Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-26
HEARD GENERAL BOOTH.
Only n Small Audience Greeted the
Leader of the Volunteers.

Leader of the volunteers.
A very small audience greeted Cen
eral Ballington Booth. chief officer of
the Volunteers of Arnerica, at the
Turner opera house Saturday evening.
The deficiency in numbers was attrib-
3utable to various reasons, and was in
no way due to a lack Of respect or fail
ure. on the. part of Ottumwa people to
realize the honor that was accorded tho
city by the visit of such distinguished
guest. The temperature Saturday even
ing was extremely high and the hot
weather, no doubt. had more than any
thing else to do towards keeping PEG,
pie away. Saturday evening is always
busy evening with the merchants
and there were various reasons why
the opera house was not packed.
Notwithstanding the small number
present, the General delivered very
interesting resume of the work which
lis being accomplished by him and his
followers. Brigadier General Fielding
of Chicago, who is accompanying Gen.
eral Booth, also spoke briefly on the
Volunteer movement in Chicago.
The Ottumwa Y. NJ. G.. A. male cho.
rus sang number of songs which We're
received with marked appreciation by
the audience and especially by General
Booth. The Ottumwa Volunteer string
band also rendered several selections,
and by request General Booth played
a few selections on concertina, an in
lstrument on which he is very proficient.
General Booth, tho foreign born, is
an American from the top of his head
| to the soles of his feet. He was in
troduced to the audience by Judge NJ.
| A. Roberts, and from the moment he
stepped to the front of the stage until
| he closed his remarks, he held the un-
| divided attention of his hearers. He is
an entertaining talker, earnest and full
| ly consecrated to his work. He is
plainly the life of the movement which
has, durinngs its short existence,
wrough SO much good 10 humanity
turnout the country.
The Christians of today should be
united" said General Booth. He de-
| plored the condition as it exists and
showed wherein the general plans Of
Christian workers do not accomplish
the good results that they should.
The following statistics were given
showing what has been accomplished in
Chicago alone by the Volunteers o.
America during the past four months:
Sixty-three thousand nine hundred
| and sixty men have been sheltered dur
| ing that period and in the same length
of time 56,101 meals We're supplied.
There are four shelters in the city ct
Chicago, one on State street, accom-
modating 1852 men; one at 31s Clark
street, accommodating 176 men; one at
81 Desplaines street, accommodating
Ut men, and one at 321 Clark street,
accommodating 105 men.
In New York home has just been
established by the Volunteers where
young women just leaving prison may
be received, and led into useful Chris
tian life.
In speaking Of charity, General Booth
said it is fact that there is a great
amount of so-called organized or scien-
! tific charity.
There is a great difference between
! the charity given by state or out OF
a sense of duty aud the charity which
is given of the heart prompted by and
with a desire to relieve the misery
stricken.
| 1t is in every way desirable, and il
fact indispensable that the work OIL
charity should be conducted upon bust
ness principles, but God help the So
ciety that turns charity into business.
1