Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-07-06

rnnIa onIaIy. pa.Iay ND nnsErLrs.

THEIR ORION, DESIGN AND benefits.
The city of Glasgow has long bore the reputa-
ton being the most immoral and incorporate of
any of the cities of tue United Kingdom yet out
of this Nazareth came the good thing which is
known in our America a. The Holly Tree Inn
In 1850 an opuent merchant of Glasgow
(rhomas Corbett) influenced by the belief That
the working classes might be supplied with cook.
ed food of a wholesome and agreeable kind, at
a much cheaper rate than they were paying, CON
ceived the idea of opening an establishment for
that purpose, and adopted the term, Great
Western Cooking Depot" Such was the popular
ity of the scheme, that branch after branch was
added at the rate of about one every two months
and at the close Of the second year there were
thirteen branches, with additional ones in pros
pect. The establishments are so iudicuu-ly aud
economically managed, that they arc not only
self-sustaining, but Mr.. G. realizes 5 per cent on
his Investments, and so attractive and beneficial
are they to the classics designed to be reached
that 10000 midday meals have been served III
one month in one establishment alone. Similar
establishments are now to TO be found in all tile
principal cities Of England, Scotland and Ireland
These facts coming TO the knowledge Of Mrs.
James L. Fields, of Boston, aud hhe, desir0us OF
making lie less hard and drunken to the work
ing classes, founded what III honor of Chailet
Dickens, she called Holly Tree Inns. They were
designed as substitutes Tor drinking saloons and
recognizing the fact that in all transactions the
highest bidder gets the piize, she sought to MAKE
them more comfortable, more CHEEKY and attrac
tive, than those places where the decOying eh
streams through screened doors and artiticialll
frosted window panes Accordingly in many o.
our cities cosy and attractive rooms have beer
provided and thrown open free to all corners
Sundays and week days, where at all times nu
tritious and palatabe food can be procured for ;
smaller sum than it can be obtained elsewhere
and where the need for amusement and reaxa
ton shall be recognized in the interests of en-
lightenment and order.
Whatever OF innocent Amusement has heel
dragged into the service of vice, is in thes
places enlisted III the interests Of virtue. Harm
less amusements, daily and illustrated papers
books aud music are among its attractions Oh
the Sabbath 1t becomes place of religious in
struction and worship, and affords opportuutie
70 Christian laborers greatly to be praised. AIrs
Fields says of them they are entirely successful
pecunarlly, wherever they are well mana gee
and there can be no doubt of the assiatanc
these inns have rendered to working men an
women. We can distinctly cite cases of familie
saved from utter ruin through theirinstrumenta
ity."
Here is ali opportunity for an honest hand t
hand fight with vice. II in the poorest and mos
populated quarters Of the city, clearly Cheerful
Holly Tree Inns were opened near by gro
shops, whore good coffee, tea and food could b
obtained for less than liquor prices, is it not rea
sonable to believe that the grog shop would los
many customers, and homes now darkened b
lntemperance and stained with crime would b
bright and happy? doubt not you will agro
with us that it il useless to tell badly fed an
miserably housed, over-worked men and wome
who have long been poisoned with fou air, an