The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-11
Bought Smithfield Property
in Good Faith-Must Have
Home by April l
MAKES PROPOSAL TO
OBJECTING CITIZENS
Says Association Is Willing to Make
Exchange If Citizens viii Provide
Them With Another
Suitable Site

Mrs. Lillian Milner Orr, chairman of
the building committee of the Pisgah
Mission association. has made definite
suggestion to citizens of Graymont for
the future location of Pisgah Home.
Mrs. Orr points out that the association
has bought and paid for its new home
in North Smithfield, and says that if
citizens who object to this location will
secure a place equally as suitable. they
are willing TO exchange. She adds that
the lease on the present home in West
End expires April l. that buildings suit
able for immediate, occupancy are on the
Smithfield property, and that the COM
mittee has done everything possible ITO
accommodate prejudice which is of a re-
cent and perhaps fostered growth
Explains the Situation
Mrs. Orr also makes public a statement
definiting the situation which reads:
1T is due the friends and supporters
Of the Pisgah Mission that a statement
should be made by their buying commit
tee of their reasons for buying the prop
erty now owned by them in what is de-
scribed in the abstract as North Smith
field.
When the board of trustees decided
that in view of the many other worthy
causes that would be before the public
this spring, we could not expect the
generous citizens of Birmingham to help
us finance large building proposition,
we decided to buy this property which
had been offered to us at what we con-
sidared q yerv ron uono bla r,rioe Uf front q
$50 feet on Lucy avenue and 200 on
Joseph street.
ION this lot are two buildings. One a
very good four room cottage and large
building built for a school house. The
rooms in this building are very large
with good ventilation and plenty of light
1t is good building for our work. Lucy
avenue is improved for two blocks on
the east of this place. At the end of these
two blocks 1 cannot say where it goes.
At any rate, our street improvements are
paid for on Lucy avenue.
For this property we paid $1,000 IN cash
and gave a note for $1,000 at per cent
interest.
This property has been In Mr.. Earle's
possession for quite long time and he
sold at no increase beyond his purchase
price, because it did not seem attractive
to buyers. The very large house was to
ordinary purchas a drawback, but to
the Pisgah mission 1t brought the value
to us up to 5000.
After consulting some competent Judge
of buildings, I told Mr.. Earle we would
take this property I asked for some
few days to get our money together and
comply with all necessary formalities
This was some time in January. Our
intention was at first to pay $500 cash.
but as Mr.. Earle made US a very favor
able proposition on a larger cash pay
ment, we took a little more time and
raised the other $500.
No Misconduct Ever Found
"No charge of misconduct had ever
been made and sustained against the
Pisgah mission, nor has any been made
and sustained since the time we pur
chased the property. We have been two
years where we are on Tuscaloosa ave-
nue. and no charge of misconduct has
been proven. When 1 went to pay Mr..
Earle, he told me he had been waited
on DY a COHiiilltlee IIDlll dIdJIlO1L WHO
had insisted on his cancelling his con-
tract with me- This, Mr.. Earle refused
to do, stating at the time that he had
lived within three blocks of the Pisgah
Home since its beginning and had never
seen anything there which would make
them undesirable residents of any dis
trict. The complaint made before the
commission was that the women walked
from the cottage where they lived up to
the main building for their meals and for
nravers. and that the patrons of the
school objected to the home on account
of its being opposite a large public
school.
.sWhen the Graymont people objected,
spent one week hunting another prop
ertv. 7 thought we had bargain when
bought it, and / knew it after canvass
ing the district.
II have met any and everyone who has
anproa ched me on this subject in the
most friendly spirit and have done every
thing that 1 can possibly do to accom-
modate prejudice which / submit is of a
recent and perhaps fostered growth.
Innocent Purchasers
eve are innocent purchasers OF prop
erty which seems much more vaua BILE
70 MS than TO anyone else. we are law
a hiding citizens. We have a right to
occupy our property bought in good
faith We expect to build a small chapel
ourselves, but DR.. Oxnams converts be-
come good members of the First Metho-
dist church--far from damaging a church.
we are helping in the only way to build
one up.
"We have no desire to place the peo-
rle who compose our household where
they Will be unwelcome. We do not adj
nit that our institution can be danger
Gus to the morals of any citizen, either
infant or aged, but in order that our
inmates may not make further acquain-
tsrees with the hostility of the world,
we have offered in exchange and have
asked for a business proposition from
the people who object to us. My own
idea based upon some acquaintance with
others in this city is. there are few
rleces Of property for sale at $50 front
foot with or without buildings
"Our lease on our present building ex-
pires the first of April. We gave our
landlord notice two months ago that we
would not renew IT.. The function of the
buying committee was not only to buy
a property, but to provide home for
our people by the first of April We
hat-a honorably diecha rpaI this function