OCR Text |
Show FUNDS FOROI)D CHARITIES. The Practice of Establishing Them Is Growing. (New York Sun.) Observant persons are pointing out that among the charitably inclined, both in this city and elsewhere, there is a growing disposition to establish private trusts or funds for specific benevolent be-nevolent purposes. Curiously enough, although ' New Yorkers have always given away large sums every year to charity, and in all probability will always continue to do so, the great bulk of the money, so far, has been divided among, organized charities. cha-rities. Every now and again, it is true, some unusually generous bequest has led to the establishment of a home or a hospital, but as a rule the enterprise later has had to depend cn subscriptions subscrip-tions from the many. Machine made, rather than hand made, charity, some people say, haa always al-ways been in the lead for the reason that the machine made variety 3aves the individual a lot of trouble. But it seems certain that the private f u id plan of benevolence is coming into vogue. Many people first began to realize this 'circumstance about a year ago when John M. Burke, whose name hitherto had never appeared prominently promi-nently in charity subscription lists, calmly announced ,that it was his wish and purpose to set aside the income in perpetuity of $4,000,000, or practically practic-ally his entire fortune for charity, and that this large sum would be distributed distribut-ed by almoners appointed by himself. Mr. Burke's determination was discussed dis-cussed industriously the length and breadth of the country. Questions by mail came pouring in from all points of the compass. In answer to these queries it was announced that the object ob-ject of the fund was two fold first. to establish a convalescent hospital for the poor; second, to aid respectable persons who through illness or accident were in financial straits. That Mr. Burke was thoroughly in earnest was proven by the fact that legal machinery was at once put to work to arrange for the incorporation of the "Winifred Mas-terson Mas-terson Burke Relief Foundation," as the fund is called, and the preparing of a trust deed and the appointment of four trustees. This, in brief, is the history of one of the largest private funds ever established estab-lished in New York in the name of charity.. It is predicted, though, that it will be followed by many others, so contagious is example. Only the other day word came from St. Paul. Minn., that under the terms of the will of Mrs. Cornelia Day Wilder Wil-der Appleby, the bulk of her estate, valued val-ued at more than $1,000,000, is to be invested in-vested for the benefit of the worthy poor of St. Paul, regardless of color or creed and independently of any organized organ-ized charity. Mrs. Appleby makes the somewhat curious proviso that no politician- nor any public officer who may become a politician, shall have anything any-thing to do with the administration of the charity. The history of private charity funds in New York begins so far back as the year 1T92 with the establishment of the "dole" by John Leake, a wealthy philanthropist phi-lanthropist (as wealth was counted in those days), who was a member of Trinity church. One clause in his will specifically stated: "I hereby give and bequeath to the rector and vestrymen of Trinity parish 1,000 ($5,000), put out at interest, the income to be laid out in six-penny wheaten loaves of bread to be distributed among the poor." It is scarcely necessary to say that Mr. Leake's wish has been faithfully executed for more than 100 years. The distributing station for "the Leake dole of bread" is now at St. John's chaDel. in varick street, where every Saturday morning, rain or shine, sixty-seven loaves of bread are distributed to poor women and children of the parish who come after them. In all probability, so long as there are any poor on Manhattan Manhat-tan island, which doubtless will be until the millennium sets in, Mr. Leake's dole of six-penny bread will continue to feed the hungry once a week. There have been three interesting private funds established of late years in New York, all of which are due to the generosity of women. One is the Havens Relief, established in 1886 at the death of Mrs. Charles Havens, who left a large sum in trust and specific directions for its disposal. The interest of the money is absolutely at the command com-mand of a committee of almoners named by Mrs. Havens, whose places will be filled from time to time by friends willing to carry on the work. The beneficiaries are the poor and distressed dis-tressed of either sex who need help. The Du Bois fund,, which was started a year later, is managed on much the samelines, although its aim, which is in fulfillment of the wishes of Mrs. Du Bois, the donor, is to help respectable sick persons to get the care of trained nurses. Mrs. Talbot Olyphant is almoner-in-chief, and no one knows better than she the tremendous need there is in some quarters of New York for not only the interest of the Du Bois fund, but of a sum ten times, as large if it was forthcoming. The Sophia fund of $20,000, established estab-lished in 1900 to help children under 6 years of age, is due to the generosity of Mrs. Hudgons, who long before her death was planning and working for its establishment. By the provisions of her will the interest of the fund is set apart for rescuing small children from disreputable surroundings and niacins thom wlttl rocnnntilhln .nnlr ers and for looking after them if necessary nec-essary until they are able to earn a living. A purely personal enterprise which will undoubtedly lead to the establishment establish-ment of a large private fund for its maintenance, if, indeed, the fund is not already set aside. Is the Fresh Air park at Richmond Beach, Staten island, isl-and, which Charles M. Schwab, president presi-dent of the United States Steel corporation, corpora-tion, is putting at the disposal of the poor children of New York. Mr, Schwab alone is responsible for the inception in-ception of the Fresh Air park, and from beginning to end the project, including in-cluding running expenses, will cost no one, other than the projector, one cent. The sixty-five acres of land, theNcom-fortable theNcom-fortable pavilions and buildings erected near the beach and the big Iron steamer Happy Day, built at the Crescent ship yard. Elizabethport. are owned absolutely abso-lutely by "this man of steel with a warm heart for children," as one of his admirers called him the other day. When the Happy Day goes into commission, com-mission, which will probably be early in the summer. 1.000 New- York children chil-dren will be on board bound for a day's free outing by the sea, with plenty, to eat thrown in. Better still, this attractive at-tractive programme will be followed every, single week day until autumn. "It is doubtful if there is another strictly private charity in existence," said a worker, in the tenements, "that means so much to the poor youngsters of New York a3 this one does." |