Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-05-03
KINGS DAUGHTERS.
REVIEW OF WORK DONE BY
HAND-IN- CIRCLE.
REASONS WHY THE WORK Is NOW DIS
CONTINUED - HOPE THAT IT
MAY SOME DAY BE
RESUMED.


tiers was announced, SO many questions
were asked concerning the work of the
circle and the reason OF its discoutinuance
that 1t seems best to give an answer
through the columns of The AMERICAN
for the benefit of the friends without
whose sympathy and material aid the
work could never have been carried on.
The Hand-in Hand circle was organ d
Decem Der y, 1889. 1t was strictly non
sectariau. and all Young women were In
vited to become members. The aim OF
the circle WAS to establish free public
reading room, the net & of which had long
been felt in our city, and money raised
by various means WAS saved for that pur-
pose.
In September, 1892 rooms were opened
in the Giles block, but the next spring,
the patronage having greatly increased,
the society moved to more commod!ous
quarters IN the Manning block, where it
remained until February, 1895, when, by
invitation of the library trustees, the
reading room was transferred to the new
public library building. The room con-
tinued to be under the direction of the
Kings Daughte until January, 1899,
when the city assumed the management
No branch OF the work of the Kings
Daughters has been crowned with
greater success than that OF the reading
room From y small number of visitors
the patronage steadily increased until
there a daily average attendance OF
fifty readers, of whom large proper
ton were boys from ten to Gig hteen years
of age. Their regard for the rules and
their interest in the best magazines and
papers of the day. which were to be
found on the tables. testified to their
appreciation of a readine-room. MAY
it ever continue to exist, and its good
influence increase. wear by wear,
The benevolent department Wss one of
the first established by the circle =sud
ranked next in Importance 10 that OF the
reading-rrom. W hen the work MS di--
continued on Aprii = 1894 the hooks
showed the names of uinetv-three fanj-
lies W no had been visited and assisted hv
the circle renreseutirq a total ~ tvo
hundred and ffty-four aDDlicstions am
swered. In addition there were he
names of nine families hich had apnlied
but who. tavino been fonnd unNorthv
were not helped. This list does not in
clude many persons who. being under
the patronage of other societies or indi-
viduals. we're helued indirectly nv the
Kings Daughters.
Every family which sppIied Was visited
bya member of the benevolent committee
before any help WAS give. exceft in
few cases where the family lived 40 far
time was jnpossible. when ne names ot
two reliable persons were accented as
reference. The benevolent COMMITTEES
admits frankly that visiting in some
cases was less freouent than II wonld
have been under more fsvora HE circu,.
stances, but hen it is remembered that
some of the families whose names annesr
on the list live at Nicolin. at Green Lake
and at Happvtown. il will he seen thar
visiting by little society of women was
weIl-nigh impossible in winter. when
calls were more urgent and trpouentthan
at OF her seasons
1t has been said that the KINGS Dsugh-
tiers beIped families who vara recaivi,,
aid from the c1tv hutthis il false except
in very few cases where. in time O,
sickness or of her emergency a few arti-
Giles were given which were NOT nrocur-
able with the amount allowed the fam.
lily by the oyerseers of the poor. As soon
as it was found tast family ues receiv-
ing aid from the city or showed a di.no.
sition to rely on charity. if WAS dis
charged by the circle. The benevolent
committee was ALWAYS glad to confer
pitb or -aoei,a s,,,a.,;o,
overseers Of the moor Tho KINGS
DAUGHTERS aimed at beIning families VINO
were temporarily disabled bv sickness or
disaster until thew shouId again hecome
self-supporting.