, 1923-01-11
NARzV FOX ARs3E1713 Ns41Nov

me, had put through everything. But DR.. Mansfield
treated that with scorn, and went on TO explain
just who were the individuals responsible for the
many and devious splendid things accomplished
there, In fact there was this spirit everywhere.
There is absolutely no desire for self-glory in any
one / meta rare thing to be found In n large Or
ganization.
Over seventy years ago a pious gentleman from
Boston found his boat stranded on the New Eng
land cooast. He found shelter, how ever. in the inn
of a small coast town. It was Sunday. The pIous
gentleman sent out word to the various ships which
had sought shelter in the storm that there would
be a service that Sunday morning In the parIor of
the inn, and there was such tremendous response
that soon afterward a floating church was TO be
seen In New York harbor. For II showed seamen
enjoyed n service.
Next some men from Trinity parish went down
every Sunday to the wharves and asked the men
to come to services. And the Seamen's Church
institute had grown out of these beginnings and
the Protestant Episcopal Church Missionary So
ciety for Seamen in the city and port of New York.
Since 1906 It has been known rs the Seamen's
Church institute OF New York.
1t was Reverend DIR. Mansfield who made the
Church institute what 1t is-who struggled his way
through the almost insurmountable difficulties
which doomed and intruded and threatened. Time
and again his life has been threatened. Time and
again has he been watched and followed by men
carrying firearms waiting for an opportunity to get
even with him, for he has been the bitter enemy of
these vultures who have fed for years Off sailors.
Nultures VINO nave not waited for death-they
nave Deen more remunerattve Hving-but for the
incapability on the part. of the sailors which they
have produced through the liquor they have sold.
The life around the wtarves of a great city Is
not one well known in other parts OF n clty's life.
vaguely one %imagines that sailors are apt to get
drunk when they come to port. Vaguely one i'm.
AGNES that n good many of them are entlced
by women and pretty generally left broke some
good time before their ship sets sail again. But
few know the combine which existed for years and
years and which 1t seemed would never he broken.
1t was a system against seamen by masters OF
ships and keepers of 'boardlng houses" The mas
tiers Of the ships directed their men upon going to
shore to these various boarding houses along the
water front. There The men found drink aud won.
en-. They were thoroughly heeced, they were thor
oughly filed with liquor, and then they were put
ont as worthless 'bums" to exc out the rest of
their time ashore pennless. usually contless. hun.
CRY and lncklng In any self respect.
The money which they had been robbed of by
these boarding houses was divided between the
boarding house owners and the masters of the
ships. Here was DIR. Mansfield's greatest difficulty.
The masters OF the various ships would not give
men jobs who went to the Seamen's Church insti-
tute. They would not take them back on their
ships.
But Dr. Mansfield went to various shipping com
panies which agreed to cooperate and SO the ter
rible combine was at last broken up. Everything
and everyone along the water front fought a hard
and angry bnttle against DIR. Mansfield. Barber
shops, boot-blacking establishments. lunch rooms,
all were rendy to work In with the "hoar1lnR
houses and the masters OF the ships. There wns
where the money was. Why bother about a mans
body when there was money to think about1
Fearlessly, courageously DIR. Mansfield worked
against the cruel and souiless greed Of the water