The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-11-04
CHRISTIAN WORKERS.
Commercial Travelling Men Form
Themselves Into a League
to Do Good.

Jancsville. Wis, Oct. 30-[ Special. /
Commercial travelling men are forming
into one great band of Christian work
crs. They have already organized into Il
national society to be known through
the world as The Gideons." At Sc
cret meeting held recently in the \. NJ.
G. A. building at Waukesha, Wis, the
following officers were elected for the en-
suing year:
Presidents. s. f. Hill, Beloit. Wis.
Vice Presdent-W. J. Knights, GAINESVILLE,
Secretary-J. II. Nicholson, GAINESVILLE,
Wis.
Following is the executive board:
l.. {. Smith. Oshkosh Wis; Charles i.
Kettridge, Waukegan, Ill. J. i. Grunkau,
Milwaukee, Wis.
The new organization involves for its
members travelling men throughout the
United States All past sessions have
been secret, but now that the GideOns
have launched their boat with a member
ship Of 1S0 they give to the public their
plans of future work.
j. II. Nicholson of JaneSville, secre-
tary Of the GideonS, is the man who has
let the eat out of the bag. Mr.. Nicholson
says that members are joining from all
parts of the United States and letters of
application are being received each day
to the average number of twenty, coming
from all parts of the country, from as
far west as California. east as New
York, north as the Canadian border line.
and south to the state of Florida. With
in one years time he predicts a member
ship involving thousands.
Here is how this organization happened
to form. Several weeks ago on the
streets of Beaver Dam two well-knOwn
Wisconsin travelling men met and after
a cordial greeting they adjourned to a
nearby hotel and at once entered deep
into Christian plan that would benefit
al. commercial men not only in Wiscon-
sin but in all the United States. These
two men were j. II: NICHOLSON of james
vile and 5. f.. Hill of BelOit. When
they parted they decided TO commence at
once the work or organizing Christian
Travelling Mems association, and that
same evening sent several letters to trav-
cling men calling Il secret meeting to be
held in Janesville and then in Waukesha.
The result of these letters brought quick
returns and the matter was at once sane
toned in all parts of the Badger state.
At the y. NJ. {. \. building in James
Vile the secret session took place and
the matter was heartily endorsed. Aft
erwards Il conference took place in the
\. NJ. G. A. building in Waukesha. This
conference resulted in the adoption of the
name, The GideonS The object of the
society is to recognize Christian travelling
men with cordial fellowship and encour
age one another in Christian wOrk-to i'm
prove every opportunity one may have
for the betterment of the lives of the
commercial travellers business men and
Others with whom the commercial man
comes in daily contact. Any travelling
man who is Christian. no matter Of
what denomination. is eligible to mem,
bership.
The following button was adopted as
the emblem: Blue background: white
pitcher. with the flame of Il torch pro-
truding from the pitcher-red. white and
blue. j. s Taylor of .IaneSville has
been appointed leader of the musical per
formance for the ensuing year. The date
of holding the national convention is July
/. 1900. at Waukegan. I'll. Delegates
from all portions of the United States
will be i'll attendance.
In speaking of this new national move
ment among the commercial men Sccre-
tary Nicholson said We want the
world to know ihat there are thousands
OF commercial men in the United States
who are willing TO serve God ut all times.
The public have the wrong idea of the
commercial traveller. They think him a
sport in a certain way