Chester - Salvation Army

(Capt. George).-The past week has been one of great success; souls saved every night. Thursday night, visited by Major Taylor and Capt. Black; and, Friday night, by Mrs Taylor; on Saturday and Sunday by Capt. Falconbridge (the "Zulu Queen"); grand all day. Good muster at seven o'clock Knee-drill. Procession, morning and afternoon, well attended; night service, crowded out, hundreds could not obtain admission; collections good. The Holy Ghost power was down, and twenty-one souls fell into the fountain; and we are expecting great things in Chester. Public-houses and Theatre, we believe, will soon have to close. To God be all the glory. Amen!

From, "The War Cry," page 3, 29th December 1881.

I have often heard of the great City of Chester, but never had an opportunity of seeing it for myself till Saturday last, when I arrived at 4:35 and left early Monday morning, so that I saw but little of the city; nevertheless, ! saw and heard a great deal that filled my soul with joy and gratitude to the mighty God of our Salvation.

Praise God! Praise God! for what He has done through The Army only in this town; thousands are now gloriously happy, who a few weeks since were miserably wretched.

5,000 persons, on Sunday evening, were in the two buildings, attentively listening to the " joyful sound " of Salvation. Souls! Souls! Souls are being saved every night. Captain Falconbridge tells me there were nearly 100 saved last week, and on Saturday and Sunday we had altogether between forty and fifty souls, and about £12 offerings.

Public-houses are nearly deserted. The whole city is changed. The nobility and clergy are all in favpur, and express their sympathy with what they are pleased to call *The Wonderful Movement." Numbers of police officers at the open-air services— not to quiet the roughs, for they seem to forget to oppose, but to make a way through the tremendous crowds for The Army to procession.

And then on we go; streets lined on either side with thousands of spectators, and The Army in the middle of the street, eight abreast, and reaching back as far as one can see, all singing magnificently the chorus—

"Open, and let the Master in,"

causing one person to say to me, "1 really believe they'll soon get all Chester converted." That's our desire—"Chester for Jesus." God grant it. Amen.

From, "The War Cry," page 4, 9th February 1882.

Glory be to God for ever! The whole town is moved, and hundreds are being converted to God. I dropped in here last Monday night, unexpectedly. and found the "Zulu Queen," with four Lieutenants, in the thick of the fight. Rink packed, and fourteen souls.  Circus also packed and twenty-one souls; quite 5,000 people on Monday night in a city of thirty-six thousand inhabitants means that something must be done, Oh! may God save the town. One publican has shut up and the others are having a very quiet time of it, no mistake. One Brewer alone sends seven tons of beer less to Chester now, than he did three months ago. Hallelujah!

The police are very kind to us, indeed, and the chief of police says The Salvation Army is the best thing that ever came to Chester. I was introduced to the Mayor, who said they had very little to do on the Bench, and they are having fewer cases every week. Praise the Lord!

From, "The War Cry," 16th February 1882.

(Capt. Marianne Falconbridge).-

Secretary Speed writes:—"We are going on here, and our numbers are swelling. During the past week, ninety-two have left the ranks of the devil. Some have been the biggest drunkards in the City. On Friday night at our Holiness Meeting, the holy, hallowing influence fell upon us, and thirty-three laid their all on the altar. On Sunday morning at seven a.m., we cast the net on the right side and we caught three very large fish. Both of our places were packed. We mean going ahead in our Hallelujah Boat."

From, "The War Cry," page 3, 30th March 1882.

I do not know where the meetings were held.