The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-13
FROM MONDAYS DAILY.
MRS. CHARLTON EDHOLM.
Two Lectures by Her Yesterday to
Very Large Audiences.

Two Lectures by Her Yesterday to
Very Large Audiences.
Mrs. Charlton Edholm, national evan
gelist of the Florence Crittendon Missions
and superintendent of the purity depart
ment of the National Woman's Christian
Temperance union, addressed very
large audience of men at the rooms of
the Young Mems Christian association
last afternoon. Her subject was "Traffic
in Girls and Florence Crittendon Mis-
sions."
Many prominent men were present, and
her entire audience was profoundly
moved and deeply impressed with her
thrilling address.
She pathetically told of her own sor-
rowful personal experience in life and
rors suffered by thousands upon thou
sands of young girls lured and shared
into haunts of infamy. She referred to
two recent cases in Austin, one of which
the legislature had committee investi-
eating.
Mrs. Edholm, as reporter on the San
Francisco morning papers for many
years, learned much of the dark side of
life, and yesterday, in her inimitable
way and her deeply impressive manner,
she told stories of agony and suffering
ana shame tnat are Known TO all re-
porters.
She informed her hearers how the
traffic in girls is conducted and in touch
ing and beautiful language she appealed
to the men to grid up their loins and dc
something to check and stop it.
Mrs. Edholm has been in the slums
of New York, San Francisco, Chicago
and other great cities, and she has a
thorough knowledge of her subject. She
declared that there is an organized and
systematic traffic in girls, and her re-
marks called to mind fight made by
The Statesman thirteen years ago that
broke up a gang of professional procurers
in this city.
Mrs. Edholm pictures the deadful eff
fects of this traffic, and hearts were touch
ed that possibly have not been touched
for many a day. She told as only Mrs.
Edholm can tell it, the true story of DR..
Joe Rivers of Chicago, familiar to hun
dreds of newspaper readers, and hearts
were deeply moved and tears welled up
into eyes not accustomed to tears.
She earnestly declared that the liquor
traffic was at the bottom of the traffic
in girls and recited stories of saloon men
and reformed procurers to sustain her
position.
She then delineated the work of the
Florence Crittendon Missions and said
two had been established in Texas. one
in Dallas and one in Houston. Through
these missions, she said thousands of
these hayward "little sisters are redeem
ed because lovingly pointed to the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sins of the
world"
AT the close of her remarks she took
up a collection for the missions, and
S70.95 was contributed. In addition to
this thirtytwO copies of her book,
Traffic in Girls and Florence Crittendon
Missions were subscribed for at 80
cents each.
Last Nights Meeting.
Last night Mrs. Edholm addressed
the largest congregation at the Tenth
Street Methodist church that has been
in that spacious edifice for many day.
Every available seat was taken, and the
aisles filled with chairs. The organ loft
contained about fifty people and scores
were turned away, unable to get into
the building.
She was introduced to the large con-
gregation by DR.. Briggs in a neat little
speech, and she started off on her main
lecture by telling that Bishop Hargrove
of the Methodist church, South, was the
first to start her out upon the lecture
platform. I'm Presbyterian, myself"
she said, "and you know the Presbyte-
rians teach that women should keep
silent, and l feel l owe the Methodist
church a great deal, because it opened
up the way for me to speak" Her dis
course was along the main line of the
one delivered during the afternoon and
in her arraignment of the liquor traffic
she pathetically and earnestly referred
to the terrible death of young Tucker
yesterday morning. She frequently
moved her hearers to tears, and she deep
ly impressed all that she is an honest,
jealous and enthusiastic worker in the
mission of saving girls and uplifting hui
mainly.
Mrs. Edholm is an interesting speaker,
and if there be any goodness, if there
be any loneliness in the character of no.
BILE, pure women, surely it is found in
such as she is. Her addresses are beau
tifully worded and she presents her sub
ject in such delicate way that none are
offended.
ZINE nEENrs