Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-06

- NE OI the GleNeIeSA Dian8 ever
" devised for collecting money
from the people in the cause Of
REFEFzN charity and fore the exaspera-
B ton and conquest Of the stingy-
2h0 man is the tag day" which
has ben used all over tho country in sup
port Of ptdlanthroplc enterprises. The pub
lie conscience on questions of charity must
be heavily Jared usually before II can be
awakened and tag day 10 an effioacious
method. Next Wednesday Omaha will be
the hunting ground for 400 women and girls
who viii Invade offices, throng the streets,
ard accost every man, woman and child
who can be found to contribute to the good
cause Of a great charity. The Clarkson
Memorial hospital for Children has been one
OF the best known and active agencies for
good In Omaha for more than twenty-five
years and the campaign OF Wednesday will
be to further its prosperity.
The Clarkson hospital may be rightly
called an institution of philanthropy, for
during the last year, out Of 9,i5S days OF
treatment no remuneration at all was re-
ceived for 1859 days and no one who has
been urablc to pay for treatment has ever
been denied the facilities of the hospital.
Mrs. William Adams, superintendent of the
Visiting Nurses association, is quoted as
saying that without the aid Of the Clarkson
nurses her work would be immeasurably
more difficult. They will always make
room for me If they possibly can says
Mrs. Adams. IF they have the space / get
It for my patients. When there are no
regular beds they put up cots and they
never refuse This is almost entirely work
OF a charitable nature.
AS a corporate institution the Clarkson
may claim "a he The oldaoN hnap4AaI an the
city of Omaha. In 1869 when funds for such
purposes were very hard to gather, an as
ISOLATION was formed to erect a building
for the care of the sick. and the efforts
OF the association resulted IN the Good Sa-
marian hospital which was opened for
patients In March 1870 after a years agita-
ton. 1t was not a UNCONVENTIONAL affair
and all classes contributed to it's mainten-
ance, but even then there was scarcely
enough TO keep II going. In 1871 the build
ing was burned to the ground and the as
ISOLATION was dlsheartened and for several
years Omaha was without a hospital. In
1881 the Episcopal church began to plan for
a Clarkson Memorial hospital, 1t was in
corporated as the Clarkson Memorial hos
pital for Children. although from the first
1t was intended to be at the disposal OF
adults when not filled with children's cases.
Two years passed before their plans ma
terialized, but in 1883 the building at 1716
Dodge street. which will soon be vacated
after twenty-five years OF service, was
erected with a capacity of about twenty
five beds. Fasteners were appealed to,
in order that the building might be COM
pleted and furnished.
Its work as an asylum for ailing child
rem, open and free. whether their parents
mara abIo or not 70 nrnUfda for fbaTa and on.
xious to help the weakfings who had nc
parents, has been farreachiug and of i'm
mense good to the city. All over Omaha
and in surrounding towns and states are
people who in less prosperous days have
enjoyed the benefit of it's charity and arr
thankful for it. In the west there is ons
young man who was once treated at the
Clsrkson, has ever since sent once q yeal
at Christmas time a contribution to the hos
pital fund. Another boy who was SO kindly
ana skllfully treated the he became greatly
interested In the hospital and church work
and for years he sang in the choir OF
Trinity cathedral refusing to accept pay
OF any kird for his services. Through hi:
interest and devotion thirteen members Of
his family were he'd to Join the Episcopa
faith.
One patient who has been remembered
for the interest which was taken In his
recovery from pitiable weakness wal
called. Little Bonnie. He was the son OF
the waskwoman of a well-known Omahs
woman and was born so terribly deformet
that he was unable to walk upright. HI
could only crawl about on all fours wheI
he had long passed the age at which child
rem start to walk. He was taken to tn
Clarkson hospital and although his mothe'
was entirely unable to help keep him HI
was taken in. All of his joints were fount