The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-30

Spansh-American war and 1t was dur ing that event that MT. Finch's life was sacrificed. In his memory, the Jefferson Volunteers, of which company he was member, built the ward and furnished it. The ward set apart for the little girls
 is large and very attractive with it's pret- ty pictures distributed about the walls. Other rooms in the building commemor- ate names of benefactors to the home or
 persons otherwise connected with it's
 history-notably the Pearce, the Means and the Waddell rooms, the latter being
 referred to as the infirmary, being the place in which the little sick people are placed when they are not seriously III or afflicted with contagious disease For cases that must be isolated, such as epidemics of measles or scarlet feVer, there is a separate building The hos pital is on the lot back of the home. It is a concrete building well fitted for such emergencies as caused it's erection. It was built about two years ago. A ward in the hospital is called the Hoyt room.
 The Greene is an important adjunct to the Mercy Home. It has different group of officers from those governing the home, but the organizations Work to-
 gether in a common cause.
 An error still prevalent in Birmingham is the impression that the Mercy Home is a sectarian institution. This is entire lv A mistake. The children attend the nearest Sunday school for the sake or convenience, but on each Sunday a1tef-
 noon services are held in the chapel ac
 the home by ministers of the various de- nominations.
 The Mercy Home is an institution wor- thy in every way of the deep interest which has been felt in 1t by the sooo men and women of the community since qix ixta Mrs. c. B. Spencer whose name mas heen A synonym for charity in Birming-
 ham for a number of years, is the pres ident. Her good deeds are countess anu not the least of these is her splendid
 work in connection with this institution
 associated @ with Mrs. Spencer as o1licers'
 is a group of women whose names
 represent a power of gooo III .iso
 community. They are Mrs. w. Il. Jet-
 ferries first vice president, Mrs G. H.
 Estes second vice president, Mrs. w. Il.
 Stockham secretary, Mrs. James Welsei,
 treasurer, Miss Elizabeth Fuller, matroh'
 Miss Bessie Peters, assistant malron. oth-
 CTS prominently associated with the hohle
 as members of boards and committees are such broadly philanthroplc women
 as Mrs w. s. Brown, Mrs. w. l.. Mur-
 dock Mrs. c. s. Bissell, Mrs A, IN, bai-
 lard Mrs. J. w. McClain, Mrs. T. A.
 
 n steele. Mrs. w. B. Dickerson, Mrs w.
 Redd. Mrs. F. w. Dixon, Mrs. T. s. Nor
 ton. Mrs. T. T. Hillman, Mrs. w. K. Me-
 Adory, Mrs Dr. Newfield, Mrs H 5. MI ger. Miss Lizzie Hutton, Mrs E. G. Chandler. Mrs J. H. Phillips, Mrs. K. w. Massey. Mrs Rufus N Rhodes, Mrs. Jno'
 B. Weakley Mrs. R. F. Means, Mrs, A. I. Dickinson, Mrs. William Sipley' Mrs. Jobn White, Mrs. Fisher Humphries, Mrs Mat I. &, Richard Randolph, Mrs. Margaret Ram sey.
 Mrs Ramsey, who was for so many wears matron at the home and was so | nearly loved by the inmates stlll retains | her deep interest in the institution | thoueh she became connected with the | Young Women's Christian association | several years ago Al. Another charity which receives the help of a large part of the generous Birmingham public is the Bfrmingh am | Free kindergarten association. There 1 ts no public work productive of more 1 good. for in this the little children or | the street are taken in at the tenoerese age and their little characters and lives | so moulded as to fit them for the temp tations and difficulties to come. The | creed of the kindergarten Is adapted l from Bishop Phillips Brooks remark, | He who nelpS chiiu, heipe noiiaiii'y | with a. dstinctness, with an immediate l ness which no other help given to hu-
 man creatures in any other stage of l ''.-Hn life can possibly give"
 Taking the child early and starting l .,hu IS une greatest step toward l the formation of useful habits and character. This the association en- l deavors to do, and there Is surely no
 nobler aim than this, nor one more calculated to produce appreciable re- l suits in the youth of Birmingham.
 The Free Kindergarten association | was esta ablished in the early winter | of 1898. Starting as a small class l of little tots in one of the rooms at &Paub Hayne school 1t has continued to
 low until at present there are kin II Io4rgartens- located in various sections , of the city. notably St. Mary's the