USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Essex county, N.J., illustrated > Part 11
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ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
after righteousness, to wear in the august presence of such as judge the man by the coat he wears. Just here we must let out the secret why so many of our eloquent divines all over the county are com- pelled (the word is spoken advisedly) to preach to empty seats just because the poor man, through the influence of some cause or another-it may be the garb he wears-and having, perhaps, been unwittingly taught not 10 " rub up agin " the broad- cloth his rich neighbor wears. There is no better place in the world to set forth the prescription which will go as far as anything known to the author toward effecting a cure of the non-church attendance evil among the people, and here we record it, viz., educate the people to the belief that they, in nine cases of every ten, are mistaken, and then let pew-holders and regular church attenders observe toward each man, woman or child which approaches a church door, such a pleasant de- meanor as to attract and not repel. It is the little things, the trifles, which govern people's ictions in this workl, and especially is this the case where they assemble, presumably to love each other and to worship Almighty God. When they come together, let all observe the kindhest and most respectful attitude, one toward the other.
Let one, and that one only, on a second or third presentation, be the infallible rule - cleanliness. There is no subject where there is a greater legree of sensitiveness. It matters not if the garment worn is patch upon patch and worn to a thread ; that must be a matter of hutle thought, but cleanliness of person must be wrought. To get at this sensitive point must be left to the dis- cretionary powers, wisdom and acuteness of those having each individual case in hand, or having the oversight in general. In our opinion, the temporal part of such an important work is far less than the whole, while the spiritual part, when taking the guidance, will direct right, as in all things connected with the teachings promulgated by the Prince of Peace and saviour of mankind. If all church affairs, as well as temporal affairs, were conducted and managed on the tenets laid down in the golden rule, those divisions, heart burn- ings and resentments so much heard of. would peacefully sleep, while peace on earth, good will toward men, would continually in- cite both men and women to do unto others as they would have others do unto them. As we are not of those who spend their time in looking for the millennium, we are not of those who believe that our lines will be followed as we have laid them out, but each can do a part. There are those, but
IRVINGTON EPISCOPAL CHAPEL.
1.
INTERIOR OF GRACE CHURCH, CORNER BROAD AND WALNUT STREETS.
mostly outside of the beautiful influences of the Christian religion, who believe or profess to believe, that our Christian ministers can and ought to do everything, even to the impossible work of making all evil doers go and work in the vineyard of the Lord Now, while we wait for the coming of him who will soon right every wrong in and about his beautiful temples, as we are positively certain the great majority of our ministers of the gospel are now doing, and to assist in holding up their hands, we will extend to them, without regard to creed, denomination or belief, the best wishes of ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUS- TRATED.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS OF ESSEX COUNTY.
A LTHOUGH the writer and author should use up the farthest reaching vocabulary that he could command and make the work replete with racy and readable sketches of men and things, making use with all his power of the dragnet for the procurement of material of the highest interest with which to fill its space, the work would not and could not be well done without giving its readers a glance, as they turn its pages, of those mighty institutions for good which stand with wide-open doors, in which tarry disciples of the " man of sorrows and who was acquainted with grief," and who, in His name, are calling, calling to the sick and afflicted, the poor and the needy, to come and accept their offerings of healing balm and the contents of bounty's hand.
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ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED
Even though our artists are showing samples of their work at every turn, and speaking pictures of factories and public school buildings should speak of their skill and grandeur from every page, yet would the book be and remain an unfinished pro- duction had not the artists transferred to its pages beautiful and representative pictures of the great eleeymosynary institutions which dot the surface of the county and its mighty industrial capital city over with the grandest and best ever planned for sweet charity's glorious purposes.
As space permits and such a tribute is due, we cannot do better than pay it in passing, since to the architect's genius and the photographer's and the engraver's skill we are indebted for the beautiful representative pictures which add so largely to the attractive and instructive character of the work. To the noble men and pure-hearted Christian women who have worked out the oppor- tunities and by their untiring efforts in the uprear- ing of these beautiful institutions, a deep debt of gratitude is due, and so long as the writer and collator of this work have the power, the tongue of praise shall never be stifled nor stilled till the debt is cancelled, so far as it is possible for us to meet such a benign and beautiful purpose. While the majority of our institutions of charity are young in years, they have a majesty of purpose which makes them old when speak- ing comparatively of the work they have done, In every- thing we say or do these ought to be somewhere, so as to be easily seen or so adroitly concealed among a purposely entangled verbiage as to require the acute sense of a sleuth hound to search it out.
