Evening star., 1936-07-12
By John Clasett Proctor


the Lord must have loved the
,., common people, for he made
IL so many of them. And, indeed,
1t Is this class of people-including
the poor, the unfortunate, those who
never had chance or an even break
IN this world, or whose willpower wac
not sufficient to resist temptation
who have always needed assistance
and spiritual guidance most, and who
have received less of mans benevo-
lences.
From the founding of the city of
Washington, there have always been
charitably inclined citizens and peo-
pie of religious tendencies who have
done their full share in caring for
those who Just exist or simply drift
along in life, with no objective for
the future or the life hereafter. But
1t remained for an outsider to come
here and establish one of our fore
most Christian institutions, in this or
any other city-the Central Union
Mission.
BY just the mentioning of this body
of religious workers, many an early
resident will recall the old gospel
wagon and its team of white horses,
and the men and women who prayed
and preached and sang from 1t every
Sunday afternoon, when it was a
struggling organization, fighting for
its existence and to establish itself
pf yNal ~ the ro Y,tt q I
City. 1t was not just lot of ordinary
people who were doing their best to
save lot of detected and downtrod-
den souls, either, for 1t was some of
Washington's foremost and most
prominent people who were doing the
good work-work that grew and pros
pered, and is still advancing forward.
There is always honor due the
man or woman who creates something
worth while, and in this connection
the highest credit Is due the Rev.
Latham A. Douglass for his pioneer
work in establishing the Central Union
Mission.
According to Maj. William Handy
Ramsey. who has written entertain
tngly about the mission and its his
tory, Mr.. Douglass came here in the
early sos as young man. He en-
gagged. as opportunity afforded, in
work among the lowly, the neglected,
the outcast, the depraved. All the time
there grew within his heart long
ing to establish, somewhere on Penn
sylvania avenue. an open door for
the gospel message, whence 1t might
reach the thousands passing up and
down that great thoroughfare, intent
on business, pleasure, or dissipation,
or idle wandering. But where and
howe"
pRIOR to coming to Washington,
we are told. he and Mrs Douglass
had often attended the meetings Of the
old Jerry McAuley Water Street Mis-
sion in New York City, and 1t was
early in the Fall of 1883 that they
came to the District for a few days,
and here he remained for three years,
being employed as inspector" but Of
what we do not know, except that it
must have been honorable employ
ment. Soon he made friends and ac-
quaintances whose mind were in
clined the same way as his own, and
whose divine longing was stirred with
the same purpose and emotions.
They talked together" says Maj.
Ramsey, "longed and planned. They
held prayer meetings, earnestly look
ing for God to open some way by
which their dreams might be realized
Among those persons may be named
A. l.. Swartwout, Mrs. S. D. LaFetra,
George w. Wheeler, George A. Hilton,
Nathaniel A, Robbins. J. H. Hitch
cock and William Dubois
1t is rare, indeed, that the ultimate
outcome Of the founding Of anything
Is visualized from the very beginning,
as George Washington so correctly
did when the Nations Capital was in
the making. 1t Is seldom that all the
little items Of interest in the forming
of an organization are recorded, that
future generations might know the
facts, and so it was with the Central
Union Mission, which, according to
Mrs. LaFetra, held its first meeting in
her home, at her Temple Cafe, 604
Ninth street northwest, while Mr..
Swartwout, for many years a member
OF the board of directors, was Just as
positive that it was held In the home
Of Mr.. Douglass, who, in 1883, was liv-
ing at 1906 Fifteenth street, and, in
1884, at 1907 @ street northwest.
However. the organization was eff.
fected on Tuesday evening August 10,
1884, at the rooms of the Young
Mems Christian Association, 1909
New York avenue, then occupying
what had formerly been the Washing
ton Club, the most prosperous and
prominent club of its day, and later
by John Chamberlin, also for club
purposes. From here it went to its
first home, 909 Pennsylvania avenue.
over the clothing store Of B. Robin
son & Co.. later and for many years
occupied by Daniel N. Walford, for
the sale of cutlery and sporting goods.
THOSE were very modest quarters.
consisting of only one small front
room on the second floor. which would
seat not over 80 people. The rent paid
for this centrally located room was
$50 a month, and the results justified
the expenditure, for many persons
were here redeemed and became USE
ful citizens. Mr.. Ramsey tells us the
quarters were reached through the
first-hoor hall. a flight of stairs half
way back In the building, and the
second-foor hall. But encourage
ment also came with inconvenience.
and it was not long before larger
and better quarters were obtained
elsewhere
It was here, however, that the first
public meeting was held on January
as, 1885, with George w. Wheeler as
leader The attendance is recorded
as having been IS, and we are further
informed that two young men, back
sliders, came In and asked for prayers,
and LEFT rejoicing in restoration to
Gods favor. On Friday night, jan