The news-herald. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1909-1911, April 12, 1909, Image 7

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    V
GENERAL WILLIAM BOOTH
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GEN. BOOTH ON EIGHTIETH
BIRTHDAY STARTS NEW PLAN
Veteran Founder of Salvation Army Launches
Scheme for "University of Humanity" in the
United States All the World Celebrates
Anniversary of His Birth.
New York. lien. William liooth.
founder and commander-in-chief of this
Salvation Army, celebrated his eight
ieth birthday en Saturday. April 10.
and the event was made the occasion
of rejoicing all over the civilized
world. The Army itself held Id:; meet
lugs In every city and town where '9
is established, and these werv partici
pated In by hundreds of thousands of
other citizens who wire glad to do
honor to the distinguish! d philan
thropist. Gen. liooth niniself presided over
several monster mass meetings in
London. His advanced age and the
fact that he was operated on recently
for cataract did not deter hfin from
taking part in the celebrations held by !
ins devoted soldiers.
University of Humanity Launched.
In America the day was marked
especially by the launching of another
of den. Pooth's original schemes for
social reform In the rnited States.
At every post of the army was an
nounced the beginning of work to.
found a University or Humanity, a
great Institution for tho training' of
workers in social service. The uni
versity will be divided between New
York and Chicago, and it is expected
to begin wiiu a fund of $1.0M,UOO. The
gathering of this fund is thr work
that the army now eniers upon Id
commemoration of Its famous leader's
completion of his eightieth year.
As a much-needed stone In the wva
organizational structure that William
liooth has been building duxinir the
past 47 years, this idea of a school
for the systematic training of bis
workers has been In his mind for sev
eral years. On his last visit to ihe
rnited States the general made his
first tentative announcement 0f the,
plan. Since then he has worked out.
many of tho details and he has Just
consented to the beginning of pre
liminary work In tills country where
the need for trained workers has been
especially great.
Growth of Great System.
It Is perhaps not generally realized
that tho whole Intricate modern ma
chinery of civilization for the uplift
Ins; of the submerged tenth, the vast
system of charities now so essential
a part of modern life, is to a very
large extent an outgnmtli of the
liooth Idea. He was the lirst to see
that the unfortunate could best be
reached by those who had suffered as
they had. and that they must bo
reached by practical worldly help be
fare they could be prepared to begin
the cleaner life. It was the Salvation
Army which llrst made a practical
working success of litis now familiar
principle of so-called "missionary
work."
This whole plan of campaign for
raising the fallen began on a very
simple scale In the povorty-stiicki n
and crime Infested Past end of l.on
don ami under the Impetus or William
liooth's singular force of lulnd and
personality and the momentum Mini It
has gathered with almost tnlw'-uloiis
rupldlty It bus developed Into a truly
iis'enl.sblng organization.
Some of the deiiarlnipnta . Da
work are: Prisonmate and Rescue,
Inebriates' homes, Hoys' and Girls'
homes, Farm colonies, Km Ignition,
Xaval and .Military homes, .Maternity
homes, nursing, Samaritan brigades,
liospital and benevolent visitation, po
lice court work and Indian school
training.
No other religious organization in
the worlds history lias branched out
Into so many departments of philan
thropic effort ami absorbed them as
part of its religious duties.
Need of Trained Workers.
The scheme for University of Hu
manity grew naiurallv out of the de
velopment ,,f the 20 other depart
ments. With a liehl as wide i,u
world Itself the work of the Salvation
Army is only limited by the number
of workers that can be secured and
iis effectiveness by the understanding
and earnestness of these workers. As
uplift work has grown from local ef
forts to help a few Into a great in
clusive movement which must miss
none, the problems of organization
have grown greater. Chailiy has be
come a science and its application an
art Hvpiijiag the highest development
of personal iualities of Insight and
altruism. Thero is thus pressing need
for workers of unite exceptional qual
ification. These qualifications must
lirst of all be inherent and must then
lie dovHopcd by experience and spe
cial training.
This Is the new woik planned by
(Jen. liooth. Those women, for in
stance, wlio are to go among the
slums of the big titles must not only
have the desire to help but must know
how real helpfulness can best be se
en red. They must understand by a
study of practical sociology some
tiling of the social forces that create
this poverty and crime and wretched
ness. They must understand the dan
ger of the unwise charity thai merely
Increases dependence and understand
the value of better living conditions
in raising the moral courage of those
to whom fate has been unkind. They
must lie able not only to correct home
condtilons themselves but to impart
their knowledge and to Inspire with
a desire for betterment.
