The sun., 1916-12-11
One Time Human Dregs at
18th Anniversary Service
in Jcrry's Mission.
EX-BCMS GIVE HISTORIES
Many Prospects" Gather with
Those Numbered Among
the Reclaimed.

drunken man sprawled In a doc, way
t""dlcss Of the tauRts Of stree, children
iNmmins like flies. Men and women
" glanced furtively this way and that
rushed pals OF beer from rickety "a.
Icons into the dark Railways OF ,.n.-
nenis and lodgings From one OF these
sGuaid eciies came the echoings OF a
a"l--loud cursing that subsidized gradu-
49, INTO a duh mutter,ng
Bu; around the corner at ZIG Water
s'',e. Ia the mission house that Jerry
ArAu!ey founded forty-four years ago
mat clean men who had wallowed in the
sitt'r once upon "a time were testifyine
VIA icrvent gratitude that they mad
found the pluck 10 raise themselves from
Shame and misery. thievery and drunk
tAu.ss. And as they lifted their voices
H. zeal they did not fail to give thanks
g. the late Jerry. whose portrait with
IT, mild eyes and absurd mus;ache sur
'">'d them benevolcmly from among
4" placsrded notices
The annual services at the Jerry Me-
Auley Mission commemorating the an
n'versaiies are always interesting oc-
easions. exhibiting every possible type
OF humanity rom the p!ons and phil
ahthropic men and women who come
down f.om FIFTH avenue In their lirnou.
sues To say an encouraging word to the
human dress that tottcr In red eyed
aud shaky after n night at the Bowerys
fiIahtful whiskey. Yesterday wnen the
forty-fourh anniversary was commence
rh'ed the mission service seemed par.
toulaIIy worth while.
Al We'll Dressed.
Al T.. NJ. the cheerful meeting house
that Is a monument TO Jerry was already
well flllcd. although the service was not
to begin until J. In the main room.
where the lig'ts cleaned brightly. where
large American flag covered part OF
u" wesi wall just back of the flower
r"'o atcd PIANO. where quotations from
=" Bible formed background for the
lures Of men that have taken up
Jorry's work where he dropped IL at
deaths summons in lsst. where there
WAS real hospitality expressed in voice
and glance. sat probably 100 men who.
had been reclaimed from the worst tina {
can e'all human bein- Most OF them
were well dressed-or AT least respect
ably-and some of them had brough,
their wives and children. who were not
a'wsys 80 happy as they are now. The
nple frankness with which they intro
duced themselves to visitors was almost
Startling. T.ey seemed to feel as IL
they still owed debit OF humility and
they paid IT by confessine to the most
casual caller their former degrade tion.
one who might have been taken for a
succcssful merchant or lawyer the In a
ho'kkeeper in one OF the biggest candy
n'srufscturing concerns) referred TO his
o." time pllzht
"Thr-c r""-s ago I was bum-the
worst k'r' There wasn't a night that
th"f G'dr'' SEX me out of Bowery
sIop1 where Z had spent a, could bex
f0r Ave csnt whiskey. Nv wife had left
~. 'our.' ~. old friends thought
Vas al, = dnt know what shame
va An then wandered into the
~. "" They persuaded me that
SOM '"p1ie in the world were willing
IN GO rand TO buns. They gave me
hor' nd courage. | came back--and I
v you to meet my wife and kids
There was a babble OF talk as new
mers entered. One gathered that JACK
htd spent some years In Sing Sing
Mat Bill had been pickpocket that
Nike had 'obbed his own father. There
~ss ycarce'y = depth Of degradation that
thee men had no; pluTbed. Ther- was
Scarcely a crime. murder excepted, tat
t'cy had not laid upon thei" soul.
"Prospects" In Rear RoOa.
Crowded INTO the smalle. room were
tNe prospects the soilel waits that
the mission has hopes Of. They had
come because they knew sandwiches and
coffee would be ready for them after
bNglfS ana prayers anu leS(lihoi. pub
SOM" Of them will return and keep re-
turning until the leaven Of hope works.
and then they will take their place in
a. front room among ihe reclaimed.
an tho McAuley people will dnd some
k.uI Of a job for them and perhaps.
after long time. after many backslid-
ings and discouragements. they will get
their feet soidly planted in decency ana
viii be ready TO help others.
II about Z o'clock when IerryS
widow now in her seventies, entered the
mission. stopping here and there TO say
word ~ old friends, and then there
eaS steady stream of Visitors many
Prom uptown. all shaking hands with
S'ri John II. Wyburn, who rot on the
r-h' track twcnty-nve years ago. Mrs.
Jordan l., Mott, who takes very keen
interest in the mission wor;. appeared
Hrd tucn came Il Fulton cut ing treas
ur'r of the meeting. who a!wa!r attends
H. annual service.
They began as usual with the singing
~ hymns, Lord. I'm Coming Home"
"lVo Found a Friend" Rescue the
Te.shinE." all singing earnestly as the
pianist who used TO hobo 1t with Jen
Isv,- thumped the keys with tie
hnendous energy Not one or two hymns
d. for the McAuley missioners. They
hnust have at least n half dozen before
sny,hing else can he done. II gets them
IN me mOOd TOT soul SeaTCnlnk, IOT tHose
confessions which take the place OF SER
mons in the mission work. But presently
the singing was done with and Mr.. cut
ting read from the ninth chapter OF John
AM eXpomded the story OF the blind
heggar who had the faith to go and wash
himself in the pool Of SLOAN
Confessions Made.
Men are not always to be blamed
when they fall. because their misfOrtunes
81" often greater than their strength.
said Mr. Cutting. But this they can
know. that here is a true pool of Siloam
whore their sins and mscries may he
washed away. where they can discover
that real happiness IL still possible and
where they can learn that life holds
some,h!ng more beautiful than they have
ever dreamed, It's worth trying. my
friends"
And then one by one the missioners
stood UP and made their confessions.
save their testimony. recited how they
climbed out Of degradation. Uncle Rubs