Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-04
Ial Correspondents Of The Evening star.

WAY OF GIVING CHURCH ficNIo-NoIkA
Special Correspondents Of The Evening Star.
| NEW YORK. July 2, 1891.
IN THIS AGE OF COMBINED EFFORT 1T
l. is pleasant to see that people Of the smallest
capital are using the machinery Of concerted
effort in furthering their interests. had &C.
casion recently to study the various mutual
benefit associations organized in most Of the
leading dry goods stores Of the city. These
associations have many interesting features.
They we're started in this city originally by an
| employe of Arnold 4 Constable and have
| spread until now. as have said, almost all the
large concerns have them. The longest roll of
memberships that OF Macy & Co., where there
\ ere 800 of the employees in the association.
The general purpose is two-fold: First, to pro-
vide a small sum IN case Of death. This gener-
ally varies from $50 to 500. Then each
member is paid a certain amount, varying from
I "A to SIS per week. for not more than eight
weeks in each year, when incapacitated
for work by illness. The initiation
fees and dues are nominal, being only about 10
or Is cents a week. but in the aggregate. of
course. they mouat up TO q good sum. In addi-
ton most of the associations give two enter
tainments IN the year, which are o source of
considerable profit. q ball liz the winter and an
Z
from 300 10 $1,000. Again. the sssocia-
tons have the cordial and practical support of
the hrms. In most cases the houses contribute
substantial sum TO the trea snry and back 1t up
IN case OF any sudden call for special disburse-
ments, such for example a. the grip which
made heavy draft on the funds of all The asso-
Citations this winter and spring.
These benefits are intende SO far Is Illness
~ concerned, to tide over those who find
themselves without means Of support owing
the stOOnlup of sal rta in
from the store, but to the credit of The firms
1t should be said that in several cases they
keep right on with the salaries of sick en-
ployes where the case is at all deserving, in
spite OF the fact that the clerk is drawing q
weekly stipend from the benefit fund We
hear good deal nowadays about the hard life
OF shop girls. &c, and it is pleasant to look on
the more friendly aspect Of their life. We have
long had these associations for self protection
among those who were able to command
larger income and it is good sign that these
multitudes OF bread winners have learned to
apply the same principle Of cooperation and
out Of their weekly nickels and dimes to put by
comfortable nest egg for wet day.
NEwARK's GREAT SINGING JUBILEE
Newark is agog over the singing festival.
This is indeed a wonderful episode in her bis
tory and in the history of music in America
The saengerfest has now grown to be one of the
great institutions. There are to be about 5. 900
singers. and it is expected that the audience
on some days will amount to SC, 900 people. Two
great parks are united by a bridge thrown
across one of the streets and eyery Drepara-
ton has been made for enormous crowds. The
prize singing takes place on Tuesday, which
day Is To be public holiday in Newark and
wholly devoted to music. In addition to the
singing, however. there are to be very merry
! features in the shape Of dancing and social
gatherings, and OF course there will be
fathomless quantity of lager beer con-
sumed. The programs largely Of
a popular description, though they
are marked by German thoroughness
and musical merit. However, this is festival
OF the people rather than of yirtuosos and
while the choruses include some of the best
voices in the country, they do not depend upon
professionals of either high or low degree.
For the size OF the choruses and the popular in
rest reused BY their performances one must
go back to the great Boston festivals to find
mt comparison. The festival has been the alb
sorblng topic OF thought and conversation
among the great German element and many
lovers OF music everywhere for the past few
weeks. and if we have ANYTHING like propitious
weather undoubtedly the week will be most
brilliant and charming chapter in our musical
history.
NOT SO TENDER As THEY LOOK
Babies are tough. Some time ago perhaps
your readers remember that a baby tossed
itself ont of railroad car window when the
train was going full speed, and that when the
aorrihsd passengers were able to 60 back to
the scene they found the little one playj X in
the sand as If she always stopped that sav."
10. some time ago. nurse girl, with that
charming ease OF manner under domestic re-
sPonsIsiiliy which often characteriZes these
ladies. rolled a baby. carriage and all. off the
edge Of the roof where she WAS giving il a
promenade. In this case. also. the little one
turned up smiling IN the back yard. none the
worse for her tumble. The latest example oc-
CURED Tuesday. when an infant bounced ont
vi the window of an elevated train. TO greet
the terrified passengers with a smile when thew
rushed back to see what was left of IL. All Of
which episodes are commended to nervous
young parents, who are much of the time chas-
ing their babies to head them of from the top
OF long hight OF stairs, or from clambering
out ot the thirteenth-st0ry window of q modern
fiat.
METROPOLITAN NOTES.
l learned a curious fact today which shows
the way IN which modern improvements catch
on Some years ago a man proposed to
another to sell lawn mowers in this country
WHY. said the other. there aren't a dozen
lawns IN the country, and SO it would be absurd
10 make and try TO sell lawn mowers" How
ever the hopeful party went ahead, and 10 and
behold. as soon as there were lawn mowers
there we're lawns. The development was logi-
cal 80 long as a well-shaven lawn depended
on the laborious use Of the sickle or scythe it
was not practicable to make and maintain a
lawn and there were few in the country, but az
soon az II became easy to shave of the grass
aud keep 1t IN the proper shane by machine
lawns multiplied until now they are almost a
universal accompaniment Of q fine country
property.
l heard an excellent recipe yesterday
Tor model church picnic to raise
funds for the upholstering Of the church
the building of new organ. the en-
laIgement of the SUNDAY school library
or To get a new pulpit gown for the pastor. II
was 10 appoint the picnic, sell the tickets, col
lect the money and then not 20. In this way
a. the judlcious inventor remarked in Ill,
ing his claim before the church meeting
the money would be raised the picnic
would be a great pecuniary success and every
body would have much pleasanter time than
ii they went The vigorous applause which
followed this improvement on the usual plan
showed that the worm Is ready TO turn against
one OF The minor worries and nuisances of life
All the week we have had to endure the trial
OF "Frenchy, one Of the lowest and most
brutal ruffiaas that ever posed as the center of
attraction In a civilized community. Why il ia
necessary TO devote column after column To the
details OF such a wretch's crimes in metronoli
tan newspapers Is one of the mysteries of iour-
nalism- Even the attempt to identify him or
compare him with London's Ripper has been
an utter failure aud there was nothing to the
murder to distinguish it from other beastial
crimes among the very dregs of the popula-
tion-