The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-26

the heart of the most fOrlorn and saw
age region on this earth-Whitechape
There at his own initiative and on his
own faith, he established his own mis-
sion, preaching with open arms and
overlooking heart to the lowest of all
human creatures, a rotten old tent for
church, a box for a pulpit, himself
and his wife for the church organiza-
tion-preached there burning words to
growing crowds. After a time he
moved the tent farther east in the slum
region to a place called (not inappro-
priately) Mile End Waste, where he
labored on until the winds and the
rains tore his old tent to pieces. Not
in the least dismayed, he secured a
place that was used on week nights
as a dancing saloon. This proving
too small, he moved to an old wool
warehouse, through the gaping win
dows of which the rowdy boys were
wont to throw sticks, stones and even
lighted firecrackers upon the heads of
the worshipers. Yet the crowd stead
lily increased. After a time William
Booth made a bold stroke. He hired
for Sunday a most disreputable the
ater and on the stage he massed scores
of men and women that had been no
torious as the toughest persons in the
district and were now converted
thieves, DULLES, prizefighters, and worse
and before this indubitable object
lesson Mile End road surrendered.
Here were "Bill the Bruiser'' and
Maggie Moll'' turned into decent and
penitent citizens, and before such Won
ders the road was very still.
The news of William Booths success
spread all through the east end and
farther. Branches of the mission
sprang up. Converted and remade men
became efficient mission workers. The
aters, halls, tents, were pressed into
use. The mission in Mile End Waste
became the center of a new movement,
undenominational. earnest, vigorous,
restless and directed most toward the
help of the least fortunate. A rich
man offered $4,000 to build a hall on
conditions that would limit Mr.. Booths
freedom of speech and action. Booth
declined and fought on in his own
way. In a few years the number of
missions and of workers had grown so
great that he summoned a conference
of his fellow evangelists. In effect and
without his volition he had practically
founded a new movement in religion
and one SO great and so rapidly grow
ing that no man could foresee where
it would cease, for it was Throughout
animated with the exalted fire and alb
solute devotion of the founder, which
was a faith able to remove mountains.
In January, 1877, the movement had
reached a point where a definite polity
and a new organization of wider scope
were required, and the end of that
year saw the founding of the Saliva
ton Army.
Most of us have a vague notion that
the Salvation Army was deliberately
planned to utilize the glamour that mill
tarism and soldierly trappings have for
the English populace. As a matter of
fact, the army was of accidental ORR
gin, and its militant aspects, titles, or
eanization and methods have grown
upon it without provision or design. The
adoption of the name came about in a
curiousIy unprecedented way. AS the
head of the new movement Mr.. Booth
had many cares and was obliged to
hire secretaries. One day he was
walking up and down his study, dictat-
ing, when he used these words:
1.-The Christian mission is a volun
teer army
He paused in his dictation and look