The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-04-16

| the destinies of his more than 1000
corps of Salvation soldiery with thei'
$4,000 commissioned officers, distribu
ted among every civilized country
preaching constantly to vast audiences
and doing an amount of literary worn
that would be facer to many q
professional author with no other oc
cupation.
William Booth was born on April
10, 1929, in Nottingham, England. and
was trained for the Methodist minis
try which he entered and became one
of the strongest evangelistic forces in
that church. He grew dissatisfied
however, at reaching only those with
some religious training and convlc-
ton. He felt that there were thous-
ands whose need was far greater ana
he gravitated to the East end OF Lon
don where wretchedness of all KINDS
was the rule.
In disused burial ground on Mile
End road he pitched an old tent and
the first Salvationist meeting was
held in that tent in 1861. The fiery
eloquence of the earnest young
preacher caught the attention OF a
crowd of poor Whitechapelers and be-
fore that first meeting was over he
Torrance that he mas been repeating
throughout the world for AZ years.
How He Started the Army.
This first meeting resulted in the
formation of the Christian mission.
from which 1t was the evangelists
custom to send his converts to the ex-
listing churches of the locality, but
finding that they were not welcomed
and We're in danger of slipping back
from sheer want of comradeship and
oversight, he set about forming So
cieties of the converted These he
found to be potent agency for bring
ing in more, as the needless East
ender could be impressed by the
words of former pal" when he
would not listen to a minister So
was created the central idea of the
Salvation Army.
The need of organization becomes
but several methods were
tried with little success before Gen
Booth hit upon the military idea and
named his organization the Salvation
Army From that time on the move
nent grew amazingly and it has con
inued| to grow without ceasng to
his day
Spread Over the World.
The movement began spreading to
,ther countries of the world in 1881
when it first reached the United
states through the influence of a silk
weaver who had emigrated from Gov
ntfy, England, bringing with him the
salvation Army idea and a strong de.
ire to continue in the work 1t
cached Australia in the same year
through a milk dealer from Stepney.
nd soon afterwards the first Canadian
orps was organized in similar
ashton.
Five years later. in 1886. the gen
raj made the first of many visits to
he American branches of the army
nd he has seen them grow from |
ew small corps into veritabIe army |
f tremendous influence and unsur- |
assed efficiency. His first great /
was made in 1891, when he |
listed South Africa, Australia and !
ldia. Since then he has visited the |
nited States, Canada, Australia, New
ealand and India four times, South
frica twice and Japan and the Holy
and each once.
During all these travels the actual
recutive responsibility for the gov
-nment of the army has never been
fled frcm his shoulders Even on
lipboard he is an interchangeable work
=. planning and writing through the
avs.
Gen. Booth Honored.
One of the most remarkable of the
any tributes paid to the general by
Ie great of the world was that of the
ikado of Japan during the visit to
at country. The mikado personally
,ceived the general with great
armth and he was accorded remark
de ovations in Yokohama. Tokyo.
endai and Kyoto, a circumstance Of
range import when it is realized !
at Japan is not Christian country
Another interesting distinction given
IN. Booth was the comforting on him
the degree of doctor of civil law by
xford university. The significance
this honor will be better under.
God when it is stated those who re-
lived university honors with him at
e time were Prince Arthur of Con-
lught, the prime minister of Eng
nd. the lord chancellor, the speaker,
r L. Grey, the archbishop of
rmagh. Sir Evelyn Wood. the Ameri-
IN ambassador, Mark Twain and
udyard Kipling.
As a writer Gen. Booth is remark
lie. both as a stylist, as a thinker
I'd as a producer He has written in
OF ,,o1uppc haCidpS innumarab la |