The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-20

Nobody knows the money Helen Gould gives away annually for much of it is donated quietly as possible. Beginning with the $100.0O0 offered to congress for the equipment and maintenance of four cavalry companies for the Cuban war, her benefactions in aid of the soldiers and sailors at that time amounted to $127, 900. Her work in connection with the sufferers sent home to convalesce from Cuban and Porto Rican camp and field so interested her in the men who guard our country that after the Span- ish-American war ended she calmly pre- sented $43000 for a Y. M. c. A. build- ing in connection with the Brooklyn navy yard Here United States seamen who are for time in port or who are on fur tough may find the best of food and brief lodging for a price surprisingly low, still enough to remove from it the suggestion | of charity. The building is seven stories high and is fitted with every convenience | for cleanliness and comfort. Within its walls the sailor will find every requisite | for civilized enjoyment, but no tempta- tion to make an animal of himself.
 The Brooklyn navy Y. M. C. A. is per | haps an outgrowth of an earlier philan- ! thropic scheme of Miss Gould-the con- | trfbuting of large sums to the Y. M. C. A. organization maintained by employees | of the Gould railroads. When Miss Helen | found how much good her benefactions | there accomplished she did likewise for | the Y. M. C.. A. of the United States navy. l It is hardly to be wondered at that gal l lant General Joseph Wheeler caused to be | thanking Miss Gould for her patriotism and ordering that gold medal be made l for presentation to her.
 In one gift she turned over to the Uni versity of New York $1o0, 900. She was one of the early promoters of the woman's S law class of the university. It is class designed to teach women the ordinary legal knowledge necessary to the man. agement of property and the successful transaction of business. A regular course of study is laid down at the end of which a certificate of efficiency is given to the woman who can pass examination in the branches taught. Miss Gould herself Is a graduate of the womans law class and in 1t she learned much concerning the legal aspect of great property inter- ests.
 Helen Gould maintains home for crip- pied children at her farm, also a cook | ing and housekeeping school for girls, a | scholarship at Mount Holyoke and scores of other steady charities. In addition she | has given a building to the New York Home for the Friendless. In recognition | of Miss Gould's services to this institution | Mrs. Russell Sage not long ago presented l a beautiful stained glass window to its l chapel and named it the Helen Gould
 window. Miss Mary Tillinshast made the | window, so 1t Is woman's work all round | The young philanthrofdst takes Mrs. Rus
 sell Sage as rather mother adviser 1T
 many of her undertakings. which Is guarantee that they will not err on tht
 side of radicalism.
 These are only the fewest of Mis-. Gould's good works. most of them ar,
 not known to the public. She does no
 desire them to be. largely for the reason
 that every considerable donation to any
 worthy object straighway brings dowI upon her thousands of begging letters, nag
 gingly her impudently, many of them
 demanding money in sums anywher
 from a million dollars down. One week.
 reckoning not long since showed a lis
 of 1903 of thes wretched letters. Som
 of them were aotnaly- from men of con
 siderable standing in society. who's
 names are well known in the community Not a few claimed aims because the! had been friends of her father-som
 even asserting that they had been tn, making of Jay Gould i'll the day of hi
 impecuniosity. Human nature is not { thing for angels to be proud of, is 1t? , | IllOSl nOtdDle IelterS, however, ron
 those not ashamed to stamp themselve: as paupers and deadbeats in this land O. plenty were from women. Some of thes,
 were from girls wanting help to buy
 bridal trousseaux. On the other hant
 there were women who begged for money
 to help them get Giivorcos. Those who
 were out wanted in, those who were 1T
 wanted out. Then there were many let
 ters from begging churches. some from
 poverty stricken colleges. A precious lo
 they were, these unbashful beggars, ant
 disgrace to a country like the United
 States.
 It is easy enough for the carper to say
 Anybody can give money away. It is
 no more than Helen Gould's plain duty
 to distribute Jay Goulds wealth where
 1t will do good" Very we'll But how
 many American millionaire women arc
 doing with their wealth as Miss Gould
 is? Note that she did not buy a need,
 princeling or duke or any of the penni.
 less small fry of European aristocracy
 and go off to live abroad with him where
 he may spend with least scandal the
 rents she draws from American proper.
 ties. The princelets and dukelets have
 sought to sell themselves to her and
 sought in vain. Considering what SC
 many American millionaire women have