The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-09
Its supporters VIII Try TO Have the
city Contribute TO Its
Maintenance.
FRANCES POWER coBBEs LIFE
WOMAN AFTER WHOM POOR AMI
MAILS RETREAT WAS NAMED
She Was n European PhiianthrOpist,
and sent 500 10 Mrs. EIster
OF This City.


street, in a three-acre-and-a-half lot.
which is all hill. is situated the Frances
Power Cobbe home for friendless dogs and
cats. or. as one OF the street-car conductors
dubbed it, the soldiers home Tor dogs"
The institution is run upon the basis of
charitable organization. and wherever an
animal of any kind is found suffering for
the want Of home and friends, this place
takes it in. The home will fhis month
complete its sixth year As a pubic institu-
ton. but Tor eight years previously the
wife of A c. Elster. the present superin-
tendent, was engaged in the working OF
taking in stray dogs and inding comfort
able homes for them. and in this way res
cuing the poor canine that nobody wants
from the hardships and troubles usually
heaped upon him.
= The house in which the dogs live is on
top OF a small hill and is ar the end OF
long, winding lane. Everything about the
place is clean and comfortable. and il GER
tainly must be treat TO an old, homeless
dog that has drifted about the streets OF
the city from day TO day. subsisting upon
what little he can find TO cat in the garbage
cans at the back doors OF dwellings and
sleeping wherever he can lie down, to be
in the sun until night. when he is fed a
good hearty supper and put TO bed in
warm house.
The existence Of the street dog when he
reaches this place is one OF comfort and
ease, for here there is no small boy TO tie
cans to his tail or a crowd OF unsympa-
thizing humanity TO kick and cum him at
every turn. He finds here but friends. who
civ d he hae NJ
mainder of his days are spent in peace.
However, if is it found that a dog is i'm
some way injured so that he cannot be
cured, or that he has some disease which
makes his life burden and in the end will
be the cause of his death, chloroform is
applied to his nose and he is put to sleep.
While this institution is run upon the hu-
manitaran plan and will take in any kind
of an animal that is found suffering. most
of the time and space are devoted to dogs
and cats though once in a while old
horse that has outlived its usefulness is
taken up by those in charge and given a
place TO stay. Mrs. Elster and her hus-
band. founders Of the place, ran il for q
number OF years as a private concern. Civ
ing home TO stray dogs and cats for their
own satisfaction. Mrs. Elster, who was
great love for dogs and realized that a
large amount of good could be done re-
lieVing those who were homeless, and
with the aid OF her husband. who was also
devoted to this kind of work, she started
the Frances Power Cobbe Home. il was
then situated on North Pennsylvania
street. but as the place became crowded.
and also considered somewhat OF a nui-
tl,a -
to it's present location Mrs. Elster his
since died, and as # was her earnest re-
quest that her husband continue the home
work he has done So
FRANCES POWER COBBE.
Frances Power Cobbe whom the place
was named after, was native of the city
Of Dublin, being born there in December,
1872. She was a noted philanthropist. and
her first work TO relieve the suffering was
done during siege OF fever and famine in
that city when she was a young woman
Some years after this she went to Bristol.
where she and Mary Carpenter labored IN
the slums. Later on she took up the wom-
an question. urging women 10 become
stronger mentally and physically, and al
ways advocated their right TO the ballot.
Miss Cobbe was also a literary woman OF
note and was engaged as correspondent by
the London News. and besides wrote a
large number OF miscellaneous articles for
newspapers and magazines.
Her first work in the prevention OF
cruelty to animals was when she took I'D
a vigorous crusade against the veterinary
schools Of Paris. and in an article showed
that the students dissected and mutilated
in a most horrible manner live animals.
After effecting some measure Of reform
here she attacked Professor Schih, who
had a laboratory in Florence. and after
much consultation in this country a
mortal was drafted urging the professor
TO use more moderation in his researches.
Miss CObbe translated this into Italian, and
il was sent around Florence for signatures
and received 7S3. And il was by this means
that the professor was compelled 10 leave
the city.
1t was then seen that more rigid legisla-
ton should be brought about 10 prevent
cruelty TO animals in England. Miss CobDe
interested herself In a movement FOR this
purpose and drew up petition for the
ROYAL Society for Prevention Of Cruelty
10 Animals that such a bill be presented 10
Parliament There We're 60 names at
tached TO this. and among them were those
OF Thomas Carlyle. Alfred Tennys0n and
Robert Browning. A society was then
formed 10 start a crusade against vivisee-
ton. but when this was brought up in Par
lament the medical men opposed IL aud
Miss Cobbe and the society were beaten.
The defeat did not daunt her and she kept
on with her work. doing what she could
TO prevent cruelties 10 domestic animals
In some manner she heard OF The work
which had been undertaken by Mrs. Elster
in this city and sent her 500 as a donation.
This Was the first money Mrs. Elster had
received for her labor. and this determined
her TO turn the private home which she
had started into "A public institution and 10
name it after the well-known philanthro-
phist.
When the home was moved from North
Pennsylvania street 10 its present site q
woman in New York who had taken much
interest in the work. and who would never
permit her identity 10 be made public do
mated $1,000 toward buying the land which
is now occupied. with the understanding
that the Institution should become g cor