The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-14
W. c. T. U. WORK IN SCRANTON.

| the WOman'S Christian temperance
Union, which is apparently so little un-
derstood by the public in general and
those not Immediately interested,
| should receive some attention In the
Scranton Woman's Paper
The general idea of Woman's Tenn
perance Union work seems to be that
its mission Is solely to reform drunk
ards and day after day, and time after
time, to pick the drunkard out of the
gutter-into which our man-made laws
| give him an immediate opportunity TO
| plunge again--to pray with him, en-
treat him and provide for his family
ad libitum.
This may have been the purpose with
which the organization first sta ted cut,
andthis the limit of the horizon pre-
sented to the view of the noble Chris
tian women who first began the work
| in the Ohio crusade But the field has
| broadened, the horizon has enlarged,
and under the leadership of the indomi-
| table Frances Willard, aided and abet-
ted on every hand by her generous and
noble English ally, Lady Henry Somer-
set, the White Ribbon band now belts
the world. and under its supervision
are over forty different departments OF
work, including much that is not only
philanthropic but educational.
For in nothing has the Woman's 8
Christian Temperance Union been more
progressive than in the development Of
women themselves. 1t has helped many
a woman to find her own soul and to lis
ten and be guided only by it's highest
mandates. To be member of an ac-
tive, wide-awake Womans Christian
Temperance Union Is an education for
any woman. But In the space of this
short article it Is impossible to give
| Nf I'll .,f 1,nx IL 49, 4,
| organization In general; we can only
give brief outline of that done in our
| own city.
Scranton has three separate unions
one in the central city with headquar-
| ters on the second floor of the building
on the corner of Linden and Spruce
streets, president. Mrs. c. d. Simpson;
secretary, Miss Fannie Raub; treasur-
er, Mrs Tewksbury; one at Green
Ridge which meets in the Christian
church on Penn avenue, president Mrs
Dorsey; secretary, Miss Treverton; and
one among the colored people at How
ard place. whose efficient president,
Mrs. Hart, is ably assisted by a corps
of energetic superintendent, promi-
nent among whom Is Mrs. McGee. wife
of the pastor of the African Methodist
Episcopal church at that place.
| The central union has been actively
engaged during the past winter in the
study of municipal government and
several most interesting papers on the
different departments of our city gov
ernment have been read by the differ
ent members of the union. Once or
twice month there are parliamentary
drills, led by Mrs. Vail, superintendent
of that department.
Thus 1t Will be seen the women Of the
| Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
though by no means what would be
called "strong-minded" or "masculine"
women, are being prepared to intelli-
gently take a hand in city government
when the time shall come for them to
do SO.
This union numbers seventv-flve
members and holds its meetings every
Tuesday afternoon at O'Clock. The
Green Ridge union meets the same day
and hour and has carried on most sue
cessful evangelstic and mothers meet
ings during the winter. The union at
Howard place has been most aggressive
and has been instrumental in ferreting
out violations of the liquor laws and in
striving to bring offenders to Justice.
Any history OF Woman's Christian
Temperance work done in this city
would be most incomplete without an
account of the Loyal Legion work, for
our hope for the future is in the chill
dren. Mrs. SwartZ, the energetic su-
perintendent of that department, Is in
defatigable in her efforts. She first or
ganized Loyal Legion at Little Eng
land three years ago, which now num-
bers seventy-flve members, of which
Mr.. Sidney Stone is president: secre-
tary, Mr.. Ernest Watrous; Pearl SAL
mon, organist; Harry Flack. chorister.
Dunmore has u ilourishing legion
of over two hundred members, led
by Mr.. ]. Easterline, and although this
legion was not organized by the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union, II
has since come under their organiza-
tion and taken uD the study of the
Loyal Legion manuals. This legion Is
working for funds to secure fountain
at Dunmore Corners where 1t Is greatly
needed.
The county convention Of Loyal Le-
gion workers will be held there the last
Of May or first of June.
There Ia also an active legion of over
fifty members at Richmond Hill, of
which Miss Lowery 10 president ana Mr..