Iron County register., 1922-03-23
A Notable Achievement.

lHo iOliOWluS strOuS oultOiAoi oh
dorsement is from the Word and
Way, an ably edited Baptist paper.
Its view of the work that has been
and is being done by DR.. and Mrs.
Milford Riggs, not only for the church.
but also for humanity, is calculated to
place this resourceful and worthy
couple high in the opinion of their
host of friends and churchmen:
We refer to the founding and build
ing of our Home for Aged Baptists at
Ironton, Mo. If anyone had predict
ed that, within the few years this
Home has been in existence, there
could have been accomplished what
is now reality, our wisest brethren
would have said, "tmpossible-simply
impossible!" But the thing is done
and is still doing. The Rev. Milford
Riggs, D. D., and his energetic spouse
have done it and are doing it. Dr..
Riggs says that few years ago our
Savior laid it on his heart to build a
home for aged, worn out Baptists.
He went to Ironton, little city nest
ling in beautiful valley on the top of
the Ozark range of mountains, in
Southeast Missouri. A doctor had
sanitarium to sell. Mr.. Riggs appeal
ed to the denomination and bought
it. On this property there is owing
only 5000, and the property is easily
worth SIS, 900. Then, it seems that in
the providence of God, rich man
was sent down from st. Louis to i'm
prove wonderful farm in this fine
valley, of nearly 200 acres. He spent
$4,000 in improvements that are
mostly there yet and in reasonably
good repair. This wonderful place
was secured for the very unreasonably
small sum Of $4,000, and now this
property, worth, you would say, at
least $4,000, is purchased and paid
for. But this is not all. One of the
most superb buildings, of any sort,
owned by Missouri Baptists, ia being
pushed to completion On this beauti-
| full, great farm. The building is of
brick, and mainly of the beautiful
Missouri Red Granite. This new
building almost ready for the roof, is,
we believe, to have the equal to five
stories. The material and labor on
the building, SO far, is all paid for
$40, 900 having been expended in this
item. The work will go on. and it
looks as though it will all be paid for
when completed. We have been
thinking about the expansion Of this
wonderful plant into something still
larger, that is, including, perhaps, the
kind of home that will attract all
classes of aged ministers, where they
will spend their declining years in the
comfort they have earned. The whole
project is to us a marvellous accomp-
| lishment.
You ask: "How has it been done?"
Well, we confess we do not know how
it has all been done. One thing we
can think OF is publicity" The
Home has had little newspaper all
it's own. This little paper has CO.
operated with the state denomination
al paper. The Home is keeping itself
before the Baptists of the state
through its own, and the denomina-
tional paper by paid advertising. The
Home has no doubt been open to
some criticisms, but even these have
advertised it. Then, when a wise
committee of lawyers suggested ar
ticles of incorporation which would
relate all our Baptist schools and
philanthropic institutions to our GEN
eral Association SO as to secure their
property to the Baptists, the Home
was the very first to conform its
charter to these recommendations.
These are some things we think about,
but they seem to us only small and
inanequate explanation. God is in it.
Byrns Refutes Fess' Economy Claims With
j Harding's Statement.
i The claims of economy made by Dr..
Fess for the first year of the Harding
administration were made ridiculous
when dealt with by that master of the
subject of government finance, Repre-