The Cairo bulletin., 1907-02-17

Present Home OF the Seamen's Church
institute.
the steamboat. lived for many years.
and where he died. Ii was kept as no
memorial to him. however, and was,
all in ALL as forlorn rookery as
could be found in the lower city. In
the basement was a saloon where mer
of the sea We're freely robbed II was
situated there because 1t was only
next door to the shipping Office OF the
British consulate, where the crews OF
vessels We're paid OFF, and il was only
a fight of steps down into oblivion
The reading-room and headquarters
established on what had once been the
parlor floor did not find the saloon a
congenial neighbor. The result was
that the chaplain won. The beer
pumps We're taken out and the bottles
were packed up and the institute took
possession
One of the strongest allies 1t found
was the British consulate. The Brit
ish shipping office, at No, State
street, was surrounded on pay day by
crimps and others of that ilk who
were winning riches by preyng upon
the sailors. In the old days there
were cases reported where the sailor
was separated from his money before
he had descended the street. The
chaplain proposed that the consulate
give room in one corner Of the ship.
ping Office for a bank He opened a
booth there where clerk received
such portions of the wages OF sailors
as t5ay we're willing to leave.
~ was intimated that relatively
sma'1 part of the six or eight months
earnings which some of them had ac-
cumulatod was sufficient for taking
day view Of the city of New York.
The sailors agreed with The idea and
formed the habit OF leaving their
money. all but a few dollars, with the
new banker. They returned in day
or so Just as we'll satisfied.
The Battery station its quarters. II
expanded both downward and upward
The seamen realized that tsc chap
lain was their friend, He had come
10 the institute from theological
seminary, and having a natural bent
toward executive work he began his
labors at the institute with enthusi
asm. The sailors wanted a place to
leave their baggage. TO call for their
mail, and to write their letters. All
these facilities were provided as rap.
idly as the demand arose. In the
place OF The saloon was established a
coffee bar where hot drinks and sand
wlches and light luncheon were
served. The space which once con
famed whiskey barrels and beer kegs
was converted into a baggage repos.
TORY The back room of the saloon
became a post office.
Other floors of the four story and
basement building were taken one by
one, and then the conquest OF No .
State street began. Archways were
cut through and the two houses
merged into practically one building
Some idea Of the increase Of the
work, OF the institute may be gath
cred from the fact that its deposits
Of sailors savings have increased
from $500 The first wear TO s1l9.-
I72.6f. according TO the last annual
-h
placed 2,ll7 men on 80 sailing vessels
and 81 steamships Some Of the
leading steamship lines in the world
depend on the organization for their
crews Among them are the Union
Castle. Hogan. Tyscr. Clan Bristol
City. Booth. Hindustance and Saint
lines
u was the work done bv the Church
institute which aroused the intorest
OF men OF wealth in the possibility Of
making life tolcrable for the sailors
OF this port When The subject Of
building n large hotel for them which |
should carry the work begun in the I
Robert Fulton house 10 the highest
degree Of efficiency possible the appeal |
for funds met a ready response.
It's new building is 10 be erected At
he corner Of South street and Coen-
ties slip II will occupy space 90 |
br 80 feet and will tower ten stories
above the street level An the exper- 4
imcnis which have been SO success /
fully tried I'm the State street houses
wiH be utilized on a larger scale in
the new structure.