Vigo County, Indiana - Chapter 34: Home for Aged Women, and Ladies' Aid Society, 1891

A VISIT to this " home," for that is its correct name, may con¬ vince the most skeptical that there are sunshiny spots in this world. The writer will never forget an afternoon call in July, 1890. He had gone on businsss with the matron, who happened to be away, and he put up his note book and turned it into a real jolly visit with the seven serene and happy " mothers in Israel " who are here peacefiilly spending the evening of their days. It is a remark¬ able household. In answer to the bell a very pleasant white-haired lady swung back the heavy door and blandly invited the visitor in. She informed him of the absence of the matron, and her willingness to attend, so far as she could, to give him the desired information about the home. This lady was Dutch, and had come with her husband from Holland forty-eight years ago. She was evidently respectably bred, and the dear old lady could not repress the tears when she recounted the sore trial it was to her pride when she first came there, where now she was living so quiet and happy. She was the youngest who was " at home " to the visitor. She led the way to the room of the venerable "Aunty" Baldy, who had just stepped out, but she was found fixing some flowers on the back porch. When told that there was a visitor she came in chattering and laughing as merry as a schoolgirl. This little old body, with her kindly eyes and motherly face, is one hundred years old, and would, were it not for defective hearing, be as pleasant and social a companion as you ever met. And looking at her and listening to her telling of herself, one could easily forget the century of her life, and see before him the innocent prattling child again of a hundred years ago.

head of North Fifth street. Great old trees furnish inviting shade all about, and a water fountain sends forth its sparkling jets of spray. The house is a most commodious mansion from basement to garret. It was originally built by Mr. John Danaldson, and afterward for a long time was the home of Col. Dowling. It is three stories high, the last story having been added by Mr. McKeen just before presenting it, and all is rich and elegant in finish, with broad porches on three sides. The rooms are spacious, and the tall ceilings and modern style windows give it a most inviting appear¬ ance. The whole is furnished with that plain elegance that wins the eye in a moment. The old ladies agreed that "Aunty" Baldy was never seriously sick; that her only trouble in this world was to prevent her companions from officiously waiting upon her, also in getting them up at 5 o'clock in the morning. They told the writer that " aunty " would trudge about through the day much as she had done one hundred years ago, and when tired out would lie down and sleep as sweetly as a baby; and now, like all babies that sleep in the day, she was up and stirring at the peep of day.

The home is in charge of the Ladies' Aid Society. The grounds and building were the gift of W. B. McKeen. There are eighteen rooms, and some of these were furnished by congregations of the different churches, and some by parties who desired to contribute to this noble charity. The Ladies' Aid Society Avas the recipient of a large charity fund from Cliauncey Bose, nearly $100,000, and the home is an auxiliary of the Bose fund in the charge of the Ladies' Aid Society. It has been supported, however, entirely out¬ side of the Bose endowment by voluntary contributions from the people. All classes take a personal interest in the home, and for its generous support fairs are held, the churches and Sunday-schools contribute freely, and Mr. Naylor every year tenders the ladies the use of the opera house free for a benefit or fair as tliev may choose. This is one of the most beautiful and inviting of the many eleemos¬ ynary institutions that can lay claim to human sympathy. It is in the hands of our pure and noble women, who have here gathered together those dear old grandmothers ; and most unfortunate indeed is the wretch who can not feel that the grounds of the home, its walks, its fountain, garden, flowers and inviting great shade trees are indeed sacred places. So quiet, clean and restful, where the withered, the broken-hearted, the crushed, and above all the deserted by their own offspring, may go and read their Bible and rest and forget the cold and cruel blasts that have swept over them, and look to heaven and commune with their God.

The conditions of admission are few and simple. Over sixty years of age; of good character, and alone and in need of a home. The chief and nearly the whole condition is included in the one item of " worthy." The low and the base are properly excluded, though their claims for charity are not denied, but they are sent elsewhere, where they are properly succored. This keeps the Home for Aged Women what it should be - as pleasant and happy a one, in truth, as any of the private homes in the city, with no more rigid rules, or sternly enforced laws and regulations than exist in any other respectable private house, where all meet in sacred love and equality. Therefore, as already said, this is a most beautiful, benign institution - the favorite of the people of the city. Nearly all the leading and business men have their names on the books for five years' subscriptions, many paying annually $100. Money, pro¬ visions, clothing - everything is represented in their lists of dona¬ tions.

Ladies' Aid Society. - May 1, 1887, this society held its twentyfifth anniversary meeting, at which the president, Mrs. Mary Morris, delivered an address of welcome, among other things saying: " This is a time of reminiscences, taking us back a quarter of a century. We remember the trials and struggles of the first dark days of the war, and we remember that all the heroes did not enlist as regular soldiers. There were heroic women who rendered good volunteer service in giving their time and strength to the work of caring for soldiers' families. This was the beginning of the good work of which the society is a representative. * * * Three only of the

The original organization of the society for the relief of soldiers' families was formed February 22, 1862. The ladies assembled to provide for the relief of distress, and conceived the design of a fes¬ tival. The first meeting was at the residence of Mrs. Washington Paddock, corner of Fifth and Poplar streets. Committees were ap¬ pointed, and all were to report at a meeting appointed at the resi¬ dence of Mrs. Sarah C. Deming. The festival was held in the din¬ ing-room of the National hotel. It was an unexpected success, but had cost the ladies untiring labor, attention and solicitude. The next day after the festival the society was formed, with the follow¬ ing named officers : Mrs. Sarah C. Deming, president ; Mrs. Mary J.

