GENERAL BOOTH DEAD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1525, 22 August 1912, Page 5

GENERAL BOOTH DEAD.

C1.05E OF A GREAT CAREER. WONDERFUL LIFE STORYBy Telegraph—rres's As.soeiat.ion-CoDyrijht London, August 20. General William Booth, head of tlio Salvation Army, is dead; aged eightythree years. AT THE DEATH-BED. THE LAST -WORDS. (Rec. August 21, 10.10 p.m.) London, August 21. G'encral Booth was in a comatose condition for 48 hours. He died peacefully without regaining consciousness. Mr. and Mrs. Bramwell, Booth, Mrs. Booth-Ellberg, two grand-children, and Commissioner Howard wero present at tho death-bed. Tho deceased's last-spoken words were, referring to tho promises of God: "They aro sure, 'l'hey arc sure, if you will only believe." General Booth's secretary, in an interview, said ho believed tho disappoint-1 ment at tho non-restoration of his sight had a greater effect on the General's health than tho actual operation oil his eyes. "The Times" says General Booth's tlcatli closes a strango career, and one of tho most remarkable of 1 th'o age. It Hons whether the Army has sufficient vitality to proceed without General Booth's driving force. Tho newspapers deplore the loss of tho greatest world missionary. HOW THE SALVATION ARMY BEGAN TOLD IN ITS FOUNDER'S WORDS. William Booth, General of the Salvation Army, was a son of the people. Ho was bom in a small house in a back street in a. midland manufacturing- town. In childhood ho had close acquaintanceship with poverty; as a youth he. was a pawnbroker's assistant; in mid-manhood he was an es-Mcthodist minister with 110 assured place. Long after ho was fifty-— the ago when most men find their real work almost over—lie was commonly looked upon as a self-seeking, self-adver-tising, religious mountebank, suspected and scorned. For a tii. ohe was the bestabused individual in England, but in Ins later years lie received the universal honour that was liis due. Emperors and kings greeted him, Oxford made him a Doctor of Laws, and London bestowed on him the highest privilege. she has—the Freedom of the City. Early Work Aniong the Poor. General Booth, in an article, "Leaves from My Lifebook," written a year or two ago, giivc the history of the Salvation Army in a nutshell. He spoke of the beginning of things—of tho organisation, its officers, titles, banner, and regalia, .and said:—"l was a careless lad, to begin with. No doubt about that. But still I always had yearnings in the direction of doing good. From my earliest days— which wero spent in Nottingham—l was, thrown into closo association with poverty ill its lowest depths, it may bo imagined that my' natural bent soon found its fulfilment. In those early days of my I am now 80-Notlingham was full of misery. I was turned, fortunately for me, in the direction of suffering and righteousness just at tho right ago, tho ago of romance and enthusiasm, and at 15—when I was converted—l was ready for anything, and made a way very quickly for myself among tho poor, in spite of much opposition. I liad a great illness just at that time; my life was despaired of, but I rose from my bed, and went forth resolved to spend it in the service of God. 'Christ for mo!' That was my motto; that was my battle-cry; that was my war-note; that was my consolation from the very first, even up to this day. I was brought up in tho Church of England, at a time when the subjcct of conversion was seldom So nt 15 years of age I joined a. Wesieyan chapel, where tho Gospel was clearly and simply preached, and I soon became, what we term in the Salvation Army, soundly converted. It was in tho slums and purlieus of Nottingham that I learned to speak and talk in my own wdy; whether it is good or bad, I don't know. I can only'say it is my way. A Methodist Minister. "At this timo I was hard at work in the daytimo at my business; it was only at night I had time to go out and preach. At 25 years of age I became a Methodist minister. I had previously been an evangelist, as they call them, for two and u half years, and for four years I was put down to regular circuit work. But I couldn't rest; I wanted to get out into tho wide sea of misery surging and sweltering around me. Tho conference wouldn't let me do that special work, the only work for which I felt myself reallv fitted; and so, believing I was called to it by God, I went out and left every friend I had in the world. I went to Cornwall, and had a great upheaval there. Seven thousand souls wero converted. I left Cornwall after a time, and caino to London, and settled down for work in Whitechapel, with a whole contingent of misery and vice around me. I was opposed to making now organisations, and so I toiled on in my own way from 18G5 to 1873. My work began as a mission, with general, captain, bandsmen, and all under one hat, and that was my hat. Of course, helpers soon came, and at last wo got to be known. ."I am often asked about our title and its It happened in this way. I was upstairs one day with my two secretaries, William Bramwell Booth and George Scott Railton, drafting the aijnuai report of our work, and dictating rapidly to them. 'The Christian Mission is a Volunteer Amiy.' wroto my son. Something flashed across me; I leaned over his shoulder, scratched out the word 'Volunteer,' and wrote the word_ 'Salvation Army.' 'The Christian Mission is a Salvation* Army' Tan tho corrected sentence, which pealed forth the clarion call of religious and moral reformation to the working men and women of the world. "It is a mistake to suppose thnt wo havo taken the military as a model. We have never taken anything as a modelno church, no chapel, no army. In fact, the title 'Captain' was in tho first instanco intended to be nautical rather than military, and \i>as meant to catch the eyo of the Whitby fishermen; the sul>scquent addition of other military titles was a matter of necessity. It became essential tn define the position of tho assistant evangelist. And what more convenient form could be found than that of lieutenant? Elders and class leaders wero no more, and soino substitute was necessary. Sergeants and sergeant-majors just met tho difficulty. The General's Title. "Tho rapid increase of tho work made it advisable to group the stations into districts, under the charge of the 'most experienced evangelists. A disfinguisliing title became a necessity. The clerical catalogue had been abandoned as unsuitable. Hence it appeared advisable once more to have lecourse to military phraseology, and the major and colonel wero accordingly introduced. As to my own title—well, it also came as natural as tho rest. I had up to then been plain William Booth, general superintendent of the mission. Captnin Cndman one day announced me at a meeting as the General of the Salvation Army. It lias stuck to me ever since. I never took tho title. It was forced upon mc by others in exactly the same way that Christians wero first so called at Antioch. The stations received the name of 'corps,' and in 1878 the first ling was presented. 1 designed the colours, and am rather nroud of them. "The history of the Salvation-'Army is mainly mv own history, but it is nlso the history of her who for so many years was its heart and soul. I met my wife in the early days of my ministerial work, and we wero married in 1855. No onward step was ever taken but she was fully associated with it. "She, who afterwards became nlVeetionairly known to millions as 'The .Moth.n of the Salvation Army,' l>ego.n her public ministry at Gateshead, in flic vent- I8(il Of that work I cannot say much, for 1 hflvfl (ilntiy* felt, jt, tej-pij'i ell wnrdo t>i Bl'sise of mink-

