Evening star., 1938-10-09
MISSION SEEKING
FUNDS FOR WING
Maps Drive for SIPS, 900 to
Build Memorial to John
S. Bennett.

i city-wide drive to raise $l25, 900
for a new wing for the Central Union
Mission, 613 c street NV, as a me-
mortal to John s. Bennett, who died
September l after serving - years as
superintendent OF the mission, will
open October ~ at the missions
54th anniversary banquet In the May
flower Hotel.
The missions Board of Directors and
Ministerial Council decided on this
form of testimonial to Mr.. Bennett
after Mrs. Bennett. present superin-
sendent of the mission, told them:
Il am sure that if Mr.. Bennett
could speak to us, he would say not
10 provide memorial merely as a
testimonial to him but to put such
money as might be available into ad-
ditional dormitory room and chapel
space for the men now being turned
sway for lack of these facilities.
The board and council bought q
strip of land adjacent to the present
mission on which q new building, to
be erected at cost of $425 900,
would provide free beds for homeless
men. The property extends from In
diana avenue to c street, adjoining
the present Central Union Mission and
the Children's Emergency Home.
Military Divisions.
Headed by general committee in
eluding Arthur G. Bishop, W. W.
Everett, John Trimble, w. H. Ramsey
and Wilbur LaRoe, jr., 1000 campaign
workers will be divided into the mill
tsry divisions usual in mission cam
paigns. Mrs. Bennett will lead the
women's forces. Ten colonels, each
with five captains. will work under
her. Each captain will head 10
workers. The mems division, led by
Edward H. DeGroot, jr., will be Or
ganized in the same manner.
Mr.. Benefits long period of service
began in June, 1915, when he took
charge Of the Central Union Mission,
then housed in the old Seaton Hotel,
622 Louisiana avenue (now Indiana
avenue. The building was bought in
1892 for S55,000, and Mr.. Bennett put
the mission on business basis, pay
ing all current bills. BY 1921 the
$4,000 mortgage on the old building
was burned. Two years later the
building was raZed and corner stones
for two new structures we're laid at
6l3 C street NV. and 524 Indiana
avenue. One of the new buildings
housed the Children's Emergency
Home which already had been estab-
hshed. The other housed the mis-
sion itself. BY October, 1881, the mis-
sion was free of all financial encum-
berances. A farm to provide fresh
vegetables for the mission dining
room and summer camp for Wash
ington's underprivileged children was
bought at Brookeville, Md. The camp
project was named Camp Bennett by
the Board of Directors in 1884.
Growth of the mission during Mr..
Benefits tenure can be seen in the
increase of operation costs. In 1915
when he became mission superin-
tendent, the yearly cost was about
$1,000. At the time of his death, ex-
pansion of mission activities had
raised the annual cost to $4,000.
Numbers Increased
The depression and corresponding
influx OF men seeking jobs in Wash
ington raised the free bed and meal
costs considerably after 1929. Loss
Of the missions annex in 1887 in
creased the housing problem. Sta
tistics show that 1866 free beds were
made during 1885. The figure rose
to 37,414 in 1887 when the missions
annex was available only part Of the
year. With the loss of the annex
there were only 1869 free beds dur
ing the missions 1898 fiscal year which
closed in September. AS for free
meals, the mission provided 99,584 in
1885, 124,514 in 1887 and 149,36l in
1898.
Oficers of the missions Board of
Directors include E. H. De Groot, jr.,
president; James Trimble, vice presi-
dent; Harry Hoskinson. treasurer;
Austin M. Cooper, secretary and as
sistant treasurer; E. A. Stevens. di-
rector emeritus. Directors are A. L.
Baldwin, Arthur G. Bishop, L. E.
Breuninger, Merritt o. Chance, w. w.
Everett, Wilbur La Roe, jr., and Will
liam H. Ramsey.
Ministerial Council officers are the
Reverends Freeley Rohrer, president;
Cove G. Johnson, vice president, and
George NJ Cummings, secretary. Other
council members include the Reverends
Howard S. Anderson, Charles Berry
Austin, Andrew r. Bird, John E.
Briggs, James D. Buhrer, H. w. Bur-
gan, Horace E. Cromer, w. L. Darby,
Simpson B. Daugherty, j. Harvey Dun
ham, C. E. Hawthorne, J. Hillman
Hollister, Clifford H. Jope, w. K. Ly-
ons, H Manken, jr., G. G. Martin,