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The Commoner
VOL. 14, NO. 11
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Four Bums Plus Faith and Work
(Philadelphia North Amorican.)
One wintor evening; three years'
ago, four apologies for mon happen
ed to mdot.and got acquainted' in a
little mission bvor in Vino street
Frpm ' a recent article In the
World's Work, wo take this descrip
tion of the quartet:
Arthur W. Taylor was a college
man. ."Ho had been-brought, up in a
Christian, household by' Christian pa
rents. -His ability had crowned him
with early success, and before Jio bad
turned 25 ho held a. high-salaried
position as a traveling accountant
for the Standard 6il Company. . But
thor subtle, mysterious workings of
rum "got hlm.y fio lost 'his posi
tioh,his frlonds discarded liini. He
took to "tho road,", and for years ho,
followed the tramp routes of the con
tinent. ,,
A' scion of ono of Virginia's oldest
families was the second .of tho quar
tet, George A. Tyler, Ho lived re
'spectably wjth his wife and family in
a qujot southern town. , An associ
ate, with his father in tho lumber bus
iness, prominent in church and so
cial circles, ho had everything to live
for. An occasional drink at the club
started him on the downward path,
and little by little ho lost his self
control. In time oven the environ
ment and responsibilities of his homo
had no influence.- Ho left , town,
after five years of active business life
and foil rapidly to "the level of a
common tramp, roaming over the
country and begging enough money
with which to satisfy temporarily hie
thirst for strong drink.
Randolph M. Lawrence waB a civil
engineer. His parents were wealthy,
and at the tlmo he commenced his
career his prospects for tho future
were far brighter than those of the
averago man. Unfortunately, lie. ac
quired the habit of drink. Through
tho medium of various so-called
"cures" he tried in vain to stop,
Finally, he left home rather than
bring disgrace to his brothers and
sisters. For fifteen years he fought;
but when he rode into Philadelphia
oh a freight, discouraged at heart
and emaciated in body, only tho
cheapest and most virulent brands
of whisky seemed to appease his
ever-increasing craving.
Tho only ono of the four who did
not fall was George Long. Born and
brought up a true son of the tender
loin, he had nothing to fall from.
At 14, having been already thorough
ly schooled in tho ways and means of
tho underworld, ho launched himself
upon his career as a "grafter." Ho
soon acquired the usob of cocaine and
morphine as stimulants. For twenty
years he had been an habitue of the
dens df vice in the large cities. After
a while the sight of him became ro
pellant oven to tho keepers of the
lowest resort" and he had been
thrown out time and tlmo again from
the .filthiest brothels In several cities.
. In tho mission each of these found
what they were pleased to call a
"now cure," and after having seen it
work with success on several of their
underworld associates, they drew up
and signed the following declaration;
. "Wo, with all humility, being fdur
mon who have been to the very gates
of hell, and who, only through the
gracious love and saving power of
our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ,
have been, redeemed, herewith, this
first day of February, 1911, conse
crate our lives to him and his work.
Our object and endeavor shall bo, by
the love, grace and power of God,
through his son, Jesus Christ, to re
deem tho fallen, giving aid, help,
comfort, strength and sympathy, both
material and spiritual, to the needy,
and to do His blessed will, as He re
veals it to us at all times1 and at all
places, to hasten the coming of His
kingdom."
That was the-beginning; of tho "In
asmuch Mission," which, a few "weeks
ago opened at 1011 Locust street, on
tho fringe of "Hell's Half Acre," a
$100,000 mission hotel, whoro a
homeless man can get a decent room
for a. dollar a week and a good meal
for' 15 cents. ' ' '. '
' Only one of the four remains in the
mission. Taylor dropped out to pre
pare for the ministry. Lawrence went
back home to live a decent life. Tyler
has jo,lned his father in business.
Long still is on hand to help any
down-ahdrou.ter who shows the least
desire to help himself '
r' Since these four, men held ..their
first meeting, in the dingy front, room
of a. ramshackle house ih' the 'Center'
.of "Hell's. Half Acre'v ra house lent
to them by Dr. George Woodward,
who owned twenty such in the neigh-,
borhood, but wouldn't rent, them Nf or
sucli use as fqfmerly had beehmade
of them more than a hundred thou
sand men have been fed' and shel
tered by them. ...",.
For three summers their tent
meetings on the. lot'now occupied by
the mission hotel were centers not
only of human reclamation work, .but
a new sort 6f practical. Christianity
a sort that gets a man" a job.
In tho summer of 1912 this latter
work was undertaken. It came about
through tho interest of one' of the
owners of the Lukens steel mills, in
Coatesville, who said he'd be willing
to try out some of tho "Inasmuch"
converts if they chose to accept free
transportation.
The experiment was a success.
The good example was followed by
the Cambria Steel company at Johns
town, and the Carnegie Steel com
pany at Pittsburgh,. Also, the Bald
win Locomotive Works, in this city,
joined in.
"To lead men like these to Jesus
and then leave them without a job
Isn't fair," said ono of tho four mis
sioners. Henco his inquiry among
the steel mills, where the c.onverts
would have no chance to "live soft,"
and-thus make a farce of their profession.
Within the first ten days after
this move 300 converts had been put
to work. Each of these and the
many hundreds for whom jobs since
have been secured are entered on a
"follow-up" list. The Inasmuch
brand of Christianity doesn't end
with welcoming a man to fellowship
in the great family of the faithful.
