Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-08
THE PRINTERS HOME
Refuge for the Weary and
Worn of the Craft.
DOES A NOBLE WORK
DONATION OF MESSRS. CHILDS
AND DREXEL.
Gift of $4,000 Served as Nucleus for
the Contributions Which Raised
Palace at Colorado Springs.

AS it is the oldest among the trades
unions of the land, so the International
Typographical Union of North America
which meets here Monday. is the only or
ganization of the kind which not only Sc
cures for it's members living wage in the
days of their prime, but provides haven
of refuge for them in case sickness or
friendless old age makes it desirable or
necessary for them to lay down the stick"
and take either a rest or to resign them
selves to the fact that their days of toll
are past.
The Home for Union Printers. as the in
stitution is known, is located at Colorado
Springs, where it is one of the most notable
structures that attract the tourists eye
1t has been built with tine money contrib
uted by the printers themselves. save only
a generous donation of $4,000 which was
a gift made to the International Union by
George W. Chilos and his bosom friend,
Anthony J. Drexel. Their donation was
rendered the body at its annual meeting in
Pittsburg in the early summer of 1886. 1t
proved the first step toward the accom-
plishment of that which had long engaged
the thoughts of leaders among the printers
the building of a home for the sick and
the aged who had kept the faith until no
longer able to work at their calling.
The Gift
The manner in which this gift was
brought before the body was exceedingly
simple. Among the ex-delegates present at
the Pittsburg convention was the late
James ]. Daley, who held the position of
foreman on the Public Ledger and stood
high in the regard of its proprietor. Mr..
Daley quietly asked the privilege Of the
floor, and upon being granted his desire
stated that he wished to hand to the pre-
siding officer a letter from Mr.. Chlds It
was to the following effect:
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. June ), 1886
ITO the President and Members of the In
ternational Typographical Union:
"Gentlemen-With this letter IS an in
closure which it was intended should be
handed you by Mr.. James J. Daley with a
verbal message of good wishes; but at his
suggestion it is accompanied by a written
communication. 1t is known to some of
your members that l feel warm interest
in what concerns the welfare of all who
work for wages, and in the wise manage
ment of the trades unions and other kim
dred organizat tons it has become advisable
for them to establish for the promotion of
their true interests.
This feeling being specially strong to-
ward the printers unions. with whose mem
bers have had close and very satisfactory
business relations for many years, it is my
edIASSl ucSiIe-d ueSlTS III winch / am
heartily joined by my friend, Mr. A. ].
Drexel-to extend to the time-honored In
ternational Typographical Union, as the
representative Of the united craft In North
America, some expression more substan-
tial than words How to do this In a way
that may produce lasting good has engaged
the thoughts of both MIR. Drexel and my
self: and We conclude that your union or
such trustees as you may select for the
purpose. will know better than ourselves
n ha haS
I'VE therefore send to you herewith bv
the hands of Mr.. Daley, foreman In the
Public Ledger Office, our check for the
amount of ten thousand dollars-five thou
sand from Mr.. Drexel, who Is now in Eu-
rope. and five thousand from the under
signed-without condition or suggestion of
any kind. as an absolute gift, in full con-
f1dence that the sagacious and conservative
counseiors of your union will make or order
wise use of 1t for the good of the union
VERY respectfully and heartily YOURS
GEORGE w. CHILDS."
The generous gift. so simply presented
Tor a few moments quite took the breath
away from the many representative prfn-
tiers there assembled. But they quickly
rose to the unlooked-for occasion and a
committee of five level-headed delegates
was commissioned with the task of arriving
at a satisfactory conclusion as to what dis
position would honor the donors and be a
credit to the organizatio that had lust
received so fiatterng a token of the esteem
w.
ers of its members.
Disposition Of the Gift.
The committee. of which the late Julian
L. Wright of this city was a member, ar
rived at the conclusion embraced in the
following report, which was unanimously
adopted:
Gentlemen: Your committee to devise a
plan for the disposition of the muniffcent
gift of $4,000 from Messrs. George w
Childs and Anthony j. Drexel of Philadel-
phia, Pa, begs leave to report that after
a patient investigation of the merits of the
several propositions placed before them by
members of your honorable body, they are
unanimously of the opinion that the best
use 10 which this large sum could be put
would be to place it on deposit in some safe
banking institution for the time being and
thus give opportunity to the several subor-
dinate unions under our Jurisdiction to d.
gest and eventually formulate the manner
Of it's ultimate disposition We therefore
recommend the adoption of the following
resolutions:
-irst. That Messrs. James j. Daley of
Philadelphia, Pa. August Donath of Wash
ington. D. c., and Frank s. Pelton of Chi
cago, H.. be and they are hereby consti-
tuted a board of trustees for term of five
years for the safe keeping and investment
of the said sum of $4,000
Second. That as an evidence of appre-
citation of the motive of Messrs Chlds and
Drexel. the International Typographical
Union of North America recommends and
urges that on the anniversary of the birth
day of Mr.. Childs during the next five
years-May 12-each and every union COM
positor under its Jurisdiction east of the
Mississippi river contribute the amount re-
ceived by him for LOCO ems on said data
and that each and every stereotyper, cleo
trotyper and pressman on the same date
contribute the amount received for one