Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-07-31
FOR REVIVAL
Committee Makes House.to-House
Canvass Preliminary to Gypsy
Smith Meetings

The house-to-house canvass OF the
city, inaugurated in order to maze
census of the entire church-going
population of Alexandria, to facilitate
! the work of which the city was re-
Gently divided into Y districts, and
! a district supervisor appointed over
each division, has been completed, ac-
cording to announcement OF the gen
eral committee of laymen having in
charge the evangelistic campaign to
be conducted in this city. during the
month of September.
While the canvass was not sup
posed to commence officially until
yesterday, Sunday, July 30, by the
time the early church bells were toll
| ing their solemn notes, according to
their usual wont yesterday morning,
| most of the superintendents, assisted
by over two hundred persons unof-
fcially connected with the canvass,
mad finished their work, and but a
small amount of soliciting was nee
essary yesterday.
By evening time everything had
J been done, and now returns are pour
ing into the office of James R. Cation,
the chairman of the general COM
mittee. Mr.. Cation stated that as
soon as the returns are filed by him
in proper form he will announce the
same.
Mr.. Cation said this morning that
the recent canvass will form an Of
fetal census for the churches of this
city and will determine just how
many members Of each church at
tend regularly, and other items of
vital importance to the churches.
This will mean, Mr.. Cation said, up
building of the parish work of every
church in this city Iraelite, Catholic,
Protestant, and OF every denomina-
toin. - -: - = -. =
Interest in the proposed revival
campaign is being increased daily
and the preparations are taking on
larger and more complete proper
tions. Meetings of the various sub
committees, under the general sup
arvision of the general committee OF
!aymen, are holding meetings almost al!mHi
daily, each preparing some special
feature for the revivals.
Perhaps the most interesting OF
the features of the campaign was
chat recently announced by the COM
mittee of ladies which serves as an
auxiliary to the committees form
ed from the male members of Protes-
tant church congregations. This
committee will have side tent erect
ed next to the large gospel tent IN
which the revivalS are to be held and
(which will be located on the part of
the old fair ground situated in the
rear of the Second Baptist Church
on upper King street. In the small
er tent infant children and babies
will be Checked" and cared for by
nurses while the mothers are in at
tendance at the services. This is a
novel idea and will enable many wo-
men of the city to receive the benefit
of the revivals who otherwise would
have been unable to attend.
In this connection it might be sug-
gested that recent innovation in
moving picture threatres in parts OF
the country might be serviceable.
These amusement places have tots
checked at the door by mothers for
a nominal fee, and, have nurses to
care for the small children. If any
;infant becomes sick or cannot be
l.quieted, the number of its check is
lpassed on to the operating room
Iiwhere the operator stops, the film
l'for instant and flashes on the screen
the number of check. The mother
of the child in the audience, who
holds the duplicate check, sees the
number on the screen, and knows
Il
that her child needs her.