Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25
Religious Services Followed by
Visits to Homes.
ADVICE AS TO DAILY LIFE
Encouraging Signs Of Success Al
leady Attend the Exertions Of
the Missionary Band.


nounced success. The work has taken
form in seven different alleys where
conditions of the home and daily life
of the people make for everything which
is not acceptable in the District OF
Columbia.
I'VE are beginning in a small way"
said one of the workers in speaking
of the movement, land we expect TO
continue in a small way, as we believe
that is the only manner in which these
people can be actually reached. Per-
sonal visits. Individual help and sugges-
ton appeal to them most. They have
received us cordially, and / can not but
believe that in time we will be able to
accomplish great deal. not only from
sociological. but a Christian standpoint"
The work is being undertaken by
small number of men and women com
posing the Poor Saints Band OF the
Shiloh Bantist Church. L street near
10th, of which Rev. DR.. j. Milton Wald-
ron is the pastor. The members or the
band, with the necessary District per-
mits, hold open-air meetings Monday.
Tuesday and Friday nights for about
an hour each, and for the same length
of time Sunday afternoons. The alleys
So far visited are Shows court. Hughes
court, Government alley, Blagden's alley.
Chester court. Douglas alley and Barry
court. The meetings began last Sunday
afternoon and were held simultaneously
in each of the alleys.
The Procedure Followed.
Four or five of the workers on the
night service make their way into the
alleys equipped with a Bible and num-
Der Of church hymnals. Gathering eight
or ten of the alley population about
them they begin the service. which con-
sists of several hymns. an impromptu
and eart-to-heart talk by several Of the
workers and one or two prayers The
group of auditors attracts the attention
of the other denizens of the alley, and
b. the time the service has been under
way ten minutes the congregation num-
bers anywhere from 80 to 100 men and
women. boys and girls, to say nothing
of the overflow Of young children.
The services do not last usually more
than three-quarters Of an hour and are
followed in turn by calls at the alley
homes by the workers. On these visits
the families are led into general CONVEX
sation regarding their religious and do
mestic life. Suggestions are made and
advice Is given, and through this medium
OF a general conversation the cleanliness
Of the home, the evil effects Of intoxi-
cants, the care of children and babies.
their education and training, sanitary
methods and the religious obligations of
the home are touched upon. The topics
cover a wide range and are usually
chosen from the result of observation.
If the workers happen to visit a desti-
tute home where there is sickness or pow
erty because of inability or incapacity to
obtain or to do work, collection Is taken
up in the alley at the next open air meet
ing and the proceeds are either turned
over in lump sum to the deserving per-
sons or used for buying medicine, food
or paying the rent These collections SO
far have been taken about four times in
as many different alleys, and the amounts
realized-the actual contributions Of the
alley populations-have ranged from a
little over a dollar to as much as two
dollars and a half This sum is usually
doubled or trebled by the workers them
selves.
DR.. Waldron Hopeful.
Il have great hopes for the success of
the movement" said Rev. DIR. Waldron.
under whose guidance the work was be-
gun, land the good which will result I
believe will be of a substantial and last
ing nature. After the work is well under
way. ] hope. through the kind offices of
some one-the work, you know. is not
heavily financed--to be able to establish
day nurseries in every group OF alleys
where we are working With such nur-
series We can take care of the children.
keep them off the streets. prevent their
beins. locked up in the houses. which is
often the case, or protect them from
evil influences from the time their parents
go to work in the morning until they re-
turn at night. There will be crying
need for such institutions, no matter on
how small d scale they are established"
When asked what led UP to general
missionary work in the alleys, Rev. DIR.
Waldron said:
About two years and half ago this
alley movement was started in small
way by members of the Poor Saints
Band, with the children of the alleys
as the objective point. The workers went
into these places and gradually succeeded
in establishing Sunday schools. We held
some meetings in the best front rooms
of an alley house donated by the owners
of the home, and for others we were COM
PEELED to rent room. The children be-
gan to gather and work and benefit from
contact with the workers This was
made evident by their improved personal
habits, their devotion to their religious
duties and in numerous other ways
Eventually We reached that point
where we thought it would be advisable
to come in closer contact with the moth
ers; and for a long time our work had
In view this object, as well as the chill
dren. 1t was the firm impression we
made on the hearts of the children and
many of the mothers which led UP di-
rectly to the work we instituted last
Sunday.
Organizations Formed.
I'm the Sunday schools and among the
mothers We have organized sewing
schools, temperance societies. mothers
meetings, singing classes. and what not.
And l may add that great deal of our
work has been devoted to temperance
teachings. because we have discovered
that continued drinking has been re-
sponsible for more than four-tifths of
the unhappiness and misery we find. In
fact, were il not for the intemperance
of many of the men and women of these
Washington alleys the work of benefit
ing them through Christian Influences
would be vastly simplfied.
Though find great deal of misery
ignorance and vice among the alley neg
roes we have also found that many OF
them have hearts as true as gold, and
waiting only for the chance to be guided
TO better and nobler and purer lives
When there are many discouraging fea-
lures in the work this is one of the bright
est for future hopes of success"
Through the medium of the Poor Saints
Band II is possible for the babies born
in the alleys to have sterilized milk, ice
ana other necessities at minimum price,
and the mothers are urged to take adj
vice of professional character in the
care of their offspring. In addition to
the varied character OF the work in the
alleys, the Poor Saints Band has been
the donor or Testaments. Bibles, prayer
books, tracts on sanitation, care of chill
dren, the care of person and parental
duties among the alleys where they labor
The work of the band is under the
personal direction Of Mrs. Pocahontas
Donoho. who has the following assist
ants. Mrs Mary Slauphter NrS ~