The morning call., 1893-05-30
Secretary of the Treasury
Orders Recovery Pro-
ceedings.
THE AGREEMENT BROKEN.
The Governments Gift of the Old
Hospital Was Conditionai-What
Investigation Developed.


ment of Justice, has Instructed local
Federal officials TO commence suit in the
United States court for the purpose Of
recovering from the city of San Francisco
he property known as the Sailors Home,
at present leased 10 the Ladies' Seamen's
Friend Society.
That institution, which has been the
subject OF more Inerminable gossip and
petty pickering than any other public
nome, Will soon pass into the protecting
arms of Uncle Sam, unless the expecta-
tons Of the local representatives of the
Government are not well founded.
The reported fragrant abuses, the charges
that system of extorting blood-money
was in vogue at the home. and that ques-
uonable methods were resorted to in or
der to secure patronage, which were given
circulation through the press and other
wise, started Uncle Sam upon an tnvesti-
cation.
About two months ago Joseph F. Evans,
special agent of the United States Treas
ury Department. and G.. E. Charming,
special inspector of the same department
Of the Government. acting under instruc-
tons from the Secretary of the Treasury.
entered upon thorough investigation of
The workings of the home.
The two officials spent several weeks in
gathering information, and while they
were willing to admit that they had gath
cred great mass of evidence tending to
prove that the Sailors Home is a fraud
upon the Government they declined 10
make public the details of their report
he TACT that upon the receipt of their
report II order " as made for recovery pre-
ceedlngS 10 be commenced makes 1t evident
that the lnVes tigatiOn resulted in disclos-
ing fragrant violations of the conditions
which govern the city IN lis possession of
the home.
The cornerstone of the United States
Marine Hospital building on Rincon Point.
now known as the Sailors Home, was laid
with appropriate ceremonies on the 9Th of
April, 1858. On the 10th of December of
the preceding year the Mayor of this city
approved an ordinance, which the Common
Council had passed, by which he was
directed to convey to the Government Of
the United States six 6fty-Yara lots on the
point named. The building, which was
finished on the 18th If Decem Der following
the laying of the cornerstone. is of brick,
four stories n height, and was laid out to
accommodate from 500 TO 700 patients. 1t
IS lS2 feet long by 90 feet wide. 1t was
built oEthe United States Government, at
coSsSsI quarter of a million OF dollars
1he proposition was when the building
VIZ put up that it should be supported by
AuN C4lttu E9tdlto government from lees
paid into the treasury by the sailors of
American vessels entering American
ports. Tse sum Of 20 cents was to be de-
Quoted from tnTff wages and was 10 be
paid by the master of every vessel to the
Custom-house In return every sick and
disabled seaman reaching San Francisco
was entitled to a certificate from the Col
lector of the Port for admission into the
hospital.
The building was used as marine hos
pltal until shortly after the great earth
quake on october p, 1868, y hen the build
ing was condemned as unsafe for
occupancy. The condemnation of this
structure was az the time considered by
great many people as "a very big job."
subsequently the building was rented to
the present occupants for a Sailors Home,
and from that time to the present it has
never been considered unsafe.
AFTER the condemnation proceedings the
building remained unoccupied for several
years and at last attracted the attention of
number of charitably disposed ladies
who organized the Ladies' Seamen's
Friend Society and requested permission
TO mt the building up and conduct il as a
home for seamen.
The ladies were full of pity for the sea-
men who came 10 this port, and announced
thelr intention OF putting stop 10 the
many llnpOsitions pTacticed upon them by
designing clearinghouse keepers. They
also promised that poor Jack should have
a home that would be a home in every
sense, where he would find safe retreat
from the emptations that surround him in
the usual board ng-hOuses.
The sympathy of Senator Sargent was
aroused by the philanthropic efforts of
the ladies and he consented to aid them in
securing the hospital building. With this
object IN view he introduced a bill in
Congress by which the United States con-
yeyed TO the city and county of San Fran
cisco the hospital building. TO be used as a
sailors home. The bill passed and re-
ceived the approval of the President on
August II, 1876.
The Congressional act does not convey
an absolute gift. but it is conditional.
There is proviso in it under the terms of
which the property reverts to the Omitted
States at any time when il IS used for any
purpose other than that for which il is
given.
1t seems quite plain that the members of
Congress desired TO give the seamen some
thing that they could not obtain without
aid from the Government home where
in time of distress or sickness they would
receive succnr. They were aware that the
: deep-sea sailors are az simple as children
when on shore and TALL victims TO all tie
snares placed 10 catch them. But they
wanted to be sure that the large property
they were giving away should be used for
the purpose contemplated, and so they In
serted a pTOviso upon which the proposed
as follows:
An act to Telinquish the title of the United
5 a:es to certain property In the city and
county OF San francisco, California.
Be IT enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives OF tile United States of Amer
lea, in Congress assembled, that all the right
and title OF the United States tc the following
described property is hereby Telinqnished TO
The city anu county of San Francisco, the same
being the TWO niIy-vara lots on which the old
Marine Hospital building now stands fronting
275 feet on the north side of Harrison street.
Between Spear and Main, WIN uniform depth
OF 1877 feet and inches as laid down on the
official map of said city, 10 be used by the city
ard county OF San Francisco solely for Tie pur-
pose OF a sailors home. Provided. that If The
same shall at any time be used for any other
than the purpose aforesaid, or If said home shall
not be opened within one year from the passage
of this ac, In each such case all rlght and title
hereby reinquished shall revert back TO aud
again vest IN the United States.
The act says that the property must be
used solely for the purposes of a sailors
home" If the present managers of the
Sailors Home can prove to the satisfaction
of the court that the property is being
used as a home, and not as a sailors board
ing-house, then they will be able to retain
possession of the property.
On the other hand the Government will
undertake to prove that the conditions of
the gift have been violated, that the in
mates of the home have been subjected to
the same abuse and trlckery that they re-