The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-24
BETHESDA ORPHANS DAY.
UNION SOCIETY TO CELEBRATE ITS
15OTH ANNIVERSARY.

MIR. w. u. stubbs to Deliver the An
nuaI AddreSS-Thc Claims of the
Society and the Means of Increas-
ing Its Membership to Be Discuss
ed Improvement of the Mont
gomery Road to he UrGed-The
stewards VIII Provide n BOuntiful
Dinner for the Orphan Boys.
The Union Society will celebrate its
one hundred and Aftieth anniversary to-
day at the Bethesda Orphan House. The
members and friends of the society and its
charges, the orphan house, are greatly in
hopes that the weather Will be in their
favor in order that there may be large
attendance The anniversary is always
the chief day of the year with the orphan
boys and they greatly enjoy the import
ance given them on that day.
There are other and more important
matters to be considered, however. re-
lating to the welfare OF the society. While
It has had a good year, and fair success
has been met with in increasing the mem
bership. its financial condition is still not
what those in charge. and its friends
generally desire. and its membership roll
is not what they feel it should be. There
will be no passing around Of the hat, how
ever, and no one need stay away on that
account.
A very convenient schedule for the day
has been arranged by the Street Rail-
way. Cars will leave the depot at Whit
aker street and Second avenue at $3.50 and
1870 a. m, p noon, 30 2:30, $3.50 and i;3O
p. m. Returning, the cars will leave
Bethesda at 23O $50, 49O, $50 and $50
p. m. Tickets are 30 cents, aud children
and servants will be carried at half price
As usual, one of the features of the day
will be the dinner prepared for the boys
by the stewards of the society, with the
assistance Of the friends of the orphans
The annual meeting of the society and
election of officers viii be held at the or
phan House at 2:30 O'Clock. The meeting
will be followed by the annual address
by Mr.. w. B. Stubs.
The annual report of the president of the
society, Col. j. II. Esull, will deal fully
with its financial status. The report VIII
show prospective deficit of about 5000
for the coming year, due in part TO the
decreased rentals from the Whitfield build-
ing, on account of the removal of the post
office. and TO expenditures incurred in the
erection of the new stores on the Whit
field Got, together with increased expen-
ditures at the orphan House, made noe
essary by the larger attendance and the
necessity OF providing additional facil-
tiles to replace those destroyed by fire, and
also to meet the increasing demand There
is a prospect, however. of increased rentals
to from the Whitfield building. and the
new stores erected on the lot, have proven
a good investment.
The manner in which steps can best be
taken to increase the membership of the
society, promises to be one of the chief
topics of discussion at the meeting to-
day. BY hard work the number of mem
bers of the society was increased during
the year to $40, which at s. each melted
the society $1,000. Forty years ago Savan-
nah, with less than one-thir1 its pres
ent population, furnished the society with
1000 members. 1t would seem that half
thee number could easily be secured now.
While the fact that the Bethesda orphan
House Is the Oldest institution of the kind
in the state, is pretty well known, the
further fact that 1t is the largest boys
orphanage IN the state is generally lost
sight Of. A great work is being carried
on there by a very small percentage of
the people of Savannah, and the main
tenance of the institution on its present
scale is largely due to the energetic efforts
of a few.
Another matter which will be discussed
by the society will be the improvement of
the Montgomery road, from the Mont
gomery Cross road to the hamlet of Mont
gcmery. As this road passes in the near
vicinity of Bethesda, its Improvement
would be of an advantage to the orphan
age In many ways, particularly i'm making
ii easier of access to visitors and thus
tending to develop a greater interest lin
the institution. The hardening of the
road to Montgomery would also be greatly
appreciated by the residents of that pom
ular little resort, and would tend TO ben
eft that section of the county in many
ways.