As a reason for the youthfulness of our charitable institutions, is our close proximity to metropolitan New York, whose gates were ever wide open and the doors to her charitable institutions had no bolts but what were ready to spring back at our call. And thus it was that not until the necessity became all too glaring, so that every one who ran could read the handwriting
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IRVINGTON M. E, CHURCH.
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FOREST HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
on every wall, that our time had come. The writer remembers well the first "quiet hospital talks " which took place among several gentlemen who make old Trinity their church home, The venerable building in which they worship, now occupying the same ground where it stood when the British officers and soldiers led their forces in and out, occupying the church as a stable-so generous were their natures and such reverential care did they take of our churches-using the pews as stalls, the rector's dressing-room and the vestry parlor for the storage of forage stolen from our farmers, saddles, harness and war paraphernalia, etc.
Among these were the Rt. Rev. Bishop Odenheimer, the rector, Cortlandt Parker, Dr. William T. Mercer, Judge Young, J. D. Orton, Judge Gifford. W. W. Hulfish, Daniel Dodd and others whose names cannot be recalled at this time. In short, from these "quiet talks " grew the first hospital in New Jersey, the unexcelled St. Barnabas', the story of whose struggles, failures, successes, hopes and triumphs will ever fill an exclu- sively interesting page in New Jersey's historical books. As before said, St. Barnabas' was the first working hospital estab- lished in New Jersey under legislative authority. The work was begun in 1865 in a small house on Wickliffe Street. The hospital became an incorporated institution on the thirteenth day of February, A. D. 1867. The incorporators were, that Bishop beloved, the saintly William Henry Odenheimer, and the rectors and certain laymen selected from among the several Episcopal churches of Newark city. The charter de- clared the purpose of the incorporation to be the nurture and maintenance of sick, aged and infirm and indigent persons, and of orphans, half orphans and destitute children ; the pro- viding for their temporal and spiritual welfare, and the provid- ing or erecting a suitable building or buildings in which to carry on the proposed work.
Not long afterward a gentleman bequeathed to the incorpora- tion the beautiful lots where St. Stephen's Church now stands, at the junction of Clinton and Elizabeth Avenues. In June, [870, the trustees purchased the finely located property, corner of High and Montgomery Streets. Here the work has been carried on ever since. A beautiful photo of St. Barnabas' graces page 143.
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ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
St. Michael's Hospital, which is presented in the illustrations on page 71, is one of the best equipped institutions in the State of New Jersey, and some of the ablest and most distinguished physicians and surgeons of Essex County, have been identified with its medical and surgical staff. This institution which is but little more than a quarter of a century old, had to its credit on January 1, 1897, 93.086 patients treated. St. Michael's is the largest hospital in the city and has a central location on the corner of High Street and Central Avenue. and has three hundred beds and. like her sisters, has all the necessary accessories and all the parapher- nalia of a first-class hospital. Even though St. Michael's is nominally a Roman Catholic institu- tion ard the bishop of the Newark Diocese stands at the head of its protecting Board of Directors, the hospital is managed entirely by the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis, thirty-two in number. at the head of whom is Sister Perpetua Superior. Yet its doors are open to people of all creeds and nationalities. The key to its wards lies in the affirmative answer to the question, are you sick or afflicted ? Lest we might neglect such an all-im- portant duty of paying a tribute to this noble order of women whose charitable work is going ceaselessly on all over the world, we will repeat on this page, and in the language of a Protestant Minister, who had been nursed by them and said, " The Sisters are an eminently holy and pious body of women."
Among the hospitals of Essex County none stand higher on the roll than the German Hospital, which is presented in the illustrations on page 231, and like the other institutions of similar character, though young in years carries the honors of an ancient. It was incorporated February 15, 1868, and is maintained principally by the generous portion of the German American citizens of Newark, and has ever been conducted on the broadest principles of relief to the unfortunate, without regard to creed or clime.
