New-York tribune., 1902-01-17
HOME FOR COLORED GIRLS
NEW BUILDING. THE OUTGROWTH OF
THE WHITE ROSE MISSION,
OPENED YESTERDAY.

4 home for colored working girls that opened
yesterday g, No. 2T7 East Eighty-siXth-st. is the
outgrowth Of the White Rose Mission, started in
a humble way nearly five years ago by Mrs. Vic
toria Earle Matthews for the women Of her race
in this city.
The new quarters occupy three story and base
ment broWnstone house. and will accommodate at
least twelve lodgers. The sleeping rooms, which
yet in order, will be furnished with iron
bedsteads and attractive fittings
In the front basement is the library and reading
room. The large kitchen will be used by the girl
occupants Of the house for cooking their own meals
and doing their own laundry work The cooking
and laundry classes will also meet there On the
parlor floor are two large rooms. which will be
used for meetings, entertainments and social
gatherings and by the inmates for callers. etc. \
nominal price Of 20 cents week viii be charged
for lodging
The house IS the result OF effort Of few
colored women 10 establish a working girls home
and other departments Of help 10 its neighborhood
1t is intended for the use OF unprotected colored
girls and women and il is the purpose Of those in
charge TO give its occupants the benefits Of
training in practical houseHifery. For the girls
there will be classes IN sewing. dressmakng. cook
ing and kitchen gardening. and for boys instruc-
ton in clay modelling and woodcarving. An evan
gelistc branch conducts mothers meetings, neish-
borhood visiting, Sunday services and weekly de-
votional meetings. There is mandolin club. a
Victoria" class for the study OF the history OF
the race; vocal music class. and clubs for boys
For man. days the workers and attendants at the
various classes and meetings OF the mission nave
been busily engaged in putting the house IN oroer
sn6 boast that no hired work was required TOT th.
purpose AL the present furnishings were gifts OF
. friend u the society. Other contributions nave
been promised by rich patrons OF the WORK
AT the warming yesterday afternoon many
members Of the colored clergy were present The
Rev. v. T. Dixon presided. Among the speakers
were the Rev. Dr. William Brooks. pastor OF 81
Marks Methodist Church; the Rey. Granville hunt
Of Mount Vernon; Miss Alma E. Matthew'S superln-
Ten1ent Of the Home for Emigrant GIFTS at the
BATTERY. and Mrs. Matthews.
D.. Brooks called attention 20 the fact that the
colored people obliged pay enormous rentals
and are crowded together the worst places. Con-
si5ering that the young girls are brought up face
face with the worst kind of vice, ne wondered
that few fall and that so many stand NO mat
ter how high is the ideal. he said, such an enyl-
ronment IS bound 10 tell the moral character he
hoped that the home would stand as a beacon
of nope those who need its shelter and as an IN
spirator 70 the Of his race TO band them
selves together for work for their people in this
city
The White Rose Mission started in five small
rooms in a tenement house five years ago next
month. For four wears Mrs. c T. Huntington has
raid the rent of the The rent OF the present
house has been paid until May by another frlehd
whose name is withheld.
Among other patrons OF the society are Archi-
bald Huntington Mrs. Alice Day, Mrs. !1ydla
Darling. Mrs. William J. Schieffeln, the Misses
Mary and Charlotte Stillman, Mrs. Jessie Stilman
Taylor and Mrs NJ l. Stone. Mrs. Lydia A. Hlller'
No. IS East Seventy-nnth-st is treasurer