Thompson, vice-president; Mrs. Ann F. McKeen, treasurer; Mrs. Sarah J. Minshall, secretary. Visiting committees were appointed, and the good work was fairly afoot.

The long struggle with the public distress, by the ladies, their untiring and hard labors, the years of consuming anxiety and the years of horrid war went hand in hand. The first women of the country-women of rare culture and delicate refinement - forgot to be weary in well doing. Their energies and resources were^being ever more and more taxed as the ranks of the army were being filled and refilled and new calls for volunteers were finally followed by the draft that mercilessly took the poor man from his helpless young family to fill up the great red gaps of war. In this noble work met all our good women - here circles and ranks were forgotten, youth and age worked side by side - the strongest and weakest found something they could do. And after all it was left to our splendid women, like white-winged angels, with healing wings to cast the ray of sunshine from their pure and gentle souls, where the bad passions of cruel war were blasting and blackening the failface of the earth. Blessed be their names, as holy and sacred was their work of succoring and aiding want, and ameliorating the ciuelest inflictions that has ever come to a people. These were the peace ministers in the homes, in the camp hospitals, and in the highways, the alleys and the cottages of the unfortunate.

The good women worked in season and out of season in their holy mission. They were ever creating new resources and calling in new aids as the demand upon them increased. They threw open the doois of the churches and of their houses, where they would meet, sew, scrape lint and devise ways and means, and then carry them out successfully; and there was no bloody battle-field, where the wounded groaned out their lives to the glinting stars, no camp hospital where the sick and wounded did not in their extreme suf¬ fering utter prayers to heaven for the women who had aided and succored them; and in the hovels of the poor, along the noisome alleys, they went like a sweet benediction.

They held festivals and bazaars where were bartered and sold the work of their deft and nimble fingers. Concerts and amateur entertainments were given, and they called to their aid such effi¬ cient helpers as the " German Amateurs," a society managed by German ladies, who worked hard and donated freely to the Aid Society. Then there were the "Tinker Concerts," "Histrionic Associations," "Prize Concerts," "Assemblies," " Free Masons "

Normandy" by Aunt Polly Bassett's singing school, "Church Col¬ lections," etc., all called in as aids in the good work. But above all the outside aids was Chauncey Rose. He did really more than all else to make the ladies' work a complete success. He would allow neither acknowledgment nor publicity of his different con¬ tributions. His liberality was unbounded, and at all times, when the dear women were at their wits' ends what to do, save looking to heaven, would invariably come his donation of $500, $750 and $1,250, etc. When blessed wliite-winged peace came over the land, the work of the society was not ended. In the summer of 1866 their funds were very low. A meeting was held at Mrs. Mary J. Thompson's for the consideration of the subject of disbanding. The question of dissolution was a serious one, after the ties that had come of their years of work and harmony together - days of sun¬ shine and saddening storm. While the meeting was in session, a note arrived from Mr. Rose inclosing $500, and containing a special request that they should not disband, but work on, because there was much yet to do. He then expressed the wish that "the time would soon come when the legislature of Indiana would pass a law by which the society could incorporate as a benevolent society." This incident was the turning-point in the life of this noble charity. The act was passed by the State assembly, June 24, 1869, and the permanent "Ladies' Aid Society" was immediately incorporated with perpetual life. Mr. Rose then requested a meeting, at which he appeared with his lawyer, Col. W. K. Edwards, when he for¬ mally made the donation of $90,000 "to help those who try to help themselves, to seek the aged and relieve their wants, and to care for the children." Thus these good women have builded - built for all time and seasons and have builded, we may well believe, better than they knew.

Mrs. Sarah C. Deming, after such faithful work in the society as president many years, resigned. Mrs. Mary J. Thompson was elected to the vacancy, and served well until her reiqoval to Dayton, Ohio. Mrs. Thompson was succeeded by Mrs. Mary M. Morris, and the latter by Mrs. Mary C. Davis. The office of vice-president has been filled by Mrs. Mary J. Thompson, Mrs. Mary M. Morris, Mrs. Matilda Durham and Mrs. E. W. Parker.

Mrs. Sarah J. Minsliall held well and faithfully the position of secretary until the present year, and was succeeded by Mrs. Sarah L. Condit. Mrs. Ann F. McKeen, the treasurer, resigned her posi¬ tion in 1874, and was succeeded by Mrs. Anna M. Warren. The only corporate member the society had lost by death at the time of their twenty-fifth annual meeting was Mrs. Ann F. McKeen, at whose house so many gatherings had been held; and one mem¬ ber of the visiting committee, Miss Sallie Summers.

The income of the society is about $6,000 a year. In 1887 the annual report shows on the list that were visited fifty-two "old aunties," in ages from seventy to ninety-eight, and the poor chil¬ dren numbered 600.

The present officers are Mrs. Mary C. Davis, president; Mrs. E. W. Parker, vice-president; Mrs. Anna M. Warren, treasurer, and Mi's. Sarah L. Condit, secretary.