The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-25
Dan Batey Mission
TCommunicated.l

The Dan Batey mission at ITO Wells
street, in the city Of Chicago,
was opened on the ninth of October,
1912, as rescue mission, the object of
which was and still is to help men
land women to lead different lives.
Daniel G. Batey was the founder of
the mission, and he became its super
intendent, which position he still
holds. At the time Of the opening Of
this mission Mr.. Batey could find no
one to accept the SUPPLEMENTARY
because there was no salary attached
to it. Therefore Mr.. Batey himself
stepped into the place, for having I'M
dertaken the work, he was not the
kind of man to back, out of it. 1t is
comparatively easy sailing for man
to act as superintendent of any such
work when he is sure of his income,
land when he need not worry about
where his wife and family are to Sc
cure their living from; but it is quite
a different matter for a man to carry
on such work when he has no one
to look to for financial help excepting
to God Himself 1t is one thing for a
man of position and means to open a
mission and finance it without having
to consider the money end Of the prop
osition; It is quite another for man
to secure an entire building simply
!on faith in God, and with not dollar
toward the rent in sight. For this is
what Dan Batey did; and what makes
lit so much more remarkable is that
this man gave up a splendid position
at the time he accepted the superin-
tendency of the mission. He is a con-
~
been in the employ of prominent con-
struction companies in different parts
of the country and has commanded
salary of $500 per month and ex-
penses, therefore he was not simply
man who went into mission work
because there was nothing else he
could do. He had gone down into the
depths of sin, but little over five
years ago ne was rescued.
Kind Of Work Done.
Services are held every night in
the week at the mission, and several
times on Sundays with different
speakers and singers and other chris
tan workers, coming from the
churches and religious institutions in
the city. The work is entirely inter
UNCONVENTIONAL, and people of all
kinds and all religious belief flock
there, although nothing but the
straight gospel is ever preached.
The hall where the services are
held is separated from the long hall
on the other side, which serves as a
kitchen and resting place for the
men. The seating capacity of the hall
is from four to five hundred, and near
lily every night this past winter this
| room has been packed to the doors
with men and women eager to hear
the gospel. Mr.. Batey's life is liter
/ ally being spent for the people OF
Chicago. who may happen to- come to
him. hungry, homeless and friendless,
down and out, and with no place to go.
Mr.. Batey always welcomes the out
cast and the drunkard, no matter how
low they have fallen. His heart goes
out to a fallen humanity and his one
purpose is to feed them, to find work
Il for them, and to shelter them on cold
and stormy nights when no other
doors are open to them. Through his
efforts, thousands of meals have been
given away this past winter and hun
dreds of men have nightly slept on
the floors of the mission, while Mr..
Batey himself has gone personally to
many business men and foremen of
factories, and has tried to secure en-
ployment for those who need it.