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THE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS BETTERMENT
OF EMPLOYES IN SOUTHERN COTTON MILLS.
Several million of our best people
live in the cotton mill communities
of the South, and the number is rap
idly increasing. The time will come
when most of our cotton will be man
ufactured in Southern mills, and more
and more the mill population will be
come an important element in our
Southern life.
Their opportunities for social, educa
tional and religious improvement are
very limited. Not much has been
done to bring to them adequate op
portunities along these lines, except
in isolated instances. So far as I
know, none of our great denomina
tions have attempted any general
movement commensurate with the
needs in this field. We have had a
number of organizations for the pro
motion of social service movements,
but none of them have given any ap
preciable attention to mill communi
ties. In various religious bodies and
conventions the matter has been dis
cussed, but without coming to definite
and aggressive action. I do not believe
we can afford to longer neglect this
great field. If something is not done
row, later on the situation may be
beyond our grasp. The situation is al
ready a difficult one, and with the
rapid growth of the textile industry
and the coming of the foreigner to our
mills, it wull be even more so.
For twelve years I have been mak
ing a study of the needs among our
cotton mill people and how these needs
might best be met. Eight years of
my boyhood was spent as an em
ploye in a cotton mill. Naturally my
boyhood experience brought me into
sympathy with those among whom I
worked ,and in later years has caused
me to think along this line. The re
sult has been the evolution of a plan
of work to which I wish to call at
tention.
In order to study an aid in working
out the many problems connected with
mill work, I believe there should be es
tablished a social service bureau. I
will not go into details, but will state
briefly my conception as to the va
rious lines of work to be done by
such a bureau. Its work should be
to collect and promulgate social ser
vice ideas already in use, to promote
better home environment, to promote
domestic science schools, night
■schools, chautauquas, educational lec
tures and entertainments, to publish
and. circulate helpful literature, to aid
in establishing reading rooms, libra
ries, gymnasiums and athletic parks,
to assist worthy talent in securing
practical education or training for so
cial service, to find homes for des
titute and dependent children, to fos
ter agencies for the conservation of
health and human life, to encourage
and aid mission boards, churches,
schools, clubs, societies and all or
ganizations for social, educational and
religious betterment.
The services of such a bureau
would be welcomed by many of our
mill proprietors and officials. As a
rule, I think they are interested in
the betterment of their operatives. In
NEWS FROM THE WORKERS
some instances mill owners have, of
their own initiative .inaugurated splen
did plans of social service in their
communities. These same plans would
no doubt be readily adopted by other
mill owners, if they had some one to
point out the advantages of such work
and show them how it could be done.
Some few mill churches are doing
a magnificent work, not only of a re
ligious character, but along social and
educational lines. The ideas and plans
of these few churches could, through
the social service bureau, be rapidly
introduced in practically all the mill
churches throughout the South. Along
this line the bureau could be of in
valuable service to the mission boards
of the various denominations, induc
ing these agencies to attempt more
definite work in this direction and
showing them the way as to means
and methods. In the same way there
are many other benevolent agencies
which the bureau could interest and
aid in work among the mill people.
For some things the bureau should
have its own expert workers, but as
I have indicated a great part of its
work could be done through other
organizations.
I would be glad to have this mat
ter discussed by others who may be
interested in this particular field. If
anybody can evolve a better plan, let
us have it. If you approve the plan
suggested or have any amendments
to offer, tell us what you think
through the columns of this paper, or
write me personally.
J. R. GUNN,
411 Atlanta Nat. Bank Bldg., Atlanta,
Georgia.
REV. G. CAMPBELL MORGAN.
By W. A. Jordan.
Dr. Morgan is small of statute, but
great of intellect. He is somewhat
tall, but very slender. His neck is
long and stringy. He has a full suit
of hair, now gray, falling rather heav
ily to one side of his head. His face
is sharp and full of heavy lines. His
expression is animated, but at times
a dark cloud seems to gather there,
but soon vanishes for the sunshine
again. He stands erect with head
thrown slightly backward. His move
ments are rather quick than graceful.
His gestures are usually made with
the index finger of the right hand
thrust carelessly before him. His voice
is not especially attractive and yet
there is an earnestness in his appeal
that makes one strain a point to catch
every word.
The greatest glory of Morgan is his
mind. He makes one think his
thoughts. He grips you with his
thought ,and holds you as by a vice.
One loses sight of Morgan and sees
only the mind at work. His greatest
genius is hard work. This seems the
exception with extra brilliant men.
