Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-16
MIR. Rnws Tells of His Work.

of the country.
MIR. Rnws Tells of His Work.
1.-The Whosoever Gospel Mission and Res
cue Home of Philadelphia" was described
by Mr.. VIM. Raws. Next to the rescue
work for fallen women, said Mr.. Raws,
comes industrial work for men, the work
that is done at this particular mission, of
which he IS the superintendent
when 1 took my first drink" said Mr..
good bank account. After ten years OF a
drunkard's life 1 walked into Germantown
with but three cents in my pocket"
Soon after he was reformed he and his
wife opened this mission home in the very
tavern where he had spent so much of his
drunken life. Later they took the balance
of the building for the same good uses:
speak-easy, a pool room and four club
rooms were all turned into the mission.
From that 1t has grown, until in less than
three years over 100000 have been used in
the work. OF this, $4,000 has been con-
tributed by the men themselves. either in
the form of cash or of labor The men are
washed and fed, but they must work In
some way in return. The gospel is preach
ed to them; they are taught to give up
their Incorporate habits and to become
self-respecting and self-supporting men.
Free Sunday Breakfasts.
Mr.. w. c. Blackburn described in bright
and interesting manner the work of the
city. The object of the association is to
raise en- through the influence of the Cos
pei 1.-THE nearest way to a mans heart is
through his stomach" said Mr. Blackburn.
so we fill them up and preach the gospel
to them straight. The Bible says the Cos
pei will cut like two-edged sword. We
give it to them bare and strong. We don't
wrap it up In napkin the way they do at
some churches, so you C; mt tell whether 1t
is a sword or not. During the five years
we have been open we have fed 10000
men. OF these, $4,000 asked for prayers.
know. All we do is to pray for them If
they ask for 1t. There have been 1000 who
professed Christianity. I don't know
whether they all held out. That's not my
affair. I do the best I can.
Before I began this work I guess was
about the crummiest bum in baltimore.
was about as likely to have my hand in an
other mans pocket as in my own; there
was usually more in the other fellows
pocket. 1 remember one time I woke up
after a jag. and found beer mug and some
spoons in my pocket.
"'Bil,' said a crony of mine, you've been
stealing again.
Il took those things back to the saloon
where I had lifted them, and said to the
saloon keeper:
".Here, take these things back Your
whisky is of a sort that will make a man
steal anything
But, thank God, brethren, I am a saved
L
for the glory of His name. I don't get any
salary. don't get anything, but l manage
to get along all right My family consists
of my aged mother, myself and my two
cats and even the cats are taught to pray
in that mission.
Brethren, I'll show you how the Lord
takes care of His own. When l first pulled
out of the gutter friend fitted me out with
suit of clothes. They weren't quite as
fine as these I have on now.
Bill said man to me one day, where
Gid you get that coat?'
I got that from the Lord I said
did hep
But, brethren, it's all right now He's
got my fit today. for there's a tailor over
in Baltimore who will give me a suit of
clothes any time need one"
Mr.. Blackburn's style of talking wss
somewhat out of the ordinary run, but
Just the same he gave the audience a very
clear Idea of the methods of the Baltimore
mission. He said he did not place much
reliance on his looks or his education for
he didn't have either, and unless the Holy
Ghost was back of his talk his words would
fall flat.
MIR. Beans Work in PHILADELPHIA,
Following this, Mr.. Lewis V. Bean de-
scribed the work of the Sunday Breakfast
Association of Philadelphia. Its purposes
are much the same as those of the Balti-
More mission, but it is the oldest organiza-
tior of the sort in the country. Mr. Bean
said there is TO use in talking religion to
a man when his stomach is empty The
first thing to do is to put man right with
the world, and then it is a compa ia lively
easy matter to start him right with God.
During the past year 111,3O4 meals were
served, and LOST people signed the pledge.
The Margaret strachan Home.
The history of the Margaret Strachan
Home, New York, was told by Mrs Mar
garet Sibthorpe. This home was started
thirteen years ago by a poor little seam
stress from the north of Ireland As she
used to pass through West 9th street,
which was formerly one of the worst
streets in the Tenderlon district she saw
the perils to which young girls We're sub
jected, and her heart went out to them
One day in passing through the street Mag
gle Strachan saw that the house 1O3 West
9th street was for rent. 1t had been &C.
cupied by colored women of the worst sort
Maggie went to the landlord and offered TO
lease the house in order to open it. as
shelter for young girls, where they might
be safe from temptation. The landlord
told her that the rent was 500 a month
But l nave only s. to my name" said
Maggie.
But where am I to look for my rent? 2"
1.-The Lord will see to that" said Maggie
Strange as it may seem, said Mrs Sib-
thorpe, the man was won over to her point
of view. He was sick and tired of the class
of tenants he had had and agreed to let the
girl take the house to use it for mission
Maggie went at once to Mrs. Stebbins a
wealthy Madison avenue woman, for whom
she had done some sewing, and Interested
her in the work. Mrs. Vanderbilt and other
well-known New York women have inter-
ested themselves in the home and have con-
tributed generously to its needs. Mrs. Steb-
bins is the treasurer. Mrs Margaret Bot
tome, who is the head of the Society of the
Kings Daughters is the president of the
home.
Mrs. Sibthorpe. silver-haired, motherly
locking woman. who Is the superin tendent