The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-11-01
..~r,,ndant Symmonds Who Estab.
,lsbed Work In America VIII DO
Hero for Three Days Next
Week.
WILL TELL OF WORK
u.r pauot,ter, Ensign symn,onds, Was
in keokuk and Was With Lassles
who Were In Overseas
Work.

Keokuk will have an opportunity
-. week to hear one Of the impor-
..nt figures in the Salvation Army In
.marica. Eliza Symmonds, pioneer
q the salvation Army work In the
JIr;tad States will be here three days
wi wsek to speak on the work that
~ heen accomplished by the army.
S Ss established, for the first time,
Nc long chain of work for God ana
sumanity. in the United States.
porn in Coventry, England, the
d,nrhter Of Methodist lay.preachers.
Garonandant Symmonds was born in
ne .eryice Of the Lord. When slip
~ maid of sixteen, what was then
,,noun al the Christian Mission. be-
nan rs missionary labors in her ma
s g.. town securing an old factory
hu,lding for its meetings. Already
an attendant of the church OF her
narents, she took the utmost interest,"
in the new movement to spread the
Gospel. was converted and was to be
found in attendance at every service
Of the Mission.
q. William Booth. were two young
and tiny women filled with fervor
and good will. Every evening OF the
workaday week they called the work.
inp.peopie to the scene Of their will.
ing labors, occupying . theatre on
me Lords day and carrying their
message through the neighborhood at
all times. This Is how Commandant
Symmonds early developed extraordi-
nary gifts as public speaker for
The cause.
The Call Comes.
One memorable evening, at the
close OF meeting in which the new
recruit took a happy part, she was
rewarded at their close by having
her superior officer, Captain Cadman.
Law his hands upon her slender
shoulders and say. ''Mr. Booth wants
you"
It was a call to high service which
her youth compelled her to lay be-
fore her parents before q fnal de-
cision could be reached, willing as
she was to obey it at nrst hearing.
Both father and mother, enthusiastic
attendants themselves at the Mission
meetings, were proud ana pleased at
the summons and gave glad assent.
1t was while she was IN Durham
that the Christian Mission resolved
itself into what has ever since been
known as the Salvation army, with
william Booth its first general COM
handing. To the former excellent
discipline Of the Mission was added
that Of military precision and obedi-
ence, and it is significant today that
this military training was the argu-
ment by which the Army in 1915 was
enabled, for the first time In the his
tory of modern warfare, to send It's
girls and women under fire-such fire
as no previous war has known.
Daughter Oversees.
And the work goes on. Comamnd-
ant Symmond's daughter. now En-
sign Symmonds, who was once in
Keokuk, went overseas with the
American expeditionary forces, ana
was for thrilling and victorious six
months on the firing line or immedi
ately behind it. A slip Of a girl. as
was her mother before her. her less
than hundred pounds Of material
weight animated and sustained .
Salvation Army hut in France, and
the mere sight Of her. borne vision
like to the eyes of an American SOL
der hungry in the deartn OF war for
sight Of home and the maidenly
youth Of his distant land, brought
forth the ejaculation which became
at once an appraisal and greeting
among thousands of his comrades:
Gee. it's good to see a girl like
you!"