THE SUNDAY OREGOSIAX. PORTLAND, DECEMBER 24, 1905. -
"APPLIED CHRISTIANITY" USED AS WEAPON IN WARFARE ON VICE
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THE institutional methods of church
activity in the down-town districts
o all large cities are receiving the
unqualified approval of the public all over
the country, and the work ol the institu
tional department of the First Presby
terian Church of Portland, known as the
Men's Resort and People's Institute, sit
uated at Fourth and Burnsidc streets, is
an illustration of the success of such'
methods. The Men's Resort was first
opened ten years ago. consisting then of a
fr$o reading-room, cheap reastaurant and
lodging-house and gospel services. Three
year later, under the superintendence- of
Rev. J. F. Snyder, the old Mosburg Thea
ter building was secured, the restaurant
and lodging-house discontinued and he
institutipnal features of public service.
Sunday school, boys' brigade, gymnasium
and Industrial classes were begun, while
in the same quarters the Free Kindergar
ten Association of Portland conducted a
free dally kindergarten with two teachers
In charge. For seven years the work has
played an Important part in the lives of
th' people of that district.
Three years later the location of the
Institution was again changed to Sixth
street, where the work was so hampered
for Sack of adequate space that steps to
secure a suitable permanent location be
came imperative. At this Juncture the
gift oT the present Site was announced.
The First Presbyterian Church immedi
ately raised funds -and erected the build
ing new -occupied at-Fourth and Burn
side streets.
Numerous branches of religious, social
and industrial work arc pursued. Sit
uated In the district of low-priced hotels,
restaurant and" lodging-houses, tho dis
trict teems with transient men. Vice ap
preciates the opportunity thus afforded Jt,
and saloons, brothels and suspicious lodging-houses
present an environment of per
Ftelcnt temptation decked in brilliant Illu
nimtio and rite with the sounds xt
music and revelry. There ymi deep need
of some place of wholesome pastime as an
alternative to. the attractions of the Inevi
table saloon and brothel.
This need has been met by the opening
of a cheerful and spacious rending and
gamerootp which occupies half of the
first floor of the building. Pictures, palms,
potted plants and busts of eminent men
adorn and Rive the place an air of com
fort and refinement. Thousands of men
make use of these accommodations during
leisure time every week, and acknowledge
them to be a godsend. Tra-elers who
have put up at cheap hotels, loggers dur
ing a. lull in work, longshoremen waiting
for vessels, carmen between shifts, nlght
wrkmcn during waking hours of the
day, farmers In town on business for a
few days, and unemployed men looking
for work these are the men who find the
Men's Resort of the People's Institute
comfortable place of profitable and whole
some, pastime. Business men who need
help of any kind can almost invariably
find it at. the People's Institute, phone
Main CSS. Besides this provision of a
practical and successful substitute for the
social factor of the saloon, special lec
turer practical talks, and rclfgious meet
ings arc held. In which the city ministers
and platform speakers participate with
the utmost cordiality and always leave a
commendatory testimony for the work. A
prominent lawyer, after addressing this
audience of men upon a sociological sub
ject, remarked imrpripe at the careful at
tention and hearty appreciation shown,
and after several times addressing similar
audiences In the same place, gave it as
his opinion that a more earnest and ap
preciative audience could not bo found
anywhere In Portland. A prominent Epis
copal clergyman recently said from the
platform: "Wc often play at religion in
same places In our city, but this is a
place where religion Is real work"
A free Saturday-night entertainment
for the. people is jelven t-vury week.
Much or th 5t musical and literary
XakMit In Ote oltr ooMrifcute vc4tt
tarllr t the witkw uckcb aC Umcc
entertainments. A rerflar pastoral
work Is done In the district by the su
perintendent and his wife and on every
Sunday sight a people's religious serv
ice Ja held which Is of unique and at
tractive character. Illustrated hymns
are sung by the audience In which
they are led "by a "boys and girls vested
choir. Special songs are sung by the
vested chorus and a pointed gospel ad
dress or stereoptlcon sermon completes
the programme.
X novel Sunday school named the
boys' and grlrls Sunday aong and story
hour Is conducted under the superin
tendence' of Charles A. Dalxell every
Sunday at 3 o'clock. Tne choicest
hymns are taught with the help of (he
stereoptlcon and Bible narratives are
presented with lantern views a meth
od that .never fails to 'Interest and
teacn. A boya brigade, under the ef
ficient management of Alex. C Rae and
Captain Cuthbertson is an effective so
lution of .the night street-gang boy
problem. A wel-cqulpped gymnasium
and a clubroom furnished with books,
periodicals, games and pictures arc
thrown open for the boys use three
nights In the week. Their enthusiastic
attendance expresses their full appre
ciation of such an opportunity. Through
the generosity of a friend guns and
uniforms are being provided for t,he
boys brigade In both of Its senior and
junior departments. During the Sum
mer such time as the "boys can take
from their employment Is given to out
ings and camps. Drill and gymnastics
are supplemented with short practical
talks upon themes attractive and profit
able to the boys. .
