The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-25
ASKS CHILDREN
 FUR ASSISTANCE Captain FaIknsr Wants Help
 For Soldiers Home. ONE DIME ASKED FOR
If Every Child In the State Will Give This Amount the Soldiers Home
 Will Have Sufficient '? Funds.

X9A ATTAIN J. M. FALKNER, chair O man of the committee on ways O and means and the building com mittee of the Confederate Soldiers home at Mountain Creek has Issued an appeal for help to the children of Alabama.
 Captain Falkner asks that each child in the state contribute one dime toward finishing the home, and he also suggests that their parents contribute a quarter of half-dollar. Following is his card: To the Children of Alabama:
 This is a season of the year when most of you are happy in the anticipation of good things to come and I sincerely trust that your most sanguine wishes may be fully realized.
 But in the midst of these pleasures want to remind you that there are a large number of old Confederate soldiers in Alabama who are sadly in need of help. They have lost their loved ones and friends, they have lost their prop erty, and, by reason of old age, wounds and inflrmities, are unable to earn a liv- ing for themselves. The time has passed when it is possible for them to be sur- rounded by groups of happy children and the comforts of life, and unless those who are chari. ply inclined shall come to their relief the inevitable result will be that their last days will be spent in poverty and misery.
 As you know, an effort is being made to build home, which will be a home in fact, for these old men, where they can spend tLeir declining days in com fort and peace and happiness. We are building just as rapidly as we can, but 1t takes money not only to build but to maintain those who are already in the home.
 With small contribution from every one, our funds would be ample to com plete the home in very short while, and 1t has occurred to me that there Is not a child in the state who would not esteem 1t a great privilege to con- tribute as much as one dime toward the building of this beautiful home, which is now in process of construction; and, therefore, with the hope of getting a contribution from every boy and every girl in Alabama I am going to send this little communication to every news paper in the state with the request that they publish 1t, asking every boy and BlTl to send me as early as convenient as much as 10 cents. This, 1 believe you can do without prejudice to your own wants. While this amount may seem small at first, the aggregate, if all the children shall comply, will amount to many dollars.
 And by the way, while you are pro- viding for your own dime you might suggest to your older brothers and sisters and to your mothers that a contribution 0f a If of balf of dollar would be very acceptable and if each one of your fathers should take 1t into his head to send a dollar the success of the home would be assured.
 Be sure to see that every boy and girl in your city, town, village or com munity knows about the appeal I would like to have the name and residence of every contributor. You can remit the money in postage stamps, by postoffice order, by registered letter or in any way most convenient.
 J. w. FALKNER, Chairman Committee on avs and Means
 and Building Committee.
 Montgomery, December g.