The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-15
THE WHITTIER House.
Chief Murphy Says the Boys
Clubs Have LesSened
Crime in This City.
THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED
Judge Collins Thinks Jersey City
People Should Give Better
Support The Work of
the Year.
THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED

looiN where Ille guests dSSelHpIeu Was
very prettily decorated. A large Ameri-
can flag covered the Kindergarten case,
and small one was draped over the en-
craving OF Whittier Pink and white
dogwood was banked on one mantel. The
other held large bunch of pink carna
tions and bowl of lilies. A spray of
arbutus fell over the top of a screen.
The small platform was placed in front
of the grand piano. Palms banked it.
Bowls of white and purple lilacs and flag
lilies were placed among the palms. The
kindergarten room and the reception
room, adjoining were soon filled and a
number were in the hall
Iilled and number We're in the hall
DR.. Amory II. Bradford of Montclair
President of Whittier House Association,
introduced the speakers. He made a
short Introductory speech, in which he
said that he wished to impress his hear
ers with the knowledge that Whittier
House was not doing a charitable work
1t Is in no sense charity. 1t is not
church work. DR.. Bradford read a tele-
gram from the Hon Foster Voorhees, re-
GREETING his inability to be present, and a
letter from Governor Griggs, saying he
was deeply interested in the work of
Whittier House. and that he regretted
his inability to be present and address the
friends of Whittier House. The letter
contained his promise to speak at the
anniversary celebration next year.
Miss Cornelia Bradford head worker of
Whittier House, was the first speaker.
She said:-'I have often said that I
would not as I grew old, 'reminisce' but
tonight I can not help thinking of the
time three years ago when 1 moved in
with my three articles of furniture The
day that moved in spoke in Elizabeth
with the result that Elizabeth furnished
the first room in Whittier House, the re-
ceptlon room. 1t is a little curious that
the last articles of furniture arrived
few days ago from that same city:
complete set of dishes. In this past year
we have had coming to our weekly clubs
and classes thousand people This is
a most thoroughly used, abused and soon
forgotten city. There are here numerous
large factories and the employees compose
many of our classes. We have also com
ing to Whittier House stenographers
pookkeepers, clerks. printers proofreaders
and young persons preparing for college.
They have here their debating clubs
social evenings and entertainments We
much as we are giving. Every oS1sthS day ws as
learn how little we know and how very
much our tenement house neighbors
know. We arc more and more convinced
uhat the college man and girl need the
Worklngman and the. factory girl as
mueh !9GIl as IT the latter need the former.
Our kindergarten has been unusually
Iarge, TINS winter Until within a few
| months ours has been the only free kin
dergarten In the city. This autumn one
| or TWO OF our young men will leave us
| 70 enter a preparatory department for
| Yale Many of our young men and worn-
en- en- nave responsible positions in offices
m hn cfr,
nave taken with us. We sometimes
| near ON, you residents are not doing any
general good We don't work for re-
| suits. But we are glad to hear evidences
| of good being done. Chief Murphy. who
mas done a great deal to help US, prom
lsed TO De here tonight, with his buttons
| detained. He told me short time ago
that there has been less crime among
| eoys @ II IN the last two years than is usual
| Tor that time He says he thinks this
| IS due to the boys clubs here that keep
| them off the street and teach them
Continuing, Miss Bradford gave
resume of the clubs and classes In Whit
| tier House: Newsboys, Mothers, Lincoln,
aIoa 1oung Citizens, 1Gitizens, Louisa Aleott, Lend-a
| vanced kindergarten, Kitchen Garden
Little Mirams and Social Clubs, and pri
mary sewing, advanced sewing, millinery,
dressmaking, penmanShip, bookkeeping
English elocution Latin, German, art,
| glee. dancing classes, Penny Provident
, Dams, SHIQren dour, D1Spensary, cir
culating pictures and books library, ques-
ton and reading class, civic league, So
| ciology and monthly conferences and lee
| lures.
The Hon. Gilbert Collins was the next
| speaker He said he had thought he
was to tell the good things about Whit
tier House to people who were opposed
to It Everyone present seemed to be
heartily in favor Of it. He thought it
| would be a good thing to call a meet
ing Of people opposed to Whittier House
| re vol 111o
prised in looking through the list of do
nations to see how few Jersey City peo-
pie were Re 20 on ,t the list This must be be-
! House. He was sure if Jersey City peo-
pie knew what a beneficent work was be-
ing done here they would support it
heartily He urged everyone to spread
the news and interest people in Whittier
| House.
Mr, W: A. stiles of New York, editor
of Garden and Forest was next in
troduced. He saids--"I was speaking last
night to an editor. He asked me to
dinner tonight, and I told him I couldn't
| tier House. Then | asked him what I
| should say. He said, Let's see That's
one of those Internal charities. isn't it?'
| thought that was good to begin with
| It's strange thing but charity seems to
be repulsive to most people, They'll
throw a quarter at q poor wretch SO as
| isnness-or they will give the money to
some one else to dispense. Charity is
| mace edSy nowadays. It's a machine.
| 1t takes fifty dollars from the rich
man and five from his neighbor, and fifty
/ cents from the poor man. It all goes
| in the same hole, and when it's loaded
| for it can't start till it has enough-it be-
| gins to work 1t puts its nozzle into the
| poor mans plate and gives him soup; it
| drops warm f1annels to the man with no
| clothing and it leaves coal in the cold
| attic. 1t is like a penny-n-the-slot ma
| chine: put in your penny and you
/ get your gum-only this is an
j altrustic machine; you put in your
money and someone else chews the gum
1 But who can be grateful to machine?
The recipients of machine charity soon
| begin trying to beat it--trying to get a
1 little more than they ought. There are
all kinds of charities, supported in all
kinds of ways. Some are taken care of
by the State some the city, and many
more are supported by what are
facetiousy called voluntary contrbu-
tons. A short time ago lady caued.on
me in my office. She was nicely dressed
| and was elderly. Heaven forgive me if
i called her elderly when she wasn't but
she had white hair. She asked me to give
something to support an institution for
i some poor lambs. They are always lambs,
never by any chance kids or goats
told her didn't know anything about
these lambs and she said, sOh, yes, you
do; you know all about them, and She