They depend on their genius rather
than on work and often fail. Morgan
never fails and never can fail be
cause he works. His is the perfect
mind with perfect methods. His prep
aration is absolutely thorough. He
masters perfectly every task. He
The Golden Age for March 27, 1913
brings a wealth of learning and labor
into his efforts that simply startles.
He has away of finding heart facts
and driving them home with convinc
ing, almost terrific, weight. He rea
sons by elimination, reducing irrev
elant matter to the minimum. He then
thrusts forth the truth he seeks, with
such conciousness that the hearer is
fascinated, charmed. When he is
through one wonders if anything else
could be said, and yet he does not
seem to_ put forth more than ordi
nary energy in his messages. The
subject seems to have been treated
exhaustively but the man does not
seem to have exhausted himself. He
is interesting, though deep. The peo
ple are anxious to hear Morgan. He
is a popular preacher without being
sensational. He is orthodox, without
being dry. He appeals more to the
intellect though he frequently moves
the will by convincing the judgment.
One goes away from his services de
termined to know more of his Bible.
Morgan’s mind works with the precis
ion of a machine. His logic is fault
less. His method is direct. He is
sometimes even blunt in his state
ments. His sentences are short and
clear. He makes no attempt at elo
quence and does not sway his crowds.
Eut they will go away with somethrng
that stays with them, and will come
again to hear.
To me he is an ideal preacher. He
is an unusual combination, preacher
teacher, and is great at both. He is
great. He has no superior, if an eq ■
as either. He readily glides from the
teaching to the preaching and back at
will.
He is at home in the pulpit. It is
his throne, and he reigns there with
all the dignity and the splendor of a
monarch. He never seems to be lost
or in the least befogged in his thought.
He moves along with ease and without
the slightest hesitation to his climax.
Morgan was the very soul of the
Atlanta conference. There were other
great men, but Morgan was the star.
It is worth a trip across the continent
to hear him. He is unique. It may
be we will never have another Mor
gan. He has made Bible exposition
a popularj thing. Thousands heard
him every day and thousands more
heard him at night. I thank God for
Morgan and Broughton, who brought
him to us.
REVIVALS STIRRING ATLANTA.
Dr. H. Clay Morrison, of Louisville,
Ky., is conducting a sweeping revival
at St. Paul’s, the largest’Methodist
church in Atlanta. The house, seating
two thousand people, is crowded and
many conversions have occurred.
# * #
At the Second Baptist church the
beloved pastor, Dr. John E. White,
is doing his own preaching, while the
Welsh snigers are charming the
crowds who attend. The prospects for
the meetings are promising.
* * #
At Wesley Memorial, Pastor Hen
drick is being assisted by Evangelist
Abernathy and Lynne. In the heart
of the downtown section, this church
is the rallying center for the “pass
ing throng,” and “old-time religion” is
being preached to the hungry masses.
EHRLICH IN DEMOPOLIS.
Rev. L. J Ehrlich, the converted
Jew, preached five days in Demopolis,
Ala., last week. The special purpose
of the meetings was to awaken church
members, seeking to interest both
Christians and Jews In the Jew’s sal
vation. Quite a number of Jews at
tended the services and were put to
thinking. The housew as crowded on
Sunday night and a profound impres
soin was made. Mr. Ehrlich leaves
this week to attend the Bible Insti
tute at Elizabeth City, N. C., where
Rev. L. T. Reid, the gifted Georgia-
Carolina evangelist, is the new and
popular pastor.
GREAT REVIVAL AT DOUGLAS.
We have had a glorious revival at
Douglas, conducted by Bro. J. M. Bass
of Macon. Bro. Stapleton of Atlanta
led the singing.
Bro. Bass told us how to have “pig
eon Sense.” The church was full ev
ery service, and O what a revival!
Many joined the church.
The people of Douglas will never
forget “Mother’s Day,” or the day that
Bro. Bass and Bro. Stapleton came to
Douglas. MRS. EMMA WILCOX.
Duoglas, Ga.
TO NEWCOMERS.
I shall be glad if readers of The
Golden Age who have friends removing
to Memphis who are interested in the
wor kof Baptists will send their names
to me or to any o fthe Baptist pas
tors here. Os course, we welocme ev
erybody who needs our services, what
ever their affiliation.
I wish to extend to any who may
be visiting in Memphis a cordial invi
tation to meet with us at any time.
Our preaching services are held at 11
a. m. and 8 p. m. Mid-week meeting
Wednesteday at 8. p. m.
The latch-string is always on the
outside at Central church.
BEN COX,
Pastor Central Baptist Church.
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