The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-26

Lecture Of q. II. Ordway ON the Work OF
the New York Society OF that Name
At Manning hall last evening Samuel
II. Ordway Of New York, who is grad
uate of Brown university. lecrured on
the work of the University Settlement So
ciety In New York. President E. Benz An
drews introduced the lecturer. who said
The work of university settlement isa
work OF social reform, andcomes MID
way tetween university extension aud
ci irritable work pure and simple. IL
confronts the problem of how to deal
with the ignorant and degraded portions
Of the community, which are found In
all large cities, an d also in most factory
villages. This question has attracted
the attention Of philanthropists and So
cial refoimers for years. Charitable en-.
terprises OF all sorts DO not seem 10 meet
the difficulty fairly. They leave the
people as a rule more dependent than
before. and np, cal only to people who
have a desire for educational develop
ment. Before this movement, attempts
to reach them have been made from the
outside. aud have been Locked on Win
more or less dlstrust and suspicion.
The real way 10 get At the difficulty.
however, Is Tor men Who have Deen
trained in the best way the country af-
fords to live as neighbcrs TO those whose
condition IL is desired TO eleva,e. Such
n en- can obtain considerable Influence
over tbs SO ar, ,und them and can lead
them. But they must share ali the COZ
ditiors of those around them. The es-
tablishmeDt of such Deig hbC rhood guilds,
AS they are called, is the work Of this
University Settlement society. This
work is carried on In a large degree by
clubs composed OF residents OF he CON-
munity, aud which are entirely self
managing, electing their own OIL
GERS and paying their own exi enses
as far as possible. There are cubs Tor
all ages and ior both sexes, and they
furnish suitable entertainment and In
slruction. Glasses in various depart
ments To organized aud are attended by
all who desire. The idea OF the super
visors Is TO make he people do all The
work themselve-, and 10 avid all ap-
pearan,e OF patronage, any appearance OF
which destroys imu ediateiy all infu-
ence which might he exerted. Besides
the educational side. proper am useinent,
form large part OF the work.
Attempts are made to Rive them a
chance TO enjoy such amusements as will
tend to DISCUS. tiem with the Crulnary
ones which are open to them In the Vi
cnty A good, respectable pool ro1m,
Tor instance. Is provided, aud after piay-
ing In this. the men and boys are mush
less wiling TO frequent the iree pool
rooms in the salo ns. These depart
ments. rs the others, are managed en-
tirely by the people.
This is the end toward which the
society is looking TO give the peo-
pie The idea that the work aud
management are theirs. Under those
circumstances much more Interest Is
taken than otherwise would be. This
work calls for educated young men,
such men as the colleges or today afford,
who are willing to aevOte the nselve', at
least Tor part of the time, 10 elevatinR
these classes. The opportunities for
study Of sociological problems are also
almost without limit And we feel that
there are many young men who would
cone forward and act as settlers IN
tLese districts. while hitting themselves
for tbeir professions, IL thu work were
brought more prominently y before them.