The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-23
WHO STARTED THE Y. W. c.?
Doc" Miller Claims He Was the Man
and Gives Some Early History

DOC" Miller Claims He Was the Man
and Gives Some Early History
Who started the Young Woman's
Club?
No one appears to know. Stroud
ed in misty past of good works the
Young Womans Club, like the ia
nous Topsy, was never born. 1t just
"growed." Now it is one of the lead
ing organizations Of the town while
those who launched the enterprise
went down the ages unwept, unhonor-
ed and unsung
But there is one man in town who
objects to being unwept, unhonored Or
unsung. This person is one Charles
II. Miller, otherwise known to accli-
mated Benningtonians as DOC" Mil
Ter. Doe Miller started the Young
Womans Club He is real positive
about it. In proof OF which, if one has
the time and inclination, one may
have the whole history of that organi-
cation back for the past 80 years from
the alleged founder himself and the
narration of events leading to its for
nation ares 0 logical, chronological
and concise that they have the semb-
lance of fact
According to Docs story, way back
| in the dark ages, arount1 the winter OF
| 1888 or SO there were large number
of destitute families about town who
were little previous in their antici-
| patton of the hard times of four years
later-anyhow i'll the parlance of our
| day, they were exceedingly hard up
and Christmas found number OF
| children without promise of sufficient
! clothing and shoes for winter to say
nothing Of toys
Doc Miller whose business about
town brought him in touch with some
| OF these cases, decided that the child
rem should have hats and shoes il
they went through the winter with
out anything else, and on Mr.. Mller's
willing shoulders fell the self-impos
ed burden OF interesting Bennington
people in Christmas needs for the
children.
Doc at first called on Miss Harriet
Morgan who at that time conducted
a millinery establishment on Main
street. Although 1888 happened il
those Elysian days before styles from
Paree raised an annual ruckus witt
! the customs of milady's headwear
Miss Morgan naa accumulated
a stock of chidren's and mis-
SEES hats that Mr.. Miller de
cided would do more good on bare
headed children in those genuine old
fashioned Bennington winters thar
waiting 25 years on Miss Morgan's
shelves for the styles to swing ROUND
again into fashion The Doctor per
suaded her to make a contribution.
He next tackled the clothing stores
and shoe emporums. Miss Morgan's
| donation stampeded an avalanche o.
gratis clothing and it kept up till af
ter the first of the year Then Mr.
Miller wanted money-because II
seemed poor policy to clap hat free
on the head of chider with hungry
tummy-and TO do the thing right he
felt the gooG work ought to include
a snack OF Christmas and New YeaI
| groceries for deserving cases.
The Doc was highly indignant in
going to one man to be asked out
right what assurance the donors had
! that the money would reach the fami
lies whose circumstances the Doc out
lined
1T was the first time in my life
that was ever taken for a theft
explained Doc.
SO the good work grew until it was
too large for Mr. Miller to manage
unaided. Consequently some of the
ladies in the Baptist church where
Mr.. Miller was Jealous worker,
were enlisted to distribute the gifts
and aid him in getting the best re-
suits out OF the cold hard cash which
public-spirited citizens dug from the
jeans which were lin them days
wore
Library hall was donated for one
day and Doc harnessed UP his old
horse which he kept in those halcyon
days before oats we're SIX cents per