The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-04-29

/ CHARITY.
i What the Chronicle Finds to Write
About in the Quiet Little Town "f
/ ThOmasviile.
staff Cor. STATE CHEoNICLE
Not yet year and a half has passed since
/ the project for establishing a Baptist or
/ phan Asylum III North Carolina Was 9eri-
ously considered, and at that time when
"a few phlanthropic and charitable mem
lers of that church signltied their willing
ness To reach their hands dow: III their
/ pockets and make liberal donations towards
! the establishment of such an institution
/ There were not Il few even i'll that church
and 4 great many outside of II Who con
scicntiously thought that sucht course
was unwise. The CHRUNICLE itself was
among those who thought that the oxford
Asylum furnished al opportunity for a
| profitable and prudent concentration of
all of this noble type Of charity that might
be found among our people, and that this
noble non -sectarian orphans home might
suffer, if the encouragement and sympa
| thy of this great band of North Carolina
| christians was withdrawn from it; that
| from one asylum we'll maintained would
come more wholesome and beneficent re
! suits than from two or three with scanty
support. All these questions and objec
tions were thoroughly discussed. In the
meantime the Jealous supporters of the
! Baptist Orphanage went ahead gaining
| friends collecting funds, Surmounting
| difficulties and laying foundations deep
| and broad for useful and benevolent in
| stitutiOn.
| | heard an enthusiastic believer in or
phan homes once remark that, che
wouldn't give the good results that spring
Il, So,
| Asylum maintained by church, for all
characterize the same church in a hundred
years ''By their fruits ye shall know
| them, y says Holy Writ, and that church
| in this country or any other country that
takes the best care of its poor, that does
most to feed, clothe and educate the un-
| fortunate foundlings of its deceased mem
bers, will live and thrive and the blessings
of that great fountain head of all true re-
| ligion and charity will come upon it.
! These generous Baptist brethren con
ceived it a duty incumbent upon them as
christians, and while many opposed them
they worked on until they overcame oppo-
sition, inaugurated their plans, bought a
site aud on it began the erection of build
ings The Baptist Orphanage is no longer
talked Of probability, it is established it
has already begun its noble work and it
now becomes all of US, whether we were
at first uncertain as to the wisdom of the
move or whether we were supporters of it,
whether we be Baptists or not to lay aside
any spirit of opposition and give sympathy,
encouragement and help to the institution.
In August of last year, under big
| hickory tree near the town of ThOmaSville,
the first meeting of the Orphan Associa-
ton was held. This place had been previ-
ously selected as a site for the asylum and
it would be difficult to find in any part of
| the State site so well suited for such an
institution. One hundred and eighty-One
acres of land around this spot has already
been bought and paid for, and one hun
dred and twenty five acres more adjoining
the above has been bought and a part of
the purchase money paid. The land has
a half mile frontage on the 4. & ID. rail
road. 1t adjOins the suburbs of the beau
tiful lit, lie town of ThOmasvile, and on it
is sufficient open land for two or three
horse farm in fair state of cultivation.
Next to the railroad is about one hundred
acres in original growth, beautiful wood
land through which run ever-fowing little
streams supplied from a dozen or more
| bubbling springs. Down from the rail
road through this plot of woods two ave
nues have been cut out, each of them forty
feet wide and nearly half mile in length.
They are about two hundred yards apart
and midway between them runs bold
little branch along the side of which bub-
BILE up half dozen springs OF pure cool
| water.
On Watson Avenue-named in honor of
Mr.. Jno Watson, of Warren, one of the most
generous of the asylum's supporters-is
situated the buildings for the girls, only
one of which has yet been completed. This
is the Mitchell Building, the money for its
erection having been donated by Rev.
John Mitchell. of Hertford county This
building is built of brick one story high
and is IA model of convenient arrangement.
In the centre is large dormtory OF
sleeping apartment-well ventilated and
with a fireplace at each end. This
dormitory is large enough for twenty
four girls. 1t is furnished with comfor-
table little beds and all about it are little
trunks which contain the scanty and un
! pretentous wardrobes of the little orphan
girls. At one end of the building is the
school room, furnished with sto is, desks
tables and blackboards-al all made at the
asylum. At the other end Of the building
is the teachers bed room and a neat little
sitting ROOM so that children and teacher
are near together day and night.
|
honor of Mr.. Noah Biggs, of Halifax, i
the buildings for the boys One of which
Cthe Watson Buildlng) is completed. This
, is built just like the one above described
Indeed the plan is to build each building
alike and to build them as fast as fund:
. are donated. In addition to these twC
buildings another has been erected fo
| commissary, cooking and dining purposes
This is the result of a liberal gift fron
Mrs. c. g. Watson and is named for her
Lumber and brick are now being prepared
, for two other buildings, and each yea
will new houses and greater facilities b.
| added. The first little orphan that founC
, her way into this new home for the home
| less was Mary Presson, of Hertford county
who came in November, and soon afte
Wake sent up two, Charlie and Sidne
| Fort. At present twenty-siX orphan
! boys and girls are here, coming from al
l most as many counties. Four or fly
l others will come in next week, and as fas
as accommodations are extended other
who are now without these excellent ad
vantageS will be brought hither to be fed
clothed and educated. Years to come thi
place. now in its infancy, will be-no
merely an orphans home, but little cit
built and maintained on charity, who's
inhabitants will be little flaxen- haired lad
and lasses, who after having been educat
s ed and trained in primary branches 0