Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-05
CORNER stone
LAID IN RAIN
But Bad Weather Did Not
Dampen the Spirits of
Danish Society

| T. spite of the heavy rain yester-
| day afternoon $50 members and
friends of Sygeforeningen Dana at
tended laying of the cornerstone
| of the new building of that society
at the corner of Market and Oal
streets. The laying of the corner
stone marked period in the histor,
of this society that will long bt
| cherished in the memory of the
| members. A splendid program haG
been arranged for the occasion ana
this was carried out according to
schedule. The only change made
| necessary in the plans by the rain
W the serving of the refreshments.
These were to have been served on
the ground, but because of the wet
Gather were served at Frem Hall,
to which place the audience ad-
Journed as soon as the cornerstone
| ceremonies were over.
The ceremony began with the
playing of an orchestra selection fol-
| lowed by the singing of the Star
Spangled Banner" by the "Frem"
Singing Society. The first addrc IS
was by Rev. Svend Kjaer. pastor
| of st. Stephens Danish Evangelical
Lutheran church. Rev. Mr.. kjaer
spoke on tho success of the society
and the work it has accomplished
| in this city. He told of the need OF
an organization of this kind and
urged that it be carried forward to
greater accomplishments. He en-
phasized the necessity of unity and
recalled the words: IF we don't
hang together, we will hang sepa-
rate ly."
An address by N. C. Nielsen on the
| history of Dana" proved very in
teresting. Mr.. Nielsen laid stress on
/ the fact that a great deal of the
credit for the advancement and sue
cess of the Dana Society in this city
IS due to the efforts of its founders
He told how on September II, 1884,
| six citizens of Perth Amboy, of Dan
/ ish birth met at the home of Jens
! Anderson, in Prospect street, to con-
| slider the formation of a Danish Re-
| lief Society. These meetings were
! continued until October 26 of that
year. on which date the society was
organized with twenty charter mem
| bers, for the purpose of accumulat-
ing fund, through the payment of
monthly dues, from which to pay
benefits to members in cases of sick
ness or accident and to aid in de-
fraying funeral expenses.
The meetings of the society were
held at the home of Mr.. Anderson
until January 1855. after which time
they were held at the home of j Ems
Christian Iverson in State street. on
June 23, 1887. the society rented the
upper floor of the building located
at 107 Smith street and meetings
were held there until December,
1895, during which month meetings
were arranged for in the Mccormick
Building, No. 9O-92 Smith street.
on June 4, 1898, ground was
broken for Dana hall, which was
erected in Smith street near the
Central Railroad. The building
which was to cost $6.425 was
erected by Carl c. NJ. Christensen,
the first meeting being held in it in
November of that year. This prop
erty was sold to Emil Koyen and
Adolph Koyen on August /, 1920.
the purchase price being $65,"00.
Since the organization of the So
ciety, it has grown from the original
twenty members to the present
membership of over 500. 1t has paid
out in sick benefits $4,000. in
death benefits $1S,500, and in dona-
tions, 81 900.
Following a selection by the or
chestra. Mayor William c. Wilson,
laid the corner stone. In a short
address he informed the members of
the society that he was pleased to
be present. and that his part on the
program consisted more of the op-
Grafton of laying the stone than in
words. He spoke of the interest
the Danish people of the city are
taking in civic affairs and of the
work done for the cummunity by the
Danish residents.
CONTINUED on page two)