The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-04-11

'fHone" for these sailors drifting, into our port; therefore in April. 1885, a three7story building. S7 Water street, opposite the Bethel, was leased, and was soon overflowing.
 This was considered only tempora- " Home" however, and when, in De- tober, 1888, the society received notice of a large legacy eventually to come to them, we began to plan for the future. In May, 1889, land was bought with a frontage on this park of one hundred and twenty-three feet, depth one hun dred feet. In May. 1894, our Bethel was sold and the present Home" and temporary chapel built thereon at a cost of $15,000. In 1890, according to an elaborate investigation, there were twenty thousand vessels entering our port, averaging seventy-fve thou sand men in the manning thereof, sta tistics which justified the society in feeling they must enlarge their quar- ters if they would do the. work brought to them <. s39, 42..& .s,,s& %%@sss. <E 7 In May, 1895, an amendment to our charter was granted by legislature, changing the name of the society from Ladies Seanel's Friend Society of New Haven to- the "Woman's Sea- mans Friend Society of Connecticut, ; in view of the possible extension of the work to other ports of the tate.t 3yass.ss. s !.
 We had long felt the need of a rest ing place for the sailor who went from here to his last long home, and in 1896 purchased plot of ground in Ever green cemetery, and by private sub scription were enabled to erect a small monument with Sailors Rest" the simple inscription cut thereon.
 For forty-three years this society of women struggled from year tosyear for bare existence, never knowing from whence the dollars would come to bal ance accounts; yet they went on with faith that the public would sustain them. @~, r.
 { Now, in 1902, comes their reward
 This year the cup is overf1oWing ill leg aeies from friends viz, Marietta Bai- .ley's legacy :. of 5, s6,2255; Alfred F.
 Blakeslee's legacy Of $2,S00. and Mrs. Betsy Forbes Bradley'ss long anticipa- as regards payments for the future but as rtgartfs payments for the future, but how great are, the responsibilities laid upon the society in the rightful use oi the funds so generously bestowed.
 In carrying out the purpose and re- responsibilities of this work a special con cern was felt for the neglected families of the seamen. In 1904 special work
 was inaugurated for their benefit By including these in its interest the
 society is enabled to reach a much
 larger number of men. To accomplish this an earnest appeal has been made to the general assembly to authorize this branch of the work. The first chapel was merely intended as a tenn porary place of worship, but it has been occupied during the past eleven years. .--.
 In 1902 plans were inaugurated tc erect the chapel which the society had
 planned to build. Ground was broken
 for the new building in the spring oi 1904, and by the skill and efficiency o1 our architect, Mir. l.. W. Robinson, we have to-day a chapel apparently vel suited to the spiritual and Finsf fitutiona
 requirements of our work at an estima ted expenditure of twenty-five thou. sand dollars. ,5 t:.-.< To this slight sketch of the history oi the society add, if you can, the record of the struggles, discouragements, en- couragements, faith, work, perplexities and prayers of all the women engaged therein forsthe past forty-six years and you will have better conception of what. has been accomplished thar pen can give you. quote a paragraph from the report of our secretary lMiss I4aW) a few years since:
 "The Bible says that the best exam. pie of self-denying liberality is record ed of a woman, the best example o1 loving service is recorded of a woman and the best example of conquerine
 prayer is recorded of a woman;" there. fore let us all pattern after these wo- men of, sold,. not only using the one tai. ent given us, but adding other talents in the working for others, especially ir this work for sailors, so greatly needed that the years to come may bring sea. sons of great harvesting in the vine yard which has so long been titled.