The Portland daily press., 1886-07-05

| to discountenance, promiscuons begging, or
| endeav0rs to make lazy people work, or
| which acts as proxy for the individual con-
science, OF which is the scapegoat for simple
| indifference.
do not mean to insinuate that all organi-
| cations through which the individual may
| prefer to dispense his bountieS are devoid of
| the grace of a generous self Sacrifices but
| wish to point out the two directions which
| our gifts may take, and both be useful,
| though in varied expression.
Looking at the early days of this town we
notice that our fathers were kindly affection
| ed one to another with brotherly love. In
| 1896 the familiar names of Moody, Waite and
| Mcclellan, with others, were Joined in corpo-
rate capacity by the General Court of Massa-
| chusetts as the Port Marine Society. Thirty
| two thousand dollars have been Ipaid out to
worthy men who have brought to our shores
the cargoes which have enriched others,
while in their declining years the shadow OF
need was crossing their path. To many a
widow and to the fatherless children, has its
| bounty been like an angel from God
| In 1903 another society illustrates the idea
| of an unselhsh gift brought from warm
heart OF nelghbor, to one who through mis-
| fortune has been lead into defeat and want.
Irefer to the Portland Benevolent Society
| which continues unto this day.
1t is not well to speak of classes In mat
| tiers of want; but is there not something pc
| culiarly touching in the sight of an honora-
| Die llldus WIN lids IlllS6ll uUnO tll Olittb 10
| generous and noble toward hissaSsociates,
| stripped by one quick blow Of: all
| his goods, or by circumstances over which
| he has no control, being led with q lovely
family into hopeless decay land need. Most
| surely our fathers had this feeling of deep
sympathy, for they devised wise things for
| their brethren; and for such as passed into
| trouble among themselves they gave the
| hand Of cheer and the purse with blessing
| Few OF our citizens can remember the
- Il .frro alA0r nj nj
| December 81, 1907, which, by prohibiting any
| American vessel from sailing to any foreign
| port, so seriously crippled the prosperity OF
| this city as to bring great distress upon
many on its most deserving people, In jan
| uary, 1903, a town meeting was held to hear
| a report of a committee raised to devise a
| plan for the relief of the distressed poor
| Four hundred dollars were raised for the
| purpose and the recipients were required to
work on the highways. One year later the
town took further action and on January 9,
| 1909, opened a Soup House, which until
| April 3rd, of the SINE year iministered to 81
| 662 persons.
The place selected was about where the
present eastern corner of the "Old City
Hall' now stands.
The old SoEp Book, used in 1909, was again
| opened in 1917 on March first 1t is not
known whether this charity was from the
| city or from private hands; but though there
| is no recorded authority on the city record,
y
| five weeks an average of about $50 people
| week received rations at any rate the town
| voted to buy the kettles and they were
| turned over to the overseers of the poor
| A third soup distribution was begun early
| in January, 1888, with an appropriation from
| the city of $500. This was continued until
| April second of that year.
| A fourth relief of the same nature was IN
1866, after our great fire. The losses OF our
| people by the disaster of 1866 prompted a
| generous impulse toward other cities as they
| were visited by fire, flood or fever. In per-
| iod running from 1870 to 1886 we sent away
more than $4,000 to the sufferers, of Calais.
| st John, New Orleans, Memphis, VickS-
| vile and Galveston.
| But the cries from the battlefield in our
| civil war brought from our citizens the lar
| gest bounty in any one direction. Compe-
/ tent authority place the amount thus do
mated lat $100,500.
| Measuring the years of our city's growth
| we notice that various societies spring out OF
| what was evidentlysa need at the time Many
| an honored mother whose friends or chill
dren have been removed, have found COM
Portable resting place in the home, which is
| so well managed for aged women. Within a
few years the fathers have had prepared fol-
| them most comfortable abode where the
| fading years may be blest by constant atten-
ton. Nor have the little ones been neglect
| ed For nearly sixty years the hearts OF ouI
kind Women have cared for hundreds who
| but for the shelter of the Orphan Asylum
| would have found the earth too large fol-
| their tired feet.
Nor can we forget those sympathetic ladies
| who have since 1928, either as the Samaritan
| Society, or as the Martha Washington
Society, or as the Female Provident or the
| Female Charitable Society looked into dark
| ened homes and helped the mothers and chill
dren, where perhaps drunken father has
cursed his threshold, and they have carried
many garments for the aged and the young
| or have taken food and carried sympathy
and good cheer from homes more faovred.
For seventy-Six years the constant supply
| of the Bible has been made possible by the
yearly donations to the local society for this
| purpose.
The mechanic has been cared for at his
home when in distress and during health he
| ard his family have had the privileges of lee
the worthy association which for seventy
years has been his pride.
The seaman has not been friendless when
in our port; for more than one society has
ministered to his necessities, and one special
| church is always open to him with free read
ing room and well selected library.
The sewing girls had for many years a
| helper in the Needle Woman's Friend Socie-
ty. The sick who cannot employ physician
can always be aided at our dispensary.
The soldier or his family, or his orphans
| have in the various relief corps firm friends
| who will never forget what should be only
too willingly granted for those who stood fol
us in the great battles of our country.
Various churches have funds which in
| very quiet ways find out the needy and carry
| practical Christianity to earthly needs.
The fireman has his dangers as well as his
| glories; and his society has diSbursed more
| than $4,000 since 1913. And there are scores
of little springs in the desert which open UP
| comfort to certain trades; the engineer and
firemen upon our railways, the mason and the
plasterer, and the longshoremen, all have
their charities which are wisely dispensed.
The Provident association is one of the
most systematic Of our societies, trying to
sift out of the multitude of claims for help,
those which are the really needy; endeavor-
| ing to save money as well as to give.
Nor should | omit those worthy associa-
| tions which have for their special aim, the
help and restraint for young men and mai
| evening schools, temporary board, all these
| things we glory in and love to help.
AS we stand upon the Western Promenade
we see one of the n0blest of our charities,
| not wholly ours, but one that never appeals
in vain to our sympathies and our gifts. And
as the morning sun touches its towers, the
| shadows fall almost upon another retreat
just removed beyond our boundaries, which
| daily takes to its fold wandering child, a
| broken hearted mother or helpless babe
And what more shall | say? for the time
would fail me to tell of those thousand quiet
| gifts which are conveyed so quickly and so
quietly that the left hand knoWeth not what
the right hand doeth. Not until the future
unveils the past will it ever be shown how
perhaps after all the noblest gift was that
seen only by that eye which never cleseth.
l had hoped to submit with these remarks
tabular statement of all societies which
have ever existed in this city with the lists
of their varied gifts. The records of so many
were destroyed in 1866 that am much de-
layed and my attempt may be defeated. But
/ hope to present such statement at some
future time.
Charity was then sung by the Chorus
| Choir.
Charity.
Meek and lowly pure and holy,
Chief among the BLESSED Three"