NEW ORPHANAGE AT ANDERSON'S BAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 38

NEW ORPHANAGE AT ANDERSON'S BAY.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE. Tho ceremony of laying the foundation | stone of the new Orphanage in the vicinity , of Anderson's Bay took place last \\ edues- | day afternoon in the presence of several hundred persons, chiefly ladies. The weather was beautifully fine for the tunc- , tion. Staging had been erected for the occasion, and there was a liberal display of bunting. Proceedings were opened by , those assembled singing the Hundredth ; Psalm, at the conclusion of which the Rev. | J. Clark (Moderator of the Synod) read a portion of the Scriptures suitable to the occasion, the Rev. Geo. Lindsay (Moderator of the General Assembly) concluding with prayer. The Rev. Mr Lindsay said that was a red letter day in connection with orphanage matters, and they congratulated those at the head of the movement on the conditions ; under which- they were all placed that afternoon. They all knew how deeply interested the world was to-day in the welfare of the young, and it must be the desire of those present, as well as the desire of those at the head of the institution, that those under their care should grow up in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. The Rev. A. Cameron said he thought they should all feel profoundly thankful for a great many reasons, and first for the ; fine weather. Ho felt that that bright day was only a symbol of the way in which : God had been favouring them in connection with the whole of the work for the child- I ren and the young people. It was now , nearly six years since they began the movement* with a good large programme before thorn, but a very small exchequer. They ' had, however, been able to do more than ' they had intended along a given line, but ; there were a good many things they would . not undertake yet. He had said it was about six years since they began. They I had then a bequest of £SOO, and with that they bought their first property in Clyde street. Then shortly after that they bought the home over at Grant's Braes, whore Sister Mary had under her control some 50 children. Now they wore building this new home, which would give accommodation to 50 or 60 children. They had started with only £SOO, and by the end of this year they would have a property worth £lo,ooo.—(Applause.) At present their debt . was less than £IOOO, and by the time the ' *x>!lection was taken up that afternoon it would bo considerably less, or there would be no debt remaining at all.— These were the material tilings to be thank- j ful for. But they had cause for thankful- ! ness in connection with the work of the association. He did not think it wouldhuve ; been possible to find a matron who could have done bettor work than Sister Mary had done, or better work than Mr Axelsen had done, and he w;is sure the success of the work of the association had resulted entirely from the widom, devotion, and : grace displayed by Sister Mary and Mr Axelsen. Sister Mary had been more than a mother to the children, if that was possible, and had told him that she had sorely missed a girl who had gone away about a month ago, and would sorely miss another ' who was going away this week. She did not ' know what she would do when this second girl went away. The association was not merely an association to clothe and feed the children. It was giving the children under its care homes which they loved, and a Christian training which would fit them for citizenship of the Empire and the King- ! dom of God. They had received into the membership of the church no fewer than 13 children from the home at Grant's Braes. : —(applause).-and had received them after most careful observation ajid instruction by Sister Mary, and by tesxihers in the Sunday school. As to Mr Axelsen, no man in tho Dominion had done hotter work than ' lie had. If a juvenile was oomJng beforo ! the court tho authorities were instructed by the magistrate to get Mr Axelsen to investigate the case and report to him, so that ho might know tho exact circumstances before the case camo before him. The magistrate gonerally committed the children to the caro of Mr Axelsen. Altogether he (Mr Cameron) thought that the whole Church and the whole community ought to fee! profoundly thankful that thev had euoh ! wiso and devoted workers as Sist*r Mary and Mr Axelsen. Then they had rre>at j cause for thankfulness over the gifts tn&de to the association in the shspo of the i*ew building. That morning the donor had i said to him: ''Mind, vou ara not to Bay anything about it," but that whs Asking too much altogether, They i*%re iX\ r«»ry \ sorry that Nfrs Gk,ii'flniDg *»« not üble j to bj with thorn to lay the iesndatlon ! stone, and they rpgrotted that Mr Glendining was not ahle to bo present either, i Mr Giendining was the one who h-nd signed • the contract for the building and had

