USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Braddock > The unwritten history of Braddock's Field (Pennsylvania) > Part 20
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"I don't know how every one thinks about the way I spend my money", continued Mr. Carnegie, "But I'm willing to put this library and similar institutions against any other form of benevolence. It's the best kind of philanthropy I can think of, and I'm willing to stand on that record.
"This is a grand old world and it's always growing better, and all's well since it is growing better. And when I go for a trial for the things I've done on earth, I think I'll get a verdict of 'Not guilty', through my efforts to make earth a little better than I found it".
On the reviewing stand, in response to a short address of welcome to the distinguished guest, made by Dr. F. K. Whitfield, burgess of Brad- dock, Mr. Carnegie said, "I want to say that being a citizen of Braddock is no mean asset. I am proud to be a man of Braddock, and in my travels through Europe and every other continent, Braddock has been my cry.
"I am very sorry Mrs. Carnegie is not here to see this grand cele- bration. You know, like all other women, Mrs. Carnegie is awfully wise; and when I tell her of this honor she will say, 'Go on, now, Andy, you were excited and imagined these things.' But imagination can't describe this occasion, and I am glad to be among my fellow employees once again."
The closing event of the Jubilee day was a banquet, held in the gymnasium, under the auspices of the Braddock Merchants' Association, working in conjunction with the library Board of Trustees. Two hun- dred and fifty guests were entertained at this banquet. Addresses were made by State Superintendent of Schools, N. C. Schaeffer, Col, H. P. Bope, Mr. C. M. Schwab, for Governor John K. Tener, Rev. Charles Wallace, Mr. Alvah C. Dinkey, President Carnegie Steel Company, Hon. Thos. L. Montgomery, State Librarian, and others, Mr. Geo. C. Watt acting as toast- master.
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Bulletin 25, 1915 (whole number 652) of the Bureau of Educa- tion, Washington, D. C., is devoted to a study of public, society and school libraries. The figures used are for the year 1913. From this bulletin it is learned that there are in the United States more than 18,000 such libraries, as compared with less than 3,000 in 1887, only 25 per cent of which were at that time "Free". Of these 18,000, 111 Public, 80 Society, and 90 School libraries have more than 50,000 volumes each. Braddock is 1 one of the 111 Public libraries thus designated.
Of this list of 111 large libraries, Braddock library stands :-
Sixty-fourth in number of volunies.
Thirty-seventh in circulation.
Seventeenth in juvenile circulation.
Forty-second in percentage of population enrolled as borrowers. Sixty-ninth in cost of maintenance.
Eighty-second in number of employees doing the work.
The Carnegie Club is under the same management as the library and occupies a part of the building, but is a distinct institution. The Club represents one of the earliest efforts of a great industrial plant to provide healthful and sane amusement and recreation for its employees. It was first conceived as a co-operative organization for the procuring of house- hold supplies. The mercantile feature was soon abandoned and the Club became a place for social recreation and physical development exclusively. The library is entirely free to any one wishing to avail himself of its privileges. The Club is for its members only, and from these a member- ship fee is exacted, the charge being insufficient, however, to meet ex- penses were it not for outside help.
The Carnegie Club is conducted somewhat on the plan of a Y. M. C. A., with a difference. It does no distinctly religious work. It admits ladies to membership, they being limited, however, to swimming pool and gymnasium privileges, and for fixed periods. At another point the Club differs radically from a Y. M. C. A., in that it demands no certificate of character or other recommendation as a prerequisite to membership, the management holding to the view that the fact of application for member- ship is the evidence of the individual's need of the Club's help. In this way a class of men is reached who would be scared away from an insti- tution where more rigid requirements are exacted. As a result the morale of the membership may be and doubtless is, somewhat lowered, but the assistance is rendered where the want is greatest.
The Club maintains all the best means and equipment for indoor
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sports and games; such as gymnasium, bowling alleys, billiards, game rooms, swimming pool and baths, all of which are free to members, ex- cept that a small fee is charged for the use of the bowling alleys and bil- liard tables.
First started as a Club for Carnegie employees exclusively, all re- strictions have long since been removed, and any one wishing may now acquire membership regardless of residence or occupation.
