The record-union., 1891-12-19
Money Collected for Charity On
the Ocean Steamers.
1t Goes to Support the seaman's Or
phans' Homes-Description of the
Liverpool Institution How This
Noble Charity Is Conducted-wake-
man Among the Waits.
Especial Correspondence of the RECORD
UNION. Copyright, 1911
LIVERPOOL, December I, 1891.


one of the great liners knows all about
Entertainment Night' at sea. Yet few
know, save in dim sort of way, the real
object of the impromptu diversion, or
have any manner of idea as to what be-
comes of the large sums thus frequently
realized.
On some one night of each voyage the
great dining salon of the ship is trans
formed into concert hall, theater and
lecture-room combined. Among from
two hundred to thousand passengers
there are always found men, women and
yoaths who can do some one little or big
thing well. The witty man, the sarcastic
man, the elocutionist, the poet and the
storytelling man, are all on shipboard.
Then there are the misses or mesdames
who play or sing or both. And there is
always found the rubicund clergyman.
the brow-wrinkled Senator, or the bland,
unctuous Judge to preside.
Again, scarcely voyage of the mail
ships occurs when there are not profess
sional people on board, usually the best of
European actors, singers, instrumental
lists and all manner of specialists, from
danseuse to freak, who are travelling from
one continent to another TO fill their vari
Gus engagements. These are folk with
hearts quick to respond to anything gen.
uIne with charity at the end of 1t. SO
that with the amateur performers willing
TO be distinguished, and the distinguished
artists willing to perform, Entertain
ment Night brings programme often
of very great variety and merit, and fills
the salon with hundreds of passengers
who are on this night for the first and last
time in full dress on shipboard.
The transformation of passengers them
selves is not the least interesting feature
of this concert in mid-ocean. The most
genuinely aristocratic people on ship
board are usually the shabbiest of all pas
sengers at all other times than this.
Even this night many dress richly but
soberly. But the rule is to make the oc-
casion one of at least partial display in
dress, ana a majority honor the event
with costumes and jewels betitting the
most select social gatherings in any land.
TO the FIRST tripper" it is an affair of
unique interest and delight. The oldest
travellers awaken from their ordinary toll
eratiye lethargy and permit themselves to
be drawn into the brilliant salon after the
manner of blase theater foyer loungers.
Even the officers and stewards of the ship
welcome the affair as relief to the mo-
notony Of the voyage. And, as / have
taken the pains 10 find out, the generous
sums secured from the sale of pro-
tion," provides for one of the most need
ful and deserving of all charities patheti-
cally suggested by the endless and dol
orous tragedies of the sea.
The proceeds of these Entertainment
Night collections secured on all steam
ships plying between New York, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, Boston and Liver
pool, except one, are turned over to the
officers Of the Liverpool Seaman's Or
phan Institution, which is almost exclu-
siVely supported in this manner. The ex-
ception noted is on the part of the Inman
Line. This line, having American affini-
ties, and being largely the property of
American owners, bestows one-half of the
sums thus collected upon the Liverpool
institution, and the other half upon the
American Blue Anchor Society's charity,
a kindred institution. Whether they go
to Liverpool or New York, no one should
ever hesitate about giving literally when
or simple citizens ''pass the hat' at sea,
for these Seamen's Orphan Homes are
among the noblest charities of our time
Every American tourist to Europe
should visit the Liverpool institution. Its
offices are at IA Water street, not 500
yards from the steamer landing, where
the Secretary, Captain Edward Stubbs, r.
N, will extend every possible courtesy,
as all the officers of the orphanage are pc
culiarly grateful to Americans, for with
out their contributions, the grand work
of this charity would wholly fail; and ev-
erything possible is done by Captain
StubbS. Sir James Poole. the Treasurer.
and Rev. c. L. GausSen, the Chaplain, to
make Americans feel that they have ac-
quired personal interest in and regard
for the institution. l know of no other
place in all Britain where an American
citizen can experience the same delight
full feeling.
Thn oil ~ %-,
feed, clothe and educate the destitute or
necessitous children of all classes of sea-
men, or seafaring men. It is not re-
stricted to any nationality, though chill
dren of seaman who have sailed five years
out of the port of Liverpool, have the
preference. The frequent recurrence of
such names as Lund, Lundren, Schavii,
ETC., indicates the Scandinavian paternity
of many of the children. Recipients of
relief are divided into two classes, the
children admitted to the institution, and
those placed on the outdoor list''
Inability of the widow to support these
children is the only qualification. Relief
of some kind has never been refused.
The boys are retained to the age of IA,
and are then sent out to trades and other
Yocatlons, many securing comfortable
clerical positions. The girls, if their
mothers wish it, are kept in the institu-
ton until they are Is, the last year being
branches of household work, while school
instruction is also continued.
Children on the outdoor list are those
whose mothers desire to retain them un-
der their own care. 1t frequently hap
pens that there is not in the widowed fam
lily child old enough for public school
life, or religious difficulties may inter
vene. Again, there are deaf and dumb
children, and those who are unfortunately
mentally incapacitated from receiving in
struction. To meet such cases as these
the institution grants an annual allowance
of clothing and boots, and monthly al
lowance of ten shillings. / know of many
instances where this cash allowance pays
the entire rent and actually keeps roof
over the desolate family's heads. There
are no red tape and official captiousness
about this. The sole condition of pay
ment of the money is that the child
shall produce a certificate of school at
tendance, providing it be able to attend
school.
OF these two classes there are at the
present time $50 children in the orphan
age, and nearly the same number on the
outdoor list. An idea of the expenditure
Tor so great and practical q charity can be
had from the fact that the annual cost OF
maintaining each child in the orphanage
is trlf1e over $50, and the annual ex-
pense upon each child in the outdoor re-
lief class, including cash allowance and
clothing, IS $40. About $500 children
have been cared for in one or the other of
these two ways since the organization OF
the charity. Noble as has been the work
accomplished, the need for the extension
is pitiful indeed. / have not the figures
at hand as to the loss of American sea-
men; but the returns from the English
Board of Trade are appalling in their evil
dence Of loss of life at sea, for they show
that in the nineteen years following the
establishment of this orphanage, no less
than 81. .g20 seafnen died in English shinc