a detective to accompany us
and he showed us the most faithful attention.

It was in this canvass that we visited the most infamous and notorious
house in the West. The madam of this particular house told us, in the
presence of the policeman, that she had paid $160.00 each for two girls
that had been sent her from the South. She also explained how safe her
house was from violence and how free from disease, and yet, before our
conversation ceased she admitted that she had placed 105 girls in a
neighboring Christian hospital for treatment. Since then that hospital
has stopped doing this sort of business. The President of the
institution attested the truth of the woman's statement and afterward
put an end to her patronage of his hospital. Only last winter I had the
opportunity of holding a Christian service in that same house of shame.
Two of our lady workers secured permission to conduct such a meeting for
the poor girls and invited me to take charge of the service. On a Sunday
night at about 12:30 four of us went to that house and preached Christ
to some fourteen of the poor creatures. One of them, a married woman,
was rescued the next night. We had assurances that two or three others
determined to quit the evil life and go home. The meeting was such a
success, from our point of view, that the madam said she did not think
another service of the sort could be arranged. There are, however, many
places open for just such effort and Pastors that have the support of
their Churches and can find a company of faithful, sensible companions
in the work, can powerfully assault the strongholds of Satan in the dark
places of the cities. This phase of the work is difficult, delicate and
perhaps dangerous. The most fruitful and most possible kind of effort on
behalf of the outcasts is in the open air meetings, the street
gatherings, where the gospel can be sung and preached by the hour.
Crowds of men, mostly young men, stand for hours listening to the
familiar hymns and the old, old story of the Cross. Where is the Pastor
more needed than in just such gatherings? Let it be said for the Pastors
of Chicago, that the mightiest of them have counted it a joy and
privilege to preach from the curb-pulpit of The Midnight Mission. If the
list of the ministers, lawyers, judges, physicians, teachers, deacons
and other laymen was given here it would look like an honor roll of the
City of Chicago. The presence of the Pastor in this sort of work is