taken the whole responsibility upon his own shoulders.—(Applause.) He was going to pay the bills and hand the building over to them. Speaking of what it was intended to do, Mr Cameron said they were going to bring the boys and the little girls under 10 years to the new home, which would place them within 10 minutes' walk of the public school. Then the boys over 10 still at school would go to Grant's Braes and live there, and the_ beys who had loft school and were serving an apprenticeship in Duncdin would remain with Mr Axelsen in the home in Clyde street. They were seeking not only to care for the children when they wore voung, but also in the early days of their apprenticeship, and they hoped in that way to rescue the perishing in a very real way. During the six voars he (the speaker) had referred to, Mr Axelsen had had under his control, committed to his care by the magistrate. or sent to the Industrial School, no fewer than 350 young people, and thero were at present over 200 under his care Mrs A. Cameron then proceeded to lay the right hand foundation stone, in a recess under which was a cylinder containing a copy of yesterday's Otago Daily Tunes, the previous night's Evening Star, the current week's Ouulook, and the latest animal report of the Presbyterian Social Service Association. The stone bore the following inscription: "This stone was laid by Mis A. Cameron on April 3, 1912." After Mrs Cameron had declared the stone well and truly laid, Mrs T. Nisbet proceeded to lay the left-hand stone, on which was inscribed : "This stone was laid by Mrs T. Nisbet, April 3, 1912." Having laid the Stone, Mrs Nisbet thanked the committee for the honour that had been done her in selecting her to lay the stone. Sho said that there was no institution with which her late husband's name could be more appropriately connected, for during his lifetime he had taken the greatest interest in the little children. The Rev. Mr Chisholm tVien led the gathering in dedicatory prayer, after which the children from the Orphanage sang the 23rd Psalm, and Mr Alexander led the company in tho Glory Song. Mr Naftzger and Mr Alexander then sang together, "I am so glad that my Father in Heaven," etc., the company takirg up the refrain with great heartiness. Mr P. Y. Wales, architect, presented to Mrs Cameron a small gold trowel, and Mr G. Simpson presented a similar memento to Mrs Nisbet. Dr Chapman said he would like to tell them how 'keenly the members of the mission party appreciated the honour that Lad been" done them in asking them to have any share in the laying of those corner stones, of tho building, which was to mean so much to the child life of the present and the future welfare of their great Dominion. No building that could be erected could so touch tho heart of their Divine Lord as that one which was to care for tho little ones whom He always loved and whom by His grace He always saved. Their congratulations were to be extended to all those who had a Land in tho ceren ony; to Mr Glendining. who, he was sure, would find that no gift which he could make would bring greater joy to his heart than that which ho had just made. The work their friends were doing in connection with this orphanago was wonderful. To take those without father or mother to care for them and father and mother them and inspire hope where there had been none, to take a, child so liable to be tempted and shield it from the storms of life—they could do nothing higher or nothing better. Might their hearts be made big, and if they could not give money then they could give their time and their sympathy, and give everything that would protect and shield tho boys and girls and bring them at last into a safe harbour. A collection was then taken up, the children meanwhile singing the 23rd Psalm. Tho Rev. E A. Axelsen said ho would liko to express his appreciation of what had been said about Sister Mary and himself by Mr Cameron. It was a great pleasure- to bo engaged in tho work. They were never under any apprehension about the work or tho funds. When they started it they had no money, and to-day they had no money, but they spent freely at the rate of over £2OOO a year and the money came, and they wore always abio to pay their bills. The time had never come when they had been unable to give their children all that they required, and that time would never come, because they rr-stod upon tho promises of God. —(Applause.). Tho proceedings closed with the pronouncing of tho Doxology. Among the numerous apologies received for absence was ono from Mr T. Brown, who enclosed a cheque for 25 guineas. Mr Ewing also forwarded a monetary donation.