The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-11
Many SAILORS LODGE THERE.
ann, PORT soCIETY's ACCoMMODA-
r1oys OVER 200 NOW.

~ The Hotels to Give Ihose VINO
for a Place to SIeep-Circu-
,,ti,.. Library Is to Be Establish
,or The Seamen-BOOks May BE
.,.,-on ont on VOyages-In Time
.,,, ladies' Auxiliary Hopes to See
,,.ols served in the Buiiding-BiG
,,,,.rt,fnment for Christmas Now
,oolsed Forward to.
o.oa nj the fourishng institutions Of
c.,.,rr,b is the Port Society. This does
.- mean that the society has big bal
a,.s f., IFS credit in bank for, on the
.,rtr,,, it yet owes a considerable sum
an ,,e handsome new building at st.
r..,.,, and Lincoln streets but that 1t is
a ,-,,,.. a Great deal of good and that many
n e,1ors are constantly deriving benefit
n from il.
Few PEOPLE in Savannah realize the i'm
r,-tar.e Of the Port Society or have
,rorer understandings of how much good
4 d done by it, There are few outside of
4 those interested in the society who know
4 that there have been as many as $50 sail
owe accommodated for the night with
s.eep,ng places during the past summer,
and that not on one night alone. Such
was frequently the case. There are 215
beds in the rooms and dormitories of the
big building now and nearly every night
sees each of them with an occupant.
The present patronage of the Port So
ciey does not fall during the time the
health restrictions prohibits sailors sleep
ing aboard their vessels in the river. 1t
is during the months of July, August and
September that lodgings have to be Sc
4 cured on shore, and it is consequently dur
a ing that time that the Port Society build
Ing or bethel, as it is called, has its
largest number of dodgers.
short time ago there was such con-
geston al the building that it became inn
possible for all The applicants to be fur
rished with accommodations by Superin
tendent Iverson. Recourse had to be had
to the hotels and the society paid for
lodgings for the sailors, who could not be
given beds
The beds that are kept in the building
are beautifully clean all the time, the
linen being changed every day. Only 20
cents is charged for lodging This gives
the society quite a handsome income dur
Ing the time of the greatest rush, even
after all expenses are paid. There is still
debt of $4,000 on the building, however,
and all that can be secured is necessary
for the reduction of this amount.
II viii not be long before the Port So
cety viii have become altogether self
sustaining When that has become the
case, there will be no further need for
contributions and new ideas may be in
PRODUCED to add to the enjoyment of the
sailors who go to the bethel.
one of the greatest adjuncts to the So
Is qnvi1iarXv which is do Or
ladies. There are some twenty-five or
thirty members of the Ladies' Auxiliary.
The mebership of the executive board of
the auxiliary is chosen from the churches
each church having a representation of
two or three The ladies of each church
take turns in giving entertainments every
saturday evening during month, so that
during d year all have an opportunity or
uoing something for the sailors. AT these
Saturday evening entertainments refresh
mcnts are served by the ladies.
The president of the auxiliary is Miss
MfAipin. Mrs. Train is secretary and Miss
Mlddieton is treasurer. One dollar a year
Is charged as a membership fee by the
ladies', and this may be paid to enttle one
10 honorary membership The ladies are
very anxious to have more come into the
auxiliary IN order to enlarge its sphere of
usefulness by gaining more hands and
hearts ana more money to accomplish
some Of the objects they have in view.
one of those things the auxiliary Is
anxious TO see added as an attraction to
lhe Port Society is a circulating library.
II Is proposed TO get together as large a
NUMBER OF books as possible for the use
OF the sailors. Not only are they to be
allowed 10 use the books while In the
oulidlng but also to take them with them
Oh Ihelr voyages There are well-equipped
reading and writing rooms in the building
ira .f.
pleasure to the sailors. One room is sup
Ported especially for Norwegians by citi-
zehs Of that nationality in Savannah.
~ proposed TO open a sort of receiving
uepot for any books that may be donated
."e auxiliary After a sufficient number
"'9 peen acquired, and the ladies think
me modest number of twenty-five will be
enough to start with, captains of vessels
W De allowed to take packages of the
,g'OAs W4th them on their cruises to be
hept untI they return TO Savannah, or, IL
''ey 40 not intend coming back, until they
ian send them by some other vessel The
'ega is regarded as a good one, and the
'"'leS nope they will be able to put ii into
NeCulioh. Many of the sailors like to
'D as is witnessed by the number to
W. seen during the evenings In the read
ing rooms at the Bethel
H"o'her idea the ladies have, is to get
gsJtAer quantity of clothing to have
eb."N az tne building for the use of
ss!llp- wrecked sailors. After the recent
o. o'lns many requests were made by sail
III brought up from down the river, or
tb1Hel up at sea, for clothes. None were
siaN LOT them by Mrs. IVerson, but she
r a'Ne 10 the ladies of the auxiliary of the
- r.4r's U.s. and they determined that they
Go'ii try to do something to insure a sup
ny ny oelns on hand for future emergencies.
sa.S are anxious for any friends of the
~ e'y and the philanthropy it represents
w. send to the building any old clothes
eL tS may have that would be of use to
s"'p"recked mariners.
~ meals are served to the sailors in
vb Guiding. As yet. it is only place
tney can read, sleep in clean beds
io,N low price and attend religious serv-
a "nleh are conducted in the chapel.
o. i.IIe and airy room on the ground floor
bo" e building. The ladies' hope in time.
MI, 'NF TO so arrange matters as to adj
wv. oI meals being served at a nominal
U,,., mere Is no question but that this
viii ne an innovation that would meet
Or. .' thorough appreciation from the SAIL
10,