The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-08

tween 5000 and 5000. Accordingly a
law was passed called AN act to pro-
vide temporary homes Tor the care of
dependent and neglected children" and
approved May is, 1881
In the summary of the work accom-
plished in ten years, we find in the re-
ports of DIN H. Clark, the secretary,
that the cash receipts of the City Mis-
sion increased year by year under Mrs.
Smiths management. and amounted in
ten years to $4,000; value IF eoo4s dis
tributed, $322 900; number of miles as
sisted, $3.50; coal given, 56S tons; chill
dren placed in private homes. SIS; num-
Der of children sent into the country
through the fresh air fund in the ten
years 1,345 Beginning with 1885, end
ing in 1886, the City Mission fairs net
ted $12,357
In June, 1889, Mrs. Smith was thrown
from her carriage While on an errand
of mercy, and was so seriously injured
that she did not resume her work until
August l.
The county temporary homes were
opened January I, 1884. and demon
strated their usefulness in every way,
but at the same time they made the
fact painfully conspicuous that no
home was provided for another class
that were ineligible to them. I'M
beetle or feeble-minded children could
be sent to Lakevillp, but the sick or
crippled ones had no place for shelter
except the almshOuse. Tncurable chill
dren who were DEPENDENT have never
had any recognition by the state of
Connecticut. There was no phase of
work dearer to Mrs. Smiths heart t.7an
the establishing of a home for incur
able children. She worked early and
/ late and spent days and months in
time in the effort to see this project
well started She often drove miles to
keep an opportunity to spefk hef IRE an
audience and frequently left her fam
lily circle, the dearest place on earth to
her, to address some meeting on this
topic.
Instances of the suffering of these
children occasionally appeared in the
papers, similar to the case in the Toll
land County Leader in January, 1891.
but nothing was done by the state au
thOrities to relieve their distresses. At
that time Mrs. Smith stated that she
personally knew of more than 100 sick
and dependent children in the aims
houses of the state Of Connecticut Her
/ facile pen was as busy as her brain
and hands in planning work for the
members of the mission and its
auxiliary society the association.
During these years she was greatly
! interested in the meeting of the Ma
tiOnal Conference of Charities and Cor
I rection, an influential deliberate body
representing the best thouPht concern
ing the treatment of thn poor and rim
inal classes. She attended the confer
! held in Washington, D. c., n 1885.
and read paper upon The Work Of
the Temporary Homes and of Finding
Homes for Children in Connecticut"
! This paper attracted much favorable
attention and she was appointed chair
man of the committee on preventive
work for children for the next year,
when the conference met at st. Paul in
July, 1885,
With the money bequeathed the City
Mission by Mrs Lucy S Church and
Jof and Charles Wright. Mrs. Smith
caused to be built the present City Mis-
sion building on Pearl street i'm this
city. 1t was admirably adapted for the
work which she had been carrying on,
and contained rooms suitable for the
meetings of the society, the committees,
the cooking and sewing schools. 1t was
dedicated March %, 1891. The exercises
were held in the spacious hall on the
second floor. Addresses were made by
! the Rev. DR. f. P Parker, the Rev,
George NJ. Stone, the Rev. Storrs 0.
Seymour, William &. Willard, president
Of the society, and others.
Mrs. Smith was appointed in 1890 by
the Hon. Leverett Brainard, then may
or Of Hartford, the alternate commits
sioner, with Mrs. Isabella Beechcr
Hooker, for the Worlds Columbian eX-
position for Connecticut.
In June, 1898 Mrs Smith was invited
to New York by the State Charities Aid
association to take charge of a branch
of their work just established. and for
several months she was occupied at the
charity building on Fourth avenue She
then returned to her home in this city
and was at once made director, and
the secretary Of the Connecticut Chill
dren's Aid society, positions which she
| b0nored to the end of her life.
During all these years the little fund
| for the Home for Incurab'es which
Mrs. Smith had collected had been
growing in the bank ard amounted to
over $4,000. In the spring Of 1898 a
| farm of ffty-siX acres was bought in
| NewingtOn, principally through the in
| fluence of J. s. kirkham and Roger
| Welles, and the small house on the
| place was fitted up for the reception of
few children for whom the society
had become responsible, DR.. j. S.
| Curtis, an honored director Of the So
ciety, had also strongly advised buying
an ample country property, but did not
| live to see it cOnsummated. Appeals
were made to all Charitably disposed
| persons in the state to contribute to-
wards its support. The response was
| speedy. The friends Of Mrs. Smith
showed their confidence in her iudg-
ment by subscribing money to build a
| new house for the sick and crippled
| children of the state. The house cost
| $4,000, and was paid for in two years.
| At the end of two years, or the fall of
| 1901, this house was full to oVert1oWing,
and it became necessary to build an
! other, to which the society might well
| come all those needing its care. 1t
! was supposed that the first house
| would be sufficient for some years. but
| found NIIS Smith In Ilp