The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-27
FUNDS FOR ODD CHARITIES.
The Practice of Establishing Them IL
Growing.

The Practice of Establishing Them Ia
Growing.
New York Sun.
Obsefvant persons are pointing out that
among the charitably inclined, both in this
city and elsewhere, there is a growing dis
position to establish private trusts or funds
for specific benevolent purposes.
Curiously enough. although New Workers
have always given away large sums every
year. TO charity, and, in all probability, will
always continue to do so. the great bulk of
the money so far has been divided among
organized charities. Every now and again,
it is true, some unusually generous bequest
has led to the establishment of a home or
a hospital but as a rule the enterprise
later has had to depend on subscriptions
from the many.
Machine-made, rather than handmade,
charity, some people say, has always been
In the lead for the reason that the machine
made variety saves the individual lot of
trouble. But it seems certain that the pri-
vate fund plan OF benevolence is coming
into vogue.
Many people first began to realize this
circumstance about year ago, when John
NJ. Burke, whose name hitherto had never
appeared prominently in charity subscrip
ton lists, calmly announced that 1t was his
wish and purpose to set aside the income
in perpetuity of A,000,000 or practically his
entire fortune, for charity, and that this
large sum would be distributed by alnoners
mination was discussed industriously the
length and breadth of the country. Cues
lions by mail came pouring in from all
N ~ fhn r.. hos
queries it was announced that the object
of the fund was twofold-frst, to establish
convalescent hospital for the poor; sec
ond. TO aid respectable persons who
cial straits. That Mr. Burke was thor
oughly in earnest was proved by the fact
that legal machinery was at once put to
the "Winifred Masterson Burke Relief
Foundation" as the fund is called, and the
preparing of trust deed and the appoint
ment OF four trustees.
This, in brief. is the history of one Of the
largest private funds ever established in
New York in the name of charity. 1t is
predicted. though. that it will be followed
Only the other day word came from St.
Paul, Mimi, that under the terms of the
will of Mrs. Cornelia Day Wilder Appleby,
the bulk of her estate, valued at more than
$l.000.00O, is to be invested for the benefit
of the worthy poor of ST. Paul, regardless
or color or creed and independently of any
organized charity: Mrs. Appleby makes
the somewhat curious proviso that no poll
tician nor any public officer who may be-
come politician shall have anything to
do with the administration of the charity.
The history of private charity funds in
New York begins so far back as the year
1892 with the establishment of the dole
by John Leake, wealthy philanthropist
ss wealth was ef aS
One clause In his will specifically stated:
Il hereby give and bequeath to the rector
and vestrymen of Trinity parish >s1,oO0
($5.O00), put out at interest, the income to
be laid out in six-penny wheaton loves
of bread to be distributed among the poor"
1t IS scarcely necessary to say that Mr..
for more than one hundred years. The
distributing station for the Leake dole of
bread" Is now at St. Johns Chapel in VAR
lex street, where every Saturday morning,
rain or shine, sixty-seven loaves of bread
are distributed to poor women and children
of the parish who come after them. In all
probability, so long as there are any poor
on Manhattan island, which doubtless
will be until the millennium sets in. Mr..
Leakes dole of six-penny bread will con-
tinue to feed the hungry once week.
There have been three interesting pri-
New York, all of which are due to the
generosity Of women. One Is the Havens
relief. established in 1856 at the death of
sum in trust and specific directions for its
disposal The interest of the money is alb
solutely at the command of committee of
almoners named by Mrs. Ravens. whose
friends willing to carry on the work. The
beneficiaries are the poor and distressed OF
either sex who need help.
The Du Bots fund, which was started a
year later, is managed on much the same
lines, although its aim, which is in fulfill
ment of the wishes of Mrs. Du Bots, the
donor. is to help respectable SICK persons to
get the care of trained nurses. Mrs. Tai
bot ELEPHANT Is almoner-in-chief, and nc
one knows better than she the tremendous
need there is In some quarters OF New YORK
for not only the interest of the. Du Bots
fund but of sum ten times as large If II
was forthcoming.
The Sophia fund of $4,000. established in
1900 to help children under six years old, Is
who long before her death was planning
and working for its establishment By the
provisions of her will the interest of the
fund is set apart for rescuing small chill
dren from disreputable surroundings and
placing them with respectable caretakers
and for looking after them If necessary
until they are able to earn living. =.
A purely personal enterprise which viii
| undoubtedly lead to the establishment of 3
| large private fund for Its maintenance, IL
indeed. the fund is not already set aside !.
| the Fresh Air Park at Richmond Beach
| Staten island, which Charles NJ. Schwab
president of the United States Steel Corpo
| ration, is putting at the disposal of tn,
poor children Of New York. Mr.. Schwal
| Fresh Air Park. and from beginning to enc
| the project, including running expenses
will cost no one, other than the protector
| one cent
The sixty-five acres OF land, the com
| Portable paviIions and buildings erected
| near the beach and the big iron steamer
| Happy Day, built at the Crescent shipyard
| Elizabethport, are owned absolutely b!
| 'sthis man of steel with a warm heart 70
| children" as one of his admirers called hin
! the other day. When the Happy Day goe
| into commission. which will probably b.
early in the summer, one thousand New
| York children will be on board bound for
| days free outing by the sea, with plenty t
| eat thrown in. Better still, this attractive
! programme will be followed every singh
| week day until autumn.
at is doubtful If there is another strict,
| private charity in existence" said a worke
| in the tenements, that means so mucl
! to the poor youngsters of New York as thi
| one does"