The Mena weekly star., 1909-04-15
4 REMARKABLE MAN !.
GEN. WILLIAM BOOTH, FOUNDER oE SALVATION ARMY, IS
 30 YEARS OLD.
ALL LAsDi CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY
A Movement to Establish University of Humanity Launched As Mark of the Day in America-A Fund of $5,c0o,ooo to Be Raised for the Work.

Chicago, H., Apr 11.-Gen. William Booth, the founder and commander-in- chief of the Salvation Army, is so years old and the anniversary of hls birth is being celebrated in every place on earth where there is even single member of the army. .n all the larger cities there are great public gatherings attended by men and women in all walks of life, for not only is the Salvation Army paying this tribute to its general, but the people generally are doing honor to a truly great man who already is ac- knowledged to be one of the worlds great philanthropists.
 Salyationists from all over Europe have Hooked to London, where sev- eral monster mass meetings were planned. Over some of these meet. ings Gen. Booth promised to preside, despite his advanced age and the fact that not long ago he was operated on for cataract.
 New Reform Scheme.
 l In America the day was marked especially by the launching of another of Gen. Booths original schemes Tor 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, great institution for the training Of workers in social service. The uni versity will be divided between New York and Chicago, and fl is expected to begin with a fund of sl,000,000. The | gathering of this fund is the work that the army now enters upon m commemoration of it's famous leaders completion of his SOth year.
 As much-needed stone in the great organizational structure that William Booth has been building during the past 47 years, this idea of school for the systematic training of ms workers has been in his mind Tor ses- eral years. On his last visit to the limited States the general made ms first tentative announcement or the nlan Since then he has worked ost many of the details and he has just consented to the beginning Of pre- Iiminary work in this country where the need for trained workers has been especially great.
 Still Vigorous at Eighty.
 At 80 years of age me heau ol 'ne Salvation Army, after more than hali . century of almost unceasing actiVlty' ,s as vigorous and untiring as at any time in his career. The inexhausuDie vitality and intellectual and physicai activity of his social reformer, philan- ,hronist preacher, author and traveier ara marvellous. At fourseore ne IS travelling many thousands oi miies over inc world every year, controiilns .ha aastjnies of his more than aVoV corns of Salvation soldiery with tneir 1S mo commissioned officers, dlstripu- .ad among every civilized country,
 raach,ng constantly to vast audiences ard doing an amount of literary worK .hat would be a factor to many pro ,ass,onal author with no other occu- patton.
 Sketch of His Career <.
 William Booth was born on Apii. 10. 1929, in Nottingham hhsianu' anu vas trained for the Methodist minis trv which he entered and became one of inc strongest evangelistie forces
 in that church. He grew dlssatisheu' 'a, however n at reaching only those ~lln
 some relisisus tFaiAinS aAa c7ii'A.
 lion. He felt that there were tlo",
 ,ands whose need was Tar grealsi -1u oe grayltated to the East ena oi Loa. s. son where wretchedness of aii K nus
 was the rule. , oa Mile
 Tn dIsused burial ground on Mlis end road he pitched an old tenl anu anu she first salyationist meeting s,' ~aS aeld in that tent in 1861. lhe nea .,, 7 2. as'u a,oonence , of the earnest yoans $ reacher caught the attention oi z ,rowd of poor Whitechapelers anu Vs a fore that first meeting was over nar ne oaS so made several conversions per