The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-01

Our esteemed contemporary The War.
Cry, 10 secure which we occasionally
expend the small sum Of five cents, with
the consciousness that it is money well
invested. appears this week with an
elaborate frontispiece, affording US a
glimpse of the features Of prominent
officials at the Salvation Army Corps
stationed in Brooklyn, NY. There
are pictured the portraits Of
fifteen comely women aud one
good looking man, all captains
and heutenants in the army that
breaches salvation 10 the accompani-
ment Of bass drum and trombone in
places where most of us like 10 keep
away from. They are earnest looking
people and their faces indicate that they
are full of goodness and mean to do
their utmost for the sanctiication Of
fallen humanity. They look like real
missionaries and if they make good
deal of noise about the streets they do it
in a coed cause. Aud the devil
is not likely to stay long where there is
much noise.
The Salvation Army has outgrown
the sneer, not to say the calumny, that
it was, not long ago, the victim of. The
rest of us good folk are disposed to toll
crate il, and even feel inclined to wallup
the hoodlum who occasionally under
takes to kick rift in the base
drum and throw cabbage at
the sun bonnet of the comely captain.
We acknowledge that we do not know
how much good the Salvation Army is
doing on earth, but the fact that its
corps of converts and workers is in
creasing, that its progress is not marked
by scandal or anything unworthy.
that its sensationalism is de-
cent if undignifed, and that, every
where, so far as we know, its
members are law abiding citizens, in
clines us to the opinion that the army is
filling a niche of goodly proportions,
and that its methods, If not entirely in
accord with the more modest views of
good folks in general, are not lacking in
accomplishment.
We note several interesting facts of
information about the Army in this
issue of The War Cry just at
hand. For instance, we learn that
on a certain Sunday. Mrs. General
BOOTH, and corporal's guard in their
stunning costume" went down into
Mulberry Bend, New York, to have it
out with Satan. Then they chased the
devil into Pell street, the Chinese quar-
ter, and meeting there the forces from
No. slum post, who are righteously
jealous of their preserves, they deployed
to the corner of Broome and Sullivan
streets and held meeting there. The
afternoon and evening We're spent at
Fort Hamilton and Fort Wads-
worth with "red hot sal
vation talk to the soldiers,
officers and friends of both.' That
certainly was good days work. We
learn also that the ''devil is being killed by
inches" in Atlantic City; that, in Nash
vile, Tenn, the first week in 1895 "closed
with eight souls in the Fountain; that
in Columbus, Ohio, New Years dinners
were supplied to 400 poor mothers and
children; in New Brunswick, N. j., the
corps "sang sixty songs and choruses
without stop; that in New York city
the army headquarters occupy a whole
building and part of an adjoining build
ing; that the result of days work at
Sea Cliff, l.. l., was ''five in the morn
ing and five in the afternoon for cleans
ing and four at night for salvation; and
that everywhere the Salvation Army
forces are making their way to the bang
of the drum and the toot of the cornet.
and are recruiting soldiers for the army
to wage war with sin and the devil.
1t is learned also, that the Army is
planning $4,000 memorial building,
an imposing national headquarters; that
the building is not to be built
on "self-denial lines,' but after
an original plan to be later
divulged, and that the effort to raise
the funds will take place during the
week March 1s to March "a. The build
ing is to be set up in New York City.
Meanwhile we have been informed
that General BooTH, the commander-in-
chief of the Army, is to visit Providence
on Feb. 10, and that Music Hall has
been secured for his reception. We
propose to be one Of the 1900 people who
will be there.