The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-19

towns. Rev. George Guild, of Provi-
dence, presided and pronounced the
invocation. The exercises were opened
with q song by the scholars, after
which the doxology was sung. Rev. 5.
G. Logan of Scranton, read the report
of the history Of the mission since its
organization. The address follows:
The Prcsbytcry's superintendent of mis-
sions to our people of foreign speech de-
eircs respectfully to present to the exc
CutiVc committee the following report,
touching the Olyphant mission, and the
commodious building for whose opening
10 mission purposes We have gathered
today:
The history of this mission in general
is as follows: For the last three years
the superintendent has been seeking for
ways and means for planting "a kinder
EHrtcn mission within reach of the large
body OF hand workers. who are isolated
by their various fOrpigr speech in Oly-
phant. But nothing tangible or ever
hopeful appeared until IN the spring OF
1881. II had CunclusiVelr appcarcd that
unless help could he had from the coal
or industrial organizations whose enter
prizns kepJ and sustained thes" popula-
tons. II was useless to attempt a mis-
sion here. with this convection. as the
Delaware and Hudson Canal company
seemed to hold the largest interest, Il
careful aud pleasant CorreSpondenCe was
begun with Mr. OlNphant. the hOnured
president of this company. i'm whose hon
ur the town had received It's name This
correspondence took u wide range vet
held fast to specific point. It discussed
the needs and modes Of the philan-
thropic committee in seeking ~ supply
them, ana specially the kindergarten as
the most hopeful mission bringing than
IN contact with our American life. But
tn" respectful bo;lrd declined To under
take amy specific mission of the part in
dicatcd. But on March l. 1897. the treas
urer of the committee received a gener-
Gus contribution fOr the general cause
At one" the attempt to organize
kind"rgartun for elephant was renewed
with the Kind assistance of Pastor Ham
mon ana that of his pStimablc wife a
teacher, who had long lived near to the
people to h" reached. was secured. who
was ready to attemp the mission. \
tilthN room on the flats close to the
aromatic l.ackawaErl. was rented at 81
n month. This house was Il wretched
smell, when ought to have been con-
demned by tE' board of health long be-
fore. But il was the best that could bp
had within reach Of the children sought
AN OrTNIT Purchased
Then. at II COS, of about stO an OUTFIT
was purchased and on April the school
10, a
member of the Providence church was
placed i'm charge as teacher on trial at
salary of $50 a month. Mrs. Hammond
kindly making nursery for her sweet
baby there in order TO assist I'm making
the school success. This lady servci
ethciently without salary, only because
the committees funds would not then
allow larger outlay for this mission.
Mrs. Hammond thus served the school
from April > until near the middle of
july. The secretary would ask the com
mittee. at this time. to order an appro-
priation of at least $25 as a recognition of
these worthy services, or at least as pay
to the lonely baby for conseating 10
serve all summer as IA model for the
kindergarten aims. The enrolment dur
ing tlle hrSt week reached pupils from
TO years of age. representing eight
or nine different races and speech. Th,
rapiditN with which these ladies brought
order out of indifnablc confusion ana
h"atness out of chaos under difficulties
unmentionable was marvellous. aud its
certainly entitled them to a high place
IN the estimation of the committee.
The school was conducted with mani
fest Improvement i'm the children and
increasing interest on the part of par
cnts down to midsummer. when the July
odurS of the beautiful I.ackawauna be-
came so suggestive of vacation as not 10
he resisted, so the kindergarten closed
untll September After vacation it was
found that our lively quarters had been
otherwise appropriated during our alb
Sence, and no convenient room could be
found where the little ones could be
housed. But the mission had made it's
impression, and by the kindness of the
owners the use of a respectable public
hall was Offered US, subject to such in
lerruptionS as the public eniOyments and
patronage might demand. Here. in Sep
hon ~. Lii,
cred by MisS Knapp alone and hfty-nine
pupils enrolled. And a few weeks later
she had reorsanized large industrial
school | never knew the name of this
hall, but | saw its walls adorned with
the card of the Robinson Brewery"
and ! think that public-sprited citizen
ought to pay the 81 month rent called
for. because of the Joint occupancy
As soon as the September term had be-
gun the interesting correspondence with
the New York office waS renewed with
plyphant Illustrations, ARRAYS OF facts
and figures with general plans and sus-
gestions of special opportunity, were
slipped in at the open doors of the house
"i industry In New York, and with these
the estimates of the cost of perman-
ent house for mission purposes near to
the homes of these hard working popula
lions, who are so isolated from our Amer
lean people by their poverty and their
DpnpN-
olence, and i'm the whole correspondence
indeed the secretary was most efficiently
sustained by our chairman. Colonel
8oies, who has long been known TO
possess happy faculty of kindly hap
pening to be Just where he can answer
business mems questions OH matters of
Christian henevolence, and make hmin-
Gus business explanations, which he
usually makes emphatic by practical il
lustrations. Whatever of manifest and
visible success may appear to the COM
mittee today in this house we have gath
cred to open for the Lords work, the
secretary desires that it's earthly side
shall stand to the credit of this Chris
tldn business man, who as Il leader on
The state board of charities, has done so
much for the poor unfortunates of our
commonwealth. For in an the work by
which these results have been realized
the secretary is content to merely hold
the position of the unfortunate widow. 4"
among the Judges, as no doubt, that
widow had a multitude of helpless chill
dren. Anyhow the result of all our
gulleless schemes was this: On Nov. l.
1897, official notice from the office where
Olyphant 50 gracefully presides. came "a
ustoproceed TO build in Olyphant house
on the company'S lana according to our
own plans, with an absolute limit as "a
the amount to be expended. while the
whole work of locating and building must
be absolutely under the charge of Colonel
II. Nj, Boies, the business man, not the
head of the executive committee, etc
And of one Charles S. Weston, whose
excellent benevolent education had been
received, II is supposed from the Della.
ware and Hudson Canal company, who
worthily stands among us as the gen.
eral manager of the Delaware and Hud,
son real estate. without a single OBJ.
lection or farther suggestion the busi.
ness of edification was taken up. The