Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07
ITS TRAINING SCHOOLS
Where the Salvation Army
Teaches Its Officers.
COOKING AND PIETY
THESE ARE THE CHIEF ACCOM-
PLIsHMENTs DEMANDED.
The Course Takes Sixteen Months and
Then a Command is Al
lotted.
COOKING AND PIETY

Written for The Evening Star.
The Salvation Army has four training
schools in this country, one in New York,
one In Chicago. another in San Francisco
and the fourth In Portland. Ore. In these
schools it has constantly $50 girls VINO are
in training for officers OF the army. Those
who see the Salvation lasses In their blue
poke bonnets and red ribbons on the street.
conducting evening meetings to the music
Of tambourine and drum, have no idea Of the
many other things which enter into their
lives and of the training which they have
to go through to learn how to accomplish.
them.
Each school gives only a short vacation
in the middle Of the summer, and late in
July the candidates enter for the fall term
They live at the school and do all the work
Of the place. The military organization is
even carried into the kitchen and dining
room. A sergeant oversees the sweeping
and dishwashing and a captain looks after
the Bible study.
The training varies between the strictly
practical and the deeply religious. Every
girl learns to cook and read the Bible as
the basis Of her profession. There Is also
systematic instruction in the doctrine, rules
and regulations, history and methods of the
army.
The young candidate rises at $50 o'clock
in the morning, and every minute Of her
day is accounted, for and proceeds with
clock-like regularity.
Works at Once.
Practical work begins Immediately, along
with 11ousework and theoretical study. The
very first day of her novitiate the candidate
will be sent out with an older and moro ex-
perienced soldier. Together they go from
house to house In the poorest city districts.
asking at each door permission to enter
If they find poverty or distress they tnvesti-
gate, report at headquarters and administer
relief. If not, they ask permission to read
the Bible and pray. They are frequently
refused, but seldom with harshness. Curl
ously enough, although they are the strict
est and most evangelical of ProteStants,
they are not counted as Protestants either
by the Catholics or Jews of the great cities.
This the visitation work, is compare
lively simple. It is nothing to the next
duty the little soldier is given. Some even
ing she is sent out with her older compan-
lon to sell the army's paper In the saloons.
She walks up. Broadway, perhaps, or down
the Bowery. or on streets corresponding to
these in other cities, entering every saloon
and offering the paper for sale. This Is one
of the army's sources of income, as the
girls frequently collect more than the price
Of the paper. They also seize every oppor-
tunity to speak to the men that they en-
counter Of the welfare of their souls" as
good-natured chaff. but rarely with any
thing more disagreeable, as their uniforms
are their protection. The hardest part Of
this business is always to maintain their
dignity; to keep straight face" as one
of them who had done Stun work for years
in New York put it.
They'll do everything they can to make
you laugh" said she. land once you smile
you are gone. There's nothing to do but to
get out as soon as you cam
In New York the girls go down to Coney
Island every night in summer and stay till
late hour, making the paper their excuse,
but really watching for opportunities to
speak to foolish young girls who seem to
be starting on O dangerous road.
An even harder branch OF their work is
visiting the outlawed houses OF the cities
and doing rescue work among their in
mates whom they gather in to the army
rescue homes. Then the candidate must
learn to conduct street meetings, to march
with the band. to sing, to preach and to
pray in public.
Now Full-Fledged.
At the end of sixteen months, If her prog
ress proves satisfactory. the probationer
becomes full-fledged officer, and is put in
command of a corps Of her own. Here she
has charge of all the work described on
smaller scale, and in addition she has to
collect the money to pay for 1t all, includ-
ing her own salary of IS a week. Nothing
is provided her except her house rent. The
army has found that the women officers are
better collectors than the men and bring
the greater share Of it's funds into the army
Golfers
The army girls are scattered through ev-
cry country in Europe except Russia and
Spain. and they are found in remote sec
lions in Asia, Africa and the South Sea Is
lands. Blanche Cox, beautiful and highly
educated young English woman, now an Of
ficer in this country, walked on foot
through India. dressed In the native garb.
living everywhere among the poorest ma
tives. Not long ago two women officers
had charge Of a station among the Zulus
of interior Africa. One Of them died, and
the other lived for six months without the
sight of white face, until word could be
| crat 10 kIao eaet ord ILL