The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-18
LOOKING AFTER OUR SAILORS.
Effective Work of the Army and Navy
Christian Commission.

Christian Commission.
Key West Letter in Leslie's Weekly.
OF a total of ninety-eight vessels in the
North Atlantic squadron, eighty-one receive
their mail at Key West. Add to these the
six magnificent vessels of the flying squad
ron and you have eighty-seven out of 1O4
vessels which use Key West as a base OF
supplies, mail, etc.
Yet in the city Of Key West, until Mon
day, June 20, there was not a single place
where a sailor man could spend a quiet
hour reading or resting, unless it were a
barroom or some other resort. These places,
however, keep open house and are crowded
young, beardless boys crowd around the
bars of saloons and dives, and reel away
from them bereft of sense and manhood,
easily be effected.
To meet and counterfeit, as far as pos
sible this condition of affairs, the Army
Young, Mems Christian Association has
opened clean Christian resort in Key
West, exclusively for these men when
ashore. 1t is part of the plan to reach the
harbor and out at the front, with evangelis-
tic work of varied character. Testaments
and Bibles, and an abundance of good liter
allure to be freely distributed among the
men, both personally by the commissions
agent, and through the mail, make potent
agency for good; while another is the hold
lng~ OF regular evangelistic services in the
rooms, and. when practicable, on the ships.
This, OF course, is, like all the work of the
young Mems Christi9n Association, unde-
nominatonal, and aims to put the gospel
story in such simple language before these
men that it can be readily grasped
Th1s is the kind of work the Christian
COMMISSION is doing in Key West. In it's
reading room the sailor or marine finds a
hearty welcome with no rebate to it, He
may be drunk, but that does not matter;
or he may be bOiSterCus and disnosed to
have a fight with somebody He is welcome
anyhow, and at any time He can smoke
or cheW, or sing, or play on the piano, or
READ the latest papers from his home or
play the games which are scattered about,
and he is never told what he can't do. for
there is not bluejacket afioat but knows
now 10 pehave himself like gentleman
Wnen ne is treated as such. A coffee pot
with the strongest and best possible decoc-
IlOn or the aromatic berry that can be
made, IS one of the means employed to
reach the men. The man who makes If
learned the art in New Orleans and no one
VINO has ever stood in the French market
ana slpped cup of creole coffee will ever
question It's usefulness. Every night a pot
OF this steamng beverage finds its way
across the street to the Marine Guard. and
as the tired fellows come in from long.
way to the heart, as well as to the
stomach.
So the coffee-pot is always on the fire and
aces It's part in the mission of love, MANY
a man has braced up after a spree and
found L3ii strength to make fresh start up the
of of'i co because An of abo good black cup
freshing fluid, which means more in
Key west than 1t does in New York Yet
WIN ali theSe thlngS you could never get the
average man-o'-war' s-man to enter the
rooms did you not first win his confidence.
inns mas TO be done with great tact and
knowledge of his good and bad qualities.
The commissions agent at Kew West has
a portable organ, which, together with q
goodly number of hymn books containing in
the Ddck selection of patriotic songs he
takes out to the ships at anchor in the har-
Dor, after dark, when the men are living
around Ihe decks cooling off in the pleas
ant trade-wind after the days work The
organ Is set up, light arranged and in a
rev minutes all hands have gathered round
and the stirring strains of Hail Columbia
or 1.-THE Star-spangled Banner are ringing
out across the water. Then at a suitable
pause, the work of the commission is ex-
the men secured
In this way, little by little, the way is
opened to the hearts of these men and the
ground prepared for the sowing of good
seed. Every night short service of song is
held in the rooms, and a pointed gospel
talk is given, to which there is always re-
spectful nearing. The hymns sung are Sc
!ected by the men themselves. This is
brlet outline of the commissions work for
the sailors. 1t contemplates reaching the
feet by visitation, and gospel work among
the men while at sea. 1t sends every week
large packages of papers to these ships
where the news Is being made, but where it
The Christian Commission does all in its
power for sick and wounded soldiers and
ostAtol =, irrespective Oh COlOr or sect or ma
tionality, friend or foe alike 1t provides
whatever may be needed to add to the
comfort and pleasure of the sick In these
hospitals ii finds a wide field IT can use
here to advantage night-shirts and pajamas
Qor bed and ward wear), toilet soap tow
els. fruit mineral waters books, magazines
games. etc. Fresh fruit can be bought here
in the market cheaper than it can be
shipped, so that for this purpose money can
be used. A great deal of good can be done
by comfort-bags, which, beside their load
of sewing necessities, can be used as the
vehicle for good books and Testaments
Each should contain a sympathetic letter
from the maker. The free use of these lit
tie bags is an important factor in the good
work of the commission, and in 1t the ladies
can aid greatly.