The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-26
Con1mdnddnt Emma WeStbrOOk

carry with them the beautiful nature of the woman whose face Is "haloed" by her little blue Salvation Army bonnet, you will look a second time as you are introduced to Commandant Emma Westbrook for there is some from those eyes which have seen 50 much of sorrow and suffering and misery and poverty.
 Commandant Westbrook has passed her seventfeth birthday. but have chosen to call her 70 years young, instead of 70 years old. for still her figure Is erect and vital, her step quick and elastic, and her enthusi- asm buoyant and effervescent and she has all the girhsh youthful love and sympathy of humanity and hu- manitys trials and tribulations that she must have had over 42 years ago when she joined the Salvation Army over wonder in the old country England-where she was born and reared.
 Commandant Westbrook. who Is visitor to Birmingham, being the guest of Brigadier and Mrs Simon- son, comes with a very gentle mes- sage laden with hope and good cheer for those who are here carrying on the work of the great Salvation Army for as "field worker in this beautiful, buoyant, happy army of soldiers she goes from place to place telling of her wonderful experiences and holding out the cup of cold water" to parched lips, and the word of comfort to aching hearts.
 Just loved the sweet little old fashioned way that Commandant Westbrook had with her yesterday when she came into my little niche
 in the big newspaper offices to pay me a much coveted visit with her becoming bonnet tied under her chin, and the silver threads among the gold" of her soft hair straying here and there from beneath the folds of blue, l thought 1 had never seen a sweeter picture than this precious Christian woman-her heart and her life given to the great cause of suffering humanity.
 T joined the Salvation Army" Commandant .Wesbrook told me with her pronounced English accent as. sorting itself notably In her speech. when Gen. William Booth, our pres ent beloved Commander Evangeline Booths father, first organized the army in the British Isles. lived for many years in the home of General and Mrs. Booth, and I could write a book on the early life of beautiful Evangeline Booth, when she sold flowers on the streets of London and when her blessed father and mother were laying the foundation stones for the great Salvation Army.
 q was attracted to the Salvation Army by a meeting l went to in a.- of Londons suburbs, near White chapel, in what is now known as The Mile End Waste prolific field for the work of the army where the drunks and the downand- outs were as thick as the sands of the sea shore. 1 felt that 1 didn't have enough religion and so l went to the Salvation Army. l felt that l needed more, and 1t was there that became co. verted and enlisted as soldier in the Salvation Army.s
 There were no tambourines or drums or flies then--no bonnets- just simple little hats, and our work was among the most pathetic class of humanity, and often in those early pioneer days our work was inter- rupted by outsiders. We had so many obstacles in our way, and we were prevented often from getting to our work, or perhaps carried along by the crowds into our halls without really knowing how We got there
 T recall so visidly how I went to Noting Hill to hold meeting ana appealed to the chief of staff--Bram- well Booth-now the commander or the Salvation Army in England ana elsewhere; and he asked me how l
 fa1 cor raf fa I told him I didn't feel qualified to accept the task; but any way al Northshield. my first assignment was made; and while there l received a telegram asking me how I'd like to go to America-to start the work,
 "The result was that seven girls were assigned to this commission and when we left the shores of England under Commandant Ration Mrs. William Booth. with her own hands, put our hats on us and bade us God speed in our new work
 That was over 42 years ago, when, after stormy and eventful trip over the seas on the steamship Australia which took three weeks to make the trip. we landed in New York city on March 10, 1880.
 At first we couldn't get hall or any place for our meetings-the churches being unsvailable--but at last down in the bowery a thea trical man offered to let us share his theatre with him on Sunday night, giving us two hours for our services before his show. His announcements read: Uncle Toms Cabin and the Salvation Army for 25 cents.' We had the most tremendous crowd, but Commandant Ration wouldn't accept any of the money which the kind theatrical man offered us as our share--Dut we had got a start. Then we opened our meetings in the Hudson River hall and .Ashbarrel Jimmie was our first convert He got his name from be- ing dumped in the aslrbarrels when he was drunks and after many of these experiences the judge sen teneed him to the 'Salva tion Army and he came to us, was converted and for Is years led a Cody life and then went to his reward in heaven.
 Our second convert was another drunkard--a pathetic character-but he came under the influence of the Salvation Army just in time and for 35 years now he has been a faithful worker and is at present sergeant major of the corps in Brooklyn.
 When we opened our Salvation Army hall in Thirty-fourth street and