The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-26
FEEDING OF THE POOR.
The THANKSGIVING OFFERING OF
THE SALVATION ARMY.
Food Furnished Five Hundred Pco-
pie Who Had No Thanksgiving
Dinner at Home.

Twenty turkeys. half as many ducks.
TWO dozen chickens. beef OF all descriptions.
a wagon load OF potatoes, bushel Of cram
berries, with other edibles all cooked in
a common sense style, so az to make 1t
thoroughly enjoyable by the 500 poor people
who partook Of it. was spread Yesterday
upon long tables at No. 2l1 Travis street
and dispensed in the name Of charity by
tue Salvation Army contingent stationed
In Houston. In addition to this there was
conoe, tea and bread, 15U loaves and more.
| The work was done by CAPTAIN Mckenzie
Oh the army and his band OF workers, as
sisted by Mother Yates and her family.
ann Messrs Wescott and Labert. all of the
erittenton home, making q force Of nearly
twenty walters. The tables were covered
with immaculate linen. and upon them
at intervals stood vases Of roses and chrys.
antnemums, giving to the interior OF the
building an aspect OF cheerfulness This
was indeed doubly intensified when 1875
people--Inen, women and chldren-sat to
the tables smilIngfy, their faxes beaming
in happy anticipation of the feast they
were soon to enjoy After we'll drilled
orchestra, under the leadership CT Profess
sor Charles Lewis, had rendered several
lively pieces OF music, tho scene of merri.
ment and laughter was suddenly trans
formed into one of quiet and respect, and
| with pared heads the entire catherine
joined Captain Mckenzie and DR.. Mason OF
| the Christian church in supplications and
prayers of thankfulness to the Giyer OF all
good. A grand chorus Of voices followed by
! Singing praises to the God from whom all
| blessings flow, made the occasion all the
| more impressive. AS soon as the preliml-
nary exercises were concluded the word
| was given and the orchestra started again
While those at the tables began to devour
| what was placed before them
| When the first 125 were fed they were
allowed to file out OF the room, while
| number OF the army marshalled another
| contingent at the army barracks, No. All
Milan street. and marched chem to the
| festival hall. Prayers, music and food
were likewise given these, and when they
were through, leaving the place full OF
| appreciation as well as dinner, another
| crowd was assembled In the same manner
until close to 500 had been given food.
No one was turned away. There had
been exactly 500 tickets printed by tbs
army, and in order to place them in the
hands OF needy people, Captain Mckenzie
distributed them among ladies and gentle
men of Houston who knew the charity
cases, with the request that hey be given
out. Long before the doors had been
opened the genial, big hearted officer In
charge or the building WIS many times
accosted and appealed 10 for something to
cat.
Cant I come In" one rttle creature,
poorly clad, and not neatly kept, said as her
iustrous black eyes looked arpealiugly into
the face OF the captain. '"ro he sure YOU
may he replied and good III: rer With
lunch to take home did sne receive. II
was this way all during the five n ,rs.
The doors were open, until, Tor fear those
who held tickets would not be atcommo-
dated, the callers were asked to wait awhile
We may have but little left said one
OF the attendants, ''and for this reason
some Will have to go hungry until after 3
O'Clock" and he waived Ills rand around
at the crowd of callers standing in front
and at the sides, doomed TO walt for the
second table"
Not only was food given away. but those
holding tickets II needing clothing were
returned to the barracks. where a large
collection of garments we're piled on the
benches and tables and there fitted out
The captain and his skirnishers had carried
ON house to house canvass for several
weeks accepting anything they could get
to alleviate the sufferings OF Houston's
poor. printed slip was left in many
homes upon which was to be written the
that would be given, together with the
name and address of the donor At the
proper time wagon collected the dona-
tons.
"A great many people In the suburbs and
some in the business section OF Houston
gave us money and told us TO apply Il to
the THANKSGIVING hay feast" said Captain
Mckenzie yesterday. The day has been
q grand success for us We feel that we
have done good work. The doors were
opened at II O'Clock this morning and not
closed until after o'clock. we sent n,
ihirty-two worthy subjects good sized
lunches. ard will succeed In getting away
with all the clothing We have on hand. II
has been the custom IL Houston for the
salvation Arriy to give tho poor a dinner
on Christmas Day, but this year we thought
that It would be more appropriate TO do
so on the day OF Thanksgiving. On Christ
mas Day We will have tree for the lit
tie people OF the city, who have 10 Santa
Claus to visit them. Presents Of All de-. |
scrpt'ons will be given out. aud To-, them
we will depend upon the charitable people
of the city.
II can not help but feel nroud az tho
work accomplished by the army during the |
last fourteen weeks There were sixty-flve
conversions, come of them being remark
able. short time ago a. young man en-
tered the army barracks In deplorable |
condition and before he left ne professed |
religion and has since remained faithful |
to his promises. He is about TO become an |
evangelist and after he fairly starts into |
the work he will lecture in some of the
Houston churches Another, whose name |
Will not mention, left christian home
ana became drunkard. He sank so low
and became such an outcast that no con- |
cluded to end all Of his troubles and a.. nv
MS own hand. He was passing along the