Value of the Organization.
This will be but a small part of the
univtisitys training in social service
as planned by the patriarchal evangel
ist, but It serves to Khow of wiiat
value such hii organization will be.
(if the general's plan for ihe un.
vcrsity he himself said recently; -
want to train men and women to deal
whh misfortune, i Want them n.
struetcd to combat with the weal
ness "s and sins or the drunkard, the
criminal, the pauper and the woiild be
Mliclde.''
At vi cars of age the head of the
Salvation Aim, alter moio tliuf halt a
century of almost unceasing :irilvity,
Is t's vigorous a tii untiring si at any
time in bis caieej-. Tile Inexhaustible
vitality and intij'rctual and physical
ac'lvlty of this social icfureuu , phll.iti
tlno ist. pr acher. author amf traveler
are marvelous. At fouiscorr he Is
iraxellie; many t h ' '1 -:i u l -j ,if miles
ncr the world every, year, contrulllr.5
Hie ib stinits of his more than T.IH'O
corps of Salvation soldiery with their
I."e0 commissioned ofliccrs. distribu
te! among every civilized country,
pi' .'aching constantly to vast audiences
and doing an amount of literary v"ork
that would be a jaccr to man. a
professional author with no other oc
cupation. William liooth was born 011 April
10, 1S29, in .Nottingham. ICugland. and
was trained for the .Methodist minis
try which he entered and became one
of the strongest evangelistic forces in
that t lunch. He grew dlssatistied.
however, at reaching only those with
some religious training and convic
tion. He f, lt that there were thous
ands whose need was far greater and
he gravitated to the Kast end of Igni
tion where wretchedness of nil kinds
was the rule.
In a disused liuiial ground ou Mile
Knd road he pliched an old tent and
the first Salvationist meeting wai
held in that tent In lSiil. The liery
eloquence of the earnest young
preacher caught the attention of a
crowd of poor Whitochnpolera and bo
fore that llrst meeting was over he
had made several conversions, a per
formance that be lias been repenting
throughout the world for 47 years.
How He Started the Army.
This first meeting resulted In the
formation of tho Christian mission,
from which it was the evangelist's
custom to send his converts to the ex
isting churches of tint locality, but
finding that they were not welcomed
and were in danger of slipping back
from sheer want of comradeship and
oversight, he set about forming so
cieties of the converted. These ho
found to be a potent agency for bring
ing In more, as the heedless Kast
ender could bo Impressed by the
words of a former "pal" when he
would not listen to a minister. So
was created the central Idea of tho
Salvation Army.
The need of organization becomes
apparent, but several methods were
tried with little success before Gen
liooth hit upon the military idea ami
named his organization the Salvation
Army. Kroin that time on the move
ment grew amazingly and it has con
United to grow without ceasing to
this day.
Spread Over the World.
The movement began spreading to
other countries of the world in 1S81
when it lirst reached the rnited
States through Ihe Influence, of a silk
weaver who had emigrated from Cov
entry, England, bringing with him the
Salvation Army idea and a strong d.
sire to continue in the work. It
reached Australia in the same year
through a milk dealer from Stepney,
and soon afterwards the first Canadian
corps was organized In a similar
fashion.
I'ive years later, in lSSti, the gen
eral made the fust of many visits to
the American branches of the army
and he has seen them grow from a
few small corps Inlo a veritable army
of tremendous influence and unsur
passed ellltiency. Ills lirst great
world-tour was made in 1S!H, when he
visited South Africa, Australia and
India. Since then he has visited the
I'nlled Stales, Canada. Australia, New
.calami and India four times, South
Africa twice and Japan and the Holy
Land each once.
Hurlug all these travels the actual
executive responsibility for the gov
ernment of the army has never been
lifted frt;in his shoulders. Kven on
slil plioa rd he is an indefatigable work
er, planning and writing through the
days.
Gen. Booth Honored.
One of the most, remarkable of the
many tributes paid to the general by
tlii! great of the world was that of the
mikado or Japan during the visit to
that country. The mikado personally
received the general with great,
warmth and he was accorded remark-ahl-'
ovations in Yokohama. Tokyo,
Scndai and Kyoto, a circumstance of
st tango import when it Is realized
that Japan is not a Christ inn country.
