Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-01-25
MISSION REFORMS MAN;
WAS HORRIBLE EXAMPLE
TELLS WHAT CONVERSION DID
FOR HIM
Ex-Drue Victims Career Affords In
sight Into Workings of EvanseIists
in Districts Which Most Congre.
cations Do Not Reach

Tom Anderson, by the strong reso-
luton of an awakened conscience, by
the work of Union Rescue mission, and
by the grace of God is a new man to-
day.
Friends of the mission like to point
to Anderson's case as an example of
the power for civic good that under
lies these missions which exist in the
unchurched districts.
Anderson, reclaimed from a checkered
career, tells his own life story as an
example to discouraged manhood. He
says:
Il don't mind telling you that I
could sponge S. a day from the people
now if l chose, but l have lost the
DESIRE
He was talking earnestly to some
men, sadly in need of a kind word, at
the Union Rescue mission. las North
Nam street. He paused to tell his
story for the little group. Continuing:
1T Is only for the good of others
who have led lives like mine that 1
expose my actions.
Il am a Los Angeles boy only &c
years old, but I have been we'll posted
III Juggling and other easy ways of
making a living in this country, Eng
land and Scotland. l started out for
myself when IA years old and have
been street Vender. / could turn a
hand at anything and make money. /
nave made up myself as a pitiful beg
gar-pitiful because of my misfor-
tunes brought on mostly by my own
folly. In my wanderings 1 have al
ways had plenty of money for all my
wants, for have been trickster near
| ly all my life.
But one of the bad features of my
life was the use of strong opiates /
| took them to cause lively sensations.
but at last they failed to produce them
and their reactions were terrible My
blood became thin and in awful con-
| diton. 1t was at one Of my bad spells
when / wandered into the Union Rescue
mission about three months ago cold
and shivering, to get warm-just think
of 1t, when 1t was so warm to others
in good health!
| "Oh! of all the horrors that came
over me before going into that mission!
had about decided to take my own
| life, as it seemed to me that 1 was a
wreck and no good to myself or any
one else. L felt that had not a friend
on earth except my devoted mother
Everything was dark and gloomy Ia
me when 1 shuffled myself into the
mission room, as it seemed to be my
| only place of welcome And ii is the
helping hands and loving hearts at this
mission that led me to be freed from
my terrible state of dependency!
II shall never forget the second night
that | went into the mission, when AS
sistant Superintendent Greene asked
those who were deep in sin to go for.
ward for prayers. I felt that there
might be show for me to be a better
man so that 1 might not kill myself to
be out of my misery. So 1 went for
ward and fell upon my knees, terrible
wreck of humanity.
But in two minutes time after ]
gave up everything felt a strange anG
glorious change. 1t seemed to me thai
some great power had come over ms
and that it was the beginning of g
purified life and body. The change wa.
so sudden it was a great surprise t.
me. / went away from the mission
praising God and the blood in my vein,
seemed to take new start to help m,
in body and mind for better things.
"And I'm a new man ever since"