Arizona republican., 1909-11-29
MEMORIAL SERVICE
 LARGELY ATTENDED
ORIGIN OF THE PHILANTHROPY WORK OF CHARLES N.
 cRITTENTON
est of Its Liberal Maintenance

Elks' theater yesterday afternoon to
 participate in the service arranged in
 memory of the late Charles N. Crit
 tenton and to manifest in a substantial
 way its appreciation of his great work
 in the rescue of friendless women and
 girls. by adding it's influence in per
 petuating that work. The service was
 enlightening to many as 10 the char
 acter of the man and his work and
 productive of much enthusiasm for its
 future support.
 After the singing of America, an in
 vocation by Rev. l.. Williams and the
 introduction to the audience of Gov
 ernor R. F.. Sloan as the chairman of
 the meeting, by II. c. Yaeger. the pres
 ident Of the Crittenton home board.
 Mrs F. NJ Cole was introduced to
 present a biographical sketch of the
 late Charles \. Crttenton. Though
 she spoke from notes in which his
 torical facts were chronologically ar
 ranged. her address was eNtempo-
 raneOus and consisted largely in a re-
 cital of the life work of Mir. Critten-
 ton as she had come to know 1t by
 their mutual laboTs in the same field
 for many years. by facts she had ac-
 quired in her visits east, by core
 spOndence with him and by familiar
 ity that has resulted from long
 study of his work and the good il has done in the world. Her testimonial
 was that of a personal and sincere
 friend. one who mourns his death.
 more deeply perhaps than any other
 in this vicinity, unless perchance it be
 .fs
 from lives of despair through the agency of the homes founded by MT.
 Crittenton.
 Mir. Crittenton was born in Steuben county. New York, where his name now is honored and respected by the entire community as one of those whose life work il is an honor 10 be as- sociated with. In early manhood he went to New York city and for a time taught music. Later he found work in the daytime as drug sales man. pursuing his music classes at night. Still later he entered the drug business on his own account. and by the closest application to business be- came a millionaire. In the meantime he had married and several children had blessed the union. all save one daughter Florence. being taken from them in their childhood. After his for tune was acquired. Florence was stricken with scarlet fever while her father was in Chicago on a business trip. He returned hastily and watched by her bedside until the end. He was inconsolable at his bereavement and often visited the family plot where his daughter had been laid. On one of these occasions he was more than ever convinced that his life work should be consecrated to some cause more laud able than mere money making. and in memory of his daughter. having faith that only by such course could he hope to be reunited after death 1 Though he had been for years a con sistent member of the church, his 1 worship was but formal, his interest i inactive.
 I.aboring under conviction he enter ed St. Johns M. E. church during a 1 business mems monday prayer meet | ing. gave his testimony and declara- | tion to devote his remaining years to l some higher purpose At its conclusion | he was approached by an elderly man who had been conducting mission work | in the slums and who asked him to ac company him. He did so and there | found many unfortunate women liv | ing in squalor and under conditions | that made a hope of higher life i'm possible. Questioning them as to why | they did not change their surroundings they told him there was no change possible for them except to Black wells island or paupers' graves. Wo- men Of that sort had no resources and no friends to extend help. Under | these circumstances his mind reverted f to his own dead daughter. and the thought of the possibility of her being II similarly situated, had she lived. prompted him then and there to move II for the establishment of the mother" mission of what has grown to be | chain of rescue homes all over the country. Mrs. Cole said that on | visit tO New York she had visited the II mother mission, which had grown from a single compartment to a large block, appointed. and there she found seated at a pipe organ one of the women who had been reclaimed, while the chorister was a reformed man who had once led a wild and dissipated life.
 Then came the great crisis in MT. Crittenton's career. His work had Il brought him a notoriety that was dis quieting to his wife, to whom he was devoted. She pleaded with him to give it up and he was prompted to do so. but the more he considered the mat ter and prayed over it the more his Il duty seemed to call him. even though as his wife said. people were calling him insane and foolish. But soon thereafter Mrs. Crittenton felt the same conviction her husband did and ever thereafter was his faithful sup porter and aid in all things. and in time they came to be recognized as philanthropists instead of crazy peo- pie
 Mrs Cole paid high tribute to MT. Crittenton. personally regarding him as more nearly pattern of the Master than anyone she had known. Ills per sonal interest in each home and each inmate was sincere and never forgot ten. On one occasion when she wrote him that she feared it would be neces- sary to close the doors of the Phoenix