The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-24
ENEMY OF TRAMPS|
Mr.. Roberts of Boston to
Lead the Union Re-
Vival Services.
INDUSTRIAL MISSION 0 RK
Methods of Practical Christianity
Bishop J. D. Newman's
Bench.

luz pdStOTS OIL bHe 1aDSFndcte, oCoVSh
Presbyterian, First Baptist, Wayne Street
and Grand Street Reformed Churches, hav-
ing dropped ex-Gambler Quinn and Evangel
list Mott, as undesirable people to lead the
Union Revival Services now in progress in
these churches, have selected another
Evangelist infinitely more distinguished in
his line than Brother Quinn. This new draw
ing card is Thomas .. Roberts of the Boston
Industrial Home, whose life is somewhat re-
markabie. He is the man who, not many
years ago, visited Colonel Robert G.. Inger-
soil, the great atheist, and asked him to
kneel down and pray. Ingersoll never moved
during Roberts earnest prayer for him, and
dismissed his visitor in silence.
Mr.. Roberts was born in lS49 in Cornwall,
England, and when only a mere boy, at
tempted to run away to sea. In 1870 he be-
came attached to the race tracks, and not
long afterwards graduated into a Jockey,
and in one race fell with his horse and was
nearly killed. When not engaged in this
sport, prize lighting, cock fighting and dog
fighting occupied his attention. In fact there
was no species of dissipation and wickedness
which he did not indulge in. In 1872 he left
England, came to America, where he con-
t1l1aG0 lAGsC IA ia 1 pOt1AC NO0lS
afterwards he heard Moody and Sankey, and
suddenly resolved to lead a new life.
From his conversion he has spent his time
in mission work, He was appointed in 1888
manager of the Boston Industrial Home,
which position he now occupies with so much
credit to the institution and himself.
The methods adopted in that home are now
being practised at the Newman Rescue Mis-
sion Home of this city.
PRACTICAL CHARITY.
Since MIR. Lawrence, now Superintendent
of the latter home and who was. prior to his
appointment here, attached to the Boston
Home. has applied to the Ministerial Asso-
citation of Jersey City for aid in his plan for
running the local mission, a few words about
this proposed plan. which is identical with
that adopted in Boston, may not be uninter-
esting.
The problem is, What is to become of the
man or woman who appeals for help and
who is without a home, sufficient food and
clothing, and without God or a friend in the
worlds!
TO give him OF her a ticket for a cheap
lodging house or money to provide shell
ter is a mistake and would throw
the applicant into contact with old
associates i'll their accustomed haunts,
To afford them shelter on the floors of dark,
damp cellars of missions is wrong, but in
stead of doing this with the waif or the
tramp, provide him or her with means to
take a bath, supply aim with a clean night
dress. first giving him a substantial meal,
then a comfortable bed, fumigate his wear
ing apparel, and. above all, make him do'
al equivalent amount of work for that
which he has received.
Upon this plan the Boston home, once in
debt and struggling with little encourage
ment of success, has paid off its indebted
ness, owns two buildings valued at $4,000,
has storage of wood worth 5000, and has
$4,000 out at interest. and its receipts year
II are $50, 900. 1t provides work for the I'M
skilled labor class, and even for carpenters,
painters and printers. The manufacture of
brooms and paper boxes and the handling of
coal and wood constitute the industry of a
home which is doing an incalculable amount
of good among the poor and lowly.
Mr.. Roberts, who runs this mission in
Boston, will begin his weeks work tomorrow
morning in the Scotch Presbyterian Church
and in the evening in the First Baptist
Church. All the meetings during next week
will be held in the last named church, as it
is central. New hymn books have been
ordered from Chicago for the choir, for
whom a large platform will be built. Mr..
John c. Gillies, precentor of the church,
will conduct the singing.
BISHOP NEwMANs BENCH.
Buried among q pile of rubbish in a
loft belonging to Lorillard & Company,
the tobacco manufacturers of this city, is an
old bench. 1t is cut and carved by the
knives of its occupants. On 1t IN deep letters
are the letters 81. D. NJ" the initials of the
eloquent Methodist Episcopal bishop, John D.
Newman of Omaha, who was a close friend
and admirer of General Grant, and accom-
panied him in his tour to the old world.
Underneath the old bench is q, small ledge
made by the bishop when he, as a working
man, was using it, and this he affixed for the
purpose of holding his Bible which be would
study at every opportunity which presented
itself to drop cutting tobacco and pore over
the pages of Holy Writ. As a bench it has
long since been useless, but soon its useful
ness will be directed into a new channel that
of transformation into Ending wood.