The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-16
THE COAST DIVISION.
"reminiscences of its Insignificant
Painful Birth.

On his visit to America in 1886. General
Booth came as far West as Kansas City.
He had intended making his way to this
cast. but considering the insgnificance OF
the division here atthat time, he altered his
plans and returned eastward.
The change which has taken place in
eight years is so great, and the amount Of
good accom- plished, so clearly emphas zed
that the general will surely have just cause
to be proud OF the cheerful results.
The tri ais and struggles of the Salvation
Army on this coast while in its incipleucy
form matter which but few remain to
tell. The gradual growth. extension OF
the work and the practical results OBJ
tanned are familiar to all, while but little
10 known of the history of the movement
which has reached such enormity.
The original army on this coast was or
ganized as an inde pendent body. being an
outgr0wth of a movement started by a
number of Baptist clergymen, with a view
Of adding to the effectiveness of revival
meetings. Rev. George Newton, who in
1882 organized the Holiness Association,
WAS the leading spirit of the movement,
and with the aid Of Rev. T. G. Arnold he
conducted revival services throughout the
State in tent, in connection with which
they published the Herald of Holiness,
eQlLeQ Dy rev. d. Is. hllg0t.
The main object of DR.. Newton was to
organize the association upon an army
basis. but as this failed to meet with The
approval OF the church Salvation Army
was formed al meeting in Oakland year
later, independent of the original move
ment, the same officers assuming control,
at the same time fulfilling their duties
toward the Baptist organization.
This was the origin q Pacific Coast corps,
and IFS Qr0Wth frat with sunh
couragement that tine management began
the publication of an official journal, the
War Cry, the sale of which aided to some
extent In replensning the excheQuer.
The membership of the army at that
time did not exceed forty, and within a
few months afterward the discouraging
prospects were made even more gloomy.
as one by one the soldiers deserted the
ranks, until the rolls contained but q
pallry thirteen names.
DR.. Newton fOresaw that without sub
stantial assistance the movement would
cease to exist, and, resolved upon making
last effort, he communicated the con-
dition of affairs to General Booth at Lon
don. who Immediately agreed to make the
local army branch of the International
organization, and on July 8, 1883, Major
Wells arrived from London and assumed
charge of the work. Headquarters were
at once established on Pacific street. near
dHu tuc ulNlSlUu was plac6u
upon strict army footing.
At that time there were but seven
soldiers constituting the Pacific Coast di-
vision. The hardsnips which those earn
est workers experienced in going out
among the people. expounding the doc
trines of christianity, according TO the die
tates of their convictions, will never be
realized by those unfamiliar with saliva
ton life. In those days the little bands of
street-workers were looked upon in a de-
cidedly different light than at the present
time, the jeers and depredatious of mob
frequently forcing them to make hasty
retreat to some place of hiding in orIer to
escape the wrath of their pursuers.
This is all changed now. The army
banner commands respect even down in
the lowest dives among the outcasts of So
ciety and the scum of iniqulty. The work
of the San Francisco corps has been char
acteriZed with such success that jeers
have turned to words OF praise, and en-
enlargement comes unsolicited from all
sides.
The Pacific Coast division is accredited
with having succeeded in making 2O. OOC
conversions. and the army enrolment con-
sists of 1000 regular uniformed privates
and 163 officers. There are fifty-eigbt
corps in the division. five outstanding cir.
cults and six 0utposts.