The Portland daily press., 1898-05-21

important branches; important to us in
that we are trying to bring about the
day when women shall have voice III
municipal affairs at least, in making and
enforcing laws for the protection OF the
home,
Literature bearing upon the subject has
Deen freely distributed. Public meetings
nave been held in its interest. Under
the caption of educational work are
our Hunt free kindergarten press, litera-
lure, anti narcotics and scientific instruc-
ZION In Sunday schools The kindergar
zen has been made possible through the
generosity of our former president. Mrs.
". ,. HUNT, and Is most prosperous, with
lus thlrty live or more enrolled pupils,
ana an, teacher who as Mrs Kate Douglas
Wiggin said is a 'sborn kindergartner :"
pne nnds open sesame to the ir hearts and
nohes' uhus reaching and teaching eaoh
cniiu the principles that Froebel lays
sgress upon, the principles of love and
sunday school work has only been re.
;;n4e.y resumed, after considerable Of an
lnterval During the few months of It's
work five hundred pledge cards have been
circulated among the children, ninety
per cent OF which have been signed. Steps
nave been taken to place over each school
q secretary who shall look after the tenn.
perance interests of the schools, i. e. pla-
S Ting BOOKS Of temperance in the scohol
library, seeing that the temperance les
SOUS are used, and keeping scholars and
teachers In touch with the best education
al metnods. Literature in regard to the
general features of our work has been
ireeiy placed in receiving boxes in Union
ntatlon, about seven thousand pages, and
IL has been read, too. Boxes ara to She
placed IN Grand Trunk and Rochester
EEAG10nS on, fr,rf +
tlon of reading matter. ar
IL rs considered that the so-called sspress
work Is an Important feature Of our
WORK. Through Its agency hundreds and
thousands of people can be reached who
ooherWlse would be ignorant of our sys-
Sem. many columns of reading matter
have been sent to the daily and weekly
press of the city, comprising notices Of
coming meetings with emphasis on spe-
cial features; detailed reports of imn,r
tant meetings, beside matters OF general
Information bearing upon the work. Ag-
gressive work against the growing use of
narcotics has been instituted within the
past few months, that has brought to
light facts which IL generally known
would cause our citizens not only to
think seriously upon the matter, but to
act as well.
We fear that the Iuothers of the city
know little what serious menace con.
fronts them in regard to this evil.
Under the head Of evangelistic work are
the work among lumbermen, soldiers and
sailors, Jail, police station; among for
eign speaking peoples, work to advance
systematic and proportionate giving, So
cial purity and providing homes for
homeless children.
The first two departments are similar
in character. Boxes and barrels are sent
on board ships and into lumber camps,
TIT,
books, magazines and papers. The super
intendent of the second named depart
ment. work among the soldiers and sail
ors, says the value OF 1t can hardly be
over-estimated. During the year many
barrels containing the best available rad
ing matter, have been sent out. 1t Is not
an uncommon thing to receive letters
from far away parts telling Of the help
received from this source. While from
the nature of it., one would think that
the Jail and police station work would be
least encouraging of any, the reverse is
true, as was proved by the jail superin-
tendent in her annual report. She has
met with much that Is cheering in her
weekly Sabbath morning visits to the
prioners in their cells. to whom she car
ries the gospel Of good news, not in the
conventional form, for they do not want
that, they could not comprehend it,
neither would they try to; but the good
news of the Father sIlove, and His justice
too-that is not left out-told in such
simple conversational form that before
they know 1t they are needing it. She
reports that six genuine conversions have
there taken place. Our police matron
looks after each woman who is brought
to the station. What that includes can
not be told In this report. Go with Inc to
the station some morning after the cele-
bration of city holiday and get an idea
OF it. Listen to the eloquent story of the
matron, quietly, yet comprehensively
told. Youswill sea little what sin is do
ing in this city.
The work among foreign speaking peo-
pie, mostly the Scandinavian, Is carried
on by young Norwegian woman W no
has met with considerable success in CIV
ing illustrated lectures on temperance,
getting frmer hold upon the mind,
through the medium of the eye. The
social purity department, carried on ty
one who stands for all that ia noblest and
best, is deserving of the prominent place
1t receives in our work. That it should
be made more effective, measures have
been taken by her and her helpers to
bring about the curfew law, which is in
force In other cities. That it, or some
other measure for the suppression Of law
lessness, or hoodlumism. as Rev. Mr..
Wright expresses it., should prevail, is
patent to many of our best, most thought
ful men and women. The department of
systematic and Proportionate Giving
has not been carried on during the year
owing to the death of the efficient super