Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-03-25
ARMY
HOLDS
JUBILEE

New York, March 25.-TOday there
was begun in this city great jubilee
celebration Of the twenty-ffth ami
versary of the establishment of the
Salvation Army in America. The af-
fair will continue four days and prom
ises to be notable in the annals of the
worldwide organization. A quarter
of century ago the number of Saliva
tion Army members in America was
eight. In striking contrast, there are
now gathered here to take part in the
jubilee some five hundred officers rep
resenting every state and territory of
the nation, and many of the Canadian
provinces These officers, in addition
to the local contingent, will conduct a
series of jubilee meetings during the
next few days in some of the largest
meeting places of the metropolis as
well as in the headquarters citadel in
Fourteenth street.
The first country, outside of Eng
land to be effected by the work of the
Salvation Army was America. AS far
back as 1872, when it was in its en-
bryOnic condition, and was known only
as "The Christian Mission" one of
its converts, "Brother Jermy," found
his way to Cleveland and there, TO use
General Booths expression in answer
ing his letters, "raised the banner of
the mission" 1t was impossible at
that early date to send reinforcements
and hence the work fell through with
the departure of Jenny. In 1879 al
second start was made by a family
named Shirley. This time it was in
Philadelphia, in an old factory. The
urgent appeal for help sent to General
Booth met with an immediate response
and in February, 1880, Commissioner
George Scott Railton, with a band of
seven, landed in New York city. Op-
position, ridicule, persecution, and
even Imprisonment were met in those
days. None of those things, however,
served TO dampen the ardor or quench
the zeal of the little band of workers,
and ere long it was apparent that the
Salvation Army had come to AmericeI
to stay.
The first convert of the Army in
America was cash Barrel Jimmy
A notable character he was; drunk
ard, general nuisance. He got his
name from the circumstances of bis
rather strenuous conversion. "Jim-
my" was accustomed to search in the
refuse of the ash barrels and garbage
cans for food. One cold night, when
drunk, he lost his balance and fell in
a barrel head first. He was too drunk
to help himself, and as the passed his
head froze fast TO the side Of the bar
rel. A passing policeman saw the feet
sticking out and rescued him. Jim
my" was frozen so fast TO the barrel
the policeman seized him by the feet
and dragged him, barrel and all, to the
station house. Then, when he was suf'
feiently thawed out, they sent him, by
way or a joke, 20 the oaiNaion army
From that time "Jimmy" was a
changed man. He was converted in
the Army meetings, and became a use
full and earnest member Of the Army,
rising to the rank of captain and re-
manning in the ranks until he died, a
few years later.
The Army confined itself for years
almost entirely TO purely spiritual op'
erations. But with the arrival Of the
late leaders, Commander and Mrs.
Booth. Tucker, in 1895, the latter Of
whom was killed in a railway wreck
at Dean Lake, Mo-, on October 2s,
1903, the social or philanthropie side
Of the movement was brought TO theI