The Washington times., 1901-06-30
TOWPATH MISSION WORK.
What a Woman Is Doing for Canal
Boatmen's Children.
The Unpretentious Red Brick B"iid-
ing Near Georgetown md nat Is
BeipE Done There-A Unique
school with No. Regular Hours.

verse. "Come unto me, all ye that labor
and heavy laden are, and viii give
z-or rest" above the door, there STANDS
a little red brick building on the tow
path of the Chesapeake and ONO Cahai
above Aqueduct Bridge. 1t is the Tow
nath Mission Since its establishment,
over seven years ago, Mrs. 5. i. l. SAT-
fold has been its whole spirit. Under
her tutelege many children whose
homes are the craft which ply the muir
ky waters of the canal have learned TO
read and to write. and the greater les
sons Of Christian love.
There is no other school like 1t in
Washington. There are no set rules
and no definite hours. The cry from
the towpath, Hurry up, Maggie, your
boats goin' out is often the signal for
dismissal of a pupil whose lesson IN
reading or in writing has just begun, or
whose fingers are just beginning to
guide thread and needle accurately.
Mrs. Saffold is lifelong Washing
tonian. sculptures of unusual abll-
ity, she abandoned art a number OF
years ago for work among the poor
The children whose parents came from
within sight of the big dome of the
Capitol, were her first charges Many
an Italian boy and girl was saved from
immortality through the efforts OF MRS.
Safrold But the chance sight OF the
untitled field for Christian work among
the children of the canal caused her to
turn her attention that way. Now there
is not a family living along the canal
road which does not know of the
woman who has done so much for the
children of the working canal
boat people No matter how cold or
disagreeable the weather, Mrs. Saffold
never misses her tri-weekly visits TO
the mission.
Like many another place out George
town way, the building which houses
the mission is very old and has his
tory. Built before the war of 1872, it
was the office Of foundry where can
non balls were made TO be sent at hos
tile British redcoats from American
field pieces. The foundry, an ugly
building OF white stone, still stands be
low at the foot of the hill, which slopes
from the towpath TO the river road.
And when came the piping times of
peace" and the canal, then TO COM
merce what the great railroad now is,
was constructed, grist was turned from
the grain of Maryland and Virginia
farmers. and the Office was the ship
ping station, where the product was
loaded.
The mill operated more or less indus
triously until about eighteen years ago.
Then it was abandoned and stood va
cant until Mrs. Sanold began TO look
for a place where she could teach the
canal children. But lack of shelter did
not deter her. The first Sunday school
was held one sabbath in the shade of
a huge tree, which grows beside TIE old
mill house on the hill which over
looks the canal was suggested, but it
was found the clannishness Of the canal
people prevented the children from
coming so far from the boats SO final
ly the little building only a step from
the towpath was fixed upon, and Mrs.
SafTold set TO work and made il habi-
table
But it is not alone the children who
are benefited by the mission. Mrs.
Saffold always has a large stock of
reading matter on hand. Magazines.
the best published, she gives out to the
boats as they pass her door. The canal
boat people are q hard-workirg class.
Their duties are ardIous, but they ap-
preciate the literature. Just above the
mission is the viaduct passing beneath
the canal The mules there cross from
one towpath up to the canal road, while
the boats pass through the Georgetown
locks. The clanlling of the chains as
the animals are unhitched is the signal
for the keeper of the mission. She
takes a handful of magazines, and,
running TO the beat, hands them to
those on board.
Three afternoons in the week the
school is held, and on Sunday afternoon
there is Sunday school. All of these are
well attended. In the school the pupils
range in age from eighteen months to
as many years. Once there was a
young girl IN her teens who attended
the school with her child in arms, a
baby II three months, but that was the
youngest member the mission ever
had Mrs. Saffold is assisted in the
work by her daughter, and the progress
made by their pupils is unusually rapid
There is a kindergarten system, but
one unlike the Froebel method is
brought into play. II the children are
old enough TO grasp ideas firmly they
are taught TO read at the outset, and
the progress which some of them make
IS remarkable. The younger ones are
given something to do by which they
will learn some lesson. Lessons in sew
ing are more than popular, and often
the children VIII be 10th to cease their
tasks when the hour comes for lessons
10 end.
A fayorite method Of instruction with
Mrs. Saffold is through the Bible. A
verse is selected and the children made
thoroughly familiar with its meaning
Then it is taken UP In sections. If any
city or country is mentioned, maps are
brought out and the children are shown
just where the city or country lies on
the globe. II any people are referred
TO the pupils do not pass the subject by
until they learn something OF that ma
ton or race. II the verse emphasizes
any great moral truth the entire mean
ing and significance Of the sentiment is
impressed upon the boys and girls. The
Bible verses are printed on colored