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Bethesda, Georgia’s Oldest Orphanage, Founded
By Whitefield, Matchless Orator-Preacher
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By FLORENCE L. TUCKER.
Written for Sunny .Touth
IIE oldest existing charita
ble institution in the state
of Georgia, and one of the
oldest in the United States,
is that founded by t lie
Rev. George Whitefield,
near Savannah, in 1740—
the man whose eloquence
and zeal swept like a flume
throughout the colonies,
and whose fame 135 years
after lil? death is nr re
enduring as time goes on.
It J!s touching to stand
before this plain brick building and recall
the love of the great-hearted man who,
without money or means of his own,
determined to build a home for the
orphaned poor—poor, indeed, in the new
country where for some years there was
not over-much comfort among the peo
ple; to remember how for thirty years he
labored for it with never-failing devo
tion, and his last breath was a prayer
to Heaven for the preservation of his
“family," as he called the children there,
with their teachers, and other members
that made up the household.
HIS PERSONALITY.
We think of Whitefield, the most of
us perhaps, in a hazy sort of way—as a
great preacher who held thousand? spell,
bound with his matchless voice and burn
ing earnestness—this much we have read;
but we have no realization until we have
studied his life and works among us of
what a live personality he was, and
what a power among the brave colonists
who with all their courage yet needed
his strong and dauntless spirit in buf
feting the adverse Waves that beat hard
upon their homesick souls His Influ
ence oifPr men was marvelous wherever
he went—among the highly cultured of
England or the colliers who gathered to
hear him in the fields, the scholars at
Princeton or the liberated debtors in the
little town of Savannah.
It was significant of the roan’s true
nature that coming to Georgia at the
early age of 24 he should have been so
strongly impressed tio an undertaking
which was to be his dearest interest
throughout life. Arrived at Savannah
to assume his curacy, he found the poor
little ones, as he wrote afterwards, “tub
bed out here and there,” receiving the
hurt of bad examples, and forgetting in
such homes as they had what they had
learned at school. Without loss of time,
he determined to provide a house and
land for them—a home—where they might
be taught to labor, and to read and
write, and be brought up as Christian
children should.
When Mr. Whitefield accepted the cura
cy he refused a salary, and so a grant
of 500 acres of land was given him, on
which he might erect his orphan house.
Renting a temporary place, he installed
a number of orphans, and returning to
England began the appeals to generosity
which were to be his only resource. On
Kennington common, after a sermon and
appeal to the unlettered masses for his
orphans across the sea, the first collection
for 111em was taken, amounting to £4. 7 ;
and this was followed by the one on
Moorfit Id which was nearly £53—£20 of
it being In half pence, making in bulk
more than one man could carry. At
both of these places, it i* claimed, the
• *•«•£•«>« O -a-6'4
singing of the people could be heard for
2 miles, and the voice of Mr. Whlte-
licid, which ha? perhaps never been ex
celled in power or melodious quality,
'for I mile. Ills open air audiences reached
as high as 20.000, and by the time he
was lvady to return to America up
wards of £1.000 had been collected, an
amount rue buying capacity of which was
considerably more then than now.
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS.
During his absence James Habersham,
whom Mr. Whitefield had brought over
in 1733 to be school master in the colony,
selected a plot of latiTl containing the 500
acres allowed in the grant, and the
work of clearing and stocking it was
begun. In Januayf following the first
collection in America for the proposed
home was made in Charleston, £70
being secured, upon which occasion the
great preacher, it was thought by many,
spoke as never man spoke before. This
seems to have been the impression wher
ever he talked. Some years afterwards
'Benjamin Franklin testified materially
to his eloquence. Franklin favored the
placing of the orphanage at Philadel
phia, and failing to move Whitefield’s de
termination, rcfused to give him any lieip.
