In One of the World's Great Gateways
By W. A. S.
I recently had the privilege of spending a Sabbath in New York City, and caught a glimpse of the interesting work going forward in that quarter. It was not many years ago that, in passing out through the great gateway of the West to other lands, our workers going abroad had to regret the fact that practically nothing was being done in this city, which, in itself, is a little world of divers races and tongues and peoples. In those days there was a church in Brooklyn, and a ship missionary in the New York docks. Aside from this, we thought of the great city as one of the unentered fields. Now it is a pleasing thing to find several churches in the city itself,—three, I believe,—and other companies in the surrounding cities which go to make up Greater New York. The oldest and largest company in the city, I think, now meet in a hall at 125th Street, but hope soon to secure a church building of their own. They desire a direct connection with the mission fields beyond, and have taken upon themselves the support of a native teacher in Nyassaland. The newest company is the growing church being gathered out by the Bible mission workers associated with Elders Haskell and Warren, whose meetings are held in the Metropolitan Lyceum on Fifty-ninth Street. This hall is under the complete control of the mission. In addition to the facilities for the ordinary public meetings, I found an upper gallery, in the rear, furnished with a gas stove, well adapted for the cooking school and for lectures on foods. Still above this, in small though not inconvenient quarters, is the mission printing office, which produces the announcements and small literature needed. The mission home and training school occupies a flat on Fifty-seventh Street. On the same street is the Carnegie Lyceum where Elder Franke has conducted Sunday evening lectures through the winter and spring. On Sixty-second Street there is a mission for the poorer people, among whom the little hall is located. It is impossible to get the ear of a vast community like New York, but the various enterprises on foot have been surely planting the leaven of truth in the great mass of people. One of the workers writes, in a letter just received:— We expect to push our meetings in the Metropolitan Lyceum with more vigor now, as the large churches are closing for the summer. Then we are pushing our health school and children's meetings on Fifty-ninth Street, and our cooking school on Sixty-second Street. There will be three tents, and perhaps four, running in Greater New York this season. Our Bible workers and nurses are working from house to house steadily. A canvassers' school will soon open in the Bronx, in charge of an expert trainer. This is a part of our plan of campaign for the summer. The doings of the meat trust have set people in New York to talking about vegetarianism. The papers were continually writing about it. Brother Carl Rasmussen has a vegetarian restaurant in Brooklyn, near the bridge, and has had no little free advertising. Reporters from the leading papers sampled his dishes, and wrote up long and favorable notices. Vegetarian restaurants in New York City itself would without doubt secure a large patronage, and be splendid factors in teaching the people the better way of living. The Scandinavian and German interests are actively represented in Greater New York. Altogether, it is most encouraging to survey this populous field. The workers seem but a little band, but we think of Nineveh and its one messenger of warning, and of other proofs that God can save with few as well as with many. It is according to the present spirit of the work that the conferences should be reaching out to set the leaven of truth working in unentered countries and in the great cities at home. Let a few witnesses at least be standing for the truth in all parts of the field, ready to respond when God calls for all the people to rise and bear the final testimony. The waste and neglected places are to receive attention, and when the witness is borne through every district, at home and abroad, the Lord will come. W. A. S.