The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-16

| thus the present meeting had been arranged to
aid them by presenting their just claims TO the
| public 1t was most sad in these Christian
| times any should be rejected from the doors
| owing TO a lack OF means to care for them. The
! medical faculty has noby given all its means
| and talents to care for the poor victims, Win
the wear and tear of medical life in these cases,
| or they would be most ready to bless them IN
| their struggles.
| come forward when conscious Of the great need.
! Philadelphia is peculiar in having larger
other large city i'm the world, and for them this
! hospital affords much needed retuge IN serl-
necessities. and If Sl6OOOO could be drawn Off by
an ocean yacht race, plenty OF money must be
at hand in great community 1l9yi ,,, -, r,,,,o,,
the Standing Committee was increased to fifty
| gentlemen. After the announcement OF vari-
Gus subscriptions the meeting adjourned
THE MERCHANTS FUND.-The annual meeting
OF this time hon ored association was held yes
terday, at p. M, at the rooms Of the Board of
Trade
Mr.. j. c. Hand, President, filled the chair Mr..
Bacon, Secretary. The reading OF the minutes
of the previous meeting was di spensed with.
The report of the President was read by MIR.
Atwood
II has been the grateful office of the Directors
Of the Merchants Fund at each annual meeting
to report accumulating evidences of the excel
lence of this charity. While such is the record
of the past, up TO the present hour no shadow
seems to rest upon the future There are grati-
flying proofs that there is gathering around the
association deeper interest and higher appre-
citation of its character and object, giving as
surance that 1t will find a permanent home
among the institutions of benevolenCe which
reflect so much true honor on our city.
The past year has developed the usual
amount of destitution among those who for
merly stood in our ranks, and relief has been
| given in such measure as circumstances seemed
to require. The donations have been four thou
sand and sixty-five dollars-an excess Of about
hye hundred dollars over the preceding year.
sent time. Of the claims of these we Will only
say they are those of present destitution, in
trinity, sickness, age, and of an honorable
record in all their business lives. Each
has irs own sad history of disappointed hopes,
earnest but unavailing struggles for recovery
from fallen fortunes, and reluctant and pain
ful yielding to a condition of unavoidable de-
pendance upon the help which this institution
brings to the relief of such calamity.
The amounts of these donations but poorly
express their value, how imperfectly can be
! selves. These gifts are the Acknowledgements of
| the true deservings of these unfortunate gentle
| men, whose claims upon our sympathy are
rather hallowed than lessened by the af1lictions
| that have befallen them. They mean that you
will not leave them on the battlefield of life,
! neglected, wounded and forsaken. II you have
! been spared their sutferlngs and their fate, you
| do not forget it has not been owing to your Wis
dom or prudence, but to the kinder providence
| of Him who "putteth down one and setteth up
| another"
! Three Of the benefciaries reported at the last
| anniversary have deceased during the year, at
| the ages of siXty-eight, seventy-two and eighty
| three In the case Of one of these respected gem
| tlemen-and he was long and well known
| most worthy Of respect-care was taken to con-
| ceal from him the source OF the aid dispensed
lest from the extreme sensitveneSs which had
marked his character the sense of the painful
contrast to his former fortunes would at once
| have proved fatal to a frame weakened by para
Although every publicity has been given to
| the character and objects of the association the
monthly reports OF the Executive Committee
| show that proper object which has been
| brought TO their notlce mas peen lelt WlChouC
| ment, and kindred ones of preceding years. we
may well congratulate all who have contributed
| to this blessed charity.
At the origin of the society the benevolenee of
its design was sufficiently transparent-none
doubted Jhat--but grave doubts were felt bymany
as to its practicabity. Although similar institu-
tionS existed in other professions 1t was new TO
| our own. 1t was feared that the claims of pro-
| fession so numerous in its membership, and
| proverbially exposed TO such disastrous re-
verses would be beyond any provision which
could be hoped for their relief. These reverSes
are not less numerous or severe than were sug-
gested in discouragement of the undertaking,
and during the thirteen years of the history OF
this society they have come up to the full mea-
sure of any former average, and yet 1t would
seem that few are left wholly dependent on any
public charity. Whatever may be the explana-
tion, let us gratefully accept the facts. They
SNOW taI iI Wun DuS Silarl h , o Se i
merchants upon other objects of benevoence
there may here be garnered up an adequate
provision for the reliefofour suffering brethren
| TO which they may look for aid when bereft o.
every other earthly help
! The receipts and expenditures of the year are
/ exhibited in the report of the Treasurer, James
b. Mcfarland, to whom the association is greatly
/ Indebted for the faithful and gratuitous dis
charge of the duties of his iaborious office. The
receipts from all sources were twelve thousand
three hundred and nine dollars, eighty-ntnt
cents, and the expenditures, including new in
Vestments, eighteen thousand three hundred
and sixty-nine dollars, fourteen cents.
The permanent fund of the association
amounts to S620C0, and is invested as follows:-
City of PHILADELPHIA ,OO
United States 26,OO
State of Pennsylvania l,OO
$4,000
The income from these investments and the
payments from the annual members-amount
ing the last year TO SlO35-consttute the societyi
means of carrying on its work. In what way
upon whom l: was bestowed, Will be seen by The
} following copy of one OF the monthly reports o.
} the Executive Committee.
To the Managers of the Merchants FUND.-
The Executive Committee report that since the
} | last meeting of the Board the following orders
l | have been drawn on the Treasurer in behalf o
their benefeiaries, viz.:-From No. 492 to No. sos
I | amounting together TO S9l25O.
t One new beneficiary has been added to thu
s | list This gentleman successfully conducted
b ! the - business for the period of twenty year
in this city. Suddenly overtaken by the vicssi
: tudes of trade in lSlS he surrendered every dol
lar of his property to his creditors. With stric
e | economy and unwearied industry, he has beel
!. able to sustain his family comforta6ly, unit
D | thrown out OF employment in October last
! Since that time he has Ahad no income what
S ever and now. in his sixty-hfth year, through
]. age and infrmity finds himself utterly depen
i The committee also report that an additiona
= sum of 500 has been appropriated to Deneuclar
2 | No. SO in consequence or his incapability Q
l. | performing any labor, resulting from an attac
e OF paralysis. He is steadily but gradually be
: coming more helpless, and has a large an
e interesting family dependent upon the scant
q earnings OF their hands, IL Is represented tina
t no more worthy case could be presented for tn
exercise of our benetactlOns.
{ The committee have also added Sl0O to tn
z appropriation for the relief Of No 81. The
IS have satisfactory information that his presen
3 entire deDenQ0nGe