The Holly chieftain., 1923-01-11

front. Is 1t any wonder that thousands and thou
sands of seamen the world over &look upon the
Seamens Church institute as fh6lr homer
There is everything at the institute-barbel
shops, tailor shops, lunch rooms outfits for sale
everything that there might be along the water
fronts exterior with none Of its demonlke In.
terror.
Here is a place like an enormous hotel with
comforts such as even hotels cannot afford, and
yet at prices such as are charged by lodging
houses that there is not the feeling Of charity
There are great reading rooms, lounging rooms,
there is nothing stiff here, there are entertain
ments, dances, movies. magazines books, smokes,
there Is companionship there are beds with cool,
fresh linen, shower baths. places where a 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 a chaplain always on duty, talking to
the men, helping them, bringing families and men
together agan-through the institutes wonderful
missing men department" This chaplain has also
studied law sufficiently that he may help
the men In various legal difficulties that arise
and he is chaplain with very keen sense Of
humor. 1t keeps everyone "smoothed 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 as one goes about with her. She
Is very far 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 a wash
bowl in the building that Is not memorial. Every
room has memorial plate upon its door, A
favorite form Of memorial has been to donate a
room. And in the building which is to be
started in the spring already many of the rooms
hive been donated Sometimes I came across a
Chinese name-a Chinaman who wanted to show
his affiliation 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 seaman should be
is Illustrated In the memorial plate on a room
donated in memory of the captain of the Titanic.
SIN memory of Captain Edward ]. Smith,
r. N. r., who lost his life while in command OF
S. S. Titanic, April 10, 1912. He sailed the sea
for forty years. faithful In duty friendly in spirit
firm in command, fearless in disaster; he saved
the women and children and went down with
his ship"
The link which thousands feel with the insti-
tute Is Its greatest stronghold against the sordd-
ness of the water front. Men arriving in Brooklyn
telephone to see II there Is room for Them Men
from all over the world come here and go forth
to tell of the green light in the tower which stands
in the building where there is everything to help
them. There is the bank. the post Office the place
where their baggage can be safe.
In park nearby there are open air moving
picture shows In the summer and various enter.
tainments.
The Seamen's Church institute Is under the
Protestant Episcopal church. Its chaplains are
Episcopalian. though its employees are Of all
faiths. 1t serves all-the chaplain who visits the
men In the hospitals brings rabbis to the Jews
priests to the Roman Catholics, and ministers in
whatever faiths these men have been brought up