St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-11-22
Tke GaIedunian,
For the CaledOnlan.
WHAT LICENSE DOES.
The Work ola Massachusetts Instftut
for Saving It's Victims.

before the Vermont legislature, some
of your readers may be interested in
some results of license as demonstrated
here in Massachusetts and especially
in Boston.
| will give a sketch of an institution
in Boston which was started through
the benevOlence of one woman and has
in nine years become one of the prom
inent charitable institutions of the city,
Massachusetts Home for Incorporate
Women" Would the people of the
old Green Mountain state feel very
much honOred to see over the en-
trance of some large institution the
"VermOnt Home for Incorporate
Women 2" 1t is such institutions as
these that they invite when they place
license in any form upon their statute
book
An interview with the founder of the
home elected the following sketch of
both home and its work =
This home was opened January u,
1879 and Incorporated March 80, 1881.
The number of inmates received from
the opening to March !, 1888 was 1875;
Americans, $50; single, 84I.
Having been Interested in charita
BILE work among men and women of
various conditions, we found that a
person who was in abject poverty for
any considerable length of time, came
into and remained in that condition
generally, through habits of intOxica
ton. In our work among this class we
were surprised to find SO many efforts
made TO reclaim men, and comparative
ly nothing done for women. We be-
lieved that women could reform as well
as men if given the same opportunities,
and tried to interest some of the lead
ing charitable workers but without
success, as all said that nothing could
be done for Il woman who had fallen
into Incorporate habits.
First we began the work alone, on a
very small scale, in our own house.
We put notice III all the daily papers
and within twenty-fOur hours our first
answer came from family of good So
cial position, who desired help in TAX
ing care of a member of the family
who was completely shattered by the
use of liquor, and not able at that time
to be moved from her home; after a
short course of treatment she was able
to be removed to our home. Within
forty eight hours after the home was
opened, the probation officer from the
court called to see if we were in readi-
ness to receive women who might need
care when released or placed on pro-
baton by court officers.
In this way our work started. We
had met Il want which existed in socie-
ty, and the pressing need of such IL
home made itself apparent, for appli-
cants crowded for admission, and up
to- the present day we have had our
house full.
The lady in charge of the home and
who thus related her experience be-
lieves in industry, and in the power of
busy workers to forget the conjurings
of an idle mind. She started various
industrial departments rs soon as pos
sible after opening the home, among
which are il laundry, sewing and mend
ing room, fancy work, and later Il
dress makers department. At first
help was hired to look after the work
i'll the various branches, but us in
mates became reliable and competent
they were given the places and paid
for the work, thus encouraging them
to reform. When women outside the
home are required for any service pref
erence is given those who have been
inmates, thus giving those interested
i'll the work chance to keep track of
them.
The patients are now divided in two
classes, one the paying patients who
are not required to do any work, and
the beneficiaries. All patients receiv-
ed are placed under medical treatment,
and all receive the same care and at
tentlOn. Patients are treated tor alco
hol, opium ana morphine.
The work which was started simply
as an experiment has met with greater
success than was even hoped for, and
the plan followed has been as nearly
as possible that of a well regulated
home. Religious services are held on
Sunday evening and Sabbath school at
noon. The services are conducted by
pastors of various churches and every
inmate, if able to leave her room, is re-
quired to attend these services. Dur
ing the winter some home entertain
ments are given by inmates.
Yes, we have much to do, said the
manager, i'll clothing our women, as
they generally come to us in desti
tute condition. After they have been
here long enough to be sent out into
families we provide them with suita-
BILE clothing for house work, and a
street costume.
In the wOman's department of the
Massachusetts charitable mechanic as
sOciatiOn exhibition, in 1887, we made
an exhibit of laundry work, sewing
and dress making, which was awarded
a silver medal and diploma. The
sewing was done by young girls taken
from the courts in the spring of 1887,
who had no previous knowledge of
sewing. They were taught in our
rooms and the good results secured
were recognized by this award. In the
dining room girls are trained for table
work, and in every department of the
home women are taught how to perform
the general duties of house work.
The house occupied at present has
one kitchen, one laundry, small drying
room, shed for drying clothes, one din
ing room, sewing room and ten sleep |
ing rooms which shelter forty women.
Since the laundry was started work |
has come in large quantities, and new
er have we known a lack of work in this
line. For the year ending March 81
1858, the receipts for laundry work |
were 5000.
In answer to the question, ''DOes the |
work pay on the whole r. Our records
show that fifty per cent. of our women
ale doing well; twenty-five per cent
90 out, yield to temptation and return
to us for protection and help, the other
twenty-five per cent. are beyond our
reach, as they have thought confirmed