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one-half of it to the Widows’ Home, with the suggestion that the buildinjr for the two institutions might be constructed together, so us to economize, both in building and tbo after expense of maim taiuing the inmates. The old house can be sold and the proceeds of house and lot used in building the now one, which, with the moneys promised by friends, they hope to build tlreir portion of the house. There aro three flsesl trustees, who have charge of the property and funds of the corporatioa. The first Trustees were A. M. Taylor. A. E. Chamberlain, and H. A. Iloldeu. The present Trustees are John Blnllito, Edward Sargent, and C. H. Gould. It is not out of place to say that from the lirst the fund has been wisely and judiciously invested. TJie management of the house and inmates is under the control of twenty-four ladies elected each year by the annual subscribers. The paymeut of $3 a year constitutes the subscriber a memlier of the corporation, with a right to vote and no legal liability. I stop here to say to persons seeking investments that there are tio bettor stocks in the market. Applicants for admission must be of good moral character, not less than sixty years of age. When received they have a home for the remainder of their lives. The average age of the present inmates is seVent3r-fonr years. The discipline adopted, for order and rules must prevail in such a household, lias beeuw|fft a view to make the iMTltrtTidlf n home to the Inmates.Toe affairs of the institution, including the details of the household, are carefully watched overby the managers. To this end the managers are individed iuto committees of two, and in weekly rotation superintend the house. There are in addition, committees ou admission, church, real estate, olothiug. dry goods, auditing, groceries, sewiug, knitting, coal, festival and advisory. The action of all these several committees are directed and revised by the entire Board, monthly. The managers also collect the annual dues from the subscribers. * * *T11 K OLD ItSN’g IfOMH.Abraham M. Taylor, long » resident of Cincinnati, died in New Jersey'. December 24, 1873, leaving by bis will $10,000 for a home for “respectable indigent old men.” to be located in Cincinnati. and called “The Old Men’s Home of Cincinnati.” provided $50,000 additional be raised to perfect the plan. The $50,000 has been raised. The subscribers to th«* $50,000 are not numerous— scarce a dozen well known citizens have subscribed the most of it. When the money was all subscribed, they became incorporated, Edward Sargent, Anthony H. Hinkle and John Shiilito as Trustees. They purchased this lot of land, sold one half of it to the Widows, and with the Widows' Home have undertaken the erection of a house thrft will accommodate both institutions. T ‘ 4t: y I’ . |To-day the donors to these two charities lay the corner-8tone4»f a structure m which for long years to come it is hoj*ed many poor and worthy men aud women will find shelter, an asylum, and a heme. The corner-stone, so laid by the hand of charity, is for tee aged aud indigent, who have no hearthstone of tttcirown. Above this corner-stone w ill be built .1 hearthstone around which no young, joyous life shall ever grow, but beside which do we pi l ace will sit in peace and comfort, ministered to by fair bauds until their life shall gently pass away.The building will be completed iu 'September, 1880. The p.an coiitempla es a front of 237 feet from east to west, three stories high. The center building runs l»aek north 180 feet deep by 3G feet wide, and contains the chapel, dining rooms, kitchen, and domestic offices. On each side of the center building Su front wre tiie connecting wiugs, containing parlors, reception room?, offices, c., 40 fee* deep, and oast aud westof these are tbo Widows’ Home andOUl Mmii’s fltinitt nrnnor heintr fnrt.v-tvvn f. And now, last but not least, comes the foundation for the Old Men’s Home.And where shall wo look for a pleasanter, a more grateful scene than this? Here iu the midst of the beauties of Walnut Hills, in this uplifted suburb,where tbe pure air of heaveu steals through ourthe fragrance of the lawn and the vinelocks, andweos our senses, here amid the melody of the songsters of the grove, here let there bo rest for the weary; here from this Paradise on earth let them lovingly depart to that other and better Paradise in the world to come.Aud after this the exercises closed with the ableaddress of George R. Sage, Esq.:Geo. R. Sage’s Address.This enterprise needs no commendation In words. It commends and glorifies itself. No language can match the eloquence of its silent appeal—a HOWE FOR WIDOWS AND FOR OLD MEST.Honor and respect and care for the aged and the infirm. They honor themselves who provide for them. Anderssen, the Swedish traveler, tells of a tribe in Central Africa whose moat solemn oath was. by the tears of their mothers. They could not have been wholly savage. Man must be thoroughly depraved and heartless not to feel and recognize the impulse to care for those to whom age comes etouded by misfortune and destitution. Noone of us is exempt from the liability, Wealth.that blessing if used, that curse if abused, is a thing that comes and goes. The wit of man has not devised any certain escape from the reverses of fortune. Fires will burn, floods destroy, thioves break through and steal, securities become worthless and values dis appear. Adversity with stealthy, tireless step follows close upon prosperity, and none can tell when good fortune may turn to ill. Do what we will, we can not escape the decree of the Almighty “in the sweat of thy face 3halt thou eat bread tillthou return unto the ground,”—so inexorable andyet so gracious, that he who makes no attempt to evade it, .fins, upon the whole, least of the cares and troubles of life. Wealth is therefore no guaranty to any one against the necessity for snohinstitutions as this. Here will be a home flt;flr men who, after fighting the battle of life long and well, and contributing largely to the wealth and prosperity of the city, at last unfortunate, are reduced to poverty and helpless old age; and here, too, women who have seen better days, but have come to the evening of life in the desolation of loneliness and want, will find a retreat where they will call down the choicest blessings of heaven upon their generous benefaotors.Who that is able can refuse to give for this moot i noble—charity shall I call it?—no, beautiful outgrow! h of the brotherhood of humanity, and of ilie influence of religion. Intelligent selfishness, if no higher motive, should prompt ample contributions. He who gives adds to his abiiityKo acquire. Nothing so cramps, confines and belittles the better and stronger faculties of man as hoarding with miserly clutch the accumulations of wealth.. Avarice is the hardest of task masters, aud has the meanest and narrowest of God’s ereat-tures for its followers. Gold, if it close the aveu-ues to the heart, is the most perilous possession ofearth. lt;£But he who gives freely of his abundance, continually broadens and strengthens himself. He cultivates and tilings into active play the higlier aud nobler faculties of ids nature, and promotes the symmetrical and well-rounded* development of a man growing in the image of his Maker. The red blood courses freely through his s3‘»tem, andlie can sleep soundly and sweetly without reason to hate and despise himself. There is philosophyas well as scripture for the declaration that “the liliernl soul shall lie made fat.” The niggardly man was doubtless originally created in the image of his Maker, but he has so perverted the purposes of Ins creation that the likeness is no longer distinguishable.
Newspaper Details
Cincinnati Commercial
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Thu, Jul 03, 1879
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Cincinnati A.
OH, USA 21 Oct 2022
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