The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08
WITH THOSE WHO LABOR
 IN THE LORDS VINEYARD
BY D. V. FRANCIS

BY D. V.
 New York, January 7.-(Special)-One of the most interesting of the active church workers in New York is Rev. Charles Stelzle, superintendent of the department of Church and Labor of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions MT. Sickle was machinist before he entered the minis tery. In fact, he Is a machinist yet, as he holds working card in the machin- sts union.
 When he first entered the ministry, he took up as his life's work the establishing of closer relations between the church and the working man, whom he knew from experience was drifting away from the church and becoming more and more dominated by irreligious or at least anti church influences. Some years ago he with Rev. Dr. John B. Devins, who had been a newspaper reporter, and a good one. were appointed by the Presbytery of New York delegates to the Central La bor federation. They were the first cler- gymen to sit in a labor organization as representing a church body. Largely through MT. Stelzle's efforts the depart ment of church and labor was formed by the Presbyterian board of home missions and 1t has done big work.
 Some six or eight months ago the board secured the use of an abandoned Presby- terian church on 14th street and End ave- hue and the labor temple was established Here under church influence discussions are held in which labor men are vitally interested, lectures are given and relig- ious exercises are held. The church and organized labor are being brought into touch.
 One of the most remarkable temperance movements of modern times is the catch my-pal movement which has swept over Ireland and is now invading England. Rev. Robert J. Patterson of Armagh, who started the movement tells this in- teresting story of its inception and growth:
 "I was in Armagh eighteen years," he says. "and almost as soon as began my ministry there I was impressed by the magnitude of the drink evil. It bossed the city I am ashamed to say 1t was one of the most drunken towns in Ireland.
 "Well, for years labored for temper ance in the old way, and I soon got a name as temperance crank. I gave the pledge to thousands, but 1t didn't seem much good. In fact, I may as well con- fess, that a while I fairly loathed the sight of a man coming to my manse to take the pledge.
 ''They didn't come because they wanted to stop the drink. They came because they had lost their jobs or had got into mess of some sort. Often the employers told man that if he would go to MT. Patterson and take the pledge he would get his job back. Of course, that kind of man didn't keep 1t long. My efforts proved so fruitless that I began to ask myself if I were really in earnest. Maybe I wasn't in those days.
 "Then came the wonderful thing. On the evening of Tuesday, July 18th 1909, I was going home to my house, and I noticed group of six men leaning against lamp post nearly opposite. One of them-a decent labouring man named John Elliott-left the others and walked on past me as if he didn't intend to speak. Then he stopped and, as I passed said, There's a wheen (few) of fellows, your reverence, that ought to take the pledge
 Heaven must have inspired me at that moment, for 1t flashed across me that here was the chance I had been waiting for.
 Come on, John, my lad said I, and took him by the arm and back we both went.
 John here says you ought to take the pledge, says I, and they agreed that 1t wouldn't be bad thing, but they hung back a bit.
 ".Oh. we couldn't do it tonight, your reverence, said one.
 Don't go so fast there, says l. I wasn't going to ask you to take it tonight, and I wouldn't give 1t to you if you wanted it. I want you all to come k1 Iy.tl x4-t. take it together
 You see, the idea had come to me that if I could get the six of them to take the pledge together would be creating a sort of public opinion that would make each of them ashamed to break 1t.
 After a lot of argument they agreed to come, and I went home and think I never prayed as hard as did between that Tuesday and that Friday On the great night, when I was sitting in my study-waiting very nervously, I'll admit -I heard knock at the door, and ran out, and there was John Elliott with his five men. I can tell you I was glad. I took them in and gave them the pledge that I had devised. This is 1t:
 For God and home and native land hereby promise to abstain from all al- coholic beverages, and to get as many others as I can to do the same
 That last clause Is the secret of 1t all gave those men something to do, and before they left the house I made them all promise to come back the next Fri day night with six more men.
 Well, I had an anxious week, and about S:15 there was a knock and there was John Elliott alone. My heart went down. Your reverence, he asked, what time did you say we were to come?'
 Come at once, John, said and he ran across the road and back he came with eleven men.
 Every man of the lot had caught his pal. Next week there were thrty-two men in my study.
 Some of the biggest backguards and drunkards in the town were there One of them hadn't been sober for twenty years ex, .pt six months that he was in prison. I gave them the pledge, and there and then we founded the Armagh Pro- testant Total Abstinence Union.
 ''When we grew a little bigger we changed the City to County, then we dropped the first two words of the title altogether, and a month ago we had over 130.00O enrolled members. After that we