St. James' Hospital, shown on page 71, was to have been opened in the fall of 1896, but on account of the directors having been unable to secure a corps of sisters to undertake the management, it was posponed until this is accomplished.
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ST. PETER'S R. C. ORPHAN ASYLUM, ON LIVINGSTON STREFT.
The Home of the Friendless, on South Orange Avenue, corner of Bergen Street, is another of the charitable institutions, a view of the buildings of which our artist has transferred to page 140, which is doing a marvellous work for good. It being of a three-fold character, its work takes on a wider range than the generality of charitable institutions. While the little ones are provided with home, food and raiment by the goodly women who never tire in doing the work of the Master, are gathering the little unfortunates in the fold they have provided in the beautiful home.
Never behind in good works, the city of Newark has marked an era in her progress by the establishment of a hospital. where the sick and afflicted may go and seek rest, and take deep draughts from the overflowing cup of healing balm, which will be held to their lips by the devoted hands of trained nurses, directed by the skill and understanding of the wise, pure and self-sacrificing among our best physicians and surgeons. Although Newark was blessed with several good hospitals, yet
REV. WM. H. HAINER, IRVINGTON.
the best thinking and more chari- tably disposed among our citizens . decided it not unwise that another hospital where the sick and injured might obtain relief should be established. Fortunately the county asylum buildings which had been erected on city property were vacant and apparently waiting for just such a blessed purpose and inno- vation. So, as the people's repre- sentatives in the Common Council were ripe for the movement, the die was soon cast and the City Hospital established (see page 138.)
This beneficent institution was opened for patients in 1882, and incorporated in 1883. Since that time its doors have been wide open to the indigent sick of all nationali- ties. The hospital is managed by the Board of Health, who meet once a month. From the Board of
REV. JOSEPH LEUCHT.
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ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
Directors a visiting committee of three mem- bers is selected to look after the executive work during the intervals.
One of the noblest charitable institutions in Essex County, is the Eye and Ear Infirm- ary, located at No. 60 Stirling Street. A view of the building is shown in the combi- nation on page 72. The hospital was founded in February, 1880, for the gratuitous treatment of the poor.
The Hospital for Women and Children is situated on South Orange Avenue, in close proximity to the Home of the Friendless. (see page 141.)
St. Mary's Orphan Asylum was founded in 1857. on Central Avenue, then Neshit Street, next to St. Patrick's Cathedral. by the most Rev. Bishop Bayley. In 1861 the orphan girls were removed to the house corner Washington and Bleecker Streets, where they remained until the orphanage was complete at South Orange, in 1865. Since then several buildings have been added. In 1876 a four story building was erected as an industrial school, to which the orphan girls are transferred when they are old enough to be taught domestic economy, shirt making, ladies'undergarments. dress making, etc. They receive daily, three hours tuition in English and become self-supporting. Children are received between the age of three and fourteen. At this age the boys are either sent to relatives or placed with responsible parties to earn a livelihood. At present there are one hundred and sixty boys, and one hundred and fifty-four girls, making a total of three hundred and fourteen in the house. While the asylum is under the protection of a Board of Directors, at the head of which is Rt. Rev. Bishop Wigger, of this diocese, the institu- tion is managed by the Sisters of Charity, fifteen in number.
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ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL, ON HIGH STREET AND CENTRAL AVENUE.
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ST. JAMES' HOSPITAL., ON JEFFERSON AND ELM STREETS.
who have devoted their lives and talents to the service of God's helpless little ones. A photo is presented on page 142.
Away back in 1848 the Newark Orphan Asylum, an organ- ization for the relief of orphan children was effected, thus making it the oldest orphanage in the county of Essex. A photo of the buildings will be found on page 72. It is situated at 323 High Street, corner Bleecker.
The Foster Home, a charitable institution, was organized March 28, 1848, but a few days after the Newark home. It is situated at 284 Belleville Avenue, and receives children up to their tenth year.
The Kreuger Pioneer Home was organized in 1889, its object being to provide a home for unfortunate and indigent men. and was founded by one of Essex County's wealthy citizens, Judge Gottfried Kreuger, whose honored name the institution bears. A photo of the home is presented on page 222.
