The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-10
FLOWER MISSION WORK
THE TwENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
Is CELEBRATED.
An Enjoyable Programme at the Uni
versity Club-ScveraI Papers
Read-SOme Music.

all Indianapolitans for its work among the
sick poor and for its care Of little children,
celebrated it's twenty-fifth anniversary yes
terday morning al the University Club.
The people who assembled at the clubhouse
were thoroughly in sympathy with the
work, and the meeting was one to be re-
membered by those identified with the So
| ciety
Mrs. John L. Grifiths, the president pre-
| sided. The prayer which was offered by
Rev. M. L. Haines, of the First Presby-
terrain Church. closed with the recital of
the Lords Prayer by the visitors. followed
by a violin solo, ''Berceuse," by Miss Mar
garet Lockwood. Mrs Grifiths made a few
Introductory remarks, in which she said
! that in the twenty-five years Of the Flower
! Mission its doors were always open to ex-
| tend help and relief TO the sick poor and
the needy, when church doors were often
| closed. She said the Flower Mission was
never known to take vacation. She said
| the society was divided now into three
| branches-the care OF the children Eleanor
| HospitaD. the care of the incurable sick
| poor and the care of the temporarily sick.
| In the last year the society has cared for
| lO2 cases, aside from the Eleanor Hospital
| cases, and of this number forty-two are
| lncurable and need constant care. Mrs
| Hrlfnths made strong plea for the es-
| taolishment of a home for the incurable
| sick on the cottage plan. She said that #
| some one would donate a cottage and the
| ground, the Flower Mission would bear
| other expenses.
Following Mrs. Griffiths DR.. Edward F.
| houses, who has been the physician for
| the Eleanor Hospital since its organization,
| made few remarks on the remarkable
| growth OF the society and the fixed position
| II now holds in the community One of
the reasons for this, he said was its will
| lngness to accept small things. He said
the society embraced all creeds and all
| work tremendously together. The Eleanor
Hospital now has the means of caring for
contagious diseases and skillful medical at
tendance He said it also commands the
| services OF the best specialists in the State,
| who give their services free of charge. He
| made special mention of Miss johnson, SUI
| perintendent of the hospital, and the
The report for the past three years end
| ing January, 1901. showed that there have
| whom have recovered and thirty of whom
are fncurable. In the past year sixty-one
patients have been admitted 10 the hos
pital.
| MRS. HENDRICKS PAPER.
| Mrs. Victor X. Hendricks who is one of
the original six who started the Flower
Mission, read interesting paper on 1.-The
First Meeting, May, 1876" She said no one
thought when a few friends were invited
to meet with Miss Alice Wright now Mrs
Frank Eaton, Of Columbus. o., one morning
q quarter of century ago. that it was the
beginning OF the Flower Mission. Yet the
society started with six people who thought
TO brighten the hospital with flowers
TO the hospital. and later books and maya
zines and then other delicacies.
Mrs. John H. Holiday read a short
paper on Requests to the Flower Mis-
sion,' in which she specially mentioned the
names OF ELI Lilly, Bejamin Harrison. VIII
liam \; Jackson, W: S Hubbard, the Conn.
mercial Club. Mr.. Mark Davis and several
others. Mr. and Mrs. Eli Lilly gave the house
and grounds now used as the Eleanor Hos
pital in memory of their daughter Eleanor
and the $1,000 left by Mr. Mark Davis was
used To put the grounds and house i'm con-
d.tion and it was furnished by many friends
Mrs. h. +. Goodhart read a paper on
The Relation of the Flower Mission TO
Other Charities" in which she spoke of
the distinctive work of the Flower Mission
III caring for incurable sick She also said
that the Flower Mission was the people S
charity and dependent upon the co-operd-
ton of Its sister charities. The charity or
ganiZation, the township trustees, and sew
cral others were made mention of She
made special mention Of St Vincents Hos
| Iital, which has placed q ward at the So
cietys disposal. Mrs. Goodhart was fol-
| lowed In talks by several of the vice pres
ldents present. among them Mrs. Mary
| Stewart and Mrs. LaValette Dickey Mrs.
j. W. Beck read an interesting paper from
Mrs. Alice Wright Eaton, of Columbus. ..
Mrs. ID. A. Thomas. president of Eleanor
hospital. Illustrating with incidents and
cases brought TO the hospital for treatment.
MRS. GROVER HEARD.
Mrs. Arthur b. Grover read a paper or
''The Growth of the Flower Mission" which
embraced a brief history Of the society and
it's work that was greatly appreciated by
those present. In conclusion she said
THE Flower Mission is catholic in its
scope, carrying on its work regardless of
/ m Pnln A
sorts and conditions are met with. Years
ago a case took me to the house of a sick
| cOlored man who had very respectable
| looking white wife. Curiosity gave me the
courage 10 inquire of her as to the i'll as
sorted union. Drawing herself up haught-
| lily the woman replied He amt no colored
man; he's a Creole gentleman from Kahn
lucky
indianapolis has grown so rapidly in
| population and spread over so much terri
tory in the past few years as to increase
| greatly not only the number OF cases re-
ported but the difficulty OF looking after
| them. Where a few years ago il was only
necessary that the district nurse should
report formally 10 the president once a
week she now frequently reports twice a
| day. while the vice presidents in turn often
| investigate as many as three cases daily
irrespective of storm or heat. Much of the
illness reported is in the suburbs. To reach
these cases promptly the public-spirited
women of North and West indianapolis
| Haughville, Brightwood and IrVington have,
with the assistance of the presid mt es-
doing most effective work the care for
the sick poor in their own localities. They
assist i'm raising funds and have the privi-
| lege of drawing upon the common treas
ury.
During it's twenty-five years of active
| daily life the character OF the Flower Mis-
sion has developed, but its spirit has re-
| NAMED unchanged. The same personal re-
lationshp between the visitor and the pa
| tient remains to-day The work is purely
one of love and pity as beneficial 10 the
giver as TO the recipient. IL is without
money and without price. remuneration
| being given except TO the district nurse
whose entire time is absorbed Started as
a humble charity designed 10 brighten the
| sick room. il has grown into a broad or
ganiZatiOn for the relief OF all the sick poor
assistance from any other source. The work
Is done quietly and without ostentaton. II
is thorough and yet sympathetic. business
| like without being cold The growth of the
Flower Mission has proved its value to the
community: the abandonment of the work
| for any cause would leave vacancy in the
| charitable life of the city which nothing
could fill Its influence for good during
| the past twenty-five years cannot be specif-
| icallv determined. for there is no standard
by which il can be measured. Those identi-
| fed with the work for any length of time
| the discouraged, lis word or hope 10 the az
| aicted its cool pillow and grateful draught
| to the sick and suffering realize that II is
doing the Masters work unseltshy and
lovingly even as He would do II were He
.1I