River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-04-15

New York.-Gen. William Booth,
founder and commander-in-chief of the
Salvation Army, celebrated his eight
ieth birthday on Saturday, April 10,
and the event was made the occasion
of rejoicing all over the civilized
world. The Army itself held big meet
ings in every city and town where it
is established, and these were partici-
pated m by hundreds of thousands of
other citizens who were glad to do
honor to the distinguished philan-
tropist.
Gen. Booth himself presided over
several monster mass meetings in
London. His advanced age and the
fact that he was operated on recently
for cataract did not deter him from
taking part in the celebrations held by
his devoted soldiers.
University of Humanity Launched.
In America the day was marked
especially by the launching of another
of Gen. Booths original schemes for
social reform in the United States.
At every post of the army was an
nounced the beginning of work to
found a University of Humanity, a
great institute for the training of
workers in social service. The uni
versity will be divided between New
York and Chicago, and it is expected
to begin with fund of 81 ,OOO, 900. The
gathering of this fund is the work
that the army now enters upon in
commemoration of its famous leaders,
completion of his eightieth year.
AS much-needed stone in the great
organizational structure that William
Booth has been building during the
past AZ years, this idea of a school
for the systematic training Of his
workers has been in his mind for sew
eral years. On his last visit to the
United States the general made his
first tentative announcement of the
plan. Since then he has worked out
many of the details and he has Just
consented to the beginning of pre-
liminary work in this country where
the need for trained workers has been
especially great.
Growth of Great System.
1t Is perhaps not generally realized
that the whole intricate modern ma
chinery of civilization for the uplift-
ing of the submerged tenth, the vast
system of charities now so essential
part of modern life, is to a very
large extent an outgrowth of the
Booth idea. He was the first to see
that the unfortunate could best be
reached by those who had suffered as
they had, and that they must be
reached by practical worldly help be-
fore they could be prepared to begin
the cleaner lift. 1t was the Salvation
Army which first made a practical
working success of this now familiar
principle of so-called missionary
work"
This whole plan of campaign for
raising the fallen began on a very
simple scale in the poverty-stricken
and crime-infested East end of Lon
don and under the impetus of William
Booths singular force of mind and
personality and the momentum that it
has gathered with almost miraculous
rspidity it has developed into truly
astonishing organization.
Some of the departments of it's
work are: Prison-gate and Rescue,
Inebriates' homes, Boys and Girls
| homes, Farm colonies, Emigration,
Naval and Military homes, Maternity
homes, nursing, Samaritan brigades,
| hospital and benevolent visitation, po-
lice court work and Indian school
! training.
No other religious organization in
| the worlds history has branched out
| into so many departments of philan-
thopic effort and absorbed them as
part of its religious duties.
Need of Trained Workers.
| The scheme for University Of HUI
mainly grew naturally out of the de-
velopment Of the 20 other depart