Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-09-08
VIC. 7. U. COLUMN.
When the Ships Come In

Our lines OF new OTk. III was Illus
trated by special photographs, and serves
TO show how this department of our work
is regarded at the great port of entry"
"A most important feature Of American
missionary activity is that of work among
foreigners" conducted by the National
Womans Christian Temperance Union.
Miss Willard said Of 1t: 1t is vital to the
future OF the Republic and United
States commissioner once declared this
meeting and greeting Of immigrants at
our chief pons as one Of the most valuable
agencies of relief, reform and good govern
ment.
'Mrs. 5. +. Grub, Chanute, Kas ,
has been for fifteen years the head OF this
department of the National w. g. T. T.,
and under her direction Miss VI. l.. Orr
has been for the past eight years in charge
of the New York branch, with headquart-
ers at 8 State street or at the Barge office,
where the immigrant ships unload. To
know what this mission means one should
be pies ent when the great vessels come in.
bearing thousands Of passengers, strangers
10 our land. There are people seeking
loved ones here and knowing not how to
find them; there are mothers with children
hanging TO their skirts, babies in their
arms, little ones crying for milk and bread =,
and they, through ignorance, even when
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get what they reed. Speaking strange
tongues, poor oewildered flock they are,
herded in the pens, which are sometimes
so crowd that il is almost impossible TO
walk through. In some of these encos.
ureS they are waiting for friends, or for
funds 10 take them 10 different points.
In another are cases demanding special
inquiry; in third are people who must
be returned, Some are very CHEEKY some
are patient others are fre.ful; and others
are wicked and profane the Barge officers
have their hands full The crowded sta
tions OF excursion passenger trains do not
present such trying tasks and problems TO
outhO4llICo anu UdS HdSC lIltD.
Miss Orr meets every shipload, and
stands as the representative Of great OF
ganization of women to give these immi-
grants friendly greeting to our shores,
and 10 render aid and con- fort wherever
needed. Good secondhand garments are
given those who come TO US Insufficlcntly
I. "A in VII
She provides bread for the hungry, pro-
cures milk for crying babies, sends letters
and kilograms for newcomers 10 their
friends in this country, takes charge Of
young girls, waits and little stowaways,
comforts the unfortunate, and seeks to he
real friend TO the stranger. Sometimes
parents die on shipboard and little orphans
come 10 land; the sick and the broken
hearted come; the desperate and the
wicked come. Those who have TO be re
turned often go back with little gifts and
remembrances of kindness that may help
them 10 be and to DO better.
I'm addition to the friendly greetings
20 their hands little leaflets in their tongues
with such titles as Welcome To the Stran-
ger, Warnings against the Saloon, KIND
Advice of Friend, How to be Good
Citizen, Advice TO Mothers on Social
Purity. etc, thus meeting these people
who are so soon TO be citizens OF our re-
public with some kind Of intimation as to
what Christian nation expects them 10 be-
come About 10000 leaflets in eighteen
languages are distributed monthly.
Miss Orr has been in this work so long
that she recognizes any nationality at a
glance, and the Italian, Spaniard, Syrian
Pole or Greek, finds instantly in his hands
a little ineligible message in his mother
tongue, and hears womsnly voice Civ
ing kind salute ton in it. A simple thing
to do, but it often brings glad tears to the
eyes Of The stranger. While not compre-
hending or being able 10 sustain CONVEX
sation in all these languages, Miss Orr has
caught up enough to understand and
pie wants,
Many touching incidents occur in con
nectjon with this work; rs once when
steamer bearing over thousand steeragc
passengers bad come in, and Miss Orr,
psusiDg from work for those who seemed
most needy, said to a woman whose baby
was crying, 4 am sorry for YOU and the
woman bursting into tears. exclaimed,
Thank God for one kind word An.
other profTered dime in gratitude for
one kind word.
This work is sustained by an appro-
priation by the National w. G. y. T.,
which covers the missionary's salary, and
by voluntary contributions of charitab
people who recognize the need and i'm
portance of it and subscribe funds for the
printing and expressage Of leaflets. Some
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