The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-29
IN HAUNTS OF VICE
Where Go the GOdIike to
Lift the Fallen.
Commander Booth Tucker Takes a
Young Journalist into Darkest
Philadelphia" Tells of the Sal
walton Army's Work.
BY FRED b. WARREN.

Commander Booth Tucker, who has
Salvation Army in America, granted
me whole afternoons audience to
discuss the work that he accomplished
while here and the great struggle OF
the army bands.
so you want q. farewell interview,
Ell % he asked as he ran his knuckly,
long fingers through his tawny hair.
Then, although he has been virtually
an American for some time, he saw
fit to express his opinion of America.
Let me say by way Of preface and
after the manner of foreign notables
who visit this country that | am vast
ly pleased wi'h America. To the
eight years Of my life among you l
am deeply indebted for lessons in en-
terprise and aggression. The problem
of the poor has greatly interested me. !"
Have you solved the problem OF
doing away with the poor and mate
rally lettering their conditions"
The thin earnest sandy-h9ired mar
opposite me smiled sadly. THE poor
are always with us. you know, and the
question will never be solved. It is q
problem which runs from year tC
year from birth TO death and from de-
cade to decade"
But"
"But l wish to say that the lives of
the salvation Army workers on the
firing line are one with poverty and
suffering Do you know" and a long,
impressive forefinger, was raised to
emphasize the point, that our army
posts have increased in number from
200 in 1896 to 9S3 at the present time ?
This is a great increase you will grant.
I'VE maintain social institutions
where there are accommodations for
10, 900 needy persons. We eXpend
100000 annually and the amount is
each year growing larger We find
work each year for so. 600 persons who
are unable to get positions without
assistance We provide 10000 citi-
zens of the United States with free
Christmas dinners and We find 3,000,-
GOO beds for the poor eacf twelve
months. l am still a nervous and
timld man and am a passionate lover
OF solitude, but when / lie down TO die
| shall feel that | have not lived in
vain.
but one cannot do good by remain
ing within the four walls of his or her
home. | have never passed light
house that / did not envy the keeper
his quiet home. but / have felt that in
the Lords universal vineyard there is
| important work for all which cannot
be evaded gor put aside"
So much for purely statistical infor-
NATION about the Salvation Army.
Booth Tucker was once a dreamer.
To this day his eyes are passive and
Enthusiastically soulful. He attend
ed Cheltenham College in England to
avoid vicious student life. He passed
the civil service examination and
went TO India. There was Il great deal
of DIR mixing among the men in the In
dian service and he became an alb
stainer. He signed the pledge and be-
gan to hold meetings This placed
him under a ban. among the officials,
and il was hintrd that he would be
transferred from this desirable post
to more undesirable one.
Commander Tucker told nee of an
incident that happened while he was
in the Indian service that changed the
whole current of n S life. lie was al
the foot of the Himalayas as the
ITimalayas are at the foot of Goa. He
had acquired q mania for hunting md
he found it difficult to lay aside sport
for his official duties.
one day while hunting warning
sounded i'm his ears as clearly as If bis
skillaree. guide had spoken ana ne
resolved to be up and doing. The
long and short of il is that he. heard
OF the Salvation Army for the tirst
time He got a furlough and went tc
a meeting Of the Salvation Army. He
offered his services to General William
Booth and they were accepted.
Wherever / go ! will always re-
member with loving fondn1ss my stay
in America" said the gentle COM
mdnder impressiVely.
A few weeks prior to his departure
! Booth Tucker came to Philadelphia.
| ] had been making an Independent in
| vestigatiou merely for my own in.
| formation into the conditions exist
| ing among the poor of great city.
| | had viewed the disgusting depravity
| of Chinatown, both here and in New
| York / had seen families of the
city's poor evicted from houses for
! non payment of rent and / had taken
| photographs of them with my kodak
The dives and purieus had been made
q subject of sociological study when
accompanied ny a policeman detaIlea
! by the Police Bureau to accompany
| me. ! showed the results of my IN
| vestigation to Booth Tucker.
! A wan smile fitted over his face
| Then his body fairly quivered. His
| eyes became actively Interested.
! That ne said. with energy, is
| nothing. Come with me and | viii
! show you deprayity-blacker, more
! horrible and grewsome than the per
4
| / will show you scenes that either you
| or I would believe to be impossible.
"This will Occupy some of your time
| but if you are really interested, come
with me-
The first day we found the brazen
| depravity that fiaunts itself before the
| eyes of the public, the next the scenes
+ grew darker and we passed through
a stratum even lower than it could be
| imagined existed in any city. Three
| days / neglected my position and
| never appeared at the newspaper
| office. For this time neither Com
mander Tucker nor myself came bach
to decent civilization only four streets
and fifteen minutes-away from us
The night of the third day we were
nearly exhausted. We had beer
awake night and day for over forty.
eight hours. We had observed the eff.
fects of daylight and darkness upor
| depravity. We saw humanity come
forth from haunts at night which
would not dared to have come abroad
| in the day. And. on the last nigh
the scene changed Commando
| Tucker donned his Salvation Army
| uniform, and / stood beside him will
a band of four Salvation Army wo
men. on a corner III the great dart
i. Il L. Nr.arN