An Important adjunct of the general
work of the Men's Resort fully as im
portant to women and children as the
main Institution Is to men Is the In
stitute Club. Tnie Is a large club of
woe& wale a teas undertaken the sup
port an waHkgfMt of a free Oally
Vlnrfcrgmrten, tastes trial ad physical
culture classes for girls and small boys,
and which co-operates with the general
work of the Men's Resort and People's
Institute. Miss Valentine Prltchard is
the able, superintendent of this club,
and many of the prominent women of
Portland persaaally Interest themselves
in the actual operation of the club
work. There Is a. xVaaace. a women's and
a children's department, each presided
over by a cHalrmaa and the work -is
done by many cemmHtee. Many young
ladles of social a at church prominence
take personal supervision of classes,
Koing IB the clufc's rooms three times
cack week ttwtsack little children who
aro wse for vtirlea cm to at
teni i be pvWflc schools. Tr services
are; volunteered.- the very large attend
ance making It Impractical to engage
salaried professional teachers. The as
sistants, together with four paid
teachers, now number 42. and Miss
Prltchard states that Is due to their
enthusiasm, cheerfulness and unflag
ging Interest in the work that much
of the great success of the year Is due.
The classes have grown from a kinder
gditen of 13 children, opened one year
ago. to as Industrial school -of 14 classes
will au enrollment of 5(5 for the year.
The daily kindergarten now hag a dally
average attendance of X and an enroll
ment of 42. Children living too far from,
tho Institute to come afcme are hrougnt
by the .assistant teachers. The hours
spent then; each' day are uadouhtodtr
the happiest o their liven, and they are
always reluctant to go home. A. garnet
and playroom is kept open dally from 3
to 5, In charge of volunteer helpers. This
was originally started as a reading-room,
but it was found that games and plays
were more attractive to the children. The
children have attended in such numbers
this season that there Is a lack of proper
room and for this reason this work has
had to be restricted to a degree. A spe
cial "free playroom, open every afternoon
for children who cannot be accommodat
ed in classes or who have no place to go
after the public schools arc dismissed, is
much desired by the management, and
It Is hoped to have it another year.
-V children's chorus rehearses every
Monday, and, aside from the chorus work
there Is a- vested choir of boys and girls.
The children love this work and feel very
proud to be members of the choir. The
basket work class Is an interesting one,
having 46 members from 6 to It years old.
There are gymnasium "classes for both
boys and girls, through which much
wholesome physical culture is being ob
tained. The boys are taken by their
teacher. Mr. .Myers, to the Y. M. C. A.
swimming pool several times each month,
a trip they always anticipate with much
joy. The sewing school is an important
department for girls, and has an en
rollment of SB- The Pratt Institute meth
od is nsed. a complete system of sewing
h4ng taught. Diplomas will be given
and students enabled to secure paid posi
tions In dressmaking shops on finishing.
Under the head of kitchen garden work
1 a eiass which Iff more deeply inter
ested m its work than any other. The
members number :4, with a waiting list of
that rmuiK more, and are all under 13
yean C ane. Their kurtruetion includes
all Mhos oC housework, such as waohing;
Srenfctg, sweepiif. dotting; making-
beds. setting' tables, washing: dishe.
"We just love lhl3 class best of all."
was the remark of a very young mem
ber the other day. which is said to echo
the general sentiment of the entire class.
In addition to all these classes there
Is a children's study hour, a boys club,
a kindergarten training school and a
class for deficient children. A. bathroom
which- was opened this Fall has proved
most attractive to the patrons of the
Institute. A nurse from the Visiting
Nurse Association is In attendance one
morning during the week, and volunteers
have assisted in giving baths at other
times. The bathroom is also open twice
a week for the use of mothers and their
little ones. During the year 1073 articles
of clothing were received and 573 dis
tributed. Co-operative work of various
kinds in looking after individual cases
and families Is carried on with the Trav
elers Aid. Visiting Nurses. T. W. C A..
Flower Mission, Juvenile Court and Civic
Improvement Associations. The last or
ganization last Spring furnished a stere
optlcon lecture and 300 packages of flower
seeds for free distribution.
"The year's work has been one of un
Iooked for and astonishing growth," stat
ed Miss Prltchard. ""Plans which we out
lined at first have been laid aside In some
instances, and others urt nought of car
ried out. "We have simply studied the
needs and tried to meet the demand. Vfe
have aimed to lay the foundation for a
work which would not need to be undone,
and one broad enough to meet future
needs.
"We hear much in these days of ap
plied arts, applied sciences, applied psy
chology, and so on. hut It seems to me
the workw have to da in thte partic
ular held ie a work of applied Christ!-
anltgr,"