Another Interesting distinction given
te'ti. liooth was the conferring on him
of the degree of doctor of civil law by
Oxford university. The significance
of tills honor will hi; better under
stood when it is stated those who re
ceived university honors with him at
the time were Prince Arthur of Con
naught, the prime minister of Kng
laud, the lord chancellor, the speaker.
Sir K. Grey, the archbishop of
Aiuiagti. Sir Kvelyn Wood, tin; Ameri
can ambassador, Mark Twain and
Uiidyui'il Kipling.
As a writer Gen. liooth is remark
able, both as a stylist, as a thinker
and as u producer, lie has written in
nil 21 volumes, besides innumerable
articles for the army publications
His best known book Is "In Darkest
Knglatid and the Way Out." in which
he outlined bis scheme for social re
form by means of colonization. "The
Training of Children." "I.ove. Mar
riage and Ihe Home," and his books
on reform are among the others of
the gi iiernl's best known literary pro
ductions. Writes of His Creed
of bis creed the general has written
veiy tyeiiutifully. He says:
"The simplicity of our creed has
been, as I I" lieve it will remain, one
i 1 tie1 principal helps to our unity.
We s'and for the old truths. The
taith which can be interpreted in
terms of duly, of iinselllshness, of
purity, of love to God and man, Is the
only t alt h we really rare about. What
ever tuny '"' 'he case with the select
minority, the consciousness of sin,
the force of evil habit and tho con
sciousness of sin and the Influenco of
; issioti, aie all vivid realities with
ilie ureal masses of the population.
To them we bring the proi.ilse of de
liverance by Jesus Christ "
SALVATION ARMY'S WORK IN
THE UPLIFTING OF HUMANITY
How the Wonderful Organization Brings About
the Moral and Physical Regeneration of
Thousands of Men and Women De
graded by Crime and Misfortune.
Chicago:
ihe war civ
'The U 01 ill lor Cliii.'."
ol the S.i I ;i 1 ion At tin i
uttered toilav
en than ever
by 11101 e ne a and v. one
before since llt.it won
derful organization
Gen. William liooth
was toimeil
In the slunet
pv j
,,f 1
London. In the Pulled Slates alone
there are nearly '.umi corps and out
posts where the "soldiers" are doing
nut iringly the two told work of tho
ai my spiritual and social. Kvety
clay la the week, every hour in the
lav, they labor earnestly among the
fallen, the degraded and the unfor
tunate. Not so many years ago these
M'Miers met wllh abuse ami violence,
or at tho best with ridicule and con
tempt. Now they are everywhere ac
corded respect and assistance. Their
methods have not changed, but the
CHRISTMAS DINNER FOR THE POOR.
world has gradually come to know 1
something of the great woik they are,
doing. !
Varied Social Work. 1
While all Salvation Army operations!
have as the ultimate goal the saving 1
of the whole man, body ami soul, it is
the social ami Industrial part of the'
woik that attracts (lie most attention1
and awakens ihe broadest sympathy.!
The extent of Ibis work is coinpre-1
bended by few who see the sober-clad!
soldiers on lie ir daily ami nightly!
rounds. It comprises many ami varied
branches, such as worliingineii's ho 1
lels, industrial homes, lescue homes,!
childieu's homes, niaiernliy hospitals, i
work in prisons uml slums, farm col-:
onies, summer outings and Christmas 1
dinners. Some of Its charities nre
more than self-supporting-, but every!
cent, that Is made by them Is used in
oilier branches of the work, and for
Ihe rest the army depends on the con-'
trlbullons of philanthropic persons!
who believe that no other agency 1st
so potent, in teaching and elevating
IIIO suiiuieigeu o'liui. 1 no ptimte is
reached not only through personal so
licitation. Inn by means of periodicals,
of which ihe Army publishes till, wllh
ii total of more than l.UI.'t.OO.I copies
Issued. It operates in n4
countries
ami colonies ami preaches the gospel
In "S languages.
The Army In Chicago.
