The Washington herald., 1909-04-11
Aged Founder of salvation Army.

hideous place called Mile End Waste
where one night the wind and rain tore
liz 10 pieces Not in the least dlsmayed.
William Booth found a place Tor his tat
terdemaIon congregation. frst in a dane
ing saloon. then In an old wood ware
house much beset by hoodlums and hoo
ilcans. where the services were long en-
hvened with sticks. stones. and frecrack-
ers. hurles through the open windows
A. last the young leader HIT upon a mas
;er stroke. He hired a sadly disreputable
theater, and on its stage Une Sunday aft
ernOOn gathered scores OF men and wOn-
En- that had been the worst and most no
toriOus IN the district-men and women
that had been reformed and almost re-
made By his mission. There they sat
former prize fighters drunkartS- thieves.
snd dissclute women. testifying in their
changed appearance as much as in thelr
words 20 the new life they had found
And Mile End road came and wondered
From that time the work Of the mission
thrived and spread amazingly. Workers.
reformed men and women. persons touch
eI with the Booth FIRE of primitive Chris
I tianity. came and offered their help.
Branches were established in other slum
regions. in halls. chapels. or in the
streets the meetings were held AIr- Booth
stood al the head Of all and directed the
campaign 4 revival feryor possessed
the great and neglected East End. The
new movement So based. took on a
name Il was called the Christian Mis-
sion. BY lS8 Il had attained the extent
and power Of a religious sect
Its gradual transformation 10 its pres
eut form and the adoption OF lis present
name are curious incidents in this story.
The Salvation Army was never fore
seen. nor was the name deliberately
I chosen by auy one. but seemed 10 grow
! inevitably upon the organization Con-
trary 10 general belief. the origin of the
name was quite accidental. Mr.. Booth,
debating one day 10 a secretary. used
+ the words. The Christian Mission is a
volunteer army. The secretary wrote
/ the sentence. Mr.. Booth looked over the
paper and with his pen substituted sal
vation'' for volunteer" as the stronger
word When the letter went forth the
/ phrase struck fire among the mission
people They took Il Up. repeated II.
used II. and forced IL into circulation. As
William Booth was the head Of the
movement. they naturally fell into the
way Of calling him the general" The
mission preachers were not ordained min
/ listers. consequently there had never been
an appropriate title for them. now men
began To call them captains and so
I by degrees the movement took on the
lsemblance Of a military system.
Its efficiency as working force u
I owes solely 10 Gen. Booth, So great Is
his faculty Of organizing. handling, and
inspiring men that Field Marshal Lord
I WOlseIey paid TO him the greatest COmpli-
ment he ever bestowed upon any man, and
\ il is said thai the British army has taken
/ lessons in methods OF organization, dis
/ tribution. and control from the Saliva
/ tionists
Through London the new movement
! spread rapidly II was practical IL dealt
with conditions as they are. IL descend
/ Ell TO the everyday needs Of the lowest.
ana always Il was attended with COM
/ nonsense benOvClence-work for the un-
4 employed. shelter for the homeless, sue
+ cor for the starving. rescue stations for
the fallen women. opportunity for the
miserable men Tor every one Of these
noble enterprises the world was indebted
Z 70 the heart and brain OF William Booth.
! He now proceeded 70 send forth his lines
l into other cities. In few years he had
/ all Great Britain dotted with posts Of the
/ Salvation Army. and there was not one
! British slum IN which its soldiers. in
spired with his spirit and directed by his
! genius. were not attacking evil condi-
tions.
i Al FIRST the new movement aroused
( savage opposition in two directions.
Some Of the cnurchmen denounced il as
/ II II were an instrument Of evil instead
o. good Most Of the middle class re-