The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-11-08
ENDOWMENT MAY Be
INCREASED
The Worthy and Unfor-
tunate Poor
{. A. Coffin, Distinguished Son OF
SkoNhegan, Shows Interest In
Local Philanthrophy


public nature, made in the will of
Abner Coburn, there appeared the
following:
give and bequeath to the Town of
Skowhegan, for the worthy and un-
fortunate Poor, and to save them from
pauperies, to be funded, and one-half
of the income of the same to be ex-
pended by Woman's Aid Society,
formed for that purpose, Twenty
Thousand Dollars.
Governor Coburn died in 1885. Very
soon after this the Woman's Aid So
ciety was organized. The original
executive board consisted of: Mrs.
Helen S. Coburn, president Mrs. Jen-
ME s. Richards. vice president; Mrs.
Mary e. Page, secretary; Mrs. Mary
r. Philbrick, treasurer; Mrs. Glenn
entine A. Weston; Mrs. Mary c. Wes-
ton, Mrs. Mary w. Varney, Mrs. Ella
Pooler, Mrs. Ellen Gt Priest, Mrs.
Caroline w. Estes, Mrs. PAMELA S.
Fuller.
All of these are now gone, but we
should remember them for their faith
full services and especially for the
care and intelligence with which they
discharged their first duty. AT the
very first session after perfecting the
organization, they faced the question
of interpreting the clause in the Co
burn will under which they were to
act.
1t was at once apparent to them
that the income ofstbis hequest, ex-
pected to be about $1,000 annually,
could not relieve all of the need which
would be sure to manifest itself in
Skowhegan. Therefore, not because
they we're narrow either in heart or
soul or vision, not because they did
not have charity as broad as the
world, but because they wished to
carry out their trust in the wisest
manner and, so far as they could de-
termine, according to the wish of the
man who had created it. they made
the Interpretation which has ever
since guided the work of the Woman's
Aid. This fund, therefore, has been
dispensed where peculiar circum-
stances seemed to indicate that it
might be most fittingly applied Above
all things the board has sought that
there should be little or no humilia-
ton incident to the relief.
Where carried out in this way it is
of necessity unassuming and unspec
tacular. Were it possible for the
board to completely establish its
ideals the public would never know
that its work was going on at all.
OF course this is not possible and we
do occasionally hear of their actiYi-
ties but the major part of its accom-
plishments are nearly or quite un-
known.
The fund has been added to but
twice, a bequest of S2072 from Mrs.
Lizzie M. Page and of $4,000 from
Caroline ReddingtOn in memory of her
sister Lydia r. Bradford.
Now comes, through the thoughtful
ness of one of Skowhegans most dis
tinguished sons, an opportunity to in
crease this endowment under such
circumstances that the amount local
ly donated will become doubly effec-
tive. This plan is fully explained
in the letter which appears below.
While 1t is desirable that substantial
sums be donated anyone wishing to
contribute small amount need not
be deferred 1t should be remember
ed that every dollar will, by the plan
proposed by Mr. Coffin, become doubly
effective Each donor can have the
satisfaction of knowing that his con-
tribution will bless the needy OF his
own town during the first year after
the giving and for every year there
after during all times.
Where desirable a fund may be Civ
nf HanauCaI frtonH n
relative and thus their name perpe-
tlIated In the most agreeable manner
possible to future generations. Any
member of the present board, Miss
Hannah II. Page, president; Mrs. Ada
r. Dascombe, vice president; Mrs.
Mary W. Emery. secretary; Miss Clara
B. Varney, treasurer: Mrs. Margaret
X. Goodrich, Mrs. Celeste Roullard,
Mrs Eugenia Merriam, Mrs. Mary NJ.
Greenway Mrs. Eva II. Greenwood,
Miss Gertrude S. Weston will be glad
to furnish further information to any
one interested. Payments may be
made to anyone of the above.
Mr. Coffin's letter follows:
July 5th, 1928.
Mr.. Maurice p. Merrill,
Skowhegan, Maine.
My dear Sir.
In pursuance of informal letters
which | have written to Miss Gertrude
Weston with respect to my co-operat-
ing in some public movement to In
crease the endowment fund of your
Woman's Aid Society and your Viii
lage Park, l make the following pro-
posal;
That il before January 1, 1924 you
shall have made a public appeal for