Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-01
Florence crittenton Missions.

III JuHt, 1850, vi llle Recommendation
of our dear friend, the second round
the-world missionary, Miss Jessie
Ackermann.- was appointed by Miss
Frances +. Willard and Lady Henry
Somerset and the executive board of
the Worlds w. c. T.. u, as superin-
tendent of the newly-created depart
ment of the Florence Crittenton Mis-
sions. founded by our w. c. T. L.
brother n-law, Evangelist Charles n.
Crittenton. So deeply was he i'm
pressed that the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union might be a grand
ally in his rescue work, that at the
Denver convention he gave Miss Will
lard $4,000 for founding five Florence
Crittenton Missions under the auspices
of the w. C. T. U. His sympathy with
our temperance works. so great that he
became the first life member of the
Worlds w. c.. T. L., and the book,
THE Traffic in Girls and Florence Crit
tenton Missions" was published by the
Womans Temperance Publishing AS
ISOLATION. Miss Willard says Mr.. Crit
tention is one of the best patrons of our
work. as he has spent about $4,000 III
w. c. T. u. channels.
Since being appointed superintendent
of this department, have spoken in its
interests in London, Paris, Lucerne
Grindelwald, and held series of meet
ings in New York, Baltimore. Wash
ington. d. c.. Norfolk, Va, Pensacola.
Birmingham. Ala, Kansas City, Mo-.
Topeka. Leavenworth, Atchison and
Wichita, Kan. Minneapolis, st. Paul
and Duluth. Mimi. Dennison. Ennis
Waco, Houston, Galveston and Dallas,
Texas. and have presented The Traffic
in Girls and Florence Crittenton Mis-
sions" at many Chautauquas. camp
meetings, woman's clubs and Y. NJ. G.
AS. My first trip in speaking was
through the kind invitation Of the In
diana w. c. T. T., my comrade in the
press work, Miss Lodie Reed, making
my first route for me, and to the white
ribboners everywhere my thanks are
due for cooperation and aid.
The hearts of the people have~beeH
very much stirred as they have so at
tentively listened to the expose of the
snares and traps by which $4,000 beau
tiful girls are every year lured and be-
trayed and bought and sold in houses
of shame, and this heartfelt pity has
shown itself in the practical rescue
work, and the subscriptions and collec-
tons have amounted to $S325. and the
donations of food and clothing, fuel.
furniture and jewelry. swell the
amount raised to nearly $4,000. Many
new workers have consecrated them
selves for the rescue of these dear girls.
and for the raising of single standard
of purity for men and women, which is
the only solution of this problem. The
very great interest manifested in
purity work by the Y. NJ. c. A. and the
many Sabbath afternoon meetings ''for
men only" arranged by them in opera
houses, show that our brothers are
waking up to the vast Importance of a
white life for two" and this is a
blessed omen.
The royal welcome we always receive
from ministers as they so gladly give
their pulrits and large collections, and
the ,inyariable invitation to come again
which shows the people havenot been
offerded-is one of the pleasantest
phases of the work. and we realize that
the church of Christ is our greatest
friend.
The presentation of the wreck of girl
hood through the legalized saloon is a
new phase of the prohibition question,
and many a man and woman have said
with blanched faces, why, Mrs. Ed
holm, I have daughters and the stories
you tell make my heart stand still with
horror, and if not only my boy, but my
girl. is in danger from the saloon, it is
time l joined the w. c. T. U. and the
Prohibition party and show the saloon
keepers that they can't have my child
rem without my protest" and the local
w. c. T. U. gets their names. In many
of the unions. as the new members
came in on the purity department lines,
their presence at the w. c. T. Z. meet
ngs is made more sure by the an
nouncement in the churches and
the press that the book, THE
Traffic in Girls and Florence Crittenton
Missions" will be read aloud, chapter
by chapter, and discussed at the union
and the best results follow as
to members and interest. Surely, the
literature in the hands of the people is
one of the most important lines of work.
The purity conventions preceding the
National w. c.. T. u. convention at
Baltimore and st. Louis, were a great
success. and we hope will be repeated
at Buffalo ard Toronto. Canada, at
Worlds Convention. That the liquor
traffic is the cause Of the traffic in girls
ought to be Numbered into the ears of
Christian fathers till they are willing
to vote ballot first, last and always
against the saloon. when more of their
sons and daughters wOuid be saved