Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-06
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Tho Poke Bonnet 10 a Very Sacred
Thing TO Members Of the Saliva
tlon Army, Standing as II Does
for Separation, Conservation
and Service
by SARAH ID. LOwRIE


that l suppose will come never do, or sci.
dom do, and the things I never expect will
please or pain or anger or surprise, but just
fall to the earth, l know not where, turn
into perfect boomerangs of either approval
or disapproval.
/ do not mind disapproval. It means that
In the salutary experience of getting wisdom
| nearly always acquire q new friend, or at
least well wisher, for the little passage at
arms gives me chance to get another view
point which, whether right or wrong. is
viewpoint. And that Is interesting, for to
person who even In humble way sets
up to be an observer of his times a View
point Is enlightening, whether 1t is based
on reason or on false prejudice.
VI course, insane persons or persons who
90 not sign their names write to one, and
that Is sheer waste of stamps, but one can
tell great deal about the genuneness OF
peoples opinions from short correspond
ence begun from published statement with
which he agrees or disagrees.
HAD an interesting case in point just
l. before Christmas which has stayed
pleasantly in my mind ever since and which
throws very happy light on at least two
persons. and If can be included also, then
on three. The correspondence grew out Of
one sentence of mine in column ] wrote
about beggars. l included all beggars in my
survey, from the philanthropic money drive
oeggar to the one armed man selling PEN
ellis and the lady that sings for pennies"
corrected In cup. And among all the
philanthropic beggars included one which
l described as wearing "a Salvation outfit
and poke bonnet"
Now as l had carried tamborinc and
worn poke bonnet and begged for the Sal
vaton Army In the most crowded street of
the town during drive, and as from my
childhood day to the present the Army and
the Booth family had been held up to my
admiration. nd ,iyht
ana day our house had been the headquar-
ters OF the old general himself, and as old
Mrs. Booth and my grandmother had often
correspondent, j had every personal reason
FOR standing up for the Salvation Army, and
certainly no reason, let alone desire, to
knock it, I was very much surprised,
therefore, to get an anxious though cordial
note asking me to consent to meet the pres
ent commanding officer of this division Of
the salvation Army, Lieutenant Colonel
Arthur Brewer, that l could be more
generally informed about the Salvation Army
ana do greater justice in this column to its
great work.
0ulTE naturally I wrote, accepting the
W invitation to meet the present local head
of the Army, and also explained in my note
my really intimate and admlring connection
with the great organization since my child
hood.
That note got an answer from Colonel
Brewer introducing himself. which Is so fine
In Its spirit and so careful in its detailed
statement that cannot pay n higher tribute
to the salvation Army than by quoting It in
part Gs the space in the column allows:
December 90 1921.
'My Dear Miss Lowrlc
81 have before me your very kind and
courteous letter regarding the reference made
to the Salvation Army in n recent issue of
the EVENING PrHlc LEDGER. hope you
will not feel TINT in calling your attention
TO this matter that ! am in any way thin
skinned. have been Il Salvation Army
officer long enough 70 have very tough
hide--at the same time there are things that
occasionally appear in print that can cause
considerable misunderstanding, and the para
graph in the article in question was one of
these items.
1T was your allusion to the Salvation
outfit and poke bonnet. You see, to us the
poke bonnet IL n very sacred thing | think
1t was Judge Lands who spoke Of it as
standing for Separation, Conservation and
Service To me it stands for all this and
more; and when / say that in addition to
my wife having worn Il poke bonnet before
we met, which is over thirty four years ago
we now have three daughters wearing the
bonnet, you will understand. In Philadel-
phia we put no one on the street TO collect
for the Christmas dinner but men and
women who are members Of one of the local
corps, and In every case these people wear
the Salvation Army uniform and are known
to us to be strictly honest and Trustworthy
people.
LET me say that in addition TO OUR beinp
careful to select only uniformed Salvation
lists for this work, we have placed on each
Kettle net that makes it impossible for
any one TO ensily remove money from the
kettles; We have Mt the present time about
thlrty kettles on the street, and we have two
OF our trusted officers who are responsible
to watch the people that are handling these
Kettles, and they, with the help of our
hnance department, carefully count the
money deposited in each pot at the close of
tne gay work and proper record is made
of the same.
"l shall be pleased at the close OF the
eHort 10 give you statement of the exact
amounts taken on each of the corners and
the total taken in from the streets.
w lth regard to the cost Of the dinners
the Slt-down dinner costs us in the neigh
bOrhOod Of sevcnty-fivc cents ner nerson
The dinner served in the baskets contains
FuihCient supplies TO provide n Christmas
dinner for eight persons and costs in thc
neighborhood of $50 each. We are already
pIedgeu 10 give OOo OF these baskets to needy
! families. The names of these families have
| either come to us through our own workers
| or through the various charity workoro con :
nected with the city or other welfare ogen
| cles. In every case, before ticket is issued
some Responsible person must fill In n blank
| Ia
receive the basket is worthy and in Mood i"
Further, In addition to our comparing thc
list from the various branches Of the army
IN the city, we submit the names to the
Social service E%rhnnge in which organiza
tion we hold membership, so thar in cose .,
duplication with other organizations we ore
able to weed out the Implications and Soc
that only families are helped by us who are
not helped by other organizations, nav
"You will also be interested 70 know +bo
we have an Advisory Board of leading Phil.
adelphia citizens, the chairman of which i,
Mr.. Charles Webb and the treasurer Mr.
National Bank. '''
81 hope to be able to take advantage y
your kind offer to meet you early in tb,
new year. as | am very anxious that yo,
should have yet further opportunity TO know
the Salvation Army as It Is in this citv'
Sincerely yours,
ARTHUR T. BREWER.
| "Iieut, Colonel Divisional Commandar