New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-15
TEACHING THE POOR TO SEW.
4 SOCIETY oRGANiz ID MANY YEARS AGO.


I'M WORK or CHARITABLE WOMEN AND HOW 1T
is SUCCESSFULLY ca led OUT.
Early in 1850 number of women of wealth
and position In NewYok society received letters asking
them to meet certain day In one of the parlors oil
enc NewYork Hotelthen the centre OF the fashionable
town-to organize charitable society The letters we're
unsigned and Mrs william H. LeROy. the writer. came
podestly along with the rest anticipating, perhaps the
failure rather the of her novel scheme so
general however. was the attendance that the &C
cumua,ion OF carriages around the NewIork Hotel was
the tonic OF the moment in those days before receptions
aud afternoon teas.
Mrs Daniel Parrish came from Barclay ST., Mrs Colt
from varick, Mrs DOrcmus and Mrs John Sutton IRON
Warren Mrs Daniel Lord from Beach and Mrs .. L.
storcr from Chambers Mrs. Mortimer Livingston came
over from McDouga-st.. Mrs. Lydig from Lf@ht MISS
Oracle and Miss Aspnwall from Bleecker. MISS SeuH
wick came from sixteenthst, Miss Van Rensselaer, from
YorkvIlle and Mrs. Kennedy from Fhthave' III"
Elevcnth-si. the house IN which her daughter sun e
Mrs lie Roy's hoI and plans found immediate
and n society was organized under the name oi 'no
uouse and school of Industry. Mrs Nicholas FISH was
mad. president and Mrs Leroy vce-pres'dent Inc
socc,vs first object was to teach the poor ana ignorant
10 help themselves; its second, 10 rescue churo anu
teach them how to sew. 5000,
ON February o. 1851, the Assembly passed. an "'t III
cooperating the New.YOrk House and schooi Vi
try Nh. incorporators being Mrs Elizabeth Fsni -
I7i,1ah.,b IeRoy Mrs Helen Kent, Mrs. ann L. van
Rensselaer,. and miss Meta c. BT"7Oort The second
annual rcnc.j showed q permanent fund OF S2O'ooo'
,-ch paced the satisfactory basis In tue
meanwhile curious but inevitable lfSnc arose Inc
society was from the first non-sectarian; nut II APP
peared that the very poor who must be first helped
r evclusively Roman Catholics. and that their needs
ob.orbed the income from the permanent fund. Inc
society Instead Of being nOnsectaran was pracucaiS
Roman Catholic charity This aroused sturdy opjcc-
tons on the part of many Of the snOscroers anu VIC
matter was settled by starting what was caIeu Tue
"rroesant Fund" for contributors VINO preferred that
their money should be so used Tie work was given cut
three days In the week, and one OF these days
was allotted to the dependents on the PROTESTANT
fund n division VIII CHI still holds One or the nfst actS
of the society was buy the country house OF Jonh
Uone a large oi-fasnoned wooden buding-now No
l2O west eenthst.-surrouuded 10y a nheiy Aept
garden. 1t this house the society remained uh' lev
years ago when through tie generosity OF MIS- Jon -
Green. the old house was taken down ana inc n0utrn
Queen Anne structure was put up. Inc otG UratpE f
gives an admirable idea OF the beauty ana refinement OF
some of the early Ncw-YOrk inter- RS Three OF the
Inahtels are OF great beauty WIN tasanS. ut' a.
ribbons carved in light relief aud much me detail me
ociagon room the old DJtch tiles have been reset.
For thrtysiX wears the routine ~ofk OF inc LOUISE
OF Industry has scarcely changed Al hrSt Inc I"es
cut out the work. the society has gu grown an tha
and regular cutter Is now employed ON tnree uags oi
the week PLAIN sewing Is given out 10 mO'neTs'
women With homes who use their spare time III addhg
10 the family purse r1's ron GG pnam me women are
paid their Work, aud the clothes are sod TO aId 10
lie socicty's income Large orders are hed oy mem
Tor mission churches. charitable societies. ana coarse
shrs iuuprrS and oVeralls made by them for men,
If me women have any special skill IN fancy WORK the
storr offers also market FOR that The most interesting
of the House OF Industry is that OF Ordered
Plies of eXqnlsltey made garments baDy clOtHes
as fue as from the fingers of French lHgeTe are pro-
duced here Work Of this kind commands g"Od price, |
Inn not more asked than in French establishments Tor
Ionr, Excepting 10 per cent taken by the society
The seamstrrss receives the full price OF her WOlK
school l. large buiiyng III inc rear
where John Homes garden once DiOOmed twice week
Tie sewing school is held under competent teacher
AMI 100 children during the last year we're on the roll
A spCclal teacher for fancy work ~ employed ana les
som reward OF merit wheel Wtlln tue Wlleel
a. he nepnv contribution Of tho children. which last
purchased for twenty-five garments aud sent As gt
10 Inc Infant Industrial school OF the Childrens AID
Society and this way the lesson OF doing go0d 10
others passed Tie work done 10y many or these |
Oud not do dScTcdt TO the most acc emphasized
seamstress At the anniversary Of the society, when
l. the custom exhibit these clothes ana distribute
przes To the children. bunting dress made 10y an IN
fortunate little Invalid, one or the prOe-es OF the society
Tyard IN perfection the most costly convent work IN
ad Iitlan to this training IN handiwork moral ana re2
ions instruction gwen. and library provides them
with rea ing. ---.
be overlooked takes no vacations During the
when the greater number OF the special chhfl-
operations, the House oil Industry Is open
its since the wants of the poor are |
then greater tnan ever, since III
serves coInparalvely alone. For this reason 1t com
Iucuds IL self to the hcgving cl sses that are out OF
town vet are not unmindful of tic heat and burden or
IN day they have lett behind In the st crowded city
The Ncir- York Mail dHd Impress recently gave cOm'
plete ana Interesting history II the organization