The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-09
JUDGE ENGERUD'S
PLEA FOR A HOME
NEED OF A BOARDING HOME FOR
GIRLS AS 1T WAS SET FORTH
BY ABLE ATTORNEY AT THE
MASS MEETING SUNDAY EVEN
ING.

ING.
Judge Edward Engerud's address in
behalf of a boarding home for girls at
the mass meeting at the Presbyterian
church Sunday evening gives some
very clear and logical reasons for the
establishment of such an institution.
His remarks were in part as follows:
At the request of quite a number of
the interested ladies of Fargo these
meetings are being held in the churches
Of our city for the purpose of arousing
an interest in q proposition which
ought TO be of interest to every citizen
Of Fargo, and 1t takes the place of a.
town meeting where this proposition
may be discussed and submitted in a
general way, and save the ladies the
time and trouble of talking to each one
individually about 1t.
The project to which the ladies de-
sire to call your attention Is one which
we hope will receive Your hearty CO.
operation and support. 1t is a project
which, If successful, will. we believe,
prove a most potent factor in the
SASN tA SSiA0 0CFCAOpAAACAtb I'll our CITY
and 1t will be successful If you take
hold of 1t with the true Fargo spirit,
and with the determination to make
Ii succeed.
We have a city here of which we
are justly proud-the biggest little city
OF the northwest-and the citizenship
of Fargo stands for enterprise and
public spirit, and the kind of men
and women who have the energy to go
out and boost for what they think is a
good thing-and they know a. good
thing when they see it-and theyhave
the energy and push to help a good
thing along.
The ladies believe they have a good
thing to lay before you this evening.
1t is a plain, straightforward business
proposition for the upbiulding of our
city. We have had in this city for
the past few years, club known as the
$4,000 club; the object of 1t is to boost
for Fargo until 1t is made a city of
5000, and after that we are going to
boost some more until we get another
25, 900.
The project which the ladies have to
lay before you, is, in brief, project
-
an institution wherein the young wom-
en- who are studying and at work in
our city may find suitable accommoda-
tions where they may be surrounded
by the best christian influences. and
may be brought in touch with the life
of the city; its association, and edu-
cational and religious life; and where
they may become more closely and
more intimately identified with the peo-
pie of the city.
We have here at last 1000 young
women who have no established home
in this city. There are at least 500
working girls who are employed in Of
fees, stores and places of business,
and teaching in our public schools
There are about 500 young women who
are here pursuing studies of various
kinds in our institutions of learning
Now these young women are a most
desirable class of our population; they
are a class we take pleasure in well
coming amongst u.s. and 1t means that
the people of Fargo should not only
welcome them by words, but by prac-
teal action, and do what we can to
afford them as near homelike sur
roundings as can be afforded to people
who are away from their own home.
The plan, in outlil e, is to establish
is one that has been tried in the larger
cities, and Fargo has now progressed
to such size as compared with other
cities in this part of the country, that
1t is time we were putting on city
airs.
The plan, in autline, is to establish
an institution in a Quiet place-either
by leasing or purchasing a building
which will provide accommodations for
as large a number of these young wom-
en- as we can afford; and while nobody
expects to buy or lease a building
which is going to be large enough to
house all of these 1000 young women,
yet we do wish to acquire a building
that will accommodate as many of
them as possible. 1t may not be pos
sible to secure a building that will
house more than 100 of them but ii
will afford the instrumentality of re-
ligious and educational associations,
and be the means OF people coming in
touch with these young girls and OF
these young girls coming in touch with
them. 1t viii be a sort of clearing
house where the new conner to our city
may turn for advice, and perhaps for
temporary home while she is pre-
pairing suitable home for herself dur
ing her sojourn in the city.
This house win be in charge of a
competent matron with sufficient i'm
terest to care for these young women
and make them feel at home; and II
will be furnished with proper comforts
and conveniences to make them feel
at home. anu one of its greatest bene-
fits will be, that when a young woman
come to the city from distant dis
trict, and liz stranger here, friends,
whose heart is in the work, will meet
her at the depot, and, from the start,
make her feel at home, and make her
feel that she is welcome in Fargo, and
that the people of Fargo care for her
aud are interested in her. and 1t will go
a good ways in carrying these young
women over that period of home sick
ness which so often is the result OF
being away from home for the first
time.
The plan as stated before is in no
sense a charity. The class of people II
is designed to reach are not objects OF
charity; they are people who are able
to pay their way. 1t Is simply an act
of public hospitality on the part OF
the city to afford them assistance, and
to help them to become identified with
the life of the city. They are expected
to pay their way.
Another object of this institution is
TO make ii in part bureau of informa-