On page 70 may be seen a photo of St. Peter's Orphan Asylum and Kindergarten, which is located at 21 Livingston Street.
Among other Charitable and Benevolent Societies, are the Newark Female Charitable Society, at 305 Halsey Street, founded 1803. (see page 139) ; Boys' Lodging House, 144 Market Street ; St. Vincent's Home for Working Boys, on Centre Street ; Home for Incurables. corner court and Shipman Streets; House of the Good Shepherd and Home for the Aged, under the care of the Little Sisters of the l'oor, on Eighth Street between Central and Sussex Avenues. These eminently pious and holy women commenced their charitable work in this city in 1878 and by their zeal and untiring efforts, have succeeded in establishing a large and comfortable institution, where the aged and destitute of both sexes are provided for. A view of the. home is shown on page 72, and though struggling with a large debt they trust in God, and rely upon a generous people to aid them in supplying the many wants of such a laige charity. Where true piety and woman's virtue leads the van, no wheel of progress which is touched by them shall cease revolving.
NEWARK OPPHAN ASYLUM
FOSTER HOME
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LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR HOME FOR THE AGED .
NELEMARY
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF ESSEX COUNTY.
HE sincerity of the love and respect which the author of ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, IL.L.US- TRATED, bears to the public schools and the public school system thereof, makes our approach to these subjects the more difficult and trying, since along with our duty goes hand in hand the fear we entertain of doing even half-way justice to these themes. The first thought, as we lift the pen to write, is to ask the reader, as he scans what we have to say for and on behalf of the public schools, a kindly forbear- ance for any appreciable shortcomings in our efforts to grapple successfully with this grandest of subjects, which can find a place among the leaves of this book, every page of which bears rcord of marvellous growth and wonderful prosperity of the county delineated. When we consider Essex County, geographically speaking, is it any wonder, we ask, that her schools have few equals, and when we make the declaration that there are no superiors, the fear that we shall be charged with egotism, finds no resting-place in our composition.
Situated in one of the loveliest regions in the world, with a climate as equitable and health-giving as any in the United States, the cold winds of the winter months which come bowling down from the north and west meet and mingle with the breezes from old ocean tempered with salt, make her winters delightful, and ere those cold waves which have a wonderful habit of careering over the broad and beautiful prairies of the far away Dakotas and the broad savannas of Illinois, Kansas and lowa, prepared for the journey by the frost king amid the bold rockies, the snow-capped mountain peaks of the Cascade and coast ranges, and which linger for weeks hesitating to cross the Alleghanies, holding high carnival among the coal mines and oil wells of the Keystone, of the Arch, the hills, valleys and farm lands of the Empire state, and dallying with those delilahs
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OLDEST SCHOOL-HOUSE IN NEWARK, NOW THE BOY'S LODGING HOUSE.
of the midland belt, the great lakes, are shorn of their locks of hoar frost, lose far more than half of their strength, and ere they are ready to swoop down upon this region with a promise (by telegram from Chicago, St. Louis or St. Paul) to close down on the mercury, and give all the east an extended general freeze-up, its strength has died out under the genial influence of the warm exhalation from the gulf stream, and seldom has a reign of more than three days in length. More oft, the fizzle en route has been so complete, that scarce time is remaining to close up the pools and bid malaria depart, ere they take up the home journey, giving kisses of love when ready to depart and waving back an adieu while they go ricocheting back to the safe retreat of the Teuton peaks, while the region (including Essex County) for fifty miles in all directions from New York's City Hall Park, knowing how fitful are his promises, are compelled to keep on the alert for even a freeze-up of enough rain drops to set the sleigh-bells ringing and three days in succession good sleighing.
Then, with a climate unsurpassed and a territory with double rock-ribbed environments, we approach the pleasant duty of giving a sketch of the public schools, with no small degree of personal pleasure. and with no fear of overdrawing the pictures of the educational institutions, or overstating the benefi- cent results accruing therefrom to the people. Since the first establishment of the free public schools a mighty change has been wrought in their
ELIZABETH AVENUE SCHOOL.
