The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-09-25

<tlE visit OF General William
Booth to the United States
naturally attracts attention L.
enc OF the worlds most re,
narkable personalities. There
u are those, I'm fact. who hold
IL 10 be disparagcment TO
Term him Napoleon since. they claim,
his genius for evolving vast army
from practically nothing Tar transccnds
that OF the conqucror OF Europe. who
had all the resources of France at his
command. The warrior. they say. rep
resented destruction, disintegratloni :
nc soldier OF peace stands for the up
building OF fallen homes and the even
tual eradication of poverty and crime.
Napoleons armies vanished like dew
before the sun; General Booths bat
faliors arc steadily augmenting and
ighting with perennial vigor born of
conviction and faith.
" II be true. as has been asserted
mat the Salvation Army Is really an
'inlperium in imperio'-a government
within government-thcre Is certain
W no doubt that the old general" may
well be styled imperator," Although
EeNenty-two years OF age, having been
born I'm Nottingham. England. April 10.
lS2s he is still the actual and domina ~
head OF the army and all its afiilia tod
institutions lie created the army, he
supported II I'M it, vfcissitudes. he has
devoted his energies. his income. his
Very life. to the carrying out OF It's
purposes.
Nearly half a century has elapsed
10 be exact. forty-nine years-since the
Rev. William Booth entered upon his
nrst pastorate and began his career as
= reVivaist He Was then connected
with the Methodist church. but i'm 1851
resigned I'm order TO devote himself
solely 10 eNangelistic labors The So
.ciai work by which the destitute poor
are reached and which has since be-
come such feature OF the Salvation
Army WAS begun Ia 1870 by the estab-
ishment OF large soup kitchen in
Whitechapel. London, but the founda-
tions for the army were practically
laid I'm 1855. Booth began undenomina.
fiona mission work I'm the Gsrrick the
eter, London, and at that time forty
years ago, when asked where he expect.
ed TO get his workers and helpers. an
swered in words that have since proved
prophetic. From the saloons and
dancehouses."
It was in 1878 that his Christian
mission" came To be styled the Saliva
tion Army. its general superintendent
became simply its general. and military
titles were first employed The mill
tary form was simply growth conse-
quent upon the increase of the depart-
ments OF its work, and the title OF
general was bestowed upon its or
gsnizer- not assumed by him, as is
generally believed,
The army organization has proved
eminently fit and successful, as shown
by statistics, the army itself having
grown until at the present time IL in.
cludes nearly 1000 societies established
IN forty-flve' countries and colonies, un-
DER the command OF more than $4,000
officers, men and women detailed for
the work q
The military method. with It's titles. 4
suggestion OF discipline and organiza-
tion, proved taking one with the .
people the founder OF the army most /
desired TO reach. and in 1879 it's official
organ was established under the name
OF The War Cry, paper the profits of
which, like those from the generals
published book, Darkest
England and the Way out" have been /
devoted TO promoting the great work
year later the Salvation Army be-