Norwich bulletin., 1909-06-25

party or young peOpte, ncIleQ tue as sociation $50. It co-operated with the
 recently, organized United Workers ir in the fall of '7g in procuring and sending out throughout the city bags suitably inscribed, with the names oi
 the Prevalent Association. The Shel-
 tering Arms and the Children's Home
 for the reception of gifts of all kinds for these public uses. The share oi
 the association was some forty-seven bags filled with sugar, tea, coffee, po- tatoes, apples, soap, meat, poultry and other supplies, and eight large bun dles of clothing, some of which was
 entirely new, from our dry goods deal
 CTS, and fifteen dollars in cash be-
 sides" And there must be many who
 remember that great Benefit Concert
 by Powers Jubilee Singers, given in
 Breed hall early in 1879 by "the col
 ored sons and daughters of the south,
 formerly slaves, and now residents in
 this city.
 From the note books of Agents Bish-
 op and Griswold it is seen that the
 early headquarters were at 107 Main
 street in Mir. Bishops day, and that
 MT. Gris wold's office was, first "oyer
 MT. Saffords News Office" and then
 removed to room in the City hall.
 The city and town were divided into
 districts, in which there were 34 wis
 itors who were provided with suitable
 caris upon which they wrote the
 helped. and then passed these cards
 over to the agent for action.
 Then, as now, the missionaries were
 regarded in some quarters as hard
 hearted and almost reprobate. There
 is a letter written to MT. Bishop by A
 woman, asking Do you expect to go to heaven, treating poor widow so?'
 and it can be gleaned from Mir Gris-
 wold's notes how low he stod in the estimation of some whom he was try
 ing to help, because of his persistent refusal to pauperize them. It was he who introduced a form of grocery or der (suggested by the work in Provi-
 dence) which is substantially the one now in use in the selectmen's office for the outside poor.
 In 1878 the income of the associa- tion fell off, owing partly to the rise of the United Workers and the feeling that the benevolent work of the city might be advantageously centralized At the last annual meeting in Noven- Der. 1878. the question of dissolution was negatived, Agent Griswold was re- appointed. and special efforts were made to collect subscriptions. The headduarters were transferred to the City hall. and closer relations were established with the United Workers and the selectmen. Mayor Osgood was made president, N. M. Whittemore secretary, M. H. Sisson treasurer, and the directors were General Aiken. A. P. Willoughby. Frank Johnson and U. 5: Gardner. But the association did not long survive It had done a goo1 work. The public had been apprecia- tive and had given it, in money and clothing. during it's existence, about s9. 900. which had been used for the benefit of 637 families.
 Soon after the outburst of song by the ex-slaves of Norwich, the asso- citation seems to have suspended us work The records stop, and in it's place there appear two young things: CD The outdoor relief committee of the United Workers, exclusively fem nine, and CD The Norwich City Mis- sion. purely masculine; these two des- tined to happy union in later days.
 The Norwich City Mission.
 Each of these, new organizations grew out of national and local stirr- ings of the public mind on the sub feet of temperance. The town went no-license in 1878. The year 1877 marks the coming to Norwich of the Rev. Hugh Montgomery, and the Unit ed Workers The United Workers was the expansion of the work of the Woman's Christian Tenn oerance union, which had been organ zed a year or two before, and whose first president was Mrs. pr. Charles Jewett. It included also certain forms of jail and alnshouse, and sewing school and other benevolent work, which had been carried on for some years previously by appointed of ladies. Outdoor relief work was prosecuted at first in con- lection with the Providence associa- ,ion. and when that association ceased ts labors, the outdoor relief commit oeing-appointed at first to take ,harge of the Thanksgiving offering of 1880, and afterwards to prosecute that branch of the work more effectively through the work of Mrs. Mary E. Lester, whom the w. c. T. U. em- )loyed for a time to visit all fami- ies receiving aid.
 In 1884 the outdoor relief committee vas enlarged, renamed the outdoor re- ief and City Mission committee, and Mrs. Lester was made it's secretary, he understanding being that the City Mission, organized in 1881, should rem fer financial assistance through its )wn treasury. Rev. Hugh Montgomery came to Norwich in 1877, as the pastor of the them Central M. E. church. He was m earnest, indefatigable, fiery tenn 'erance worker, and became, after his ] oastorate, prosecuting attorney for New London county. and did much 1 of the effects of drink upon certain families.
 At a meeting of citizens, called De- l ember ', 1881, to consider the oues- l ion of some more efficient organiza- ion, a committee was ar~ointed to a paper briefly stating the ob- | ect for which this meeting had been l alled, and soliciting subscriptions in | urtherance of the plans proposed. The | committee consisted of w. A. Aiken, 1 }. H. Beckwith Moses Pierce, c. J. | King. and Costello Lippitt W. P. | ireene and E. H. Beckwith were ap- | ointed solicitors and collectors, and | Z. H. Gibbs was made treasurer. It | fas voted that the services of Rev. | iugh Montgomery be engaged as City | Missionary in connection with his | resent duties as prosecuting attorney | t a salary of two thousand dollars $2,00o) per annum. payable monthly | rom January 1, 1882"
 The pastors of the city having CO., perated, in a meeting called for the urpose, and the subscription lists yith names of subscribers and | subscribed, having been pre- ented at a later meeting, formal or was effected, December 30, SS1, and the name was The Norwich ity Mission.
 Its object as stated in it's constiu- on, was the prevention of intem- erance and crime, the restoration to II upright and useful life of those who aving suffered from the effects there show suitable evidence of desire )r such restoration, and such kindred mces of Christian kindness as cir may require"
 Its first officers were: President
 P. Barstow; secretary, Lewis A. [yde; treasurer, E. N. Gibbs: agent,