Division Severn — soCieTary. 



521 



object. The first officers were : Mrs. Mary S. Mosher, president ; Mrs. 

 Elizabeth R. Townsend, vice-president ; Mrs. H. Dyer, secretary ; Mrs. 

 Hester J. Griffith, treasurer. And a board of managers composed of one 

 from each church represented in the society. In 1890, and each year since, 

 the collection taken up at the Union Thanksgiving service has been given to 

 this society; and the sum total, together with other freewill offerings, has 

 been for the five years $793. 35. In the same time about 900 articles of 

 clothing were received and given out. During 1894 about 150 visits were 

 made to families needing aid and Christian sympathy, besides visits to 

 prisons and hospitals. The Thankgiving collection this year was $59.32 ; 

 the individual offerings, $48.55 in cash and $100 value in food supplies. 

 With, these means, 48 distressed families were aided ; and 300 articles of 

 clothing donated were placed where there was suffering need. On Thanks- 

 giving day 23 families received dinners, groceries and clothing. It is a 

 principle with this society not to get up any balls, fairs, suppers, bazars, 

 concerts or public entertainments of any sort, to raise charity funds by in- 

 direct methods. All their resources are from freewill offerings, made 

 directly and purposely for this Christlike work. Officers in 1885: Mrs. S. 

 K. Bosley, president ; Mrs. A. F. Keyes, vice-president ; Mrs. Dyer, secre- 

 tary ; Miss E. E. Fish, treasurer. 



MoNTCLAiR Children's Home. — 

 About August I, 1 89 1, Dr. J. R. Town- 

 send was appointed superintendent for 

 Southern California of the National Child- 

 ren's Home Society (headquarters at 

 Chicago), devoted to the work of getting 

 homeless children into childless homes ; 

 and Mrs. Townsend was made assistant 

 superintendent. They opened a temporary 

 home to take in and care for homeless 

 waifs until they could be placed in suit- 

 able familes either by guardianship or le- 

 gal adoption. In 1892, a Rev. D. D. was 

 authorities as their general 



xiQrc .tiicL* 



MONTCLAIR CHILDREN'S HOME— iSgS- 



sent here from the Chicago 

 superintendent in California, whose manner 

 was such that the whole business seemed to be a mere begging machine 

 for raising money to pay his salary of $2,000 a year and expenses; and 

 our people didn't hanker for that sort of " charity." 



The Montclair* Children's Home Association was organized December 

 20, 1893, with Hon. P. M. Green, D. Galbraith, Rev. C. C. Reynolds, 

 Mrs. S. V. Maxfield, Ernest Canfield, Henry Cooley, Dr. J. R. Townsend, 

 as board of trustees ; and a State charter was granted them January 11, 



*The name " Montclair " was given to this Home by Dr. Townsend and wife, as a memorial to 

 their little son of this name, who died on the island of Jamaica, "West Indies, while they were in service 

 as missionaries there. 



