The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-24
ITS WORK FOR GOOD
UNION SOCIETY CELEBRATED 152ND
ANNIVERSARY AT BETHESDA.
IN SHADE OF NOBLE OAKS
PEOPLE OF SAVANNAH PAID TRIB-
UTE TO THE INSTITUTION.

Oay-COAs d. NJ anu
of Society Elected to Serve An
other Term-COI. Pleasant A. StO-
wallis Eloquent Anniversary Adj
dress-NapoIeOn and Lessons of His
Life the Theme of Graceful Ora
tors Talk to Bethesda BOys-Peace,
not War, the Goal of Manly AM
bitiOn.
The 152nd anniversary of the founda-
tion of the Union Society was cele-
brated at Bethesda yesterday. Under
the shade of the ancestral oaks that
surround the orphanage building, in
the presence of many of it's members,
the youthful recipients of it's bounty
and large concourse of the people Of
Savannah the simple ceremonies that
marked the day took place.
Probably there were 1900 or 1900
people at Bethesda yesterday, and it
was the view of the thoughtful among
these that Savannah knows too little
of the good that is being wrought by
this noble and venerable institution.
There were some among those who at
tended the exercises who trod for the
first time its hallowed ground. There
were others who repeated a visit made
in the long ago and who had not for
years had an opportunity of inspecting
the methods pursued at Bethesda or
of witnessing, in the bright and smiling
faces of the boys, these methods benef-
icent results. There were still others,
who themselves confessed they had
been too remiss in the allegiance and
support they have rendered in the past
to this agency for saving Savannah
boys from lives of idleness and vice
and Transforming them into useful and
respectable citizens of the community.
Much of this ignorance the exercises
of the anniversary day gave those who
attended an opportunity to remove. In
the reports of the officers, in the ap--
pearance of the grounds and buildings,
in that cordial spirit of good will be-
tween the officers and teachers of the
institution and their pupils, everywhere
eVident-more than all in the personnel
of the boys, their air of bodily health
and mental vigor, there was ground
and warrant for hearty appreciation.
This appreciation, finding eloquent ex-
preston in the anniversary address of
Col. Pleasant A. Stovall, was echoed
no less heartily by the lips and in the
hearts of those who heard his words
OF congratulation and good cheer.
BY Trolley, Water and Road.
The crowds began to reach the or
phanage grounds with the arrival of
the first car from the city, shortly
after 10 o'clock in the morning. On
the new line from Sandfiy to Montgom-
cry, that has been completed and
equipped with electricity past Bethes-
da, the trolley cars ran to within q
few hundred feet of the doors of the
institution. Beginning at $3.50 o'cloc k
in the morning an hourly schedule was
operated during the day.
The improvement over the old mule
car service was marked in the ex-
treme. Handsome modern cars were
used, running from the Fortieth street
junction direct to Bethesda station,
and enough of the cars were supplied
by the management to provide ample
and comfortable accommoda lions for
all.
Many came out from the city in car
riages and traps of every description
and in like vehicles from other sections
of the. county. One party made the
trip to the orphanage in a schooner
yacht, that was anchored at the land
ing place during the day. The new
county road to Montgomery furnished
an easy and pleasant method of reach
ing the scene of the days celebration
and it was extensively used.
The weather was ideal in every re-
Spect. Just cool enough to be pleas
ant, with just enough breeze stirring
to keep the sandfies, those pests of
the salts, at a respectful distance, the
weather lent in itself an added charm
to the occasion. 1t is but fair to the
sandfiies to say, however, that they
made their appearance in large num-
bers during the late afternoon and af-
forwards did what they could to make
life miserable for every stranger to the
scene or nonresident of the locality.
Those who live at Bethesda seem to
have become more or less enured to the
sandfiies' unseemly and unpleasant at
tentions.
Fete Day for Bethesda Boys.
For the boys themselves, as a matter
of course, the preparations for making
the day memorably pleasant, had been
on a scale specially elaborate. The
theory of instruction and discipline at
Bethesda does not include among it's
tenets the repression of boy nature,
and they entered into these prepara-
tions and enjoyed the pleasant pas
times of the day with boyish apprecia-
ton and abandon.
Not the least enjoyable was the
bountiful and elaborate dinner that
was spread for them under the super
vision of Chairman A. S. Nichols and
the board of stewards. This was
served in the dining hall of the main
building, and it is quite within the
bounds to say that the boys did 1T full
and ample justice.
While the boys were still seated at
table the were addressed by Col j.
H. Estill president of the Union So
ciety. Col. Estill exhorted them to
remember that in every sense they
had as ample opportunity to attain
success in life as had others of their
age-that the primary disadvantages
under which they labored in their
youth might in the end result in train
ing and self discipline that would en-
able them more surely if not more
rapidly to attain their ambitions
goal.
Dinner for the officers of the society
and its board of managers, with a
few invited guests was served in the
dining room of Supt. A. V. Chaplin.
The hundreds of people who were
present to witness and take part in
the exercises of the day enjoyed pic
mic dinners on the wide expanse of
lawn that fronts the orphanage.
The band of the First Regiment of
Infantry furnished the music for the
occasion. A concert was given while
the dinner was in PROGRESSES and be-
fore and after that pleasant event and