The librarian has, since 1898, been also Superintendent of the Club. He is aided by a Club Manager who devotes his entire time and energy to the Club, and by a Physical Director who gives his efforts to work in the gymnasium and swimming pool. The Manager has an assistant, and there is a lady director for the ladies' classes in the gymnasium and a lady attendant for the women and girls in the pool. As evidence of the stability and permanence of the work it may be stated that the present Club Manager, Mr. David Shelby, has been connected with the Club for ten years, Mr. F. J. Cartwright was Physical Director for sixteen years, succeeded four years ago by Mr. L. B. Cundiff, who is still in the work, while Mrs. Barbara Mosellin has been lady attendant in the swimming pool since it was first opened in 1893.
The Library and Club have come to mean more than what these terms generally imply, and this institution is a real community center. The Braddock Merchants' Association with a salaried Secretary and Clerk, has headquarters, furnished free, in a room of the building. All kinds of assemblies and committees, such as the Braddock Medical Society, the Braddock Druggists' Association, the Jewelers' organization, the Aquatic Club, the Women's Club, and many other business and professional com- binations hold regular or periodical sessions in some of the committee rooms; while the large auditorium is the community meeting place for all general assemblies. The hall is used, too, for amateur theatricals, lec- tures and concerts, whether for school, church, lodge, or other society.
The Carnegie Round Table, an association of business and pro- fessional men, has for fourteen years held monthly meetings in the gym- nasium, from October to March, gathering for a 6:00 o'clock dinner fol- lowed by addresses, papers, and discussions on important topics of the day.
The Matinee Bowlers, made up of business and professional men, meet on the Club Alleys every working day between 12:00 and 2:00. They have scarcely missed a day, except when the alleys were undergoing re- pair, for thirteen years.
THE BRADDOCK GENERAL HOSPITAL. BY W. T. MORGAN, M. D.
The first public suggestion for a hospital for Braddock was from the pen of a young newspaperman, Fred W. Oakley, then engaged in that capacity by the Braddock Daily News, of which the late Daniel J. Mc- Carthy was editor and publisher. That was about the year 1890. Later, to be exact, August 3rd, 1893, there appeared another article by the same writer anent the same subject. Still later, on December 11th of the same year, Mr. Oakley, in a column article made a special plea in behalf of a hospital for Braddock, following up the subject the next day in another article of equal length, suggesting that a hospital be built in the coming year, and that in view of Mr. Carnegie's liberality toward Churches, an appeal to him in behalf of a hospital might result in generous financial help.
That there were no immediate results was not surprising, for, at that time, as at a later date, there were not a few who were disposed to look upon such a possibility as rather of the nature of a fanciful dream, and I know, from personal knowledge, that even Editor McCarthy was far from enthusiastic on the subject.
Whether it was a coincidence, or a sequence to the original sug- gestion, is a matter of small moment, but the fact remains that the hos- pital movement had its inception on Saturday, October 6th, 1894, when according to the Braddock Daily News, a gentleman, described as "a He- brew merchant of Braddock" expressed himself to a representative of that paper, as being so much in favor of a hospital for Braddock, that he ten- dered a subscription of $200 for the cause, and promised an additional twenty-five dollars annually for maintenance purposes, the announcement being made in the Daily News of October 8th, 1894.
Subject to the wishes of the gentleman, his name was withheld, and the subscription credited as "anonymous". In time, of course, the owner of this particular "Anonymous" name leaked out, and the original sub- scriber to the hospital fund proved to be Mr. Jacob Katz the tailor. The gentleman died in Philadelphia several years later.
Following the lead of his Hebrew brother, Mr. Louis Amshall im- mediately came forward with a subscription of like amount.
The next day, the day after, and, in fact, almost daily until October 16th, 1894, when the ladies of the town took hold, new names were added
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to the list of original subscribers to the hospital fund until the following names were to be found on the honor roll:
Jacob Katz $200.00, Louis Amshall $200.00, S. T. Fiero $5.00, J. K. Fisher $50.00, H. B. Goldberg $100.00, Louis Schmidt $25.00, P. J. Hafner $25.00, David Goldrath $25.00, Employees of Jacob Katz $25.00, J. B. Corey $100.00, Jacob Friedman $25.00, S. Maltinsky $25.00, Jacob Litvitz $25.00.
The spantaneous generosity of our Hebrew citizens towards the hos- pital project is strikingly illustrated by a glance at the foregoing list of familiar names, and it is pleasing to record that our friends of that na- tionality have never ceased their interest or liberal financial assistance to the institution.
