The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-22
PUBLIC DONATIONS
A Hospital for Bennington Is essen
tlaI for q Town Of This Population

tial for a Town Of This Population
Editor OF the Banner:-The press
OF the country is full OF the good
things wealthy citizens are contem-
I plating 70 donate 20 various eommuni-
I ties. from the much lauded libraries
OF Carnegie 10 the latest foundation"
/ by Rockefeller; both OF whom are de-
slgnated in the latest Century Die
tiOnary OF Names" as ~philan-
thropists.'
A writer in New York daily this
week, has reok0ned up the number OF
hospitals the income from the Rock
Teller one-half billion OF dollars, in
vested at FIVE per cent. would found
and endow in five years; the number
Of model dwellings for common work
ing men that could be built and rent
ed for two per cent. of cost, instead
OF ten per cent. as now: and the re-
suit is fabulous in arithmetical calcu-
lation.
But. all these things,-matters of
alleged philanthropy,-posses, both in
actual practice and in tmbryo. the
chara cteristics which built up the re-
spective colossal estates,-showing
that the commercial genius which
made such vast accumulations posi-
be. CID not contain one spark of
what is known as love to Man" In
age, nearly all men of vast wealth
have been cursed Of God in that the
ability to do good, as good ought al
ways to be cone, in an unknown
quantity; the RECEPTIONS proving the
rule.
In Bennington, right here at home,
there exists at least two examples OF
the opposite and blessed charac-
teIistic. The late Rufus B. Godfrey,
Iamong other benafactions, left at
least ten thOusant dollars (which
has already accumulated an addition
al FIVE hundred dollars), to the town
for benevole, purposes OF
which is mentioned In his will as a
hospital. What are the people OF
} Bennington going to do about this
gift? There are no strings attached A.;
the legacy does not lapse because an
equal sum shall not be raised: Meth
er is it placed in the hands of cor
poration to do as they will, even to
, the building of huge trust machine
for doing good or i'll: but the God
frey legacies are. for charitable pur
poses.
Just note the spirit of the two and
diverse methods.
Another son of Vermont has beer
engaged for years in patriotic ant
benefcent labor, doing good with his
accumulations consequent upon
long lifetime of labor; seeing will
his mortal eyes what benefit to the
community money judiciously expend
ed can do. Cannot such an one b,
induced TO supplement (within hi
means), the legacy of Mr.. Godfrey, 81
! that Bennington may possess it's hos
pital during the life of his genera
ton? There are others, but one in
stance is cited as representative o
the whole.
Does this town need hospital
Not one OF the great city institutions
called by that name, but an UMPIRE
tentious institution OF moderate cos
and equipment; where. at least, con
tagious cases like scarlet fever ant
diphtheria may receive proper care
beside. assuring the safety OF tn
people Ask anyone or all OF tn
eighteen physicians practising in thi
ltown? Ask any one or all of tn
families which have been inhicte,
with scarlet fever during the fisca
year ending with January 81. 1910
Ask the health authorities? Figur
out what more than one hundre
cases within the past FIVE years hav
r. cost, and then reply. 1t would hav
Isayed expense to both the tow
( treasury and the people involved ha
q there been suitable place provide
: (even If rented, to care for thes
patients.
This is a question with one side
and these thoughts are penned t
n Stir up our men of means to tn
4 good works, on which the blessing
=. promised"
!" Who will be first to add to tn
J, legacy OF S10,500?
D II. L. Stillson, Health officer
Bennington, VT Mar. Is, 1910.