The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-19

lent Society for the Catherine Kennedy
home, a worthy institution which the
society conducts in this city for the
are of aged and infirmed ladies. There
are other requests. but the contents OF
the codicil will not be disclosed until
it rs probated.
Mr.. William Gilchrist. who was a
close friend of Mr.. Walker. has re-
ceived a letter and telegrams from the
only relative OF the deceased in Amer
lea. She Is Miss Annie F. Walker, OF
Washington, ID. c., daughter of a
brother h died in this country. She
Informs him nat the only living broth-
er Of Mr.. Walker resides in Scotland.
where the philanthropist was born.
The new city hospital. which has
been completed and will soon be occu-
pied, can be plainly seen in the dis
lance from the late home OF Nj.
Walker. He was so deeply interested
in it that he not only superintended
the work of its construction. but often
stood on his piazza and looked fondly
at the handsome structure which was
reared through his b~enevolence. The
hospital was so near his heart that a
short while before he died. he asked
some one to look and ascertain IL
smoke was issuing from the furnace.
The hospital was his idol. How sad
it was that he could not live to see
it opened for it's great work in the
cause Of afflicted and unfortunate HUI
manityi
M. Walker had a heart full of be-
nevolence and philanthropy. Some
thing more than a year ago when a
meeting of physicians and citizens was
to be held at his office to hear his prop
osition to build the hospital. a Messen-
ger representative was the first TO get
there. He had seats arranged around
the room, and spreading out his hands
towards the seats in a glow of gratii-
cation, he said: You see. / have ar
ranged seats n Will soon have my
children around me.
The board of managers of the Walker
Memorial Hospital held a special meet
ing yesterday afternoon in accordance
with the call of Colonel Warren G.. Ell
lott, the president, to take action with
reference to the death of Mr.. James
Walker, the ph~ilanthropic founder of
the handsome new hospital which bears
his name and which will be a lasting
monument to the memoir of that gem
erous man for the charity n benefac-
ton which he has bestowed Upon the
present and future generations.
All the members of the board were in
attendance, viz:
Mr.. Walkers appointeeS-Dr. w. j.
H. Bellamy, Captain Walter G.. Mac
Rae, n MeSSrS. w. H. Sprupt and NJ.
S. Willard.
The county's appointees-Colonel
Warren c.. Elliott and MeSSrS. Sam
Bear, Jr., n NJ. J. Corbett.
The city's appointees-Dr. c. p. Bolles
n Mr.. Dewitt c. Love.
Colonel Elliott, president of the board,
presided, and DR.. Bolles acted is his
capacity as secretary.
President Elliott in words
of regret the death of Mr.. Walker, and
stated that the meeting had been call
ed to ear the report of a committee
which had been appointed to draft suit
able resolutions touching his death.
The committee, consisting of Colonel
Elliott, DR.. Bellamy and Captain Mac
Rae, submitted the following resolu-
tions, and after feeling and glowing
tributes were paid by various mem
bers bf the board to Mr.. Walker, the
same were unanimously adopted, to
wit:
This board has heard with profound
sorrow of the death of Mr.. James
Walker, who departed this life at five
minutes before three o'clock in the af-
ternoon of Friday, the 18th day of
March, A. D., 1901, at his residence No.
1902 Market street in the City of Will
mington, North Carolina, in the sew
enty-third year of his age.
"Since the year 1857 he has been a
resident of the City of Wilmington, de-
voting his useful life to a faithful fol-
lowing of the business of a contractor
and builder. Many of the most impor-
tant structures in this city will, for
years to come, stand as reminders Of
his successful career. His efforts were
crowned with success generally, and
he lived to enjoy the fruits of his labor,
and was able finally to set on foot one
of the nobleSt charities every started
in this community, to stand forever as
a monument to his generous character.
1t is now known to all of us that dur
ing Mr.. Walkers life he quietly and
modestly, but literally, devoted much
of his income to deeds of kindness and
acts of charity towards those who were
less fortunate in life, but it remained
for the closing days Of his long and
continuous residence in this city for
him to perform the tenderest and most
generous act that will always be borne
in affectionate remembrance by the
people of this community, n that will
stand as a monument to his memory to
remind those who come after US that
James Walker was a philanthropist
and a genuine benefactor. Within the
past few months Mr.. Walker offered
to erect at his own cost a hospital Of
modern style and liberal proportions
and to present the same to the county
oAo Lax ~ vi Wiz
mington, requiring the simple and
most reasonable condition only, that
the city and county should annually
provide for the maintenance of the
same, and the gift having been accept
ed, the construction of the hospital was
promptly commenced and was nearing
completion at the time of his death.
AS a result Of this generous action
ON Mr.. Walkers part. this board has
been created and ORGANIZED under the
authority Of an act of the general as
sembly of North Carolina to assume,
upon it's completion. the management
Of the affairs of his noble charity
thus founded and firmly established
by him: and it is a matter Of real sor-
row to the Severa members of this
board hat the first official act on the
part Of the board of managers OF the
James Walker Memorial Hospital is to
inscribe upon the initial page of it's
record this announcement Of his death.
1t is. therefore.
Resolved. That in common with all
the citizens of the county of New Han
49,