Evening star., 1895-08-28
CENTRAL UNION MISSION
A Visitor Gives q Sympathetic Account Of
Its Work.
How This Great Agency for EvangeA.
In the City.
From the Christian Herald.

culiarities of visitor to the national capi-
tai, he will find in Washington something
to please and interest him. Whether he
delights in politics. in history. in art or In
some other Of the many fields to which he
is attracted by natural predilection. educa-
ton or association, Washington affords
qualification in his peculiar field. 1t is fit
ting, therefore, that the man in whose life
religion occupies the chief place. should
also find in Washington something that
will fill his soul with joy and stimulate him
to emulation in his own neighborhood. He
will certainly find this if he visits the great
building in Louisiana avenue In which the
Central Union Mission has its home. DIR.
Louis K1opsch. the proprietor Of this
journal. spent some time there during a
recent visit to Washington. and was aston
organisation % and sys consecpatsd = Christian
self-saerifice that he witnessed there. The
scene and the work are truly phenomena
that should interest the student of human
nature. There are meetings In which the
ruined gambler. the roue, the drunkard and
even the convict may be seen. Audiences
In which the miserable victims Of almost
every kind Of moral leprosy are repre-
sented. Later on, about midnight. there
will be another meeting for those victims
of vice who cover in hiding Ia the day and
riot In the night. Going from one person
to another. listening to stories Of sin and
sorrow and shame, are sympathetic men.
who not only listen to the sorrowful tale.
but tell the victim how he may recover
himself and pour into his ear encourage
ment and assurance Of victory. 1t is Christ
like work. this Of raising the fallen and
speaking peace to the troubled. The Master
delighted in 1t, and these men follow in His
footsteps. Nor do they wait to be sought.
There are some who during the evening
have been out on excursions to various
parts Of the city, in a gospel wagon, in
which is an organ; there has been singing
OF gospel songs and they have been giving
the gospel invitation to the crowds who
gather around the strange vehicle from
the crowded alleys and tenement houses,
and from the parks and loaflng places Of
the city. They lead busy lives these men,
who thus labor in Christ's own way. The
day is occupied with business of one kind
or another, requiring their best thought
end their close attention. Some hold re-
sponsi6ie positions in the civil service,
others are in banks and stores; they are
cultured. highly educated men, respected
and honored by their associates for their
Intelligence and efficiency When the hour
for quitting work comes a thousand at
tractive places beckon them with offers Of
amusement and pleasure. Fashionable
aristocrauc homes would open to them
hospitable doors; the most exclusive clubs
would welce me them to membership; the
concert the ball room and the theater are
open to them, but, turning their backs on
all. they go to the mission the mission
WdSou u tIy u save sous. 1t would be
difncult to explain their conduct If we did
Iot know how much men have done and
Will do, when they can say, The love of
Christ constraineth u.s."
Origin of the Work.
The mission originated in the sympa-
thetic consideration by a few Christian
young men Of the peculiarities of Washing
ton life. The capital has a magnetic at
traction which is felt in the farthest cor
Mars Of hy.ra To-,
mess draws many: the hope of securing
government employment attracts others:
the desire to associate with people whose
talents. wealth or political power have put
influences others. Far away from their
country homes for a longer or shorter
period, free from the restraining influence
of the small town where every one knows
them, they are an easy prey to the enemies
of their souls.
A few young men-less than a dozen
talking over the situation near the end of
the year 1854. and deploring the evil, deter
mined to make some effort to remedy it.
They thought they could not do much. but
they resolved to do what they could. They
found a room in Pennsylvania avenue that
would hold about seventy-five persons, and
they rented 1t for meeting, at which spe-
cial effort should be made to preach the
Gospel to the worst Of sinners. They also
arranged to hold street meetings near the
place. to invite people into the room. That
was the beginning of the movement-the
little seed which God blessed and which Is
now grown to so great tree-a veritable
tree of life for the healing of the nations
The brefest summary of the stages of
Development is all that Is possible in the
space at our command. The first public
meeting was held on January 25 1885,
During the very first week, the hearts of
the workers were cheered by seeing fruit
from their labors. A notorious gambler
was converted in the little mission room-a
man who gave such clear evidence of the
reality Of his conversion that no one would
doubt it. He has since led for ten years
an exemplary Christian life, the first of a
great host to whom the mission has been
a spiritual birthplace. During the year 1885
the meetings in the room and on the street
were continued. Fifteen persons were
open-air services and the workers rejoiced
that God was using their humble efforts for
the conversion of sinners. The room soon
became too small to accommodate the
people who attended the meetings, especial
ly on Sunday evenings and dime museum
was rented for those services. The sum-
mer of 1886 saw the beginning of the Cos
pei wagon movement, which has been a
wonderful source of good. 1t was only an
old omnibus that was used Three meet
ings were held in different parts of the city
every Sunday afternoon. with most graft
flying results. In one section seventy-five
persons, mostly heads of families, were
converted, and a branch of the mission
known as Providence Hail." was started.
The Gospel Wagon.
In the spring of 1887 Gospel wagon was
built at a cost Of $775. Branches Of the
mission have been organized In different
sections of the city, cottage prayer meet
ings held in the homes of converts, tents
erected, homes, hospitals and lodging
houses visited, until the Central Union Mis-
sion has become in fact the city evangeli-
zation society OF Washington. From the
first 1t stood as the representative of the
churches, and this most cordial relation has
never been disturbed. In January 1887, a
larger hall was secured at $50 Pennsylva-
mia avenue for headquarters. The mission
soon outgrew this, and on November 1,
1892 the property formerly occupied by the
city post Office, on Louisiana avenue was
purchased at a cost of $4,000. 1t was oc-
cupied January !, 1893. while the repairs
and remodeling were in progress. Almost
every line of work known to Christian en-
terprise is being successfully carried on un-
der the blessing of God, with the approval
and cooperation of the churches. There Is
a debt of $4,000 in notes of $3.50 each
which may be paid at any time. and a
trust of $4,000. The work Of the mission Is
growing rapidly and the future is full of
promise.
The valuable work dene by the mission
has won the hearty approval of the church.
es Of the city of all evangelical denomfna-
tions. From all quarters have come gifts
to enable it to extend and develop the