The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-17
DR.. Embree Admits His Help
Iessness at Minister'S Meeting
To Save the Souls of Those Who
Don't Want Salvation.
Rev. Mr. Sheldon Tells About the
Hard self-sacrifce of Graham
Taylor's Work in
Chicago.


ternoon and his chair was taken by
Rev. AZ. #. MeKirahan- Mr.. Smith Of
Oakland is secretary.
/ The matter that was to have come up
Tor discussion was suggested by Rev. H.
/ ID. Fisher at the last meeting and was.
can we not, now that the peoples
minds are free of politics. turn them
| into paths Of religiOn2' or at least it
I was to that effect.
1t was during this discussion that
Rev. c. NJ. Sheldon gave most inter
/ estlng description of the work being
/ done in ChicagO'S West Side slumS by
! Rev. Graham Taylor
De Embree opened the discussion and
/ said:
This, after all, is but the same old
I question that we have all heard discuss
I ed ever since we have had anything to
do with preachers. How shall we
church the unchurched2' 1t is a fact
that there are those who will not be
saved If we are to save at all, 1 be-
lleve we must save in childhood. Per
maps the generation behind this one is
responsible for this generation sins.
Perhaps the present generation is to be
responsible for the sins Of the one TO
follow
4 do not believe the Industrial church
IN which IS put q library, reading and
writing rooms, billiard tables and a
gymnasium, is the proper way I know
only the old way-gO out among the
people and get them i'm We Of the
church decorousfy so to church on Sun
day, hear the sermon and walk as de-
cOrOusly home again with the feeling
that we have done our whole duty. If
know q. man in Topeka who has not
peen at church in ten years, can get
him there if I make up my mind to. I
can get a promise from him to be at
church the next Sunday morning which
he faithfully intends to break as sure as
he gives it, but If I tell him I will be
( around to walk there with him, or viii
send around to walk with him some
man whom he much respects. it is al
most certain that he will be there and
keep coming if the plan is kept up. Not
the preacher alone can make a real sue
cess of a church. He must have with
MIN as earnest helpers, his church fun
Of members
DR.. BIakesley-Sp Of institu-
tiOnal churches, I should like to hear
from Mr. Sheldon who has just returned
from visiting one at Chicago.
Il regard Graham TaylOr's CHICAGO
work as the true Christian work. said
MI Sheldon. Right in the very worst
pace IN western Chicago ne has rented
a large 40 room house for which he
pays $50 per month. He has moved
there with his family, leaving vOluntar-
lily his splendid home in a more aristO-
cratic portion of the city. Living with
MIN are number of ladies and gentle
men on the plan of cooperative house
mold cultured and refined raising by
their example of culture and refinement
ana 3y their kindness such as they can
possibly reach OF the $4,000 degraded
foreigners, anarchists and inddels They
are not there for charity They have no
soup counter, nor do they give away old
clothes They are there to represent
and present the Christian element of
the world in a friendly way There is
the kindergarten in the morning and in
LnaL way the mothers are reached and
through them the fathers and older
children. Boys from the theological
seminary, of which Mr. TavlOr is a T7ro-
lessor, so down to the home and teach
in different departments
EernapS the most interesting faa t11rfa
OF the institution is its Tuesday even
ing meetings for men. People come 10
them who despise and revile the church
Mr. Taylor presides and the meetings
are governed by parliamentary rules
Each man may talk A minister from
Boston addressed the meeting while
was there Men who belong to the very
lowest element of the lowest part of
-AlcdSo were IN the audience and gave
ulost respectful hearing, but in their
IepHes Iney were very free to criticfse
earnestly and honestly and give their
not 100 KIND opinions of tine church
spoke one night and when I had finished
the men We're most free in giving me
thelr opinion of me and of my beliefs.
and after the meeting was over one If
them said to me- I regard Won as j
perfectly useless member of society. The
greatest blot on the body polite is the
church
The meetings have been held regu-
larly for more than one wear and No.,
who used to go there drunk now 90 /
sober While I was talking there was
a drunken man in the crowd and once
ne interrupted me He was Immediate
" put out OF the room by his own fell
lows.
Two men were there while I was at
the INSTITUTION and who had Just fol-
lowed MT Taylor there from Hartford
Conn, where Mr.. Taylor had convert
ed them years before They had fal
len again and lost their positions When
lhey came into Mr. TaylOr's presence
r4rn1r
pocket a testament and threw it on
the table, saying I'm not fit to carry
it. He also took from another pocket
another testament and threw it on the
table It's Bits he said. 7 found
him drunk in a saloon and knocked
him down and took 1t away from him
he WASH fit to carry it, They wanted
work. and MT. Taylor viii do what he
can for them.
In the evenings the building IS open
70 the people, that they may See for
themselves what cultured, respecta-
bic life IS and compare it with their
own. Even ragged, dirty buns wan
der into these reception rooms and
hear the music.
No effort is made to teach any re-
ng1on there 1t is a matter Of educa-
ton and it would perhaps be unwise
TO attempt to educate too fast
Mr.. Taylor has given UP a. great
deal, including his salary which he
spends there for this work but he is
making it a success.
EeInapS you nave never heard of it
but right here I'm Topeka we OF my
church are trying this same plan and
II ls working. We have right in the
midst of Tennessetown a family living
a Mrs Sherman, her daughter and two
sons. She is a thorough Christian lady 4
and mingles directly with the cOlOred
people, goes into their homes and lets
them come into hers eats with them
and talks to them, and is doing a
world of good.
And further than this she has start
ed in small way an Industrial school
with Kindergarten and other lessons. It
is the true Christianity"
When Mr. Sheldon sat down Rev. Mr.