Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-11-13
SUMNER HOMES FOR WORKERS.

Young Mr.. La Fargo has been a very
busy man since the design of his firm for
the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was
accepted. Nevertheless he took the
time day or two ago to run up into
Connecticut to look at farm about half
a mile beyond Alta Crest. The spot is a
beautiful one, commanding an extensive
view of the sound and Long Island, and
the region thereabout is picturesquely
varied by hills and valleys, woodland
and meadow.
On this spot there will be established
a summer home for the working girls in
the great shops in this city. The under
taking is something Of an experiment,
although a similar effort, which has been
carried on this summer in Pittsfeld,
Mass, indicates that the plan, with
proper management, is sure TO succeed.
Last winter Miss Grace Dodge delivered
lecture in Pittsfeld Her speech i'm
pressed two or three young women of
Pittsfield. and they resolved TO make an
experiment along the lines that she sug
gested. They bought a farm. fronting
on Oneta lake, and prepared it and the
buildings on it for the reception of the
saleswomen vino desired to take vaca-
tiOns and TO pay something for their out
ing. Five young women undertook the
management of this summer home.
They were Miss Grace Churchill, the
two Misses Willard, Miss Watson and
Miss Larned. Miss Churchill comes Of
a wealthy family. and the Misses Will
lard are two of the daughters Of the
Wall street broker, E. K. Willard.
These young women managed the farm
for four months on strictly business
principles. The farm was made TO pro-
duce all of the garden vegetables, milk. I
eggs and poultry necessary for the table. (
Invitations were extended through the .
Vacation society in Thirty-eighth street
to working girls TO come and pass their
vacations on the farm. They were to
pay $3.50 a week for board, and the
was filed at once. For four
months about twenty girls have been
accommodated there, each
eaving at the end of her two weeks va
,ation to make room for another.
Miss Churchill and Miss Gretta Will
ard determined to establish a permanent
summer home of this kind in Greenwich,
and they bought the farm which Mr..
La Fargo visited the other day, and upon
which buildings will be erected and the
present buildings altered in accordance
with his suggestion. These young wom-
en- expect to combine the charitable fea-
lures of the undertaking with strict busi-
ness methods. They propose to devote
themselves to what they have come to
believe is more worthy existence than
a life Of fashionable pleasure. Each of
them is a skillful horsewoman. and they
will have horses on the farm for the
pleasure of the boarders.
They do not expect to make any money
out Of the undertaking, but they do ex-
pect to make the venture pay its way,
and their experience Of this summer has
taught them that when young women
feel that they are paying for their board
they get far more benefit from their out
ing than they would if they were objects
Df charity. The buildings will be com
pleted early in the spring, and workmen ,
will be employed 10 make the gardens,
md 1t takes pretty good sized garden
% satisfy the cravings Of twenty healthy
girls for fresh vegetables.
The undertaking has the encourage
nent of Bishop Williams, of Connecticut,
md Bishop Potter, of New York, and
iuch students Of social problems as DR..
Greer, Of st. Bartholomew's church, and
Dr.. Arthur Brooks are inclined to think
hat therein is 10 be found the germ, per-
laps, of the better charity, which helps
without condescension and which does
not tend TO destroy self respect-New
York Sun.