Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1895-11-23
QUITE ABLE TO HOLD HIS OWN.
London Has an Athletic Preacher
who is ms Good ms Corbett.

who is ns Good as Corbett.
Athletic Christianity has found.
as the French say, Q new express
sion. 1t is not any more repre-
sented by muscular person
merely. In the sanctuary itself
there must be a boxing ring for
the practice OF the noble sport OF
making noses bloody. There is a
church In London thus equipped.
It is III. ly Trinity of Shoreditch,
and since Rev. A. o. Jay became
its gymnastc director, that once
tough, licentious, iniquitous quar-
ter has been transformed into a
fair and smiling and churchloving
neighborhood. It's pc pie used to
be fam us for fights and mur-
ders. Now they are gOod-tem-
pered and law-abiding. Such
excess OF animal spirits as, under
the old Il Sp,nsntlou, We're wont
IN urge them to violence and bru-
I'll crime, is now 50 far utilized
by sport and exercise that NJ I'M
pulse is left for its vicious and
wanton employment. The logic
is simple. Keep a horse well
drive and he cuts no capers.
"Noth ing will ever rouse the
people of that part" said the
BISHOP OF Wakefield before Father
Jay went there, Except the last
trump. And then they will re-
spond too late" There were
blind, squalid alleys and filthy
courts. There were women sod
den with drink, quarreling and
struggling like wild creatures,
men bruised and battered, all the
marks of vice ulol them, out
cast, abJectand despairing, with
out 70 i or Ielter; and the very
children, with coarse oaths and
obscene j st5 watched Ike beasts
for anything, dishonest or other
wise, which might come their
way. Poverty and drink were
the m,in features, but the
wretcbcd people drank not to
enjoy, but to forget.
Father Jay built a church. It's
auditorium and altar were on the
second floor. On its first floor
were gymnasium and boxing
ring. Tnese sporting features,
peculiar as they may seem,
really are part and parcel of the
approved parochial system in
vogue IN that section OF London.
This is one of Father jays
methods of drawing the rough
characters out of the neighbor-
hood. The reverend gentleman
himself often dons the gloves and
he goes in for a sight of the
claret." 1t was that that won for
him the respect of the fighting
toughs. Other clergymen might
execrate to their elegant congre-
cations the savage custom of fistic
combats. But he went into the
training place for the pugilsts
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. Illus
trated papers are provided for
them, and frequently a woman
will drop 10 and play for them,
In the church itself a short SER
wee is held at 4 o clock, which is
entirely voluntary, but is usually
well attended, the church often
being so crowded that an overflow
service has to be held in the cub
room. The behavior Of the men
now, as rule, leaves nothing to
be desired, but if on rare occa.
sions there is any tendency to
misbehavior Father Jay simply,
to use his expressive term,
passes" the delinquents out
After the service tea and bread
and butter are served to all who
care to remain to partake of
them.-London News Budget.