The Arvada enterprise., 1923-01-11

front Is 1t any wonder that thousands and thou
sands Of seamen the world over look upon the
fSeamA,.l Church institute their home? -
: There is everything ut the instltute-barbei
shops. tailor shops. lunch rooms outfits for sale
everything that there might be along the water
fronts exterior with none Of It's denOn-like in
terror.
Here Is place like an enormous hotel with
comforts such even hotels cannot afford, and
yet ut prices such charged by lodging
houses, that there is not the feeling of charity
There great reading rooms. lOungins rooms
there Is nothing stiff here there entertain.
ments. dances movies. magazines. books. smokes.
there Is cOmpanionship. there are beds with cool.
fresh linen. shower baths. places where man
may wash and dry his clothes. Over eight.
hundred men sleep there every night, though sew
eral hundred have to be nightly turned away until
the new building next door Is erected.
There Is n chaplain always on duty. talking to
the men, helping them bringing families and men
together agnin-thrOugh the Institutes wonderful
missing men department" This chaplain has also
studied law sufficiently that ne may help
the men In various legal difficulties that arise
and he is Il chaplain with very keen sense Of
humOr 1t keeps everyone "sm0Othed out" "And
he gives everything he owns away" the house
mother told me.
Mrs. Janet Roper the house mother, is quiet
person whose skill and enormous success at her
work is realized ns one goes about with her She
is very fur from being aggressively executive. She
doesn't talk about systems or theories or
executive ability" She talks about the men,
She showed me about. There Is not wash
bowl In the building TINT is not n memorial Every
room has II memorial plate upon Its door.
fnvorite form OF memorial has been to donate
room. And in the new building which is to be
started In the spring already many of the rooms
have been donated Sometimes l came across a
NnIn sll,., ptaj ,ob.,
his ahlintion with, and his affection for. the
building with the green light which had meant
home for him In foreign city.
But typical Of seaman. according to Mrs
Roper. and typical Of what n seaman should he
is illustrated in the memorial plate on n room
donated in memory OF the captain of the Titanic.
"ln memory of Captain Edward ]. Smith.
II. n H.. who lost his life while in command Of
$. s. Titanic April Ii. 1912. He smiled the sea
for forty years. faithful In duty. friendly In SPIRIT
firm in command. fearless In disaster; he saved
the women and children und went down with
his ship"
The link which thousands feel with the lnsti.
tute is Its greatest stronghold against the sordId.
ness Of the water front. Men arriving In Brooklyn
telephone to see II there In room for them. Men
from all over the world come here and 20 forth
to tell Of the green gh, In the which stands
in the building where there Is everything 10 help
them There Is the bank. the post Office. the place
where their baggage cnn be safe.
In park nearby there are open air moving
picture shows In the summer and various enter.
tainments.
The Seamen's Church Institute Ia under the
Protestant Episcopal church. Its chapinns ars
Eplscopalian. though It's employ ees are Of nil
faiths. IT serves ali-the chaplain who visits the
men In the hospitals brings rnbbis to the Jews.
priests to the iRomnn Catholics, and ministers In
whatever faitt4 these men have been brought us.