The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-13

Their Patrons Are Cheerful Givers
to the Fund for u Worthy
Society.

No department store, restaurant, drug
store, candy store, cigar store or hotel
is complete without one of the Chill
dren's Home society's mite boxes. !"
They can be seen In almost every down
{ town store and as a, rule appear well
filled. These contribution boxes reap a
snug little monthly harvest. from the
generous public for a very worthy
T cause. 2ReNa F2cP. Savage state super
intehdent of, the Childrens Home So
cfety, has distributed these boxes all
over the state, in ST. Paul alone there
are about forty, while in Minneapolis
there are thirty, and boxes have been
placed in Duluth, Winona, Mankato,
Saltwater and ST. Cloud. When these
boxes were first put. out itlwas in the
nature of an experiment, but they have
now become a very substantial means
of support. In the past six months
there has been dropped into these boxes
$3.50, each box yielding an average Of
$3.50 per month, some more and some
less. The boxes are an ingenious con-
trivance, having a wood base and top
with a glass side, so that the amount
contributed can be plainly seen. They
are quite similar to the ordinary slot
machine They will receive any amount
from 1 cent to 81. 1t is unnecessary to
say, however, that very few dollars
can be seen in these mite boxes" The
largest amount gotten out Of any box
in ST. Paul was from one in the Golden
Rule, the boxes in the Delicatessen and
Mannheimer Bros. yielding the next
largest amount last year. Mr.. Savage,
state superintendent Of the Children s
Home society, has his central office in
the New York Life building. He also
has an office in Minneapolis, and is as
sisted throughout the state by advisory
boards. which have been organized in
nearly every town. His work in car
ing for and finding homes for homeless
children is commendable one and one
in which nearly all the benevolent So
cieties Of the city are interested.
The society was organized Sept. II,
1889, and has to date found homes for
LILO children. Besides the revenues
derived from the boxes a large amount
is raised every year by the advisory
boards in different sections of the state
President Northrop, Of the university,
was the first president of the society,
but by reason Of his increasing bur
dens as president Of the state univer-
sity, he resigned, and Rev. Pleasant
Hunter, Of Minneapolis, is now presi-
dent. The board of directors includes
all the prominent elergymen Of the
state.
Last year 172 children were cared for,
1O7 Of these were found homes, Is
turned over to other benevolent so
e. -
she was placed in the institution at
Faribault. Seventeen died, which is
very large number, and Is accounted
for by the unusually large fatality
among infants last year. There were
% on hand first Of the year and 81
at the end Of the year. The age of
children cared for by the society is from
one month to fourteen years, and 1t is
frequently they are called upon to take
an infant a few days old.
Homes are found through cores
pondence and Mr.. Savage's travels
through the tate&collecting children
and the means with which to carry on
the work He is assisted by D. B.
Jackson, Mrs. Savage and Mrs B. L.
Russell, who devote all their time to
the work.
In many cases where children come
into the hands of the society they are
in a very detected condition, both
physically dIlR1 IIIGaltlly, JQOTOuRniy
Disguised with the world and friend
less. The society takes such children
and make them presentable and Mr..
Savage usuallyIin his trips around the
state is accompanied by one Of these
little friendless ones, and he seldom
fails to find q suitable home for them.
The child is placed in a home on ninety
DAYS trial, and the parties adopting
the child must be strictly temperate and
worthy Of confidence for their honesty.
Nearly all the children thus placed In
homes by the society are mere infants,
the average being two years and three
months
The work carried on by the society
Is Observation-Disclosures and nonsec-
tartan. Children's aid societies, which
are practically the same as the Chill
dren's Home Society, have been or
ganized in twenty states. Mr.. Savage
leaves tonight to attend the national
conference. which is being held in Chi
cago.