Evening star., 1896-11-14
WORK OF THE W.C.T.U.
Reports to the Convention Of Depart
ment Superintendents.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE CAUSE
How Railway Traffic on Sunday is
Regarded.
MISS WILLARD'S HEALTH

ST. LOUIS. November 14.-Delegates to
the National W.C.T.U. convention were out
early today. At o'clock they attended a
prayer meeting in Schuyler Memorial
House, led by Mrs. Trego of Ohio. national
evangelist When the second days session
was called to order at 8 o'clock by Miss
Willard many of the delegates were not
in their seats. They came in later, how
ever, and soon filled the body of the hall
DR.. Mary WoodAllen Of Michigan led in
prayer. after which the minutes of yester-
days three sessions were read and ap-
proved. kilograms of greeting were read
from Margaret Bcttome Of New York, G.
w. Balm of Pauldirg, Ohio, and Mrs. ]. K.
Barney of Providence, r. 1. The reports
Of department superintendents, which fol-
lowed. took up the greater part of the
morning session.
Among the Miners.
Mrs Winnie F. English of Illinois report
ed on the work Of ner department among
miners. 1t showed great progress in the
gold and silver regions of Colorado of
Washington, Utah, Idaho, California and
other western states, as well as in the coal
and mining districts of Illinois. Ohio In
diana and Pennsylvania. The miners, she
stated showed great interest in the work
being done for them. and received with
eaGerness such white ribbon literature as
could be furnished them.
The press was represented by Mrs. Kath-
arine Lente Stevenson of Massachusetts,
who said 1t was the power behind the
throne. Where the pulpit and lecture forum
reached thousands, the press reached its
millions daily. For this reason, she said,
the work Of the daily papers should be
carried on in channels of purity righteous
ness and truth. She spoke Of the work
done in the circulation of W.C.T.C. news
among the newspapers, by the press asso-
cations and in other ways. and hoped that
the time would come when each secular
paper had Its own W.C.T.U. department
editor. In the future Mrs. NJ. B. Hern-
ing Of Chicago, who has been Mrs. Steven
sons associate, will have charge of the
press department.
Mrs. Ella NJ. Thacher of New Jersey
spoke of the work among the soldiers and
sailors. Her der artment she said was a
new one, but during the past year eleven
state superinterdents had been appointed.
and the work was being carried with
much encouragement among a class of peo-
Ile who, the speaker thought, badly needed
tt She criticised the selling OF liquor at
soldiers homes and hoped that the can
teen law would be repealed.
Mrs. Caroline NJ. Woodward told of her
labors among railway men.
Mrs. Woodward reported that Sunday
traffic was regarded by the department as
serious infringement upon the rights Of
employees Local freight and passenger
trains had been generally discontinued on
sunday, but extra" stock trains were now
sent out An effort was making to reach
conscientious Christian men In the stock
raising regions, and induce them to re-
transit Oh Sunday. Patronage of Sunday
mail and passenger trains had been uni
formly deprecated, and each year deepened
the conviction that the ministry and men,
bershfp of the Christian church were re-
sponsible for many of the burdens i'm
posed upon the worlds rest day" Interna-
uonal cooperation In railway work was
essential to further development.
her report was supplemented by some re-
marks OF Miss Jennie Smith of Maryland.
the noted railway evangelist.
IN ADDITION the following superintendents
reported: Mrs. s. A. Marrison of Mich
igan. on work in aims houses; Mrs. Jane
NJ Kinney, Michigan. penal ard reforma-
tory work; Miss L. w. Greenwood, New
YORK eVangeiistic work; Mrs. +. H. In
GallS, ST. Louis, on narcotics.
As statements have been sent out by I'M
authorized persons to the effect that Miss
Frances E. Willard, president of the Ma
tional w. Z. L. L., was in poor health, the
following will set the fears of her many
friends to rest:
Lindell Hotel, st. Louis, Nov. Ii, 1896.
To the Associated Press:
AS much anxiety is evidently felt among
Miss Willard $ trends OWING to the wholly
incorrect statement that she was i'll, will
you kindly correct that announcement and
make 1t plain that Miss Willard is in her
usual health and presiding over the ma
tional convention, as her custom has be IN
during all the years since 1879.
General officers Of the w. {. T. u:
l.. NJ. N. STEVENS,
KATHERINE STEVENSON,
CLARA c. HOFFMAN,, Rec Sec,
FRANCES +. BAuCHAMP, Asst Sec.
HELEN Nj. BARKER, Treasurer.
message Of fraternal greeting was sent
to Mary Lowe Dickinson, president of the
national council of women.
The announcement that Mrs. English of
Kansas had secured the prize offered by
Mrs. Hoffman for the best superintendent
report, closed the morning session.
The Afternoon Session.
Miss Lillian Wood of Missouri led the de-
votional exercises at the afternoon session,
the remainder of the time being taken up
with the introduction Of fraternal delegates
and distinguished p1leStS