Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16

let him go, and save the young child who
is playing on the street. You can't make
much out of the old drunkard. There is
some margin in the chilli. The most i'm
portant time in life is before the age of
twelve. and the impressions gotten before
that time are the most lasting
Phil Armour ana the Preachers.
How about religion, Mr.. Armour: you
don't seem to believe much in the church.
esq"
Yes. 1 do" was the reply. Il believe
in them, but there are many people whom
you cen reach best outside of the churches.
| don't think much of the cast-iron kinds
of religion mean the hell-tire and the
birthstone kind. When the mission was
first started | put it in charge of a preach
er of this kind. He was Scotchmau.
When | engaged him ] was about to
leave here to take a tour of some months,
The first thing L asked him was as to
whether he could sing. He Strengthened
himself up. inflated his chest and said,
Just try me- l had apparently hit upon
his stronghold. and l saw that he thought
he was good at singing if he was good for
anything. l wanted a good singer as
Well as a good preacher. and | engaged
him. 1 left the mission in his charge.
When I returned l went out to attend the
services. / entered the hall when the
preacher was in the midst of his sermon.
He was charging up and down the plat
form, and You could see the lurid flames of
hell and smell the birthstone in his every
sentence. 1t was a fine piece of word
painting. but it did not create the i'm
preston l thought we needed. When he
had closed l asked him to call upon me
at the office the next day, as 1 wanted to
have a talk with him. He came. and l
said:
Now, Mr.. Blank, I heard your sermon
yesterday 1t was a very good sermon
for some places, but it is not just what
want for the mission. j want you to drop
the hell-tire business. I want you to get
10 oh: nofn hot I'll,
L want them to sing hymns and speak
pieces. The exercises can be religious
ones. but L want the chi,iren to make up
the greater part of the service AS said
this the preacher looked at me in a rather
angry way After a moment he said
Now. Mr.. Armour. there is no doubt
In my mind that YOU know all about pork.
but L don't think you know very much
about religion
Il laughed. but I answered: Well Mr.
Blank. think l know what l want. and I
want to know whether you will do what 1
want done The preacher thought mo-
ment and then replied that he would. The
Lext Sunday afternoon l went again to the
mission. l found that he had accepted my
suggestion, and that he had at least one
hundred children on the platform. He
increased the number every Sunday. and
in a short time he had the thing running
in good shape. He stayed with US for sorae
time. Just before he left he called in 20
say goodbye, and a this time he said:
L want to thank you, Mr.. Armour. for
what you have done for me in connection
with the mission. You have given me a
new knowledge of human nature. / can
see that my theory wrong. and that
there are other ways of doing good than
my own.
Phil ArmOur's Religion.
You have no church organization at the
mission" said I.
No was the reply. 1.-The chief trouble
have had is to keep out the churches. DR..
Milne who is at the head Of the mission.
would like to have church organization.
but l don't want it. Our people can join
other churches if they wish to, but l think
such an organization would hurt our use
fulness. Besides. we don't make any great
pretensons. We don't offer to give every
thing in the way of salvation. All that we
aim 10 do is to give sixteen ounces to the
pound and 100 cents on the dollar. When
we DaptiZe we feel that We can use finger
bowl or a dishpan just well as a cut
glass jar or an immersion vat. 1t is the
fact and not the means, that we want"
Now, MIR. Armour said |. Il am going
TO ask you a personal question. II is one
often asked in connection with missions l
want TO know whether you are a Chris
tian.'
Mr. Armour thought moment and then
replied: L am not a Christian in the sense
of being a member of the church. but be-
lieve in Christianity. l believe in Christ
rather than creeds. 1 go to church and my
boys have been brought up to go to church
know that they went when they were
young. l am afraid they don't go as much
as they should now. The churches are all
right and 1 think the closer a man keeps
to them the better. 1t makes little differ
ence to me. however. as to the minor parts
of the different doctrines which the
churches profess, and 1 think that there is
about an equal chance for the Catholics
and Professionals, that they are each on the
right road to heaven"
You were speaking of your bows Mr.
Armour How about them; are they good
business men,
Il think So said Mr.. Armour as a smile
of conscious pride came across his face.
My boys are, you know, my partners
They do most of the business now. and all
l have to do is to sit here and kick now and
thea
Phil Armour Talks of Money Making.
The conversation here turned from religion
to business, and 1 asked Mr.. Armour how
he was able to handle an institution doing
s1O000o.OOO year with such apparent ease
He replied:
1T is almost altogether a matter of or
ganization. l make it a point to get good
men about me. 1 take men when they are
young and keep them just as long as / can
Nearly all of the men you see here have
grown up with me- Many of them have
worked with me for twenty years. They
have started in at low wages and have been
steadily advanced until they have reached
the highest position which their capacity
allows"
How about the chances for young men.
Mr.. Armour" said 1. Are they as good
today as they were when you were young"
Yes, / think So" was the reply. 1.-The
world Is changing every day, and new fields
are constantly opening. We have new
ideas, new inventions. new methods of
manufacture and new ways to do every
thing. There Is plenty Of room for any man
who can do anything well. The electrical
Held Is wonderful one. There are other
things equally good, and the right man is
never at loss for IN opportunity"