The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-11-07
JUBILEE OF HOUSE OF REFUGE

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NEW YORK, Nov. IA Carnegie
Hall tomorrow civic celebration vii!
be held to commemorate the silver
jubilee Of the Irish Catholic Mission
of century the incoming immigrant
girls have been met end cared for
until they could secure POSITIONS nr
find relatives. One hundred thousand
young women have been cared for at
the mission during that period. ami
thousands Of girls have doubtless been
saved from the clutches OF the human
vultures and white slave" dealers
who haunt the waterfronts Of the me-
tropolis, always on the searn for un-
sophisticated and innocent girls to Of
Ter as terrible sacrifice on the altar
Of the black beast OF lust.
When the tide OF emigration from
ireland was at It's hel eht In 1893 Miss
Charlotte o'Brien. a Protestant Irish.
woman, noticed the bad conditions
that prevailed and in orderto be able
to suggest practical remedy. made
the journey across the Atl,ntic as u
steerage passenger under an assumr,i
name. Arriving on this Side she
spent some time in tle boarding.
houses whose runners beskged every
incoming ship.
Her experience was appalling. and
the outcome of her labor was an an.
peal to the Irish-Americans to estab.
fish home where protection from
imposition and crime could be as,
sured until other and proper arrange.
ments were made.
Strange to say, the Immediate re.
suits Of the Protestant lady's work
was the founding of the Irish Catholic
Mission. The others that have fol.
lowed as the need grew. are also
monuments to her
The old Colonial house at No. II
State street, once the home of the
Van Rensselaer, family, was bought for
this purpose by Rev. J. ]. Riordan,
the first director. The premises are
also historical in that they served as
Offices for a commissary department
for the troops encamped in Battery
Park during the civil war Located
at the center Of the curve made BY
State street, in front OF the park, its
outspreadfng roof, juttiug balconies
and Dutch stoop with two flights of
steps leading to the sidewalk at both
sides Of the platform. bespeak a vel.
come that is ratified by the golden
cross that surmounts the main en-.
trance. The interior Is comfortable,
although antiquated. "0ur platform
is Cleanliness and kindness" says
Rev. NJ, ]. Henry, the present director
This, the Oldest institution OF its
sort. has existed twenty-five yesrs.
In that time more than 100000 girls
have received hospitality for q night,
Q week, or month, as the case de-
manded, and for 10000 Of these posi-
lions have been secured, Nc dis
tinction is ever made because of the
race Or creed of the applicant and no
charge is ever asked for the benefits
conferred, which is in accordance
with the wishes Of Miss O'Brien. that
"home" not hotel should be estat.
lishel. The work is supported prlnci.
pally by a contribution OF twenty-five
cents a year given by the members
ct the society composed mostly of tao
Irish girls of the country. Thus tho
sptnsters' mite speaks.
In 1890 the care of the Immigrant
was transferred from the State to
the Federal Government, and with the
removal of the work OF inspection
from Castle Garden to Ellis Esfand
many bad influences that obtained in
Manhattan are now impossible. Be.
fore this date 1t can hardly be said
that there was a real inspection as the
word is new understood,
It was then sanitary question and
now It is an economic one. But the
moral part played by the different
mission houses is the same.