Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-10-10
A FIGHTING PREACHER.
Under His Church in London In q
85 Gymnasium and q Boxing Ring.

Athletic Christianity has found, as
the French say, new expression. 1t
is not more represented by muscular
person merely. In the sanctuary itself
there must be boxing ring for the
practice of the noble sport of making
noses bloody. There is a church in
london thus equipped. 1t is Holy
Trinity, of Shoreditch, and since the
Rev. A. 0. Jay became it's gymnastic
director that once tough, licentious, in
QuttiOus quarter has been transformed
into fair and smiling and church
loving neighborhood.
Its people used to be infamous for
fights and murders. Now they are
good tempered and lawabiding. Such
excess of animal spirits as, under the
old dispensation, were wont to urge
them to violence and brutal crime.
is now so far utilized by sport and eX-
ercise that no impulse is left for its
vicious and wanton employment. The
logic is simple. Keep a horse well
driven and he cuts no capers.
Nothing will ever rouse the people
of that part" said the Bishop of Wake
field before Father Jay went there,
Except the last trump. And then they
will respond too late" There were
blind, squalid alleys and filthy courts.
There were women sodden with drink,
U quarreling and struggling like wild
creatures" men bruised and battered,
all the marks Of vice upon them. out
casts, abject and despairing, without
food or shelter; and the very children,
with coarse oaths and obscene jests,
watched like beasts for anything, dis
honest or otherwise, which might
come their way. Poverty and drink
were the main features but the wretch
ed people drank not to enjoy, but to
forget.
Father Jay built church. It's audi
tOrium and altar were on the second
floor. On its first floor were the gym
nasium and the boxing ring. These
sporting features, peculiar as they may
seem, and really are. are part and
parcel Of the approved parochial sys-
tenn in vogue in that section of Lon
don. This is one of Father Jays meth
DDS Of drawing the rough characters OF
the neighborhood. The reverend gen
itleman himself often dons the gloves,
and he goes in for ''sight of the clar-
et:: It was that that won for him the
respect Of the fighting toughs. Other
tclergymen might execrate to their
elegant congregations the savage Gus
tom Of fstic combats. But he went
into the training place for pugilists,
and he beat them at their own game.
The club is always open, even on
Sunday afternoons: Regulations are
few and easy. Men may smoke, and
they are not required to remove their
headgear. Illustrated papers are pro-
vided for them, and frequently WON
an will drop in and play for them. In
the church itself short service is
held at o'clock, which is entirely
voluntary, but is usually we'll attended
the church often being SO crowded that
an overflow service has to be held in
the club room. The behavior Of the
men now, as a rule, leaves nothing
to be desired; but if on rare occasions
there is any tendency to misbehavior
Father Jay simply, to use his express
|sive term, ''passes" the delinquents
out. After the service tea and bread
and butter are served to all who care
to remain and partake of them.-New
Budget.