call personal magnetism. He is a
very tall man. l should say that it is
more than six feet from his crown to his
heels, and he is slender almost TO spare
ness, but he is rs straight as pine tree,
and there is nothing in any of his move
ments that is uncertain or awkward or
shambling. His face is thin and aquiline;
his eyes large, dark and luminous; his
hair is worn longer than is customary
nowadays, and n sweeping mustache COW
ers his mouth. He dresses himself in Il
navy blue suit cut i'll military style. the
coat being an officers long frock, orna-
mented by shoulder straps, each bearing
four stars. and he wears upon his waist
coat two Salvation Army badges.
These details of personality and attire
are noticeable before the commander be-
gins to talk After that the man is lost
in the subject. His enthusiasm is like a
strong and rushing stream, and his flexi-
BILE voice and steady, blazing eyes, as
we'll as his words, denote his earnest
ness. As he becomes interested. what
he has to say is emphasized with effect
i've gestures, and when in order to get in
formation concerning some detail that
has been left toa subordinate he touches
an electric button, the summons is an
swered by red jerseyed soldier with that
promptitude that one expects to see only
in the best ordered of the great business
establishments of the day.
So much for the man and the head
quarters of which he is the pervading
spirit.
The Columbian congress will be one
of the largest conventions in the history
of the Salvation Army. 1t is anticipated
that not less than l, 200 field, staff and
local officers of the organization, indie
pendent of the thousands who will make
up the delegations of soldiers and friends
and members of the Auxiliary leagues in
the Atlantic states, will attend. The
staff officers will represent 26 states, in
Guiding New York. Rhode Island, Mas
sachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania, Mary
land, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota. Iowa, Missouri, Texas,
Colorado, California and others.
Two features of the congress-the
meetings and the parades-will compel
the attention of the populace. Two i'm
mense public gatherings are to be held
on the evenings of Tuesday, Nov. II,
and Wednesday, Nov. 10. The daylight
hours of those dates will be given up to
street parades. Not less interesting than
the public meetings and parades will be
the banUuets, mt each of which some
5000 persons will sit ut table; but, I'M
like the meetings and the parades, these
cannot be enjoyed by outsiders.
1t was at first proposed to hold the big
meetings in Madison Square Garden, but
the experiences of the speakers at the