Lower coast gazette., 1909-04-17
POINTE-ALAIACHE, la, SATURDAY, APRIL II, 1909.

owe the world every year, controlling
the destinies of his more than 1'Ool
corps of Salvation soldiery with he'll
$4,000 commissioned officers, distriDn
ted among every civilized country
preaching constantly to vast audiences
and doing an amount of literary "orh
that would be a facer to many d
professional author with no other oc'
cupation.
William Booth was born on April
10, 1929, in Nottingham, England ana
was trained for the Methodist MINIS
try which he entered and became IL
of the strongest ev~angelistic forces III
that church. He grew dissatlsheo'
however, at reaching only those WIN
some religious training and cohVlc'
ton. He felt that there were tnous,
ands whose need was far greater anu
he gravitated to the East end OF hon'
don where wretchedness OF all Kinus
was the rule.
In a disused burial ground on Mile
End road he pitched an old tent ana
the first Salvationist meeting was
held in that tent in 1861. The merry
%eloquence of the earnest young
preacher caught the attention OF a
crowd of poor Whitechapelers n pc
fore that first meeting was over he
had made several conversions, a per
Torrance that he has been repeating
throughout the world for II years
How He Started the Army.
This first meeting resulted In the
formation of the Christian mission
from which it was the evangellsts
custom to send his converts to the ex'
listing churches of the locality, Dut
finding that they were not welcomed
and were in danger Of slipping BACK
from sheer want of comradeship and
oversight, he set about forming SO
cieties of the converted. These ne
found to be a potent agency for bring
ing in more, as the needless East
ender could be impressed by the
words of a former pal" when ne
would not listen to a minister. sc
was created the central idea OF the
Salvation Army.
The need of organization become:
apparent, but several methods were
tried with little success before Gen
Booth hit upon the military idea ant
named his organization the Salvation
Army. From that time on the move
ment grew amazingly and 1t has con
tinued to grow without ceasing tt
this day.
Spread Over the World.
The movement began spreading II
other countries Of the world In 1873:
when it first reached the Unite'
States through the influence Of a silk
weaver who had emigrated from Gov
entry, England, bringing with him tn
Salvation Army idea and a strong de
sire to continue in the work.
reached Australia in the same yea
through a milk dealer from Stepney
and O afterwards the first CANADIAN
corps was organized In a simila
J fashion.
Five years later, in 1886, the gen
eral made the first of many visits t
, the American branches Of the arm,
and he has seer them grow from
, few small corps into a veritable arm
. of tremendous influence and unsul
passed efficiency. His first grea
world.tour was made in 1891, when h
visited South Africa, Australia an
t India. Since then he has visited tn
: United States, Canada, Australia, Ne,
Zealand and India four times, Sout
Africa twice and Japan and the Hol
Land each once.
During all these travels the actus
executive responsibility for the go1
eminent of the army has never bee
lifted from his shoulders. Even o
. shipboard he is an indefatigable worl
er. planning and writing through th
! days.
Gen. Booth Honored.
8 One of the most remarkable Of tn
many tributes paid to the general b
the great of the world was that Of tn
s mikado of Japan during the visit I
that country. The mikado PERSONAL
received the general with gre.
warmth and he was accorded remarl
t able ovations in Yokohama, Toky
Sendai and Kyoto, a circumstance
d strange import when it is realize
that Japan is not a Christian countr,
Another interesting distinction give
n Gen. Booth was the comforting on hi
of the degree Of doctor Of civil law
oxford university. The significant
y Of this honor will be better unde
l. stood when it is stated those who r
70 ceiyed university honors with him
y the time were Prince Arthur Of Co
" naught, the prime minister Of En-
e. land. the lord chancellor, the speake
a Sir E. Grey, the archbishop
e. Armagh, Sir Evelyn Wood, the Anne
e can ambassador, Mark Twain al
o. Rudyard Kipling.
a. Az a writer Gen. Booth is remar
y able, both as a stylist, as a think
10 and as a producer. He has written
Is all q volumes, besides innumerat
'e articles for the army publication
" His best known book Is I'm Darke
le England and the Way Out" In viii
II be outlined his scheme for social
form by means Of colonization. 1T
Training of Children" Love, Nj
rage and the Home" and his boo
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