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ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
character and the educational results obtained therefrom. The recollections of the writer go back to the time when in derision the free public schools were denominated " ragged schools." and it took many years of time and many measures of defiance of public opinion on the part of the institution's friends, to win the fight by battling for the right
After the first establishment of the free or public school plan of education for the masses, it required quite a quarter of a century to place it on a firm footing and solid basis. And even now it is safe to say that its friends built better than they knew. Prejudice against it, proved the hardest barrier to surmount, but when the friends of public school education had robbed it of this terror the work was easier. When in the begining the
tional advantages under its wise provisions and unquestioned good management, is the grandest and best ever devised. The rich have learned this one grand fact, that when their children are sent to public schools to rub against their neighbor's children that they become acquainted and are ready to rub up against the world. and to stand the rebuffs in a far better manner thar when kept isolated. Many of our leading business men, lawyers physicians and divines, now glory in the days they spent in the public schools. Education for all who will receive it, is the motto to-day, and few indeed are there who are not ready to exclaim, "Long may the banner of free schools wave."
Outside of the city of Newark and Orange, there are about forty schools in which all the children can, if the parents so will
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MORTON STREET SCHOOL.
cry was started, that its inventors had no idea of permitting any but the poorest of the poor to enjoy its advantages, it was hard to overcome, and while the rich and well-to-do spurned to accept its benefits, the mechanic and artisan and those carning enough as the fruit of their labor to gain subsistence, preferred to let their children run the streets, rather than have them be- come the associates of paupers, as they termed those who ac- cepted education from public sources Indeed, it was not until men of reason took the rostium and eloquently pleaded its adop- tion, and ministers of gospel fired their anathemas against the foolish opposers of the system from their pulpits, that the masses finally awoke to a sense of right and duty, and to-day the opposed and derided educational system of the past meets the approval of all classes of men in all positions of life, and all feel that the public school system of America, and the educa-
it secure an education. Not alone are the elementary branche taught, but connected therewith, are high schools, where thos pupils who have passed the grammar departments can have th advantages of an academic education, and be fitted for colleg if so desired.
During the years 1891-2-3 the writer of this was Count Superintendent of Public Schools, and is proud to bear evidenc as to the high character of the schools and teachers. Educate men and women, as pains-taking and self-sacrificing as an body of teachers in the land, and in devotion to their calling they remain unchallenged. Elmer T. Sherman, now a resider of South Orange, is acceptably filling the office of Count Superintendent. The schools in the city of Orange are unde the care of Mr. U. B. Cutts, and are in a high state of efficiency In the city of Newark, where the veteran educator and efficier
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ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., ILLUSTRATED.
officer, William N. Barringer, Ph.D., has been the Superintendent for more than a quarter of a cen- tury, the public school interests are well and care- fully adjusted, and closely looked after, and all their interests closely watched. Her schools are under the direct care of a local legislative body, known as the school board, or Board of Education, con- sisting of thirty gentlemen. Each of the fifteen wards of the city has two representatives in the board, each elected for a term of two years.
Although there is a general determination among the people, and this is transferred to their repre- sentatives, to eschew politics entirely, yet the foot- prints of the party in power is seen when the officers of the Board are elected. The board as constituted at present consists of the following : William A. Gay, President; R. D. Argue, Secre- tary; Samuel Gaiser, Ass't Secretary; William N. Barringer, City Superintendent : Geo. W. Reeve, Sup't of Erection and Repairs; 1st Ward, James A. Backus, James N. Arbuckle; 2d, Hugh P. Roden, Charles W. Menk ; 3d, Charles L. Ill, George Saupe; 4th. J. W. Read, Miles F. Quinn ; 5th, M. B. Puder. Charles Clark; 6th, R. W. Brown, Edward Zusi; 7th, H. M. Woolman, Charles M. Myers; 8th, John K. Gore, J. William Clark ; 9th. A. N. Lewis, Walter T. Crane; toth, David B. Nathan, Elmer E. Horton ; urth, William A. Gay, William L. Fish ; 12th, J. J. Kronenberger, Thomas J. Sinnott ; 13th, Henry Ost, Henry P. Schott; 14th, Geo. F. Brandenburgh, Charles H. Sansom; 15th, Walter H. Clark, Walter H. Parsons.
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