Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-21
Friday, May 21, 1886.
LEILA DAY NURSERY.

The Managers of the Leila Day Nur-
 sery Hold Their Annual Meeting
 Reports Read And officers Elected
 The Nursery's Great And Pressing
 Need.
 At four o'clock yesterday afternoon, at the held the annual meeting of the Leila Day nursery, at which about twenty-five ladies were present, Mrs. Dr. Chapman, the presi- dent, presiding. In her report, which was read first, she said: At the end of this sec ond year of the existence of the Leila Day nursery, any questions which may have been asked as to the necessity or utility of such charity have been answered by reiterated proof. We wish that we could make voice. ful to our friends the testimony of the scores of happy children whose gleeful times have greeted us upon our visits to the nursery, or the truthful thanks of the hard working women as at the end of their day of trial they receive back their children. The nursery has made a place for itself and has the good will and wishes of all. From May 1, 1885, to May 1, 1886, 354 days work were given to women by the matron of the nursery in families who applied to her for wor kers, making total of 656 days work furnished in one year to mothers with children in the nursery. One great and pressing need at the present time is a building where both the nursery and laundry can be combined under one roof As the number of children in the nursery increased our accommodations became too small for both the nur- sery and laundry and we were obliged to separate the two institutions, retaining the nursery in it's present location, and signing an agreement with our former matron, Mrs. Hill by which the mothers of the nursery children could be employed in her private laundry. This arrangement prevents us from educating properly women in laundry work, as we could do were both institutions under one roof. Through the kind ness of some friends we have receiv- ed $500 as the foundation of a new building fund. Five hundred more have been promised us, yet in order to buy or build proper building for both nursery and laundry it would cost $5, 900 or 5000. We feel certain there is love and charity enough in New Haven to give us this amount, and we ask any willing to help us in this charity and benefit the laboring women of this city.
 Mrs. Arthur M. Wheeler, the secretary then read her report, during which she said: This institution is still in it's infancy, but
  promises to be strong, useful member of the community. The daily average attend ance at the nursery from March 31, 1885, to March 31, 1896 has been 13; the aggregate attendance 4,049; the number of individual children received S5; the number of families represented 43; the largest number of chil- dren any one day 26; the smallest 1. The number of children is increasing daily and the present quarters are growing too close We own our furniture, our house rent is promptly paid well all our current ex- penses and there is not penny of debt Our work has simply outgroWn its boundaries. During the past year we have solicited no money, either by books or personal applica- tion. Before Christmas small fair was held and thanks to our friends it was so success tul that the running expenses were guaran- teed for the year. A few days before the death of the late Professor Thacher he spoke of our day nursery in terms of interest and said that in looking over his diary kept while in Germany in 1S44 he had come across similar institution, which he had visited, which account if desired he would send to us 'sometime soon." Before this sometime" came he had been called home, but through the kindness of Mrs Thacher we have the account referred and it is so interesting and is also such good de- scription of our nursery that it needs no apology. The account was as follows: