The Portland daily press., 1897-09-14
The Work of the Fruit and rlwer Mis-.

To the Editor Of the Press:
1t may be gratifying to your readers to
note the heartiness with which the
friends of the Fruit and Flower Mission
responded to its recent call in the city
dailies. 1t will serve to show that not
only our city has large reading public,
but that the work of this charity has a
good place in the hearts Of the people.
AS will be remembered an appeal was
made for generous supplies of fruit,
flowers and reading matter in torder to
mark the closing day of the seasons
work, SO that on this one day the COM
mittee should not have to make any men,
tai calculation whether OF. not each ap-
plicant could not, somehow, receive more
than was possible to bestow. Before the
day was over, however, mental calcula-
ton was largely resorted to, although in
not just the line previously indicated.
From the early morning.ti long past the
noon hour there literally were poured
into the rooms, flowers, fruit, books,
papers and magazines
THE FLOWERS.
The flowers were the richest and best of
the year. The golden rod and it's kindred
of the fields and roadsides did not lose
countenance when put beside the gor-
geous salvias, dahlias, gladioli, verbena,
sweet peas and scores of aristocratic blue
bloods, nor did these lose case by contact
with the plebeian brotherhood. They
dwelt together in harmonious perfection.
a ii tho ho lyotc nd hovoc that nTisa
the missions stock in trade we're brought
into service, and what glorious showing
those three hundred bouquets made as
they were massed together.
DELICIOUS FRUITS.
While from the nature of things there
could mot be such lavishness ofIfruit there
was sufficient for all needs. It was of the
best quality, with but one or two e1cep-
lions, when it had come from distance
and had become jammed and decayed.
One wholesale firm on Commercial street
sent bunch of fine bananas. Then came
baskets of peaches, pears, apples, great
purple plums, one or two of which Is
large enough for dainty meal, Ham
burg, Tokay and many more varieties OF
luscious grapes. And, what do you think
next? A bushel OF the crispest and pretti-
ost turulp rdulsnoS, uot ouo Oh WulCn Hdu
a. worm mark or any defect. The mere
sight of them in their beautiful green
setting was refreshing to anybody. But
where can all these things be putt All
our boxes and baskets are already in use.
A tax must be levied on the nearby
merchants. Two of our brightest and
best 'missioners'' were sent out among
them and returned laden with the spoil.
READING MATTER.
A certain closet of ample dimensions in
the rooms of the mission gives evidence
that the response to the appeal for good
reading matter was needed most gener-
ously. Piled up on shelves, placed on
chairs and wherever room could be found,
are whole files of most interesting papers
and magazines, Youths Companions,
Christian Mirrors, Portland transcripts,
Ladies' Home Journals, and many, many
more, while Harper's, The Century,
Scribner's, The Outlook, New England
take the lead among the magazins. Owing
to the unusually large amount it was i'm
possible to distribute but small proper
tioD of 1t on that day. But it will be
given out each week to our friends of the
mission who are in need of it, and there
are more in need than people know. It
is estimated that hundreds of homes will
be made happier and richer the coming
winter because of this good literature.
TRANSPORTATION.
With the incoming tide of the good
things little anxieties began to come into
the heart of the superintendent of the
work as to what available facilities there
were for placing the gifts, for no provis-
ion had been made for such an abundance
of riches, and their speedy distribution
was necessary for the intense heat of the
day would soon tell on the perishable
fruit and flowers. The proprietor of one
of our well known livery stables came to
the relief. And although several journeys
had to be made to and from the center of
supplies while both extremes of the city
were being visited, the work Of the COM
mittee was practically complete by early
evening. Five of our large institutions
were visited in the canvass and a score or
more, of private homes, with the result
that hundreds of people were made hap
pier because there was Fruit and Flower
Mission in Portland.
A UNIQUE PICTURE.
The privilege of taking photographs Of
the scene, after the work had been COM
pleted. and the masses of blossom, fruit
and flower had transformed the mission
room into veritable wonderland, was