"We have found the solution of
the social problem," said Mr. Long
recently. "At least, so far as it has
to do with this class of persons. It
takes a 'down-and-outer' to reform a
'down-and-outer.'
"No man knows that feeling of a
crook who has led the life for years
better than the reformed thief. He
realizes his wants, the struggle he
lias for redemption and the fight.
Social workers try hard, but they
can't realize that feeling the other
fellow has,"
Starting with a capital of 27 cents
plus faith beyond computation and
a willingness to work hard, these
four men set in motion a force that
has worked wonders In one of tho
worst districts in the city. Their own
willingness to make sacrifices enlist
ed first tho Interest and then the help
of men and women who had seen
many a bettering effort fall In this
very same dive section.
Neither race, creed nor nninr
stands in the way of the help that
always is on tap at the Inasmuch
Mission. But common sense is In
termixed with all tho religion there
pussea aiong. The habitual
vert" who
of- food, shelter and sympathy goes
away a wiser and perhaps more
thoughtful man. .; . .
With the assistance and counsel, of
men and women attracted by the sin
cerity of the four founders, this un
usual mission has in. three years ac
complished more than many a sim
ilar institution does in ten times that
interval.
Into its' open doors have wandered
nil sorts and conditions of men.
Here a thief, a gambler, a drug fiend.
There not so long ago a once-re-'spected
clergyman dragged down by
drink. Again and again such hu
man wrecks have gone in, to come
out with new hope and fresh courage.
In Philadelphia are a great many
factories. Their output goes around
tho world to satisfy the wants and
needs common to humanity. But in
all Philadelphia not one factory is
quite so fine as this, which makes
men over; and for no other "reason
than this, "inasmuch as ye have done
it unto ono of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Gleaned from the
Month's News
of beverages came with baskets
sacks, carts and wheelbarrows, many
having pawned their last belongings
to procure means to purchase. This
final prohibition act 1b tho last of
three distinct liquor reforms, the first
curtailing the sale of vodka and the
second abolishing it absolutely. Tho
third measure extends the prohibi
tion to every form of alcoholic drink
in all portions of the empire under
martial law. Cities included under
the prohibition are Odessa, Riga,
Warsar, Moscow, Kiev and virtually
all cities of western Russia.
A London cablegram of November
15 says: Field Marshall Earl Roberts
died last night in France from pneu
monia. Field Marshal Roberts, who
was colonel-in-chief of the Indian
troops, had gone to France to give
them his greeting. Soon after his
arrival he became seriously ill. He
suffered from a severe chill on. Thurs
day, and pneumo'nia rapidly devel
oped. His great age, eighty-two
years, militated against-his recovery,
tho crisis in the disease coming very
quickly.
By a decisive vote the executive
council of tho National American
Woman Suffrage Association, at the
opening of the 46th annual conven
tion at Nashville, Tenn., November
12, declared its political nonpar tisan-
ship and went on record as apposed
to attacks upon any political party.
A Washingtoi di3patch dated No
vember 15, says: The government has
given its order for the evacuation of
Vera Cruz, and that city will be re
turned to Mexican, control November
23 unless some radical change in the
situation there prevents,. The Ameri
can expeditionary force at Vera Cruz
will embark on that date for Galves
ton and the Mexican factions will be1
left to work out, their o,wn destiny,
the policy of watcnfui; waiting having
been altered in no respect.
A Mexico City dispatch, dated
November 14 says:, The news of
Washington's determination to evac
uate Vera Cruz has been' receive!
here with joy in all circles. Extra
editions of the newspapers spread the
tidings among the people of the cap
ital. The department of education is
planning for a great demonstration of
students on November 23 to celebrate
the event.
A Petrograd cablegram via Lon
don, November 14, says: Thousands
of men, women ana children stood
Since 4 a. m. this morninir in n iii.iv-
ing snow storm before the doors of'
me nquor snops on this, the last day
on which it is possible to purchase
light wine and beer under the pro
hibition act of the Russian' govern
ment, which on Monday becomes ab
solute. Applicants for a final supply
The pulse of the nation's foreign
commerce is showing steady, improve
ment, according to the" daily com
merce statements received by Secre
tary McAdo.o from the ten leading
ports of entry, say an Associated
Press dispatch dated November 1G.
Innort business of last Thursday.
based oh 'reports" from' handling 87
per cent of all imports, amounted to
$2,330,512; exports from these ports
handling 72 per cent of all exports,
amounted to $10,421,551. The daily
average for these ports in November,
1QX3,, was; Imports $4,923,397; ex
ports," $.6,983,426.
Secretary; McAdob determined last
month to keep in close touch with the
foreign commerce of the United
States,' noting from day ;to day tho
fluctuations of Imports t and" exports.
To that eiid he-' ordered 'the " ten'
largest custom houses to make daily
reports by wire of their business. The'
result is tabulated with comparative
figures and as laid on Mr. McAdoo's
desk affords instant information as
to the course of foreign trade.
Since. the first. of November the to
tal of the import report is $51,627,
759; exports, $77,599,600.' Since
October ,5 ttie totals have been: im
ports, $15'6,627,759; exports, $215,
Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo
on November 16 signed the formal
order announcing that tho twelve
federal reserve banks were establish
ed and ready for business. It was tho
final step required to set in motion
the nation's new currency system
and found the regional banks ready
for operation.
The secretary sent' the following
telegram of congratulation to the
federal reserve agent and. governor
of each federal reserve bank:
"Please accept my cordial congrat-
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