Chicago Is the headquarters lor the
western territory of the Army In the
Pnlted States, with Commissioner
Thomas Psilll in command, and ihe
operations of the army here are a
Cue example of its work throughout
FIRST AID TO
the world. Inning the
w inter
months the t-1 . 1 1 1 1 1 is are t " ' 1 . , t
v
busy, for ill mill I full to proldiiig
ter ard food for ciinitl"s de-tiiute
men a'nl women in p, ; mam til ,t::,l
ti lnpni r lod-'ilig boil. es. they si-af' b
tine isiaglv for eai-i .-. ol -iilTeriiig
Where the vlcllin.i are too protnl 01 ten
ignorant to apply lor ielef. To su li
lieople, In lickely telietlieins UQll ill
. ' ..- :- -.
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hS . , ' ' i -''k
mid r ! ..-VV i '
www ' tmt:4t"0i
pJ.fc.v m t , .-, c'J-i'.- ' ,y 'etAJ;T,'
fewStxt::&' til?' -,v fv-i.. tfv : i t-M
aliev s, the ;
carry food 1
ami,
betler 1
and dowu-
east the hope u
cuiitav.i'iiienl 10
better
sl rilitg
thiligs and en 1
e onward and
upward. There are no harsh reproaches
I t in past shortcomings, no threats, but I
! g.-iiile admonition, kindly advice audi
lil.ie -11.11 iiMMi,iicc 111 Hie I 1IIIX Wlieil I
I 1 , ..1,1 1
11 is most needed.
Slum Angels to the Rescue.
in addition to the 111 stations ill
Chicago from which the willing work
cis help the pour, a soil of Hying
sipiadron of "slum ungi Is" is nt the
beck and call of the commanding of
llcer to carry swift relief to extreme
cases In any pari of the city. Iiinins
the winter these slum sisters visited
and assisted in various ways 1.740
families, at it cost in cash, clothing,
coal and medicines of $:',t'.4:'..'lti.
Clothing tor Ihe poor Is collected all
! over the city by the army's wagons
' and Is repaired and distributed I rout
' Us Industrial home At this Institu
tion temporary employment Is given
1 to many men who, having held re
! sponsible positions, have fallen' low
1 lliiouth (liiiik or other causes. Scores
J ol these men are reclaimed and later
placed ill good positions, and on leav
ing Ihe home 1 hey are given mono)
which they eyrind by their work
i there. Many a self supporting wont
i an, broken down by sickness, has been
: relieved by the unity, nursed bark it.
1 health and restored to her place j
I among the wage-earners.
' Christmas Dmnero for Thousands.
1 The special ular hide of the Salva
1 linn Army's woik tenches Its climax
1 ai Christmas lime. For many days
j before 1 be festival there may be seen
! on every prominent corner In tin
j business district a Salvation lass.
! who, despite snow, Wind, sleet itnil
j colli cheerfully stands with tain
1 Iiotirlne In hand, appealing to the pass
ierby lor the wherewithal to provlih
11 napp hum man mi
! 1 . . . .. '.... r
more than P.',-
INill of Chicago's poor. These peonh
' have no one to plan pleasant Christ
I mas surprises lot them, and ihe
knowledge that the Salvation Army
1 has not forgotten them on tin; day of
j universal rejoicing Is one of the
I brightest spots In ihelr dreary lives.
The thousands of Christmas dinners
1 are piiichased. packed In baskets and
taken to Ihe :i distributing points.
THE INJUREO.
' w liei
t la V 111 e ci
I 1., I to
! n: hi.
ire little
oys ,'iiid
I lie 1 001 .
I lor tain
1 lill.li . ti.
games.
Many of the baskets
ilies III W life h Untie ;
coiih ill also a tew t
In summer Heie i!,e Artuy d
a
line wiit I; in 1,i!,ir,g iiioihi t -, and ein.
'Ii'cii for iiutiiiL;, in the country. It
owi.s a hi; Iniise ntnl l.i 111 in one of
the cllv's pietipst -i,li:i''bs a. nl tliere
the tlied uouieti nnd puny children
hovels up ii.ui, and lililiy
1 liei 1 in! Salv at ion lassies
and con! . 1 1 1 I medicines ;
v 1 I. bring to I lie wrelchei
from the slums ate restored to health
ami vigor
Children's Industrial Farm,
In California, "n miles from SanU
P0-11. Is one of the A i niy's greatest In
stitutions - tho l.vtton Springs Chil
dren's Industrial farm of U:iO acres,
one.. It was a sanitarium ami summer
reheat. Peopl.
benefits of tM
halnily air, Hi,
anil fern-carpet
II there was a
(ages, and the
the sick ami 10
and homes of
went there to get the
mineral waters, tho
1 glotious vistas below
ed canyons behind. On
big hold ami ten cot
se erst while abodes of
'in y are now the haunts
iappy ( hlldren.
