The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-04


THE PRESIDENTS REPORT.
Wilmington, N. c., Feb. /, 1893.
Gentlemen:
1 have the pleasure to announce this
meeting as the fonty-fifth anniversary
Of the Saamen's Friend Society, and
for the particulars of it's management,
refer O to the reports of different
committees, particularly hat relative
to it's financial condition.
We have again to thank the Ameri-
a Seamens' Friend Society of New
York for the onatio made annually
for the support of a chaplain, also the
press of our city for continued favors.
Respectfully submitted
GEORGE HARRISS,
President.
SECRETARY'S REPORT. y
The Seamen's Friend Society was
Incorporated December 18th, 1854, for
the purpose Of benevolence and chart
ty, to pursue the business of improving
the social, moral and religious condi-
ton of seamen at the port of Whining
ton.
The building Of the present Seamen's
Home was accomplished In 1874 at a
cost OF $12, 600, leaving the society in
debt $4,000. secured by a mortgage on
the building of the Home. This debt
has been reduced from time to time
until the present Indebtedness is ST.
500, which is secured by a mortgage on
the building of the Home.
In order that the trustees may un-
derstand the facts in regard to the
Mt. Tirzah property and the claini
against the United States government.
your secretary submits the following:
The Wilmington Marine Hospital;
Association was Incorporated the 22nd
of December, 1895, the purpose of it,
perpetrators being to give relief and
ta,-c care of sick and disabled Ameri-
CA amen. subscriptions We're OBJ
tan and at a meeting of said sub
scribers, a committee was appointed
to select a suitable suite for a hospital.
They selected
MT. TTRZAH
and purchased the property from Ed
ward B. Dudley at a cost of 81, 900. A:
that time there was a tWo-story dwell
ling, barns and O~uthOuses on the land.
The dwelling was fitted up for a hos
pital and was mlanaged by the Marine
Hospital Society for several years. This
property and all other assets of the
Marine hospital was IN April "a, 1855,
turned over to the Seamen's Friend So
ciety for their benefit in carrying out
the plans of giving relief to sailors and
merging tine two societies into one.
This property is situated on the Cape
Fear river below ~Turlington's Mill az
Greenfield, and the tract contains
about $50 acres. There is a building On,
the land near the river front, which
was erected by the city in 1874, the
trustees of the Seamen's Friend So
eiety allowing the city the use of one
acre of land for five years for the pur-
pose of erecting the pest house, and at
thn y-ri,~o tiNp - +na tir,n +In h,,;11;p~
to belong to the society. This building
is now used by the city, with the I'M
derSanding that as soon as vacated by
the present inmates, the house is to be
burned down. For many years John
Mckinney has lived on the premises
and looked after the property, no reve-
nue. is obtained, but recently, parties
have visited the place with the view of
making an offer to rent the place for
trucking.
CLAIM AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT.
During the winter of 1873, the late
George r. French, then president of
the society, visited Washington, to
make an effort to effect the passage
OF a bill giving a donation to the So
ciety for losses incurred by seizure and
occupation Of the Home by the United
OC"NSo 4OASOc viz CllC Il as OStu
pied by them. The property was seiz-
ed February p, 1865, and held by the
government until May 16, 1865, when
the following order was issued:
Headquarters, Post OF Wilmington,
Wilmington, N. e., May 16, 1865.
1t having been shown that the build
ing in the city, known as the Sailors
Home, is a charitable institution and
that it is liable to be needed for its
JAcritipIata p,1,ncCnS II i- boroD1x- ra
1inQuished by the government and
turned over to the trustees. This is
on condition that if it is wanted for a
hospital, the possession of it will be
JOSEPH C. ABBOTT,
Brevet Brig.-General Comd'g Post.
The damage claimed amounted to
$4,000. A bill was prepared and intro
duced in ongre in the winter Of 1878,
which was twice read, ordered print
ed and referred to the committee on
wal claims. No report of action was
taken by the committee, and in Novem-
Der, 1892, another claim was substituted
for 81, sol and placed in the hands of
Attorney G.. w. z. Black, of Washing
ton City. The agreement with Black
was to prosecute the case upon a con-
tingent fee of Is per cent, payable
only upon a from the govern
ment, Mr.. Black to pay the costs which
might accrue, and thus the society
would be in no risk in regard to the
matter. Since then, annually letters
have passed between Mr.. Black and
the secretary OF the society. On March
%, 1896, MIR. Black advised your secre-
tary that he had gotten the claim into
the court of claims; and on April 4
1896, he wrote that the papers had just
come in and difficulties were in tbs
way, but that he believed the case
could, by proper effort and in time, be
placed in shape for payment, although