On October 16, 1894, we read in the Braddock Daily News that "The good women of Braddock have come to regard the movement to build a hospital for Braddock as one well worthy of their attention and support, and a meeting was held last evening at the home of Mrs. Thomas James, of Parker Avenue, for the purpose of furthering the object, at which the fol- lowing ladies were present :--
Mrs. Thomas James, Mrs. N. H. Treese, Mrs. H. Scritchfield, Mrs. Jacob Katz, Mrs. David Goldrath, Mrs. Thomas Cosgrove, Mrs. A. H. White, Mrs. Richard Stevens, Mrs. W. E. Morrow, Mrs. Emma Zimmerman, Mrs. R. A. Clay, Mrs. D. F. Collingwood, Mrs. Amos Laughner, Mrs. A. S. Braznell, Mrs. M. E. Kinsey, Mrs. P. S. Todd, Mrs. W. R. Edwards, Mrs. A. P. Maginni, Mrs. John Laux and Mrs. A. W. Schooley.
At this meeting an organization was perfected and the following of- ficers elected :
President, Mrs. Thomas James; Vice President, Mrs. H. Scritch- field; Secretary, Mrs. R. A. Clay ; Treasurer, Mrs. A. P. Maginni.
At about this time the Homestead News, commenting editorially upon the movement had this to say :
"Our neighboring town Braddock is going ahead in a vigorous man- ner with its hospital enterprise. Through the influence of the Braddock Daily News one thousand dollars have already been subscribed and now the ladies of the town are taking hold."
A second meeting of the ladies was called at the home of Mrs. Thomas James for October 22nd, 1894.
In order to enlist the interest of as many as possible, wide publicity of the meeting was made, and on Sunday, the day preceding the meeting. announcement of the same was made in every church, with the result that
BRADDOCK'S FIRST HOSPITAL.
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about forty were present at the meeting, representing, practically, every religious body of Braddock.
Mrs. James, who was the previously elected president, realizing, as she stated that to carry on the work successfully would require more time than she had at her command, resigned from that office, and Mrs. W. L. Lapsley was elected to fill the vacancy.
Ways and means for raising money were thoroughly discussed, re- sulting in a decision to hold a week of fair and bazaar, designating a par- ticular night for each denomination, except in the case of the smaller churches, in which instance two or more would combine for a particular night, and the following ladies were appointed a general soliciting com- mittee to secure contributions suitable for the occasion and the cause.
Mesdames: Allen Kirkpatrick, James Gayley, C. W. Woods, C. M. Schwab, J. B. Corey, J. N. Shallenberger, J. M. McCrady, S. D. Hamilton, C. A. Stokes, George Larimer, W. J. McBeth, Andrew Kramer, A. J. Spigelmire, D. F. Melville, Ed. B. White, A. S. Brubaker, A. J. Boyle, P. S. Todd, J. L. Campbell, W. S. Brown, W. H. Speer, Josiah Crosby, A. S. Braznell, Daniel Oskin, Tilgman Kulp, Ada Lucas, C. C. Fawcett, W. S. Stewart, G. E. Bair, Chris Hager, C. H. Clifford, B. F. Price, W. T. Mor, gan, S. J. Shaw, Eli Boyd, W.S. Packer, Sr., J. R. King, J. H. Rankin, J. W. Miles, O. B. Milligan, O. H. Phillips, W. G. Reagle, H. M. Bowden.
Merchants and others, both in and outside of Braddock, were most generous in their contributions either in money or supplies for the bazaar and fair, each appearing to vie with another in trying to see which could help the most.
The Turner hall was secured for the occasion and, on Tuesday, November 20th, 1894 the bazaar and fair, in charge of over one hundred of Braddock's fairest daughters, opened in a blaze of glory, amid a small army of most enthusiastic women, and closed on the Saturady night fol- lowing, in a shower of gold upon a tired but very grateful body of workers.
The militant and determined spirit of the ladies in charge was emphatically illustrated by a little experience they had on Monday, the day preceding the opening of the bazaar. Notwithstanding a contract had been signed, sealed and delivered, giving the ladies the right of pos- sesion of the hall from Monday morning until twelve o'clock on the follow- ing Saturday night, a mixup had occurred by the letting of the same for Monday night to some Society for the purpose of a dance, and when the committee of ladies in charge of setting up booths, tables, etc., arrived at 6:30 o'clock Monday morning prepared to perform their part of the
BRADDOCK GENERAL HOSPITAL- WEST WING,
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work, they were confronted with the surprising information that the hall had been rented to other parties for that particular day and night, and that they would not be allowed to enter and take possession at that time. The fact that they did enter and take possession, and that the bazaar and fair opened on schedule time, is only one more illustration of the truth of that old adage that "When a woman wills, she will, you can depend on it".
