The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-05
CARING Fon Az Ex-PrGILIsn
Orviue Gardner and III. wire Admitted Into
- H. me for tho Aged.

The Home for the Aged and Intirm, main
tained 10y the Womcns Union Aid Society Of
the Methodist Church. il a wcll-hult brick edl.
Ace in the castcllnt"d style In West Forty -soc-
ond street near FL ghth avenue. Through the
half-opcned windows OF the ground stories
may be- seon cosoy and neatly furnished littlo
rooms the window sils decorated with fresh
flowers and the walls hung with engrayiugs
and Illuminated texts. The institution 10 one
of tho most liberal of its kind in the country.
and is sixty aged and intrm inmates are pro-
yidcd for the remainder OF their lives with
comforts and luXurics, 10 which the ordinary
poor Of tho city ARE strangers. Vacancies in
tho Home are few and whom one occurs ii Ia
eagerly sought after by tho friends of pco and
deservi--s church mombers.
Orville Gardner sometimes call0d Awful
Gardner. the eX-puGilist and Christian con-
vert. and his wife were admitted into :hc insti.
tuition in January last At TINT time they lived
In Newark and. therefore. did not iuill the re-.
the society. which pruyldes that Appll cunts
shall have bcen members OF the Methodist
Church for the las, five years In the CITY OF New
York"
They wore admitted at the special request Of
Samuel Hal-ied. who has probably done more
York and who was. therefore. IN the opinion Of
tho great majority of the managere. fully en-
titled TO have such favor 81 hoWn him. Recently
however. the admissions have been criticised
on the ground that tho places taken hy Mr. and
Mrs. Gardner were needed hy moro desrrving
applicants. who cuno up TO the rcuuiromcnts
OF the constitution, md wcrc in greater nrcd ~
assistance tnnn they were. u wiS alleged TINT
the Gardnors were admitted through iayorlt-
ism, and that Mr.. llalsted In taking sucl step.
caused the exclusion OF more needy and more
deserving candidates.
AIRS Clly. the mutron Of tho Home, said yes
terday that Gardner himself WAS 81 years of
age, and So imhccile TINT he Wns utterly unable
t. care for himseli. Mrs. Gardner. who !, A..
l. afflicted with ITS. and to such an extent thnt
she cannot assist even In the lght household
duties usually performed by females. Card
ner's trouble WAS sOitenlug ( the train, and
both he and his vile woro fully deserving of the
care they rcociNed. II was tIup lint tho majority
OF tho inmOtes were upward OF GA years OF age.
Int there were othcrs who were much younger
than the GArdners They even had ono boy
Who wns only ~. The Home was for the inirm
as well ns tho aged, and tho fact that the Gard
ners were under 50 did not therefore operate
against thon.
The Rev. NJ. Gregory pastor OF tho Porty.
! third s'r".l methodist Church, 10 which Orvllle
! ana his wife helong. said that they are in good
standing md that he has heard no complaints
| IN regard to their admission. 1t WIS possible
! thGt the triends OF uther candidates who hnd
| not succeeded IN getting in were nt the bottom
| OF hetIOuble Church membors with aged and
| inhrm friends were naturally anxious 10 get
| them into the Home, aud disposed 10 find fault
| 4 they did not succeed. He Thought uNt the
| Executive Commiuee had acted perfectly riph,
| IN making the cUse Of the Gar liners "a sprclH
! one and admitting them W' 'ul tho usual
| qualification. independent .NH fAri tnnJ the
| cX- pugillst and his wiin are a. serving chur IN
| mcnbrra tho great service rendered 10y Mr
| Halsted ought to enilta him 10 some indul-
| gence H. had contributed of his own menus
| and had organized movements NhrrrlY large
| sums had been raised for the institution;
II Wac said that the opposition to MI lialslcd
| and the dHrdners comes IRON MrthOdlalS on
| Long Island who were dcSrous OF getting III
candidates who hnd not IN twenty years hs.I
| mrnhrrs Ol the Church The trrnds Of MIR
| llalr,nd. iueiudng the minority Of the, man
| Ayers kopnly rrS M the lmputatlohs on hlm.