Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-01-13
For The Children's Aid Society.

fore announce a Chicken Pie Supper
to be given on Friday evening, January
81, which they trust will be literally
patroniZed and at which donations will
be thankfully received. Announce
ment of place later.
The initial step towards the opening
up of the work of the Children's Aid
Society of Western Pennsylvania was
taken in May, 1885 when an agent of
the Children's Aid Society. of Phila-
delphia, came to Allegheny county to
present the cause before the ladies of
Pittsburg and vicinity. A meeting
was called in Pittsburg, and the cause
was presented to the ladies' A society
was organized to be called the Chill
drens Aid Society of Allegheny Coun-
ty and Bureau of Information for
Western Pennsylvania.
A board of twenty members was elecl-
ed. officered by the following ladies'
President Mrs. jUdge Stowe; Secretary
Mrs II. Lee Mason Treasurer. Mrs J.
Haworth. For the systematizing of
the work the following committees
We're named and the members appoint
ed The executive committee, the
committee on the decision Of cases. and
liIt VI 5dilILluS NOIlllllllftt- 4 ne tAttu-
tive committee to hold its meeting be
fore each monthly meeting of the
board of directors. The committee on
the decision of cases, whose duty was
TO consider all applications for receiv-
ing or placing children, to meet week
". The organizing committee to meet
at the call of its chairman. The work
of this committee was to organize
branch societies in the twenty seven
counties in Western Pennsylvania and
kindred work. The monthly meeting
of the board of directors was set for
the first Thursday of each month, and
its annual meeting for the first Thurs
day of May.
For the conducting of this work a
grant of 50, 900 was made by the Phila-
delphia society from their state appro-
priation. This amount was supple
mented by such private contributions
as could be secured by the members Of
the board
Children were taken in and cared for,
entire in suitable or free homes, the
method of the society being to care for
them in the home rather than in the in
stitution. When sick, hospital treat
ment has been secured, unless the child
was too i'll to be removed, in which
case doctor was always in attendance
When deaf and dumb or blind, admiss-
ion was obtained into the school for the
deaf and dumb or blind When feeble
minded, admission into the institution
for the feeble-minded at Elwyn, and
later on at Polk, was sought for. In
rare instances admission into Morgan
"a has been needed. The work of or
ganiZing branch societies in the twenty
seven counties in Western Pennsyl-
vania, which had been set off by the
Philadelphia society, commenced early
in the history or the work Until 1888
all the societies worked under the char
ter of the Philadelphia society. Then,
as satisfactory arrangements for the
continuation of the work auxiliary to
the Philadelphia society could not be
made, and as the West field is large
one and remote from the headquarters
of the present society, the board of di
rectors after careful consideration of
the step, resolved to ask for the Chill
dren's Aid Society in western Pennsyl
vania, thus covering the original terri
tory granted by the Philadelphia soci-
ETY..
The Office of the Western Pennsyl-
vania Society is in the Dispensary
building Sixth avenue, Pittsburg (the
building in which the Western Pennsyl
vaEia Humane Society has its Offices.
In this Office there is record that con
taius the names Of all children that
have come under the care of the county
societies, together with the tranfer
from one county TO another.
The quarterly meetings of the board
of directors, in which each county is
81 6 i
Ors having been increased to thirty TO
provide for the representation, are
held in the Dispensary building, as
well as the monthly meetings of the ex
ecutiye committee At the wish of the
counties it has become the habit of the
society TO hold an annual meeting in
some of the counties which has had
helpful effect upon the general work of
the society
In this work we have since organiza-
ton had in care ., 4jG children OF
this number go are now in care, leav-
ing /, 546 that have passed from care by
return TO friends or guardians adoption,
marriage, coming of age death, and
some few runaways
As the work has grown the need has
impressed its self on the society of
nome where girls that come to its care
disqualified by their previous habits of
life for admission to free homes can ( or
few weeks or months, as the need may
be, receive that training in manners,
morals and domestic habits which will
in a measure tit them for the homes in
which it is the aim of the society to
place them. From time to time for
several years plans have been suggest.
cd and discussed. 1t was finally decid-
ed at the last annual meeting of the
society, which was held at Ridgway
Pa, June and A. 1897, that u property
should be secured III rural district and
that Il home or school should be opened
and equipped in a modest way for this
class Of girls For several reasons
Indiana, Pa, was the place selected for
this home. AS no suitable property of
fered for rent, it was decided to pur
chase one that had been offered for sale
at very low figure. The bargain was
closed and the first payment was made
on the purchase September /. 1891
This home or school opened on the Goth
of the same month. There are but few
imates as yet, but the ladies are very
hopeful of good results from their ven
ture. So far the money has been pro
vided for by private subscription.
As is presumably the case with all
charitable organizations, limited sup
plies limited the work of society.
This is true of the Chldren's Aid Soci-
ETY. of Western Pennsylvania. While
we have always received state aid we
have always made the amount Of our
application as nearly as possible III ac-
cord with the actual cost of the work
that the society wishes TO do Yet it
has eemod TO be necessary for the leg
islaturc TO cut down sometimes nearly
half the amount asked for) II IL hop
cd that the prospective financial pros
perity viii render this course less i'm
peratiye to future legislatures.
I he officers of the society at date are:
Mrs. i. B. Reese, Clearfield president;
Mrs J. l.. Anderson, Allegheny, secre
tnry; Mrs. H. L. Mason, Pittsburg treas
urer; Mrs. A. Alston, Allegheny, chair
man Of the board Of dire ctOrs.
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