The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-10-13


ed in their mutual conference that they
walked on past Norman's home and
came back together Jasper Chase and
the president of the Endeavor society
stood talking earnestly in one corner of
the room. Alexander Powers and Henry
Maxwell remained even after ell the
others had gone
II want you TO come down to the
shops tomorrow and see my plan and
talk to the men. Somehow feel as if
you could get nearer to them than any
one else just now
81 don't know about that. but viii
come" replied Henry Maxwell. a. lit
tie sadly. How was he fitted to stand
before 200 or 800 workingmen and give
them a message2 Yet in tho movement
of his weakness, as he asked the qucs-
tion. he rebuked himself for it. What
would Jesus do2 That was an end to
the discussion.
He went down the next day and
found Alexander Powers in his Office.
1t lacked U few minutes Of ~, and the
superintendent said, "Come up stairs,
and I'll show you what I've been try
ing to do. "
They went through the machine
shops. climbed long flight of stairs
and entered avery large cmpty room
II had once been used by the company
for stoperoom.
'since making that promise week
ago have had o good mapy things to
think Of said the superintendent.
land among them is this: Our com
pany gives me the use Of this room, and
| ain going to fit it up with tables and
coffee plant Ia t.4o corner there where
those steam pipes are. Ny plan ID to
provide good place where the men
can come up and eat their noon lunch
and give them, two or three times
week, tho privilege % q 10 minutes
talk on some subject that viii be real
help to them in their lives
Maxwell looked surprised and asked
IL tho igen would come for any such
purpose
''Yes, they'll come After all, kaow
the men pretty we'll They are among
the most intelligent workingmen in the
country today, but they are, as whole,
entirely removed from all church influ-
ence. ] asked, What would Jesus dor
and. among other things, it seemed to
to add to the lives Of these mon more
physical and spiritual comfort. 1t is
very little thing, this room and what it
represents but / acted on the first i'm
pulse to do the first thing that appealed
to My good sense, and l want to work
out this idea. | wanp you 20 speak to
the men when they come up at noon. /
have asked them to come up and see
the place and I'll tell them something
about it. -
Henry Maxwell was ashamed to say
how uneasy he felt at being asked to
speak u few words to {. company Of
Wofkingme4. How could he speak with
out notes or to such a crowd2 He was
honestly in a condition Of genuine
fright over the prospect. He actually
felt afraid of facing these men. He
shrank frQm the ordeal Of confronting
such crowd. ee diffeFent from the
Sunday audiences he was familiar with
There were half dozen long rude
tables and benches in the great room,
and when the noon whistle sounded the
men poured up stairs from the machine
shop below and. seating themselves at
the taDlaa. began to eat their lunch.
There were perhaps 500 of them. They
had read the superintendent notice,
which he had posted up; in various
places, and came largely out Of curl
osity
They were favorably impressed. The
room was large and airy. free from
smoke and dust and we'll warmed from
the steam pipes.
About 20 minutes Of 1 Alexander
Powers told lie men what he had in
mind. He spoke very simply, like one
who understands thoroughly the char
acter of his audience. and then intro
ducsd the Rev. Henry Maxwell of the
First church, his pastor, who had cen
sented to speak q few minatea
Henry Maxwell will never forget the
feelings with WHICH for the first time
he confronted that grimy faced audi
cnco of workingmen. Like hundreds Of
other ministers, he bad never spoken to
any gathering except tiose made up of |
people OF his own class In the sense that |
they were familiar in their dress and |
and habits to him This was
r NeH world to him. and nothing but
his new rule ~ cQrduct could have |
made possible his message ana its effect
He spoke on the subject of satisfaction |
with life. what caused it, what it's real
sources were He had the great good
sense on this first appearance not to rec.
ognize the men as class distinct from
himself. He did not use the torn
'workingmen" and did not say q WORD
TO suggest any difference between theil.
lives and his own
The men We're pleased. A good many
Of them shook bands with him before
going down TO their work and Henry
Maxwell telling it all to his wife when
he reached home, said that never in all
his life had he known the delight he
then felt in having handshake from O.
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