The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-16
ville, Hamden and Montowese, taking supper at the latter place.
ARMY AND NAVY CHRISTIAN
 COMMISSION.

ARMY AND NAVY CHRISTIAN
 COMMISSION.
 The work of the Christian commission is one from which the soldier may re- ceive some benefit every day, whether sick or we'll This is one thing that makes it so popular with them.
 The commission now reaches nearly every camp in the country with it's work and will soon reach every ship in the navy. It has distributed twenty five thousand hymn books, forty thou sand good books of kind calculated to interest and benefit young men, and thousands of pocket Testaments to the soldiers and sailors, There are people who think that these books will simply be torn up to light pipes with. Those who have this idea do not understand what kind of men go to make up our army and navy. Those who are in the best position to know say that the books are thoughtfully read and care fully preserved.
 NSN strictly temperate life in the army. It is exceedingly warm and dusty in the southern camps and the men get very thirsty. At Chickamauga man some times has to stand in line for half an hour waiting for his chance at the pump. Close by is the regifhental can teen or saloon with plenty of ice cold beer for nickel a glass. 1t is served by soldier detailed by the colonel and has the sanction of the government. The men thus get the impression that the officers believe it will do them good, or at least no harm; and so many man learns to drink it who never drank before. The commission realized this difficulty and now provides ice water in its tents. The eect of this on the can- teen receipts can be noticed immediate ly. The colonel of the Eighth Massa- chusetts challenged the commission to supply his regiment with distilled ice water, promising if they would do so to abolish the canteen. The challenge was accepted and the centeen closed up. It costs about one dollar per day to keep one ice water barrel running
 An important part of the labor of the Christian commission worker is the vis- itation of the sick and wounded in the hospital. T here are about 800 at Camp Thomas. It Is not easy to be sick far away from home and friends in an army camp. The other day one of the commission workers went to visit poor fellow who had been put off in a tent by himself on account of the na- ture of the disease was the son of Christian parents but had fallen into bad company in the camp and was to be discharged to go home to die. He cried bitterly when the worker inci- dentally mentioned his mother. A few days ago while song service was go- ing on in gospel meeting, (the com mission holds several every evening" a sick man in a hospital near by sent in word for them to sing Jesus Savior pilot me- and died while they were singing the third verse.
 Fifty thousand sheets of paper and envelopes are furnished to the commits sion tents at Chickamauga every week. It is only little thing but 1t shows that the men like to avail themselves of privileges the tents afford
 Colonel Caffee of the Second Mis-
 
 so much contributed to the comfort, contentrnent and well-being of the men at Camp Thomas as the tents of the Christian commission.
 A Christian commission tent and two secretaries have gone with the troops to the Philippines Ten thousand good books were sent along also. General Merritt said T heartily approve of the object of the expeditions" and or dered his officers to do all they could to make the work easy.
 The question Is sometimes asked: How do the soldiers regard the gospel meetings?" Dr. A. c. Dixon, who preached several weeks to the regulars now before Santiago before they left Tampa, says: The meetings were as or derly as if they were in church. never preached to such responsive and ap- preciative audiences" D. L. Moody says that he believes several thousand soldiers have been converted. He is chairman of tn Evangelistlc depart | ment of the commission and is appeal ing for funds to help carry on the work. His address is East Northfield. Mass.