The New York herald., 1921-01-10
BOWERY'S IDLE MEN
PRAY IN OLD TRINITY
$50 'ShOrn Lambs of Labor
March to Church With
Banners Proudly Aloft.
HOPE FOR BIG SNOWFALL
Turning Tables on Preachers,
Says Head of Big Brother
Movement.

. The Bowery went to church yesterday
at Trinity. Quietly, but with apparent
enjoyment of the attention they drew, 100
members of the big Brother Move
ment," which has sprung up at ST.
Mark sim the Bouwerie. marched down
the lower East Side, through Nassau
street TO Wall street TO Trinity. where
they attended the morning service at the
invitation Of the rector, DR.. William L.
Manning.
After participating in the regular
morning worship the procession formed
again for the return TO st. Marks, halted
at the entrance OF the church while the
event was properly recorded by batteries
of moving and still cameras and paused
again at the intersection OF Wall and
Nassau streets. where the leaders and
standard bearers were photographed
once more.
1t was an unusual procession. this line
of unemployed, as il swung down past
Chatham square and into Park Row on
the way to church. Bobbing above the
heads of the marchers We're dozen
placards bearing inscriptions telling the
world just who the churchgoers were
and where they were going. ITO Trinity
Church, Broadway and Wall street" one
proclaimed. "The Shorn Lambs of
Labor" was another, and Labor. the
Shorn Lamb of God" a third. At in
tervals throughout the line were other
scriptural quotations: II was hungry
and ye gave me no food "I was thirsty
and ye gave me no drink" IT was
stranger and ye took me not in." &c.
LedOux Heads Parade.
At the head marched Urbain j. Le-
doux. originator OF the work in behalf
of the unemployed that is being done al
st. Marks, and Charles Kruse, president
of the International Brotherhood We'll
fare Association. The latter wore a
dark overcoat and soft hat, 4 sack suit.
and carried cane. Mr.. Ledoux was
clad in corduroy trousers. a corduroy
sheep lined coat, with leather cuffs and
cap.
Trailing in a column of twos the
lambs" moved silently. a procession for
the most part made up of men in early
life. many of foreign birth or descent.
and at intervals a dusky negro. Three
white collars we're In the line. but most
of the paraders We're mostly unkept fig
ures, with dishevelled hair and bearded
faces. tattered trousers, gray or olive
colored blankets worn in place of over
coats. II formed a picturesque line as
1t swung into Wall street and moved
quietly few moments later into the
old church on Broadway. which rarely,
If ever before. had housed such a con-
gregation.
The men arrived while prayers were
being said. so that by the time the
bowed heads in the audience We're lifted
the transformation had taken place and
the reserved seats at the front and on
the sides had been occupied quietly.
DR.. Manning preached a brief sermon,
choosing the eighth verse of the twelfth,
chapter of John for his text: And
Jesus said unto them, am the light of
the world; he that followeth Me shall
not walk in darkness. but shall he the
light OF life" He made no direct refer
ence TO the visitors in his audience. but
sought to drive home simple, Impressive
points which could be grasped by all
that heard.
Are we doing anything real TO make
the light of Christ shine in the lives OF
others and I'm the dark places of the
world?' he asked. I'VE all know what
some OF those dark places are. We all
know the terrible immortality which still
exists among men. that awful evil
against which our church mission Is
struggling. We all know the dishonesty
and selfshness that are still in human
life. not especially in any one class. but
in all classes alike, In every one of us
without exception.
I'VE all know the difficulties between
capital and labor, the hard situations
there are of want and OF unemployment
for men who honestly want and are
looking for work We all know the ra-
cial and religious prejudices which make
such bitter sntagonism among us. The
reason that these things have not been
overcome or. at any rate, greatly les
sened, is that we have not tried the light
Of Christ on them as fully as we should"
DR.. Manning welcomes visitors.
At the conclusion OF the communion
service and the occasional hymn DIR.
Manning spoke briefly 10 the men, ex-
tending welcome and the assurance
that the doors OF Trinity Church are
open 365 days in the year
we are turning the tables on the
p -eachers and giving this demonstration
because in the old days you will recall
that IL was a carpenter and fishermen
who taught the Pharisees." Mr.. Ledoux
said This is solely q humanitarian
work, affiliated with no organization and
seeking no charity We are trying to
bring order out OF disorder and find en-
ployment for every one OF the men you
see here.
"An these men arc registered with
the state Employment Bureau. Mt
Cooper Square. and are only waiting for
work. You might be surprised TO know
Il. but we are praying for snow more
than anything else, so that there Will be
jobs for some of our men.
I'VE want no parasites we take none,
No one is accepted Who has not pre-
viously registered for employment"