The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-15
SHELDONS FUTURE
What the Preacher Editor Will
"DO After the Experiment"
VIII Organize "SheldOn Bands"
in United States
And Portions of the European
Countries.
FORSAKES FORTUNE
To do Good for Struggling
Masses Of Humanity.
Fabulous Offers Rejected by the
Famous Preacher-AgthOr.
Generosity and Interest of His
Friend, Mrs. Bowman.

Published by special courtesy of the
New York World and its correspondent
Mr.. Fred Nye of New York, the World
correspondent, sent some interesting
and important news to his paper We'd
nesday night, appearing in the World
this morning. Mr.. Nye's dispatch says:
Special to n. Y. World:
Topeka March 14.-Charles NJ. Shell
don has obtained eight months leave
of absence from his church here and
will preach his gospel of practical Chris
tianity in England and throughout the
United States, organizing Sheldon
bands to apply the teachings of Christ
to the life of every day.
This is the significant feature of an
interview obtained today by the World
correspondent with Mrs. Eliza Wilson
Bowman, of this city.
1t was she who has aided the
preacher financially in his work for the
negro colony of TenneSseetOWn, and who
supplied the money $4,000 to build the
addition to his church which is used
chiefly for a kindergarten. There is no
doubt, such is her interest in him and
his new gospel, that she would stand
ready to aid him in establishing
Christian daily newspaper in the east
if he should ultimately decide to enn-
bark in such an enterprise, and it is
surmised that she will supply funds if
necessary to help the movement for the
p
which, by the way, the weeks expert
ment in journalism. with all the world
looking on, has been cleverly designed
preliminary.
Mrs Bowman is a widow and very
wealthy. Her husband was T. E. Bow
man. a real estate and loan broker in
Topeka, who left his entire fortune to
her. She is the head and front of wo-
mems reform work in this section. Her
handsome house fronts the capitol
grounds and in it's surroundings is a
model of domestic comfort of the re-
fined and not ultra-expensive sort. She
is about go years of age, tall and grace
full in figure, with hair almost white
combed smoothly back from her fore
head. a wonderfully pleasant voice and
a smile that disclOses a sufficient reason
for her success with the little ones of
the kindergarten. During the hour in
which she talked for the World of Mr.
Sheldon and his plans two fine young
fellows of her Sunday school class
called separately to visit with her, and
a poodle which, she explained, had been
taken in the day before from the street,
where it had been run over by a car
riage, limped about the room.
MIR. Sheldon she said, will start
for England on May l. He will devote
two months to speaking and organizing
the movement of practical Christianity
in that country and will then return to
the United States, where he will estab-
lish headquarters in some eastern city.
organizing in every state in the union
Mr. Sheldon has decided upon this
course after long and prayerful consid-
Grafton. He realizes that it means the
breaking up of his home in Topeka and
probably the severance of all the ties
that connect him with the church, the
parish and the charities which he has
built up and which have become part
of his life. He also feels that the new
work will necesSitate long absences
from his wife. who will be forced to re-
main in a new home with their younS
child. It has been for him a period OF
the severest suffering, and he has spent
many hours in prayer hoping that he
might receive some direct guidance as
to the course he should pursue AT
last the call came to him so unInls-
takably that all doubt was cast aside.
'In deciding upon this course Mr..
Sheldon has sacrificed wealth and what
many might consider a wider fame than
he will now be able to achieve. He has
had pulpit offers from many eastern
cities where the salaries are princely
compared to anything he has ever
earned or may expect to earn; he has
received many propositions from east
ern newspapers to assume editorial
charge of their columns for short peri
DDS, one paper having offered him S19,-
600 for the work of a week.
but on the other hand has arisen the
cry of the multitude. From England,
Scotland, Wales, even from Denmark,
have come countess dpp6dlS " ll111 ~
visit those lands and preach the new I
religion and from every state in the
Union a similar prayer has reached
him. He feels now that against such
demand from the masses he cannot
conscientiously weigh his selfish inter
ests He is enlisted for the good of the
people and he will fight that battle to
the end. Most of US recognize, think,
that this is time of religious revolu-
ton; that the masses are breaking
away from the old ereeds, and that if
some one does not put d new faith firm
" under their feet, disaster to Christi
anity is likely to ensue. That faith l
am confident Mr.. Sheldon has found in
practical ChFistianity-the application
to daily life of the principles and teach
ings. of Jesus Christ
1t is no secret among Mr.. Sheldon's
friends that he has grand dreams of
socialism. A conspicuous portion of his
paper so far has been devoted to the
exposition of socialistic theories by such
doctrinaires as were within the range
of possible contributors, and he has
many more such articles in manuscript
or in type. His tendency in this direc-
ton had become so evident that at the
meeting of the Catechism class today
one of the correspondents asked him if
he indorsed these sOcialiStic doctrines
Il do" he answered. ''in a measure.
Put the word Christian before social
ism and read the Sermon on the Mount
and you will have my belief.
He is particularly devoted to the
Christian Endeayor society. and it is
said, expects that organization to fall
in line for the new religion
There was considerable speculation