The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-27
NOBLE WORK IN PROGRESS AMONG UNFORTUNATE JUVENI Es
n ELIZABETH 4. coRAY.

one not alone for the individual but for
the community as well. And this work
! has not grown out of the churches in most
cases nor from those who were most close
" allied with them. but from those who
sought only to serve their fellow men in
this noble line OF helping the little ones.
For more than score of years past the
needs Of the growing city have been felt
in this way-a condition which does not
exist In a small community, but which
comes as the population changes and the
various elements which make a mixed
community contribute their share in neg
Iect or death OF. descrtion to make the
children the sufferers. To this need have
the women OF the city ministered. and in
large measure. too And it is 10 the wo-
men Of this city today that thanks are
due for such work as has been accom-
pIished. In the face of encouragement
that sometimes amounted to despair, in
the combat against sclfishness and lack OF
civic or even human responsibility. in the
struggle to make of poor conditions and
poverty triumph over the almost impos-
sible they have been untiring in their ef-
forts for the uplifting OF these little waits
whom fate had left with no other chance
than such as these good women could give
1upm MOI 10 Inc MtdlllN oltS VIM nave
sometimes been persuaded to give of their
bounty Is the success. such as il is. of
these institutions due, but TO the devoted
attention Of The women who have labored
not alone 10 make the pittance they had
on hand do the work of hundreds. but
also have labOred TO make those more for
turate ones see the conditions and relieve
them And this has frequently been the
hardest task of all.
First Orphans Home.
II is nearly a quarter Of a century since
q few Of the leading women of the city
conceived the idea of establishing a home
for the city's then few orphans. This in
stitution was founded primarily to take
care OF few homeless little waits, and
TO this purpose was added that OF caring
for the little ones whose mothers were
compelled TO leave them in order TO earn
daily wage.
Thus was founded the Orphans Home
and Day Nursery. which in the past TWEEN
ty-five years has housed many hundreds
Of otherwise homeless growing people and
has found permanent homes for a large
rumber Of those. This today is the lead
ing orphanage. having some years ago
acquired a permanent home on State
street near the county infirmary, which
Is today its present home
To this institution has been added the
infants home. first established on l
street. and consolidated some two years
ago with the larger institution. Hence
today the State street Orphanage, as il is
now called. embraces an infants ward or
department where babies with any claim
or 40 claim are received and cared for
under the direction Of especial baby
nurses. The consolidation brought to the
older institution a body OF something over
hundred earnest. enthusiastic women
who endowed the infants ward with the
sum of some s., 200. besides furnishing 1t
with everything suitable for irs uses. Two
of these women have been added to the
original board making the control of the
home In the hands of thirteen women
Here TODAY fOrtW-SiX children ali
told. twenty-one of whom are of school
age and are in attendance at the Granite
school a block away. As many more not
Yet large enough for anything except kim
dergarten. are at home during the entire
twenty-four hours, and although at one
time a young woman who was a kinder
gartner held the position of a sort of
nursery governess for them. they are at
present without such instruction.
Four Tiny Infants.
Besides these two sets of little ones
there are the real infants. four of whom
are just now in the ward set apart for
their especial place. Two of these babies
are the children of a man whose wife
recently died. and this man is making an
earnest struggle TO pay something for the
keeping of his three little ones-an older
child being numbered among the little
ones not in school. In this infants ward
IS a baby nurse who devotes her entire
time 10 the care of the babies. and four
OF them make heavy business of 1t. too.
The place has always been hampered
TOT the lack of sufficient help, and this
condition has made the work of caring for
the children especially arduOus. The build
ing Itself is not especially adapted for
such use. and although II has been added
70 and made suitable IN many ways for
It's various uses. its cOnVenienceS have
not been extended.
All these things tend to make of the
work Of caring for the Orphans or half
orphans a more expensive and more seri-
Gus task than would appear to the out
slider to be necessary Hence although
something is paid for each child there at
the present time, the place is neverthe-
less a purely charitable organization, sup
ported maiT y by the contributions Of in
dividuals.
One peculiar feature of the place in Salt
Lake which really differentiates it from
similar institutions elsewhere is the fact
Shal there are seldom babies available
TOT adoPuon-that is there Is only once in
lonS time child whose parents are
dead and who is not q county charge with
some complication. To offset this IS the
TACT that year after year there are liter
any hundreds OF applicants for little ones.
ms nome finding feature was an espe-
CisHy successful part of the work Of the
INFANTS home on I street and from this
Ho,ne-really temporary one-went many
q Ittle one to a real home of peace and |
happiness and loving kindness In no one
cAse old such an Arrangement prove TO be
Olner Jhan good one. but doubtless this |
Nas que IN large measure to the great
N--NC1AAAe
HNIte ones-a care not often exercised by !
u0LIer Nature. unfortunately.
belOre a child could be legally adopted |
,al'y couple all sorts of possible creden-
80 were 20 be presented by them. Ger
Ing 70 their moral. physical and even !
I55ICldl illness for the task of rearing !
q; ;..'u caring for the little ones to be placed /
~ elielr family. After all these inquiries 1
80 go satisfactorily answered the prospec- |
J'S parents were allowed TO take the |
ttlilu Tor a period on trial, and later if all /
--,nlss We're suitable the formal adoption l
Personnel of Board.
Inc board OF directors as il now stands |
CyHslsts OF thirteen members but the as
g. ooe4aton has in its makeup more than
~ members. Mrs. Rachel Miller is the |
heNly elected president although she has |
Lao experience in the office before having |
served IN the long absence of the president
119r year The others OF the board are:
,iIs- r T SPrague, Mrs Edwin Kirnball
SIIS- NJ NJ. johnson. Mrs. A Fred Wev
mrs Sig Simon, Mrs Thorne Mrs Fer
Glnand Dickert. Mrs. George R Hancock |
MRS. Sol Siegel. Mrs. F. s. Richards Mrs
. + Oglesby and Mrs. Warren Benjamin. |
The Free kindergarten.
One OF the mist practical charities. and /
one which may be said tG be the most |
heiPtul and far-reaching in its influence. !
Is the Free klnderRarten. Knfch for more