The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07
KINGS DAUGHTERS HOME,
The Name in One Sense a Mis-
nomer-Something of the
Management.
Story Of DR.. Frank Nichols, One of
the Most Interesting of the
Inmates.

Every visitor to the Kings Daughters
Home for Incurables comes away with an
increased sense of the generosity of the
human species and less ready ear for the
wall about mans inhumanity to man."
The institution is located at 217 Fran
cisco street and has, at present, ffty-fve
inmates. 1t is overcrowded, and the loca-
ton is not the best. 1t was carrying the
burden of a heavy debt until the enter
tainment given for the institution by the
Fruit and Flower Mission made a con-
siderable decrease in that debt. Yet, not
withstanding all these drawbacks there is
not more contented community within
the boundaries of California than is to be
found at the Home for fncurables.
The reception-room is neatly furnished
apartment, with an air of cozlness that is
repeated in all the rooms of the patients.
There is nothing suggestive of the hospital
about the place. Every patient has room,
which is his or her castle. All the bric-a-
brac or little belongings, precious because
of home associations, may be brought
there to enliven the sick room. Some of
the rooms are thus transformed into veri-
table homes. There is wealth of air and
sunshine flooding the building, and an ut
ter absence of the odor that hangs about
some OF Ju6 DeSU HOS p4ldlS
The charter provides that every tenth in
mate may be received as a charity patient,
but so great has been the demand for aid
that at present every fifth patient is ward
of the corporation that controls the home.
There is a general misconception as to
the government and sources of revenue of
the institution. 1t is supposed that the
ninety or more circles OF Kings Daughters
in the City provide for its support when
ha ho oofi SC
that the Ever Ready Circle of the First
Methodist Church and the Merry Sunshine
Of one OF the Mission churches are the only
organizations in the City that contribute a
quota to it. and that is fee of $40 yearly
from each circle. State aid was withdrawn
in the efforts to retrench public expenses,
which were made by the last Legislature.
Aside from the yearly contribution of $50
made by the Cupertino Circle of Santa
Clara County, no help is received from the
order whose name the institution bears.
That name came from the fact that all the
members of the corporation were Kings
Daughters and desired to work I'm His
Name"
The cost of shelter, food, medicine and
all the advantages of the institution to
those who are able to pay is $25 month.
Life memberships can be secured for those
above 90 years of age for $500, although in
special cases that figure has been reduced.
The visitor has much the feeling of one
who is making q round of calls on pros
porous friends as he looks in upon the in
mates in their cheerful rooms. Every one
is content. One courtly old gentleman
said contentment did not half express it in
his case, and a sunny-faced old lady, who
has not been able to leave her bed for
eleven years and who numbers deafness
among her Affections, tells her callers how
happy she is and how good God has been
to her. The charity patients have pre-
cisely the same accommodations afforded
to those who pay.
Perhaps the most interesting character
in the institution is DR.. Frank Nichols.
until four years ago a prosperous and
popular dentist of Salt Lake City. But
paralysis, blindness, loss of mining prop
erty were blows that came upon him in
quick succession. His friends, of whom
he had many, endeavored to secure a place
for him in various institutions of the
country, but failed until life membership
was secured in the Kings Daughters
Home for Incurables. He is exceedingly
grateful for this refuge in his last years
and never tires OF talking of the goodness
of the friends who accomplished it.
Through the same agency $3.50 has been
deposited in bank in this City subject to
his check. His chief pleasure is in cor
respondence with Utah friends and in hav-
ing the Salt Lake City papers read by the
matron, Mrs. Belle Lemon.