Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-19

al service lead by Mrs. W. A. Lovett
of Rock Island opened the convention.
The greeting of the president followed
and was brief but cordial. Committees
were appointed on enrolment, and the
minutes of the meeting held at the
camp grounds, Aug. %. 1904. when the
| district association was organized
were read. The convention then pro
ceeded with the regular program ar
| ranged.
Home Mission Work.
| Miss Alice DunmiTe. of Kewanee.
read a paper on Home Mission work.
| giving a summary of the work of the
society in all parts of the United
| States and in Cuba and Alaska. The
work in the southern states was taken
| up TO some length, and throughout the
| entire convention this feature of the
work received considerable attention.
Miss Dunmire told of the thousands
who attend the seven industrial
schools of the south. and of the needs
| in that field. The work in the Mormon
districts was classified as the hardest
Of any field in which the Home Mis-
sionary society has workers. There
are 10 centers of work. and u mission
aries controlled by the society in Utah.
An interesting feature was a descrip-
ton OF the work among the Spanish
speaking people of New Mexico and
Arizona
Porto RicO's Needs.
The needs of the sOcety'S work in
Porto Rico was wildly pointed out
and the statement made that no less
than 80 per cent of the people are il
Legitimate. and the morals of the cOun-
try correspondingly low. The work of
the society among the Indians and in
Alaska were briefly mentioned. Immi-
grant work was urged as among the
important features, as was the indus
trial homes in Chicago and New York.
The oriental work. in San Francisco
was described OF the Chinese and
Japanese people of that city only a
very small portion have become Chris
tians, and the society is making a
great effort TO increase the scope of
the work in that line. Deaconess'
homes and the young peoples work
were briefly mentioned in closing.
A vocal solo by Miss Sara Tunni
cliffe. of Moline. was the musical feat
ure of the afternoon.
The description of the Industrial
school work at BOaZ, Ala, by Mrs. Sue
Bridgeford. OF Millersburg, was of par
ticular interest. Mr.. and Mrs. Bridge
ford spent nearly a month last winter
investigating and the description was
filled with interesting anecdotes of
their travels The home. which was
but recently erected. is known as the
Rebecca McCmsky industrial school. |
The intense desire of the young color
ed people for education at these
schools was described, and the needs |
of the work enumerated.
Owing to a sudden Gail to Chicago, |
where her daughter is seriously i'll, |
Mrs. Mary e EdmonsOn. of Orion, was
not present at the convention. Her
paper on THE Possibilities of the Mite |
Box" was read by Mrs. Louie Baxter,
of Aledo 1t treated the subject thor
oughly. and was instructive TO those
interested in this phase of home mis-
sionary work.
The department of literature. and |
the need of proper advertising of the
works of the society and the need of
assistance, was brought out by Mrs.
c. c. Pinkerton, of Rock Island, i'll
her talk on this subject.
The closing address of the afternoon
was made by Mrs Mary Haney Ioder,
of Milan. She spoke on the Rest hall
of New York, and of the deacOness'
training work at the three national
schools of the society, and in the var
ious state schools. The Rest hall in
New York is the most famous of these
institutions. the other national schools
being at Kansas City, Kans., and at
San Francisco, Cal