The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
SALVATION ARMY WOMEN
REGULAR AND CAREFUL TRAINING
FOR THEIR SPECIAL WORK.
Schools i'm Which the Principles of
the Organization Are Impaired
to Recruits.

bonnet and her tamborine, conducting
meetings. visiting the sick. the depraved.
and the imprisoned, scrubbing floors in
homes of wretchedness, and doing many
leftover jobs neglected by other philan-
thropists, prepares for her work in very
thorough manner and carries it in
systematic fashion little guessed. The Sal
walton Army has no less than four large
central training schools for women field
officers in this country besides a number
of smaller training stations for special
work. The large schools are located in
New York. Chicago, Portland, Ore, and
San Francisco. In Philadelphia is a central
school for training slum workers, and near
ly every large city has stations where sre-
cial branches of the work may be studied.
The New York training school is on the
sixth floor of the Armys building in Four
teenth street. Twenty-Five young women
are in training at the present time. under
the supervision of an experienced woman
officer, who has been on duty in England
as well as in the United States, and who
knows every department of the work.
Candidates for officers are chosen from
promising persons in the ranks, or from
those who. having applied, are deemed
worthy In regard to character and intelli-
gence. Each candidate must have a sub
stantial backing" that is, she must have
been carefully considered and passed upon
by committee, which is afterwards held
responsible for her fitness. A rigid physi-
cal examination follows. The work of the
salvation Army cannot be done by those
who are not physically sound. The great
est stress is laid upon good health, and it
is an essential requirement to advance
ment.
The young women are under no expense
after entering the training school, They
must be provided with a plain outfit of
clothing, sufficient to last them until they
able TO earn the small salary allowed
officers. Aside from the bonnet and gown
there are no hard and fast rules governing
the dress. All classes belong to the Army,
and there Is no attempt to ignore differences
OF tradition and habit. A woman who has
been accustomed all her life to wearing fine
shoes Is permitted to go on wearing them
provided she can buy them. No one Is per-
mitted to go into debt, accept presents or
otherwise live beyond the income derived
from her labors.
LENGTH OF THE COURSE.
The course Of training occupies sixteen
weeks, but is not infrequently extended.
There is comprehensive theological course,
and the young women are drilled in the de-
livery of sermons. The rules and regula-
lions of the Salvation Army, contained in
thick volume Of fine print, are studied Lit
erary deficiencies are attended to, and let
ter-writing and the preparing of reports
| taught.
| erai economy of housework. Part of the
| strength OF the Salvation Army lies in the
equality which is maintained between the
men and the women, and in the recognition
of the especial lines Of their usefulness
Good food is so often means of grace that
the women officers must know how to pre-
| pare 1t as part of their duties. Besides
they must as rule, do their own cooking,
and in the interests of health they should
| be able to do 1t WELL All the homework of
the training school is done by the students.
The army mas found that the women are
better collectors of money than the men,
and this therefore enters into the course
of training. The selling OF the War Cry,
which is one of the largest single sources
| or income, is taught in a practical man.
| ner. Methods OF selling are impaired in
ca CLASS. and every evening the students. or
| the cadets, as they are known in the Army,
are sent out with bundles of papers to dis
| pose or The young woman who pauses
modestly beside ones chair in the crowded
| per. thank him for the coin, or bless him
| for the refusal is a cadet. She has worked
hard all day, and must trudge the streets
periences are unpleasant; none of them
can be very agreeable except the return
home with all the papers sold. Occasion
| ally girl meets with brutal insult. She
| is prepared for 1t, and merely moves on.
1t Is to the credit Of American manhood
that, according to report there is usually
| SohhO Aich az udHu u punish the lnSulter.
RULES FOR BEHAVIOR.
| The instructions in the book of RULES ~
which apply to dealing with emergencies OF
this and similar kinds, are naive in their
simplicity. The doctrine Of nonresistancc
Is carried to the last point consistent with
reason, but the mildness of the dove is
tempered by the wisdom of the serpent in
relations with roughs or rioters. In the
early days Of the Army's history mobs
were common enough; nowadays they are
encountered occasionally. The officers are
instructed to deal with them tactfully; to
sing and pray as long as they can be heard
above the uproar, and especially to present
| a football front of solid strength, with the
weakest members in the center. They are
told to be careful to keep from falling OF
being forced against walls or iron ratings
One cannot be much hurt while he keeps
on his feet, advises the manual. Women
aid to the toughest of the rioters The
wisdom of this course is apparent. Lu.
cretia Mott saved her life more than once
| by observing it.
Among other special branches the 'Firs,
Aid to the injured" course of lectures Is
given by competent instructor. The Army
mas no corps or trained nurses, but simple
rules or caring for the sick and the wound.
ed are impaired. There is a shorthand class
for those who wish to go into office work.
one afternoon in the week is given up tc
|
of each officers duty, and it calls for great
deal of tact and discretion. The cadet is
sent out with experienced women and learns
from observation how to influence without
offending, the inmates of miserable homes
At the end of the sixteen weeks training
provided the progress has been satisfactory
/ the cadet is ready to be sent as lieutenan,
to a division captain somewhere in tn,
United States. She has no choice of local
ity unless the post be beyond the sea
whittier she cannot be sent against her owr
inclination. In the Salvation Army all spe
cial assignments and ali special lines o.
work are voluntary. The slum corps /:
made up of volunteers. and these, 1t is said
are mostly the more intelligent and the bet
ter-bred women of the Army.
Slum work is difficult and high order n
courage and intelligence is required for II.
success. A distinct dress is worn. a fla
little hat being substituted for the pok.
bonnet, which Is considered rather swell
ish" by the very poor. Short skirts. bis
aprons and shawls complete the leveling eff
feet
Other branches, including rescue bands
prison corps. etc, are undertaken by WON
en- who show marked ability along thos.
lines. Each woman tries to have a specialt,
Of her own in which she can do the bes
possible good to the community
1