The evening times., 1897-07-02


the hurrying crowd passing up and down
the Bowery yesterday who turned 10 look
at the tall, angular figure, clad IN black,
striding along the pavement, covering three
feet with every movement of his bony legs.
His black coat was set Off with the little
white tie that told of ms clerical calling,
and he wore plain straw hat
Some one in the crowd recognized the
bronzcd face ana figure The Rev. I. De
Witt Talmage, after year OF work IN his
Washington pastorate, was devOting one
day OF his vacation TO tour OF the Bow
cry, having come from his summer home In
EasthaIupJon, l.. L., for the purpose.
By his side was the Rev. DIR. Klopsch,
proprietor OF tie Christian Herald, and
founder of the Young Mems howery Mis-
sion.
DIR. KIopsch and these associated with
him direct their efforts mainly TO men
who have fallen fnCm a higher estate
and then by successive stages reached
the powery sidewalks. DIR. Talmage was
one of the lncorporatOrs OF the mission,
but had never yet seen il in PRACTICAL
operation, and 80 yesterday he devoted
the greater part of the day to an IL
spevtion OF the mission and a tour CT
the famous thoroughfaTe.
One OF the gentle bats held out by the
benevolent DIR. Klopsch is a Scent meal
This has done more TO popularize the mis-
sion with the sidewalk wanderers than
anything else he has accomplished In TWEEN
ty years OF mission work. For 3 centk
Dr kiopsch will undertake TO furnish a
square meal of two courses, with coffee.
For 10 cents he will give dinner of four
varieties.
Reach these souls through their stom
achs,'' suggested Dr. Talmage, when the
mIssion was started. NO man can stand
scripture on d starved stomach" And DIR.
Klopsch faithfully carried out his sugges-
ton.
II was interested in the experiment"
said m. Talmage yesterday, land today /
looked in tc see how the plan worked
The Doctor turned into No. 50 BOwery,
the mission annex There he found his
nephew, T. De Witt Mersllon, associate
superintendent. There also he found a
collection OF panhandlers, whose heads and
faces would send a comic artist wild with
JOY. No. 80 Bowery was a famous or iI-
famous place in the days when Gombossy,
but diNt-kctptT. anu llik deSDCiditS
sway on the very spot where Ida Bree-
wort, the concert-hall singer, was shot and
killed by her lover five years ago, Mr..
Mershon was delivering an address to his
audience.
DIR. Talmage looked around, walked
out, and q little further up the street, At
No I05. caught sight of the restaurant.
1t WAS the rush hour, and the place
was filled with DIR. KlopSchS patrons.
I'm hungry and want my lunch" said
DR.. Talraee to DIR. Klopsch, and then
H. led the way to the restaurant
On a high stool fenced around by the
sort OF birdcage which may sometimes be
seen in Zoo sat a clerk. giving out
the 8 and 1O-cent meal tickets TO the long
line OF airty, red-nosed men.
DIR. Talnage, regardless of the surprise
and horror OF his companions, stepped
quietly TO the end OF the line. Ia front OF
him was a gentleman W no had just fin
ished three weeks term at the island
Behind him came a gray-haired veteran Of
the sidewalks, just discharged from the
alcoholic ward ut Bellevue
Five or ten cents?'' asked the clerk,
with his eyes on the tickets
I'm hungry enough for ten cents
WORTH" said DR.. Talmage.
At the deep, resonant tone the clerk
looked up quickly, recognized his guest and
collapsed.
My ticket, please said DIR. TaIrnage
Don't keep my friends waiting"
As in dream the clerk handed out the
ticket and saw the doctor pass calmly 20
the long rectanc cular table, find a vacant
stool and sit down bet ween two of the
most dilapidatedlooking tramps ever seen
outside of a cartoon.
He went de limit said the waiter;
''ali dat his ticket called for, an then
wanted more.''
Easily and naturally DR. Talmage came
In touch with those about him. Refore
they were aware of tie fact they were
engaged in a pleasant flow Of cunversa-
ton. Easily and with tact be drew from,
them many stories of their experiences
lie started once when one of the group
quoted Horace in support of an argument.
That and his command of the English lam
guage told his story
you're a coIege-bred man." exclaimed
DIR. Talmage.
Harvard, '72,'' replied the tramp 1.-The
rest doesn't Natter
i've eaten many a worse dinner in a
fashionable restaurant said Or Tai
mage as he came out. "The company is
a good deal more interesting than most of
the company 1 meet
Then, with DR.. Klopsch and Mr. Mershon