The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-03

Christian Workers Mission Has Been 7ieless in It's
Efforts Among Transient and Slm Population About
South Washington Avenue and Bridge Square
port or Money Has Never Been Solicited

For eighteen years the Christian
Workers mission, 20 Washington ave.
nue. s, has labored among the transient
and slum population about Washing
ton avenue S and Bridge Square. The
mission was formed Oct. 2, 1887, and
rented the hall which it has occupied
ever since. The new movement was
entirely without financial backing and
adopted resolution strange in the an
nails OF mission work-that it would
not solicit support or money, but rely
entirely upon voluntary contributions.
For eighteen years the mission has
stood, at times seemingly overwhelmed
with debt, but never quite going under.
Thru the darkest hours of it's poverty
William A. Petran, it's general direc-
tor, and his associates have adhered to
their resolution not to solicit money,
and at every crisis support has come,
often from some unexpected source.
There has been no attempt to force
the development of the mission or to
make any extensions or engagements
except as the money was already on
hand.
This" to quote from report pub
lished in the darkest days Of the mis-
sion, "alloWs the work to expand only
as fast as God wants it to, and does
away with man g ambition to do great
things that God has nothing to do with,
which emanate from the fesh.''
No Salaried Officers.
The mission employs no salaried Of
Ulcers, all the work being done by
volunteers. 1t labors under the auspi.
ces of no denomination, but is auxiliary
to all the evangelical churches and
urges it's converts to ally themselves
with whatever church organization
most appeals to them. Meetings are
held in the hall every noon and night
visitations are made at the Jail, lock:
up, workhouse, hospitals, soldiers
home and from house to house; open
air meetings are held on the streets
and at the state fair; men are shel.
tered thru the cold winter nights and
tracts are freely distributed.
To carry on this work the mission
maintains, with it's hall, free read.
ing room and tract depository, where
are complete line Of tracts in Eng
ish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Pol.
ish and Bohemian. Besides carrying
a large stock of tracts from every re.
igious publishing house, the mission
now prints tracts Of it's own. The COS:
pei wagon, which is a familiar sight
in the downtown streets, was purchased
after years Of patient saving and has
proved valuable adjunct to the work
Of the mission. When questioned in
regard to the results obtained by the
long years of work Mr.. Petran said:
"We can never know just what we
have done until the final account is
made up on the judgment day. We
simply SOW the seed. Some Of it springs
up in our sight and more bears fruit
elsewhere. The men who come to our
meetings are largely transients, here
for a night and then they pass out of
our sight"
Remarkable Conversions.
While the workers at the mission
probably never see one-fourth of the
work they do, the record of CONVEX
sions is long and interesting one.
Perhaps the most notable convert is
John Callahan, the great prison evan
gellst, who first came under the influ-
ence of the workers while he was a
prisoner in the Hennepin county Jail.
When he was released he came to one
Of the mission meetings and was there
converted. His record since then is
too well known to need recounting. One
man who afterwards became q useful
Christian citizen entered the hall IN
the preliminary stage Of delirium ire
mems and attempted to- throw himself
from "a window at the rear. Mr.. Pc
tran restrained him after a desperate
struggle. Shortly after stealing an
overcoat from secondhand dealer at
Waseca man came to one Of the
meetings. He was deeply impressed
and asked for prayers. Thru the mis-
sion he obtained work and earned the
money to pay for the. coat. He was
not content with sending the money,
but went himself and paid it to the
astonished dealer.
His Last Drink.
Perhaps the most picturesque of the
long series of incidents related by Mr..