Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06

N/HEN one meets Stanton H. King, one
~ is impressed by two striking charac-
teristics,-frst, the hearty handclasp that
tells of sincerity; secondly, the CHEEKY, COM
panionabe smile that lights his large, round
countenance. One feels that he has met
friend. 1t is this warmth of spirit that has
enabled Mr.. King, in his duties as superin-
tendent of the Sailors Haven at Charles
town, Massachusetts, to help thousands of
troubled sailormen. And yet Stanton H.
King is convert, one diverted from a bar
rem, wasteful condition of life to the better
path of good and honest endeavor
1t was in 1880 that King, then a lad of
thirteen, decided to follow the lead of an
cestry and go to sea- He left sorrowful
mother in Barbados, and few weeks later
was at Bermuda. Then followed eighteen
years of home neglect, dissipation, and an
utter loss of conscience. Sailor life in those
days was whirl of grog, cursing, and gen.
eral bad conduct. King played the wheel
to the limit.
IN 1890 King, then acting boatswan's mate
on the United States steamer Wabash,
saw the light. The sweet notes of sacred
music proved the needed inspiration. Let
him tell Ct it:
Zone Sunday afternoon some good women
from Charlestown received permission to
hold a Temperance meeting on our ship. |
kept away They brought thoughts of
home. To Danish such thoughts, l became
angry and shouted to my men to work the
pump, and fill our fresh-water tank.
presently a sound, the sweetest in my
life, reached my ears Two young women
ing l no longer desired to fight my better
self | allowed every dear resemblance Of
my mothers face and life to enter my I'M
worthy being. Another time | should have
dreaded my shipmates' ridicule: now |
cared not. l stopped the work.
Il walked aft and sat in front of the sing
ers. Safe in the Arms of Jesus they sang,
and then The Sweet By and By Again
/ was with my mother, telling of my wasted
life. l sobbed as though my heart would
break. | resolved then and there to do bet
ter, and become what my mother would
wish her boy to be-
King chung tight to his good intentions,
and leaving the naval service in 1892 inter-
ested himself in settlement work. He be-
came a member of Evangelist Moodys
famous school, and during vacation periods
volunteered his best efforts to John Allan,
then superintendent of the Sailors Haven.
A year later Allan, approaching Kings good
work, appointed him as his first assistant.
John Allan never regretted the move.
King threw all his virile, painstaking spirit
into the work.
At this time the small building that had
as a serious handicap a corner saloon
proved greatly inadequate to the works
need. Allan and King agreed that first of
all the saloon must go. 1t did! Then they
talked of new and larger haven. Aided
by many wealthy friends of the cause, the
old building was torn down. New quar-
tiers costing $4,000 were started on the
site. In 1905 the present handsome four
stored brick structure was completed.
Under the strain of continued hard work
John Allan took sick, and after a short,
nervy struggle died, before the new haven
was finished. King became superintendent
then, and it is worthy of note that he pro-