"I have always recognised the value of organised action. Individual effort is all very well, hut In accomplish results combined action is absolutely necessary. This idea lay at tuc loot of the la-ilia;; c!iar:iet'<T of Wesley's work, as ermrareil with the mare evanescent olTcet of Whilelield's ltolh men lived at tho same, period, and worked in exactly the same conditions of society, and yet tee how Wesley has lived on aiid on."' ARMY'S FUTURE LEADER, NEW ZEALAND MLMCffiTAL SKKVICLS. iDy TalosrapU.-Press Association.! Gisborne, August 21. "Yes, the world is poorer to-day than it was yesterday," remarked Commissioner Richards, the head of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, speaking to a reporter immediately alter the news of the death of General Itooth had lieen received. "His death came as a great blow Jo us," said Commissioner Richards, "Though we knew that his condition was serious, wc did not expect him to leavo us just yet. I'or the past few days I have been receiving a daily cable from London regarding the General's condition, and it was only to-day that I realised that the end could only be a question of hours. Though not altogether unprepared for the worst, the news of the General's death has conic as a great shock to us, and you can understand we are all feeling very sad." You were in close touch with General Booth in London, and would have many opportunities of knowing him personally? "Yes," replied Commissioner llichards, "I used to see him daily for weeks at n, time, mid had breakfast with him Die day I sailed for New Zealand. General Booth," proceeded tho Commissioner, "was the greatest man I have known. 1 have carefully read the biographies of tho great men of the past, and can recall few who during their lifetime have accomplished so much for humanity. Tho chief characteristic about the General was his great love for his own people, outsiders, and tho poor. A wondrous lova for humanity permeated his very being. General Booth had founded and successfully organised a religious movement which had spread to all quarters of tho globe. Ilis genius had made the Salvation Army o".ie of the best organissd forces in the world. The General had left 22,000 preachers to carry ou the movement his master-mind had created, and who was to say to what lengths it would, spread. "But he has gone," added Commissioner Richards sadly, "and it only remains for us to carry on his great work. That it will go on I am perfectly assured. General Booth has left suoh a thorough organisation that tho great humanitarian movement must go forward. There must be no deterioration, no looking back." Who will be tho new leader? tho pressman asked. "That 1 will not know until I return to Wellington," replied Commissioner Richards, "I have at headquarters a packet which I was ordered to open in the event of the General's death. In that packet will be revealed tho namo of tho new General. While no one knows positively who will succeed to supreme command, it is generally recognised that Mr. Wm. Braniwcll Booth. General Booth's eldest son, will succeed to his father's rank. "We are going to hold a big national memorial service next Sunday week," tho Commissioner added. "We intend to invito tl(e ministers of all'denominations to take part, and feel sure they will lie glad to do so. It is our intention to hold the scr- . vico after church, so that everyone can attend. Similar'services will be held in every town, throughout tho Dominion."