The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-04
BEGIN THEIR WORK
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO RELI-
GIOUS BODIES EXPLAINED.
Captain Foster Of the American Volunteers
Tells How They Differ From the Saliva
ton Army-GroWth 80 Far Has Been
Beyosd Anything Expected. and Work
10 still Going ON Rapidly-Home for
Poor People Out of Employ ment 10 DC
Established In This City-Orgsnization
is Recognized as Church in the East.


Sometime ago the readers of the Eagle
will remember seeing full accounts OF the
establishing of religious organiza ton
in New York by Ballington Booth. The
organization has grown steadily since
that time, and recently work was begun
upoh the organization of post in this
city. Captain W. E. Foster Of Topeka
now mas the work in charge and ne ex-
planned to an Eagle reporter yesterday
.he distinctive features Of the organiZa-
ton. Captain Foster comes from Topeka
where a post has been organized ana
now contains about 100 members. In eX-
planning the nature of the organization
and its origin, he said:
1.-The American Volunteers were orga-
nized March 8, 1896 with only FIVE officers
Cwo of whom were Ballingten Booth and
his wife, They started on $500 borrowed
money Now there are 400 commissioned
and fifty staff officers There are 145 posts
in the country at this time. We call them
posts preferring 10 use the American
name instead of any other. We have TWO
papers, the Volunteers Gazette andAd-
vance, the former weekly, the latter
monthly, both 16-page papers.
d
blue union placed the same as the flag
of the United States with the same num-
Der of white stars therein. In the center
of the white field Is a blue star bearing
a white cross upon it. We always carry
! a United States flag in the place OF honor
| to the right and do not do il because OF
| any national statute, but because we are
Americans and strictly American orga-
| nization. We have rule TO the effect
| that the United States flag shall always
be carried in this manner.
THE organization was incorporated I'm
! der the laws of the state of New York,
| Nov. of this year, and We are recogniz-
| ed as church. We are totally different
| from the Salvation army and are not a
! branch from them of any kind and wish
! this fact to be thoroughly understood by
everyone.
1--WE believe in baptism in the liberal
sense in which the Methodist church rec
ognizes ii. We also observe the COM
| munion service.
In our open air services We use the
drum and whatever instruments seems to
assist in the work. In indoor meetings
J however, we use an organ, or some musi-
| cal instrument not so suggestive of a
circus as the drum, and We conduct oul
! services the same as they are conducted
1
Gospel hymns and other standard hymn
/ books, but never indulge in frivilous mu-
| sic in the services.
I'm our training force our officers rank
| as second lieutenants; when released
| they rank as first lieutenants and when a
first lieutenant takes charge of a posi-
! he is given a captaincy. In the Saliva
| ton army the ensign ranks above cap
tain. With us the ensign is our color
| bearer.
Upon finance will say that whatever
is contributed in one location stays there
none of the money ever being sent tC
| another place. When fully organized
the treasurer will be appointed from
among the well-known church-goers
| who will keep the books with the captain
and these books will be open to inspec-
| ton by anyone, at any time.
I'VE wish TO locate a shelter in thi:
city as soon as il is possible to care fol
poor people who are out Of employment
until work can be obtained by them
Wichita is central point, and for tina
| reason an effort will be made TO locate
one here. OF course, we are just start
| ing, but we have our plans laid out, jus
as L have told them to you
Captain Foster is a young man and ha!
| entered the work with all the zeal of hi
youth. The work is almost the same a.
| that of the churches and it is hoped tina
| great good may be done in this city. They
are preparing TO give grand dinner Il
! the poor on New Years day, and by tina
| time the post will be fully organized anC
| moving along more smoothly. II take.
time and energy tofIrganiZe anything o
| this kind, and the latter element is pres
ent and the former obtainable.