Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20
ORPHANS OF THE SEA.
A Charity Supported by Entertain
ment Nights on the Atlantic.
TWO VERY USEFUL INSTITUTIONS.
How Over $500 Poor Children Have Been
Cared for at Liverpool
A PLACE AMERICANS ARE WELCOMED

TCOBRESPOHDENCE OF THE DIsPA ArCH.1
LIVERPOOL, Dec. 11.-Everyone who ha,
crossed the ocean in one OF the great liners
knows all about Entertainment Night" a
sea- Yet few know, save in dim sort Of
way. the real object of the impromptu di.
version, or have any manner of idea as tc
what becomes Of the large sums thus fire.
quently realized.
On some one night Of each voyage the
great dining salon of the ship is transformed
into q concert hall, theater and lecture
room combined. Among from 200 to / ,00C
passengers there are always found men,
women and youths 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 ship.
board. Then there are the misses or mes.
danes who play or sing or both. And
there Is always found the rubicund clergy.
man, the brow-wrinkled Senator or the
bland. unctuous Judge to preside. Again,
scarcely voyage of the mailships occurs
when there are not professional people on
board, usually the best Of European actors,
singers, instrumentalists and all manner ot
specialists, from danseuse to freak, who are
travelling from one continent to another to
fill their various engagements
Night Of Full Dress
These are folk with hearts quick to re-
spond to anything genuine with charity at
the end 0 it. So that with the amateur
performers willing to be distinguished, and
the distinguished artists willing to perform,
"Entertajnment 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 frs. 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 genu-
inely aristocratic people on shipboard are
usually the shabbiest of all passengers at all
other times than this. Even this night,
many dress richly but soberly. But the
rule is to make the occasion one
of at least partial display in dress,
and majority honor the event
with costumes and jewels BETTING the
most select social gatherings in any land.
To the "frst tripper" it is an affair Of
unique interest and delight The oldes.
travellers awaken from their ordinary toll
erative lethargy and permit themselves to
be drawn into the brilliant salon, after the
Even the officers and stewards Of the ship
welcome the affair as a relief to the mo-
notony of the voyage. And, as I have
taken the pains to find out, the generous
sums secured from the sale of programmes,
and the irrevocable collection" provides
for one of the most needful and deserving
of all charities pathetically suggested by
the endless and dolorous tragedies Of the
sea
Noblest Charities OF Our Time.
The proceeds Of these Entertainment
Night" collections secured on all steam
ships plying between New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Boston and Liverpool, ex-
cept one, are turned over to the officers of
the Liverpool Seamen's Orphan Institution,
which is almost exclusively supported In
this manner. The exception noted is on
the part of the Inman Line. This line having
American afinities, 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, o kindred institution: Whether
they go to Liverpool or New YORK, no one
should ever hesitate about giving liberally
when distinguished actors, clergymen,
Iurists 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
sre 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
If the orphanage are peculiarly grateful to
Americans, for without their contributions
he grand work of this charity would wholly
all; and everything possible is done by
Captain Stubs, Sir James Poole, the
treasurer, and Rev. @. E. Gaussen, the
haplain, to make Americans feel that they
laye acquired personal interest in and
egard for the institution. I know of no
'ther place in all Britain where an Ameri-
an citizen can experience the same de-
ightful feeling.
Not Restricted to Any Nationality.
The orphanage was founded in 1859 to
eed, clothe and educate the destitute or
ecessitous children of all classes of sea-
nen or seafaring men. 1t is not restricted |
o any nationality, though children of sea-
nen who have sailed five years out OF the |
'ort of Liverpool have the preference. The |
requent recurrence Of such names as
OCuoFllt CIC-, luuiCdtSS
he Scandinavian paternity OF many of the |
hildren. Recipients of relief are divided |
nto two classes, the children admitted to
be institution and those placed on the |
outdoor list"
Inability of the widow to support these
hildren is the only qualification. Relief
some kind has never been refused The
oys are retained to the age of IA, and are
hen sent out to trades and other vocations,
lany securing comfortable clerical posi-
ions The girls, if their mothers wish it,
re kept in the institution until they are Is;
he last year being passed in receiving
raining in all branches of household work,
lille school instruction is also continued.
Children on the outdoor list are those
hose mothers desire to retain them under
heir own care. It frequently happens that
here is not in the widowed family child
Id enough for public school life, or re-
gious difficulties may intervene. Again
iere are deaf and dumb children and thHs,
no are unfortunately mentally incapaci-
ted from receiving instruction. To meet
lch cases IS these the institution grants an
lnual allowance of clothing and boots, and
monthly allowance of 10 shillings. I
now of many instances where this cash al
vance pays the entire rent and actually
eeps O roof over the desolate family's
,ads
AnAbs.nce OF r Tape.
There are no red tape and official eaptious-
,ss about this. The sole condition OF pay
ent of the money is that the child shall
.oduce certificate of school attendance,
oviding it be able to attend school. OF
ese two classes there are at the present
ne $50 children in the orphanage, and
arly the same number on the outdoor
It. An idea Of the expenditure for SO
eat and practical q charity can be had
om the fact that the annual cost of main
ining each child in the orphanage is q
Ae over $50, and the annual expense upon
ch child in the outdoor relief class in |