The Washington herald., 1914-11-15
Organized IN Ohio IN 1873.
Ii Has Made It's Influence
Felt IN All Stratas Of Socie-
ty and Is Now a Powerful
Oreanizaticn.

what is the woman's. Christian Tenn
peranes Unionl
Il is an orsahisation OF eonsecrated,
Christian women banded together TO pro-
teet the homes Of the world from the
liquor tranic and kindred evils
Some one has said THAT the W. c. 7.
U. is the angel that stands at the door
of every home 10 protect the child"
origin Of the w. @. t. U.
II was in the quiet pretty little Ohio
town Of Hillsboro. that the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union was born
This was two days before Christmas Of
1873 when the woman's crusade against
the bar-room and saloon lFas started.
The next day the crusade had spread to
Washington Court House. and for fifty
days the whole country kept interested
eyes on the women as they carried the
crusade over Ohio and seven neighboring
States.
In Cleveland, November s, 1874. the
powerful organization known all over the
world as the wv. @. 7. o." whose mem
bers are recognized everywhere by the
tiny knot Of white ribbon. was formally
christeneds
When only seventeen years old the W.
c. 7. U. covered the globe.
In Washington, D. G., the women at
first shrunk from the publicity OF the
crusade work, but were sufficiently in
terested to come together at the call Of
Mrs. William Stickney, president OF the
Woman's Christian Association, for q
series of prayer meetings.
These meetings for prayer and conse-
Grafton commenced in Wesley Methodist
Church, but grew to such proportions
that they were Obliged to separate and
meet in different sections Of the city.
The central section, still meeting at Wes-
ley was led by Mrs William Burris, the
northern section by Mrs. Clara L. Roach,
and the southern section by Mrs. DR..
Noble.
After six weeks of earnest prayer the
conviction came to some of these women
that they should try to answer their own
prayers, and 50 the crusade began in our
city.
The women began to visit the saloons.
and were variously received One man
threw scalding water on one Of the wom-
en-, while another having a saloon at
Sixth and p streets was most courteous.
He listened while they prayed, kneeling
in the street, and at the end Of few
weeks gave up his business
First Mass Meeting.
The first mass meeting conducted by
women of this city, outside of the Suf-
lraEG ASSOClaIlOn, was nelQ IN
Methodist Church. The speakers were
Mrs. Annie Linville, Mrs. Phoebe Under
hill Mrs. George A. Hall, Mrs. Sarah d.
La Fetra, Mrs. Nellie H. Bradley, and
Mrs. Barnard. The pastor Of the church,
Rev. G. G. Baker. introduced Mrs Clara
j.. Roach, who presided and read the
Blst Psalm.
These women were invited to different
sections of the city to speak on the
crusade, and for ten weeks these meet
ings were continued, hundreds of men
signing the temperance pledge, many Of
them processing conversion. During the
entire winter Sunday afternoon meetings
were held in old Odeon Hall, corner Penn
sylvania avenue and FoUr-and-a-Half
streets, where great good was accom-
pIished.
Great mass meetings were held in Lin
coin Hall, corner Ninth and D streets,
where Frances E. Willard and other
speakers of national repute were heard
by thousands Of people.
As the outcome OF the crusade the
WoTnan's Christian Temperance Union of
this city was organized in May, 1g15 The
first president was Mrs. Annie Linvilie.
followed by Mrs. Clara l. Roach, Mrs.
Sarah D. La Fetra, Mrs. Mary E. Grifith,
Smith, ana the present incumbent, Mrs.
Emna Sanford Shelton.
One of the first acts of the w. c. 7. u.
was to establish in the lie Droit Building.
Ninth and F Streets lunch room where
for the first time in the history Of the
city ladies and gentlemen could secure a