The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-24

than IS a month, record probably un-
equalled by any similar institution in
America. Bethesda has done much
with little and done it well.
A Manual Training school.
In 1880 application was made to the
Board of Education to take charge of
the Bethesda school. The request was
based on the broad ground that the
children at Bethesda If not provided
for at the home would be of necessity
cared for by Savannahians and entered
in the public schools. The Board or
Education declined at first to provide
teacher oUt of the public funds as
requested, but when the application
was renewed in 1885 the board decided
to establish a public school at Be
thesda for the education Of the bene-
ficiaries of the society and such other
children as might attend. Five hun
dred dollars a year was allowed Tor
this purpose. In 1889 the board in
creased the appropriation for the
school to $1,000 and the following year
an assistant teacher was provided, the
attendance then approaching one hun
dred. Subsequently a third class was
formed. In 1889 a chronological school
was also established at Bethesda
through the generosity of Mr., EDWIN
Parsons In his report for 1SSS-S9 Pres
ident Estill had strongly urged the
establishment of such an institution
as soon as possible as a medium Ior
training the boys in industries and mt
ting them for successful mechanical
careers. On reading the report Mr..
Parsons was so impressed with tne
practicability of the suggestion that
after a. brief investigation he sent a
check for $1,000 to President Esuu Tor
the erection of a building for this pur-
pose. A building so by 100 feet IN size
with two floors, was begun on Septem-
ber 20 and was completed early in 1881.
A spacious boiler house, blacksmt n
shop, water tower with a tank OF z,oVo
gallons capacity, were also built. Inc
main building was provided with ma
chinery suitable for manual train-
ing school, it being proposed to give
instruction in carpentering, followed by
a course in blacksmith work. The first
donation not being sufficient to cover
the -e=Gease.-A4f.--- f--- PARSONS tffdee
second one Ct $500 ana
offered to pay the remainder
of the bills, which he did at later
date to the extent of $1,672, making his
total donation for the school $,lI2. The
title conferred upon the Institute was
very properly THE Parsons Techno-
logical School" Unfortunately this fea-
ture of the work at Bethesda has new
er proved the success that was antlcl-
pated. Its results were distinctly dis
appointing, due, in a large measure, TO
the Inability of the society to pay sur
ficient salaries to secure competent in
structors. For three years the boys
were given the benefits of the School
as far as the societys means permit
ted. 1t became evident though, that
unless 1t was prepared to expend con-
siderably more than it's managers felt
justified in doing, the boys would op-
tain but meager benefits from the
school. The chronological department
was accordingly abandoned in 1898. In
1898 part of the machinery was SOLD
and the building devoted to school pur-
poses. The following year it was de-
stroyed by fire, with considerable ma
chinery. school furniture, books, etc. 1t
is one of the aspirations of President
Estill that in the near future this fea-
ture of the operations of Bethesda may
be resumed on a more comprehensive
and more practical basis than in the
previous experiment. At the one hun
dred and fiftieth anniversary celebra-
ton in 1900, President Estill an1ounc-
ed donation of $4,000 from party
who desire4 his name not reveal
erection of a brick school building. /
| is estimated that an endowment of $50,
| 900. providing an assured income o
$2,500 to $4,000 annually, would enable
| the society to conduct an up-to- dat
| chronological department. Nowhere Il
there a better opportunity for practi
| cal benevolence than here. An endow
ment for archaeological department a
Bethesda by some wealthy Savannah
| ian would create a. monument for hin
that would outlast any that might bt
| placed over his remains. With the wori
at Bethesda constantly before them
with a full realization of the blessing
| it is to the unfortunate and of the ser.
vice it is rendering the community al
large by providing for those who 9th
| erWfse would become charges on the
| general public, it does seem that bene.
| factions would be showered upon the
institution by Savannahians of means
Yet of all those who have passed away
in the last ten years but one, and there
| have been some whose accumu.
lations approached the million dollar
mark, has distinguished himself by a
legacy to so worthy an object Sa.
vannah is renowned for its hospitality
its generosity is never appealed to ir
vain by outside sufferers, yet for some
unaccountable cause Bethesda's need:
fail to meet with the response that
would naturally be expected for ar
absolutely non-sectarian institution OF
its character.
AS the late Rev. DR.. Holmes beau.
tifully suggested in his address at the
anniversary in 1882: "If man wished
for himself a fame which all mer
might envy, he could find no surel
way to secure it than by linking his
name with those of Whitefield anc
his coadjutors in the endowment and
permanent establishment of Bethesda
for it ought not to be left to the un.
certainties of adventitious circum.
stances-so that 1t should remain per.
petually the asylum of the homeless
the help of the orphans, and the stream
of its influence should be like our owr
beautiful river, which. watering al
lands through which 1t flows, and bear.
ing on its bosom the commerce of 9
great people, ceases not till IL moves
responsive to the tides of the ocear
and is lost in the great image of etern.
| ity."
(The End.)