About live j can: ago the Salvation
Army, working on the principle that
the country Is I lie tight place to bring
up (hlldren, round, .( the home. It
was the outgrowth of 11 small home
itiainlaineil bv the ni-ili-r In Sinn Pran-
i-tsi,.,, t.,i ( ir 1 1.1,
wen Installed iis superintendents, and
the useful career or a inurvelously use
ful Institution waS Pcgim. It Is now
the home of about "on happy, healthy
and most useful children. Tho boys
lire lenrninir In l, ul.lll,,l .,,w,..o on1
r, ri,ii,i,i iitaiiivjin cut.
1
I (,lll , llll-ll ,11111
the gins to be model
housekeepers ami all of them to be
good citizens. Much of the produce
ol the farm Is sold In San Francisco.
Rescus and Maternity Home.
Of all its Institutions, the Salvation
Army in Chicago Is perhaps proudest
of the Kescue ami Maternity Home,
or this the present matron, Mrs. Kn
sign Smith, writes:
"Our social operations and coloni
zation schemes met tho hearty ap
proval of the socialistic minded. Our
children's homes and even slum posts
excited the admiration of phllan-v
throplsts, but Just depict a poor girl
strayed from the path of virtue and
rectitude, or one steeped In vlleness,
and the majority of your listeners
would either ridicule or turn tholr of
fended moral nostrils away l:i disgust.
Whence shall the poor, fallen girl turn
when the whole world Is against her?
It was tho practical answer to this
momentous question from tho myriads
of submerged daughters that opened
the rescue home, and tho western
metropolis wus not. one whit behind
her sister cities, for In 1895 our Insti
tution was formally opened."
Five limes the home was moved to
more commodious quarten, and Its
work has Inrretised steadily. Last
year (1.1 children were horn thero. The
total number of Klrls received during
ihe year was 1.1".. About 50 of the
girls who have been in (ho home re
turn regularly for the monthly meet
ings. Scores of them are now happily
married and settled down In good
homes and with loving husbands.
What sociologists ilnd to praise most
in the Salvation Army's maternity
boines Is the fact that every effort Is
made to induce lite unfortunate young
mothers to keep their children. This
Is admittedly the most potent factor
In their moral regeneration.
"Surely." says Matron Smith, "Ood
alone can comprehend the Inestimable
Coal for Slum Dwellers.
value of such an Institution, where
thousands of poor, outcast girls, swift
ly drifting on the dark current to per
dition, are rescued and Ilnd a peaceful
haven."
Vast Business System.
The executive work of the' army
that falls upon the shoulders -of Iti
octogenarian leader Is enormous. lie
Hides its multitudinous charitable In
stitutions, for all uf which the most
ellicieut business nianageut Is re
quired, tin re are dozens of other de
partments of its work that are almost
unknown to the general public For
! instance, there Is the management of
; the grat properties of tho army and
! its building operations. It does all Its
iwu planning and building, even train
' ing Its own architects, builders and
ai. rk 11. Then it has large printing
ami engraving plants ami the manage
1 tiieut of Its publications is in Itself a
j great business.
The army's profits from Its ex
! usive trading operations are devoted
1 entirely to the furtherance of its re
I lorn propaganda, the extension anil
I development of lis mission field. A
' .) 1-1-P1I point is tightly made of the
' tact that no ollirer profits to the ex
:esM of a simd rent from the financial
1 su'tcss of its business enterprises.
The muds of the army are adminls
tefd by a central hoard In London
M 1 . , I every account is subjected to
li 'id inspection A tegular audit of
the book is also made by account
ants ol standing engaged from outside
lie- army roll. A hoard also consults
with He' general on each detail of
at my pulley as it arises. Day and
'night ceaselessly-for tho strain i
never off--this central committee,
lo only alert, watches every (level p.
tiieut affecting the good of men th
woihl over. Kvery section of th j
j i.niiv Is linked with this central to. a
' tin'tee bv the cable
I WKsi:a-" 'frw-jr til