The age-herald., 1900-12-01
TEN THOUSAND VISITORS ADMIRE
 THE MAGNIFICENT NEW HOSPITAL
Second Day of the Formal Opening of St. Vincent'S--D Doors Thrown
 Open to the Public

''The Sisters have builded here this splen- did hospital for charity: it remains for you to sustain them, to give them your pracd- cal assistance in keeping it open to hu- manity and making it pay its own way in your service" said the Right Rev. Bishop Allen in the course of some concluding re- marks to the public of Birmingham and the district, at St. Vincent's Hospital yester- day aftfernoon.
 T do not believe that any liberal minded, right-thinking or charitable individual in all this community will hesitate to aid the Sisters of Charity in this great work for the good of alll'
 It was at the second days reception given by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vim cents Hospital in honor of all the people and in celebration of the new and magnfi- cet hospital building, which had been for mally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day. and Bishop Allen arose to say some simple words of thanks ana good cheer at the conclusion of the elaborate and long -to-be- remembered ceremonies and proceedings.
 The bishop spoke to a great crowd, to as many as could hear his voice, and he spoke with great fervor and force and then he gave his blessing and pronounced his bene- diction.
 The people had been invited to come to the reception at o'clock and afterwards at their will and thousands thronged the noble palace of charity on the hill; the crowd quite exceeding the immense gather ing of the previous day, although that had been a holiday.
 Five Thousand Visitors.
 The hospital authorities estimated at o'clock yesterday evening that more than five thousand visitors had entered the doors previous to that hour; which would make the number of people, who accepted the public invitation to visit St. Vincent's dur ing Thursday and Friday, more than ten thousand.
 More than ten thousand visitors in two days thronged the most perfectly appoint ed hospital in existence, and every one of them was amazed and delighted, and every one of them went forth sounding to the world the praises of that wonderful home of suffering humanity.
 If possible, the thousands of Friday were even more enthusiastic than the thousands of Thursday; and maybe the distinguished Bishop Allen and the good Father Reilly, and the patient loving, devoted, pious Sis ters were just little happier, just lit- tie prouder. But at any rate their joy was very great; and they rejoced because of their immensely increased facilities for do- ing good to others.
 The best of music was provided and in the afternoon there were some strong and eloquent and wonderfully effective speeches. Bishop Allen took his seat by the big clock in the grand stairway lead ing up from the first floor; and Judge w. w. Wikerson, judge of the First division of the City Court, advanced to introduce the orators. Judge Wilkerson expressed most eloquently his pleasure in being pres ent his qualification for the privilege of introducing his friends, and the aboundng sense of pride he felt as a citizen of Bir- mingham, in the noble hospital which char ity had builded for charity. The learned judge received an ovation which was a tribute to his own unique position in the esteem and confidence of this community.
 Ross c. Smiths Speech.
 Judge Wilkerson then introduced MT. Ross c. Smith, who was most cordially greeted. MT Smith said
 MT. Chairman, Ladies and Gentemen:- I desire to express my sincere pleasure and qualification in joining with you in the ex- ercises this afternoon An event is here marked which I deem a most important one and one we'll worthy the attention of not alone the citizens of Birmingham, but of the people of Alabama. A great inst- tuition is brought into a prominent place, which cannot fail to impress itself upon our future with the best results.
 'In an institution like this we find a welcome invitation to the poor; it is here that the poor can find comfort and relief. Dickens in describing the death of poor little Joe concludes the pathetic death scene with these words: Death! Men, wom- en and children, born with heavenly com- passion in your souls and dying thus around you every day. A true picture of conditions then, is true of today.
 Tn this day of business struggle and rivalry for material gain and power, men forget in a measure their duty to suffer- ing humanity but assign this work to others who are less selfish. It is on an occasion like this that we are impressed that human nature as emphasized m ihe characters of some, assumes that phase as intended by just and charitable God. At this moment, the thought uppermoss Tn my mind is that the Sisters of Charity through whose agency this splendid building has been erected and equipped need no words of praise from the lips of any man. GrasE- ful hearts of thousands living render to these dear women just tribute for their mo- ble deeds and worthy acts
 'Their labor has not been confined to = heving the distress of the poor in crowded houses or in the streets of our cities. The ravages of disease have never frightened them in their efforts to give comfort to the sick Aye, more than this; every battlefield throughout this beautiful land tells the story of some good woman of the church as she braved her way through shot and she'll in the seasons of flowers and snows alike, to close in death the eyelids of some brave soldier dying in a far-away land For this and much more they ask for no re- wlrd. Their greatest compensation consists