bread, with some vegetable or cheese sliced between. And yet, so sensitive were the children about accepting anything that savored of "charity," that they would refuse food when it was proffered to them free of charge. It was only by inviting one and another to share their meal as a special treat, that the teacher could prevail on them to accept anything beyond the scanty meal they brought.

CHAPTER 13

CHEAP CLOTHING AND SECOND-HAND STORES

Next to the need for food and shelter comes that for clothing during our inclement winter. To provide for this, "junk shops" have been opened in some of our large cities, where second-hand articles of clothing can be bought by the poor for nominal sums. Our store in Chicago employs seven persons. Shoes are repaired, articles of clothing mended and furniture renewed, and then sold at prices which bring them within reach of all.

During the terrible blizzard of 1899 when trains were blocked and traffic obstructed the suffering among the poor was most acute. A woman came to our headquarters through the snow which was piled several feet high in the streets. A babe was in her arms, but a few weeks old, wrapped in a piece of China cloth. Her own garments were scarcely better. She was gladly supplied with what she needed. "Do not think me ungrateful," she said, when rising to leave, "if I ask you to find me one thing more. Could you let me have a pair of old shoes?" It was then that the fact was discovered that she had nothing but a little brown paper which she had placed between her stockings and the soles of her shoeless feet to protect her during that terrible tramp through the snow. Her gratitude was unbounded when this need also had

been met.

CHAPTER 14

SALVAGE BRIGADES FOR THE COLLECTION OF WASTE

The urgent necessity of finding temporary employment for the out-of-works led to the conception of the collection of household and office waste. The fact that those who needed help came from so many different trades, and that it would have required a vast amount of capital to employ each in what he might happen to know, made it necessary to look out for plans which would be suitable for all sorts of labor, whether skilled or unskilled.

To collect and sell waste paper, clothing, shoes, old furn: ture, packing cases, bottles and articles of a similar character has been found to supply a maximum of work at a minimum of cost. The income from the sale of such goods has been usually sufficient to almost cover working expenses, the chief difficulty being to obtain the capital necessary to purchase teams, and fit up suitable buildings.

The most extensive and successful salvage brigade hitherto established is in the city of Chicago, where we have taken a contract for keeping the streets in several wards free from waste paper. Some 25 tons of waste paper are weekly handled by the brigade.

In the city of Boston 500 baskets have been placed in the houses of citizens. These are periodically cleared, and the contents disposed of through our junk store.

Salvage brigades have also been established in Brooklyn, Jersey City and Newark.

CHAPTER 15

WOODYARDS

In some cities woodyards have been started for the temporary employment of out-of-works. The necessity of finding capital for the purchase of lumber, and the difficulty of competing with machine-cut wood, has prevented us from extending

this class of work on the scale that we should desire. It is, however, one of the best and simplest plans for utilizing waste labor during periods of temporay depression.

Our principal woodyards are in Waterbury, Boston, Houston, San Francisco and Seattle.

CHAPTER 16

EMPLOYMENT BUREAU

The lamentable fact that employment agencies have been so largely used by unprincipled persons for decoying the poor and fleecing them of their money, makes it the more important that strictly honest agencies should be multiplied for bringing together the employer and employed. At the same time the severely repressive enactments and high license fees which have been established in most states as a check to malpractices, have prevented us from advancing as rapidly as we could have desired.

Nevertheless in the last month for which our statistical particulars are available, we succeeded in finding work for no less than 4797 persons, being at the rate of nearly 60,000 per

annum.

CHAPTER 17.

KNIGHTS OF HOPE, FOR WORK AMONG PRISONERS

In many of the prisons throughout the country we are permitted to conduct regular services. In some of them we have been allowed to enroll the converts as Salvationists. The officials speak highly in regard to the good conduct of these men, and in times of emergency they have been known to render excellent service.

In one case a notorious murderer was converted, and was permitted to conduct a Bible-class among some eight men who were being tried or had been sentenced for a similar offense. This resulted in the conversion of several of the others.

But it has been the ex-criminal who has been the special object of our solicitude. When his sentence has expired his

position is indeed painful. It is only natural that employers should be very unwilling to offer him work. But should he succeed in finding a place, he will commonly be blackmailed by his old associates and compelled to pay them nearly all his earnings, under threat of losing his position by his employer being informed about the past. In some cities it is the police themselves who embitter the life of the ex-criminal by a systematic persecution which often drives him to despair.

For hundreds of these men we have found temporary employment in our own establishments until we could safely recommend them to employers of labor, after satisfying ourselves of the genuineness of their reformation. In this way and with our guarantee they have been safe from the attacks of the blackmailer.

CHAPTER 18

WINTER RELIEF

The severe character of the winter in our northern states makes the provision of special winter relief a matter of urgent necessity.

'We prayed for the snow and eagerly watched the passing clouds," said one of the sufferers, now an officer in our ranks, "because then we knew there would be a chance of earning a dollar a day for sweeping it away."

It was stated not long ago that when 6000 shovels were given out by the city of New York for clearing the snow, there were 10 men fighting for each shovel. It seems hardly credible to think that 60,000 men, mostly with families dependent on them, should struggle fiercely for the privilege of standing in the bitter cold for 10 or 12 hours, with but little underclothing, and most of them without proper overcoats. And yet such was the case.

Regularly organized winter relief has been carried on by the Salvation army, and this on a vast scale. In the city of Detroit during a severe winter, when poverty and suffering were intense, our officers were used by the authorities and citi

zens for the distribution of food and clothing to the value of $200,000 an exact list being kept of the 7000 families assisted and of the articles supplied.

During the severe blizzard of 1899, when traffic was paralyzed, and in many cases a coal famine prevailed, the doors of our halls were thrown open throughout the country, and those who could not obtain warmth and food in their tenements were cared for by thousands, the police and city authorities cooperating heartily with us in our efforts. Indeed so terrible was the distress that the police stations and armories were officially thrown open in New York and instructions issued by the state and city authorities to supply food and shelter to all who might appear to be in need. It was then that one of the finest compliments was paid to the Salvation army by the poor of the city. Our halls and institutions were crowded to the doors, while but few availed themselves of the proffered hospitality of the state. Our large hall and headquarters in 14th street accommodated nightly about 1000 persons, while from the regimental armory across the street we received a polite request to supply coffee and bread for 16 persons who had applied for help.

Fearing that the police stations might be as crowded as our halls, and that it might be necessary to engage and fit up some empty stores, we telephoned to the police headquarters to inquire what was the condition of affairs. "We have plenty of room," was the reply. "All the people have gone to Booth Tucker's show." We were, indeed, grateful to learn that in their hour of need they should thus openly manifest their confidence and take advantage of the help we had provided.

CHAPTER 19

MEDICAL RELIEF

In a country which abounds with hospitals and medical relief, it may naturally be supposed that there has been but little necessity for us to make any extensive additions to our respon