After deducting a little matter of $123.64 for expenses, thirty-four hundred and nine dollars and seventy-four cents ($3,409.74) was the net total of receipts for the week's work.
This amount, together with $240.00 collected by the late A. B. Stevenson, Esq., a donation of $100.00 from the Second Avenue Traction Company, and the $1,000.00 previously subscribed, gave the prospects for a hospital a very promising outlook.
Interest in the hospital project still continued at high tide for some time. The proceeds from lectures, concerts and theatrical performances were freely donated, and several merchants contributed a portion of the profit from sales made on one or more particular days. Many of those ladies, however, who rode upon the highest crest of the first wave of hos- pital enthusiasm were, apparently, well satisfied to relegate all further ac- tive interest in the project to others, and as time passed on, fewer and fewer were found to take that active interest in the affair so necessary to its fulfillment, so that, at the end of a few years, but a small company of faithful ones remained active of that galaxy of workers which started out so valiantly to give to the physical sufferers of Braddock and vicinity the haven of refuge it was sincerely felt they so much needed.
In the meantime something over six thousand dollars had been gar- nered for the cause which, through the courtesy of friends of the project was placed in the care of the Carnegie Steel Company where, at a good rate of interest, it continued to grow in amount until April 4th, 1905, when the auspicious time had arrived that it could be put into active use for the purpose for which it was solicited.
Diminished in numbers but undaunted in spirit the remaining hand- ful of faithful women, through one source or another, gathered into their treasury a good many extra dollars, some of which was used in the year 1897 for the very laudable purpose of paying for the services of three professional nurses who, at the instance of the Braddock Relief Associa- tion were engaged to care for a number of sick of the town.
While thoroughly appreciative of the fact that the few thousand dollars already in hand were but a drop in the bucket, as it were, of the
BRADDOCK GENERAL HOSPITAL-EAST WING.
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amount necessary to accomplish the purpose for which they set out, op- timism with a big "O" was the keynote of the few remaining workers and, as an evidence of their implicit confidence in the final success of their ef- forts, application for a charter for the organization was made and, through the efforts and courtesy of the late R. E. Stewart, Esq., who, always gener- ously donated his professional services in all business connected with the hospital project, one was granted bearing the date of December 21st, 1898, having attached thereto the following named ladies as applicants :
Florence M. Bell, Gertrude R. Corothers, Mary K. Collingwood, El- mira Scritchfield, Elizabeth James, Mary M. Schooley, Virginia Riston, Jennie Scott Lapsley, Kate M. Treese, Mary J. Holtzman, Margaret Cramer, Susan C. Kulp, Margaret M. Scott, Caroline M. Stewart, Kate McIlfred.
Notwithstanding that the charter plainly stated that "Any person willing to assist in the work of the association, and contributing such sums as fixed by the by-laws, may become members of the association", a pop- ular but erroneous impression prevailed that, inasmuch as application for the charter was made exclusively by women, only those of the gentler sex were entitled to membership in that body, with the result that women alone continued to make up the membership of the association.
In January 1899 the first election held under the new charter re- sulted in the selection of the following officers: President, Mrs. Corothers; First Vice President, Mrs. Scritchfield; Second Vice President, Mrs. Riston ; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Kulp; Financial Secretary, Mrs. Schooley ; Cor- responding Secretary, Mrs. Bell; Treasurer, Mrs. James.
Interest in the hospital, of course, continued but without any pyro- technical display and the quiet effectual efforts of that small body of faith- ful women was fittingly recognized when in the year 1903 the Braddock Board of Commerce elected to take a hand in the movement. In the fall of that year a street fair and carnival was held under its auspices for the benefit of the hospital fund, which netted in the neighborhood of $1,500, the amount being held in the treasury of the Board of Commerce, it being the intention of the board to increase that amount before placing it in the hospital fund.
