The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-15
b GOD AND
FIRE PEOPLE
Salvation Colonel
Honolulu
Bound.

Preparations are being made by the
local corps of Salvationists in anticipa-
ton of the coming visit Of Lieutenant
Colonel French. The Army's hall. on
the corner of King and Nuuanu streets,
where most of the meetings will be
held, has been renovated, while Major
Wood of the local corps is swamped
with the amount of work necessary to
the successful carrying through of the
months campaign, taking in all of the
Islands where the Army is now work
ing.
The Colonel, who arrives next We'd
nesdaE on the Ventura. is one OF the
Army's big men, and that he is a Wig
orous worker is evidenced by the up
ward strides he has taken in the SER
vice. He has been in the Army since
1881. He was in New York as divisional
commander and was then transferred to
the Northwestern Division with head
quarters in Chicago During his four
years command there the work went
forward by leaps and bounds and now
in Chicago alone the Army has thirty
one institutions.
In February of this year he was ap-
pointed to succeed Colonel Evans in the
command of the Pacific Coast province,
the largest in the United States,
stretching from San Diego to Seattle.
from Salt Lake City to Honolulu. 1t
contains 122 corps outposts, seven Wom-
en- and Children's Homes, farm colo
| ny, thirteen social institutions, two
men and two women training schools
| for workers, with total staff of worlsS
ers numbering S57 under his direction.
| Major Wood says that the entire
province is already feeling the effect
OF the earnest zeal which Coionel
French is throwing into the move
ment. Great results are expected from
his tour around the Islands and espe-
lciaIly from the closing ten-day anniver.
gary conference, when all the workers
will gather here in council.
| Col. George French is an, officer OF
| nineteen years standing, captured by the
Salvation Army at Bristol, Eng. in 1881.
He has gone through all grades OF offl-
eership from cadet upward, his last pro-
motion from the rank of brigadier to
that of lieutenant-c colonel, having taken
place in the beginning of 1891. The coll
onel. while an Englishman by birth, is
Ia naturalized American citizen, having
been in this country over nine years.
AS a captain. the colonel had some OF
the largest and most prominent corps IN
England among them being those locat-
ed at Leeds, Bradford, York, HUI, NOT
tingham, Grimsby and Sheffield. Some
of these corps had many as 600 or Ioo
soldiers on their rolls. The colonel has
, also served in England as a division OFF,
Ger. with the rank of major, and prior
| to his appointment to the United states
|, was commissioned by the general to or
ganize and develop the work of the Sal
walton Army in Holland. The work had
! | been begun prior to the colonel ar
rival, but it was still in struggling
condition. During the two and one-haif
wears that Col. French was there, most
of the largest cities in the country were
o "opened" to use the army phrase, the
! principal ones being Rotterdam, The
5 Hague, Dordrecht, Arnheim, Daventer,
Zwollo and Leewarden; the work trebled.
numerically, and its influence was car
u ried into all classes of society. from
royalty downward.
Col French also instituted the FIRST
Salvation Army social colony in the city
of Amsterdam. 1t was modelled upon
iGen Booths Darkest England plan, and
Q gave employment to hundreds of men,
. in addition to providing them with fooo
. and shelter at a nominal cost. the col
Ionel also studied and mastered the Dutch
. language.
+. During the colonel's career in the
States he has had commands covering
extensive territory His first appoint
ment was to the then Southern division
with headquarters at Baltimore, and tax
ing in the District of Columbia, Della
ware MARYLAND Virginia, the Carolinas
Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, and, al
: though the colonel was here only eigh
months yet the work was extended
= four new corps being opened in the cit.
:; of Baltimore alone. From Baltimore tn
colonel was sent to Midland division
having its headquarters at that time Il
Des Moines Iowa, and embracing tn
States of Missouri Iowa, Nebraska, Da
kota and Colorado. The headQuarter
were subsequently removed to St. Louis
V. in which city the five new corps wer
opened, and the army quickly grew Int
prominence and public favor. When tn
colonel left that city for the East tn
mayor gave him a splendid letter of rec
concentration to the mayor of New Yorl
IN Two of the principal railroads runnin
out of st. Louis also granted the colon
the courtesy of free transportation owe
their lines.
The colonel went to New York in Aus
:. ust, 1895, taking charge of the Centr;
d. division, embracing, in addition to Ne
York City, the State of Connecticut ar
northern New Jersey. During the te
months that the colonel was In the Ea
;, the work of the army was started,
twenty new places.
-, The colonel has had many interestfr
experiences and several narrow escape
= Once, while stationed in charge Of Il
= army interests In Holland, he was s
,r upon by crowd of Dutch fisherme
- who ran after him through the stree
ur with Drawn hiiives.
escape by taking refuge in a store, al
was ultimately escorted home by
On, armed police officer.