The walls have been scraped and calcimined and whitewashed; the entire
woodwork inside and all the outside has been painted; new gas pipes and
gas fixtures have been placed; new sewerage and bath-rooms have been
prepared. Four new fire-escapes and an electric fire-alarm system
installed; a splendid French steel range has been set in the kitchen;
hot and cold water supplied to various parts of the building, etc.
The first meeting was held in our new building, 216 John Marshall Place,
N. W., on the evening of April 15, 1911, Mr. Wheeler presiding.
We found the roof leaked so badly that in case of storm some rooms
became uninhabitable. Again I was obliged to personally guarantee the
payment of $500 for a new roof. Again, Mr. Ernest Gichner came to my
help. He put on a good roof, built up and pointed the thirteen chimneys,
put ventilators in many chimneys, saw to resetting, reglazed all
skylights, and permitted us to pay him $25 per month till the debt was
paid off.
When the possibility of completing the first cleaning seemed most
hopeless, when heat, water and gas pipes had to be replaced, several
members of the Board pledged $100 each. To some of us that meant great
self-denial. Mrs. Richard Butler gave $500 and Mrs. Spindle $200; in all
we spent $5000 in repairing and cleaning that building. Every step was
made in faith.
It was wonderful how our people sacrificed to get all this done; women
who do not do such work at home came and scrubbed and cleaned; many a
poor man gave a day's work. Three men who readily command $3 per day,
worked three months each at $1 a day with room and board. The people of
Washington sent us piles of old furniture, for which we were deeply
grateful. Then Superintendent Kline got a great quantity of furniture
and many feet of piping for conducting heat, and secondhand radiators at
the sale of the old Riggs Hotel. We secured a good mechanic, and with
our mechanics at the Mission, installed the heating plant. The expenses
during that time were at least $200 per week. At our Board meeting one
Tuesday, Treasurer Gordon reported $4.84 on hand. All business was
stopped immediately and we went to prayer telling our Father that we had
but $4.84 and the bills of the week would be due on Saturday. We had
each of us done all we could afford. The following Tuesday the Treasurer
reported all bills paid and $284 in the treasury. Thus God not only
supplied all our wants, but graciously relieved our anxiety.
SPEAKER CHAMP CLARK
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account