Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-09
GEORGIA AS SEEN THROUGH
EYES OF A BOSTON EDITOR

Robert Lincoln O'Brien in the Bostol
Herald on returning from Atlanta, wher
he spoke at the exercises in honor of tn
memory of Henry w. Grady.)
Among many interesting sights
and scenes in a hurried visit to the
south. nothing impressed me more
than Forrest Adair at the hospita
for crippled children, iujst outside
Atlanta. which the Scottish Rite or.
der of Freemasons gre maintaining
In this w,av let me Introduce Atlanta
Here is a business man of rare
acumen, whose age may be CLEANED
from the maze Forrest" which his
father, cavafryman under the ia
nous Confederate ranger, bestowed
upon the War-born baby-a name
which has been sent down another
generation to Forrest Adair, Jr. The
head of a great trust company, tn
owner of a palatial house, Mr.. Adail
began life collecting rents for his
fathers real estate office. One of the
early tenants whom he visited or
his rounds was young lawyer
starting in practive named Wood
row Wilson.
Mr.. Adair now shows something
more than a hobby. He is coming tc
Boston to speak on June In re1a.
CIoh " II. L nat Is ILLS HOSplIdI IOl
the treatment of crippled children
from 2H over the southland.
Only those who are absolutely
without means are admitted to the
wonders which this age OF surgical
triumphs in a hospital particularly
devoted 10 this problem can accom-
plish. Of all TIE grueson1e sights ir
the world, the patients as they come
in to this hospital seem the most
ca oh "a
get about except on their hands anc
knees, like animals; others have
been so hideous in deformity thai
the parent has never allowed them
to be seen by visitors or ever
neighbors, but has kept them ii
hiding of some sort. There are chill
dren all the way down to ordinary
tubercular hips and backs anc
joints, to the varied products OF
crude and unintelligent treatment
of wounds and fractures earlier ir
life, and the pathetic products Of
infantile paralysis.
Community Service
For their rebuilding Mr.. Adail
has constructed a series of build
ings on the cottage plan, banked
by screened sleeping porches, witt
runways instead of stairs, so thai
and under the trees. They have al
sorts of amusements and devices
of the wheelchair variety. Not only
has the Scottish Rite order, which
has undertaken this work, but the
community as a whole, under his
leadership, put its shoulder to the
wheel The bar bers of Atlanta
cheerfully do their work. free Of
charge, and have raised a fund TX
buy a barber shop equipment fol
these peculiarly-shap custome S
The dentists in the town in the
same way reflect the work of oul
Forsyth dental infirmary. A grea'
surgeon there, with more than 10
cal reputation, leads off in deciar,
ing that such skill as the Lor9 ma ma
given him is at the service of the
Lords unfertunates. And beyond
deriving a good, substantial income
from the people who can afford tc
pay, insists that his eXactlng anc
laborious services shall be abso-
lutely free to these patients. others
connected with the institution fol
lowed suit, until it has become
great example of community public
Spirit. And the homes of poverty
and want throughout the neighbor,
ing states are being combed fo'
this type CT unfortunate, about
whose coming no question is asked
and for whose help not one penny
of support is expected
To the ordinary observer without
medical education, the first slght OF
this hospital is distressing IN the eH'
IRENE. But Mr.. Adair, who knows
every case in detail, the children IL
return calling him by name, gloWs
with enthusiasm as he points out the
task before the surgeon in the mos
difficult of all cases. No owner of
stable of thoroughbreds could snow
off the points of his various animals
with greater pride and enthusiasm
than Mr. Adair shows the worse mis-
shapen forms of the little innocents
in MS pictures of what time and sur
gerry will do to bring them relief
And then he pulls out of his pocket
letters that he has received from
pupils in neighboring colleges, who
have stood at the heads of thell
the world through the ministratlor
of this hospital, and but for it
could hardly limp about This mar
is always on call at the hospital
Questioned as to it's financial re-
sources, he would say nothing ex'
cept that the order, aided by the
people of Atlanta, We're bearing Its
told me, in pardonable eXaggera:
tion that whenever any financial
emergency arose, or any new costs
came in sight, there were ~ rlcE
men in Atlanta who would respond
But" said this surgeon. they
send their checks by return mail
Adair doesn't wait for that; hG
sends by messenger
The enthusiasm of this man fol
his work; his delight in these poor
unfortunates, his giving of himselt
as well as of his money, made this
picture one of sweetness. I hope II
eventual recognition Of his work
when his own days in 1t are hnal!E
numbered. that the institution vii
spread on it's walls a painting en-
bodying the beautiful legend OF ST
Christopher.
Georgia's Big Heart
have gone out of my way tt
tell this story of Mr.. Adair, en-
tirely representative of the gener
osity and enthusiasm of the At
lantians, because We, at distance
are so much more likely to hea1
of some moral degene rate-and per
haps mental one--Iike Williams il
Jasper county, who put IL mega
poems to death to get them out o.
the way as evidence in a threaten &c
prosecution. And then we have
heard of the Frank case, with it:
varying interpretations. An English
woman told me in Singapore tina
all the news that came through
from America seemed to be of &C
cidents and explosions, till SHE
wondered that there were any peo
pie left in America. These wer
the events that made up the cable
news. SO it is with our telegraph
reports from Georgia. We heal
much of the Williams and the Franz
cases, and very little of the Adail
type and it's work. And yet he is
thoroughly typical of the best citi.
zens of Atlanta. On his desk stand