The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-08

inators hope will become in time one of
the great saving enterprises for childhood
throughout the United States.
To give these children fresh air, to take
them far away from the evil influences Of
their lives on the streets of great cities
and to teach them to work are the objects
of this move.
That they can be accomplished there is
no doubt, for after three years Of expert
ment the Salvation Army farm colony at
Amity, Col, can be pronounced a success.
1t has been found that the clear mountain
air reduces sickness to the minimum and
restores health to those who have lost it.
The soil is wondrously fertile and re-
spends bounteously to the touch of water.
There are ready markets for all the prod
ucts Of labor, and even the inexperienced
have begun to find themselves and see OPP
portunities for becoming independent in the
near future.
MAKE GOOD CITIZENS.
The advantages which presented them
selves to colonists were equally desirable
as surroundings for home for city waits
The Salvation Army will perhaps maintain
retaining stations in the East, but eventu-
ally all the children whom it is decided to
tain Benjamin, woman who, though young
in years, is old in the slum work of the
army has charge of this department of the
work. In the new Cherry Tree Home she
will have her staff of assistants, but with
her wonderful energy. physical endurance
and knowledge of the people with whom
she has to deal, upon her shoulders will
fall the responsibility for the success OF
the institution.
1--WE take only the children coming from
the most depraved strata of human life
those who have been exposed to the lowest
forms OF vice; we save them from the re-
form school No child is thoroughly or
hopelessly bad. BY a new environment and
the influences with which we surround
them we wash their souls as we do their
bodies. We take these children from early
infancy UP to twelve or thirteen years,
though rarely as old as that. In our expe-
rience we have taken children to raise who
at the age OF eight or nine years, were
habitual criminals. drunkards and thor
oughly acquainted with every form Of vice
Sometimes we fail with such as these, but
more often we make good citizens Of them
II have visited many Of the homes for
children in different parts OF the country
and have been pleased 10 see the little ones
taken care OF. A fatal mistake IS made in
many Of these institutions, however, for
they give the children employment. We
teach them TO work and to earn money
from the very beginning, and that is one
of the reasons why we have moved the
home to this place in Colorado. Here the
colonists raise many hundreds OF acres of
sugar beats, and in the beet fields all of our
children can find labor suited to their
strength. We rarely are forced to give the
children corporal punishment. matter
how bad they may be. One thing we will
not tolerate for a moment, however, is I'M
cleanliness OF thought or action. Any de-
velopment Of that kind is treated severely.
FINANCIAL FEATURES.
"The money for the support OF the home
is raised entirely by Salvation Army work
1t costs about 500 to take care OF one child
for a year. The field in which we operate
is unlimited, and what we can DO is only
circumscribed by the amount OF money we
are able to secure. have great hopes for
the development OF the Cherry Tree Home
under the new conditions with which we
are now surrounded"
Three years ago Commander Booth Tuck
er. OF the Salvation Army. floated $4,000
in bonds for the purpose of carrying into
effect in the United States the farm colony
idea, which has been in operation in Eu-
rope for some time past. The public quite
generally has the idea that these colonies
are for the purpose Of taking the depraved
and degraded from the city siums and 'es-
tablishing them upon farms. This Is en-
tirely erroneous. The man who secures an
allotment Of land on a Salvation Army
farm colony and who is assisted financially
by the army 10 farm this land until his
returns begin TO come in must come well
recommended. He may be in abject pow
erty; he may be in despair as to the pros
poet Of feeding and housing his wife and