Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-13
CAPTAIN II, LEAVE
MARY SWANSON, IN CHARGE OF
LOCAL SALVATION ARMY, GETs
FAREWELL ORDERS
Has Done Much For the Poor Of OF
tumwa During Two Years Service
Army Membership Has Increased
In Membership-Many Conversions.

! From Fridays Daily
Captain Mary Swanson, who for the
past two years has served so faithful
ly and SO efficiently as the head Of the
local Salvation Army, has received her
farewell orders. She has not yet
been informed as to where she will be
stationed, or as to whom her successor
will be.
This information will be given her
when she gets her appointment, but
the farewell orders already received,
mean that the services next Saturday
and Sunday will be the last that she
will lead in this city, for time at
least.
Probably there is no one better
known to the poor people Of Ottum-
wa than Captain Mary Swanson. Also
probably no one knows the poor peo-
pie of this city as well as she. Her
work for the past two years has been
with them and among them, and to
these people to whom her friendship,
| her kindness and her cheerful face
have been most familiar, will this loss
come home with the greatest force.
The work that Captain Swanson has
done in this city is not we'll known to
)iloliy oo DIG 40 7'Cly uAeaoouliAil6 esAAA
the army is not given to publicity. A
few facts showing the progress of the
army under her direction will be not
only Of interest, but probably come as
quite a surprise to many citizens Of
this city.
Increase In Membership.
Two years ago this month, Captain
|
/ succeeding Captain Parker At that
time the army was composed OF ten
members Today 1t has thirty-two and
four new members are to be enrolled
next. Sunday evening. Over 225 con-
versions have been made in the two
years of her leadership nearly all Of
these going into the churches Of the
! city. Many Of these conversions have
been Of the greatest civic value, max
ing good citizens out Of those who
formerly had been of the worst class
of pests to society.
Under her leadership the philan-
thropic work Of the army has been
kept up and increased in its scope.
The Christmas dinner given last
Christmas was the biggest thing Of
that kind ever carried out by the local
army.
1 When Captain Swanson came to OF
] tumwa the army was in debt for some
small amount. This has been paid
and today the army Is completely out
lot debt, Notwithstanding the fact that
i 1t has spent more money than In pre-
i vious years in its work among the
poor.
Within the two years several girls
have been sent to the Salvation Army
refuge homes. Two cadets are prepar-
ing now to go from this post to the
training school in Chicago where they
will prepare for executive positions In
the army corps. These are Miss Ma.
bel Bowman, who resides on Church
street and Joseph Fleming.
Cadet Also Transferred.
When Captain Swanson is trans
i ferred Cadet Reynolds, who has been
stationed here with her for some time
past will also be transferred. Captain
4 Swanson desires that all those who
have been friendly to the army and
have assisted it in Its work and all OF
those whom the army has assisted
would be present at the meetings on
the coming Saturday and Sunday in
order that she may personally bid
them farewell.
4 The services on these two days will
be somewhat in the nature of fare
we'll services and all are cordially in
yited.