Just at this time, a new element was injected into the enterprise. The physicians of Braddock realizing, perhaps, more than any others, the crying need for a haven of refuge for the sick and wounded of this com- munity, decided to appeal through their Medical Society to both the Brad- dock Hospital Association and the Board of Commerce and, if possible, in- duce both bodies to unite their forces at once, and their funds, for the
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benefit of the cause and, in this way accentuate the ultimate object of both parties, and a committee of the following members of the Medical Society, Drs. H. F. Fisher, L. G. Rubenstein and W. T. Morgan, was appointed by the President, Dr. A. W. Schooley, for that purpose.
No difficulty was experienced in bringing both bodies to a mutual agreement. The ladies who, financially, had the upper hand, were per- fectly willing to throw their lot and interest into the common fund on con- dition that the Board of Commerce raise an amount equal to that in the hands of the Hospital Association which, at that time was something over $11,000. The Board of Commerce, recognizing the justness of the proposi- tion, immediately set about to fulfill their part of the agreement, and a committee of that body, by a solicitation among the business and profes- sional men throughout the district, was soon able to report their readiness and ability to perform their part of the proposition, the committee of the Board having in hands an amount, not only equal to that possessed by the ladies, but an additional $10,000 which had been contributed to the cause by W. E. Corey, the president of the United States Steel Corporation.
A hospital for Braddock was now assured. A committee represent- ing the Board of Commerce, the Braddock Hospital Association and the Braddock Medical Society was elected to select a site. A number of lo- cations were considered and inspected. After a careful survey of each, the Mills homestead was decided upon as the most suitable.
The Mills homestead was one of the substantial landmarks of this region, beautifully situated on the top of an eminence at the corner of Fifth Street and Holland Avenue, in the centre of a plot of ground about 250 feet square and was easily accessible to all parts of the three boroughs.
The purchase price of $30,000 being acceptable, this committee con- sisting of Mrs. Mary M. Schooley, representing the Hospital Association ; Mr. Leo. A. Katz, the Board of Commerce, and Dr. W. T. Morgan, the Med- ical Society, together with the owners, Mr. & Mrs. Louis Drexler, on Nov- ember 23rd, 1904, signed articles of agreement to purchase the same at the price asked, a stipulation in the agreement being that in consideration of a donation of $2,500, by the owners, the same to be deducted from the purchase price, the hospital was to furnish and maintain a ward in the hospital as a memorial to Mrs. Rachel A. Clay, the mother of Mrs. Louis Drexler, and the first secretary of the original Braddock Hospital Associa- tion.
Purchase of the property being agreed upon, on February 6th, 1905 a petition for a charter for the Braddock General Hospital-the title for the
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new organization-was made upon the application of the following who con- stituted the first Board of Managers of the Hospital: Geo. Hogg, Mary M. Schooley, Leo. A. Katz, Elizabeth James, W. T. Morgan, M. D., David F. Collingwood, Fogel G. Bishoff, Louisa E. Kelly Donovan, Fannie Newman, Elmira Scritchfield, Louis G. Rubenstein, M. D., Alfred W. Schooley, M. D., George Moore, J. A. Miller, M. D., and Harry F. Fisher, M. D., and a charter was granted March 11th, 1905 by President Judge of Common Pleas Court No. 2 Robert S. Frazier.
A deed bearing date of April 14th, 1905, conveying the property to the Braddock General Hospital completed the transaction of the change of ownership and, at a cost of, approximately $7,000 the building was re- modeled to meet its new requirements.
It was, indeed, a gala day for Braddock when on June 27th, 1906, the Braddock General Hospital was opened for inspection and for business.
It soon became apparent that in a very short time the little hospital of, practically, 30 beds, would be wholly inadequate to supply the demand upon it. This condition of affairs created an embarassing position for the Board of Managers, for with a purchase money Mortgage of $17,500 still on hand, and no visible means in sight to liquidate it, to say nothing of finding extra funds for new building purposes, the prospects for increasing the facilities of the hospital were not very encouraging. Gradually beds for the sick and injured were at a premium. Every bed in the hospital was occupied, and cots were provided in every conceivable corner to ac- commodate those who insisted upon getting in, and many were being daily turned away.
Succumbing, at last, to the clamorings of a suffering public, the Board of Managers of the hospital decided to endeavor to meet the de- mands upon the institution, trusting that Providence, in the garb of one or more good Samaritans would volunteer to lift the added burden it would incur.
Plans for a new building were prepared and, at a cost of $40,000, a new wing was added to the hospital, affording accommodation for about 70 beds, or more than double the capacity of the original hospital, besides furnishing more commodious quarters for administrative and other pur- poses.
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