According to liis own account, he
chanced to be present shortly after at one
of the services, and seeing that a col
lection would be taken, he resolved that
nothing should be gotten of him. “I
had in my pocket a handful of copper
money," he said in relating the circum
stance, “ three or four silver dollars, and
live pistoles in gold. As he proceeded
i began to soften and concluded to give
the coppers. Another stroke of his ora
tory made me ashamed of that, and de
termined me to give the silver; and he
finished so admirably that I emptied my
Pocket into fh e colletor's dish—gold and
all.”
On March 25. 1740, with his own hands
Mr. Whitefield laid the first brick of his
“Bethosda—House of Mercy”—in the hope
that it might lie that to many souls. Part
of the house he proposed should be used
as tin infirmary -for poor people and sick
servants, and lie itoped the Indians would
also send their childrui here for Instruc
tion. Of the forty boys and girls who
went into the new home, there were
English, French, Dutch, Scotch and
American children. One of the little girls
received shortly afterwards from Phila
delphia (they came from anywhere in
the colonics, and even from England)
some years later became the wife of
Janu s HaberSham. This receiving the or
phans from everywhere alike was hut
lilting, as the contributions came large
ly from New England and, as we have
seen, the mother country.
The maintenance of an institution like
this in so young a settlement, it can be
understood, was on somewhat of a preca
rious basis—there was no se.ttled income,
and often little coming in. While the
main house was in building the Spaniards
carried away a schooner laden with 10.-
C00 bricks, and a considerable amount of
provisions. The latter would have oc
casioned serious need hut for the timely
arrival of rice and bread sent by a
planter in South Carolina. At times, too,
when there was want of food, the Indians
supplied it, bringing generous quantities
Rev. George Whitefieli, Founder of Bethesda Orphanage.
Bethesda Orphanage, Oldest Charitable Instl
,in Georgia.
of venison. Wool o. n cotton was also
given to be spun and woven for clout
ing.
EVER LOYAL.
On one occasion, being in Bermuda in
the hope of restoring his impaired health,
he received there upwards of £100 sterl
ing, and so with every place where he
chanced to be—Bethesda and its needs
were ever uppermost in his mind and
heart. His efforts were unceasing, but
as the number cff inmate? grew and ex
penses steadily increased, it was a heavy
burden upon him to pay off indebtedness
and keep down the accumulation of same.
In a strait especially stressing He even
sold the whole of his household furni
ture.
Slow and tedious as travel was in that
day, Mr. Whitefield Journeyed back and
fortli throughout the length and breadth
of the colonies, and made repeated trips
to England, necessitating prolonged ab
sences—during the war between England
and France he was kept in England eight
years—but never flagging in his tireless
work for the betterement of mankind
'Wheresoever, or failing to send back
remittances to Bethesda. In London he
established an alms house for poor wid
ows, the poor and destitute of every
clime and station appealed to him. and
lie was ever as ready to relieve bodily
as spiritual needs. And at last, when
about to depart for what proved to he
his last visit to England, he had tliA
deep satisfaction of leaving with all ar
rears paid off, Die houses in good repair,
with provisions and clothing, and some
cash on hand, for the next year’s ex
penses.
Mr. Whitefield. himself an Oxford man
and a scholar, was deeply desirous that.
Bethesda should become a college. In
1746-47 a Latin school was opened there,
■and the following year, being then in
England, lie undertook measures to brin"
about the establishment of a higher in
stitution of learning. The plan, which at
first met with favor, had eventually,
however, to bo abandoned.
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
Thirty years Mr. \\ hitcfield was the
devoted father of the orphanage, through
out the better part of his life was it his
chief care and joy. and when his last
illness overtook him, even then his face
was turned toward his loved “Penlel." as
he called it, hoping to spend Christmas
with “his dear family.” At Newbury-
port, Massachusetts, his remnant of
strength failed him, and he lay down
In death, and was buried before the
pulpit of the Old South church.
His death spread grief in every' place
where he was- known, and in Savannah
the sorrow of the people was universal
and deep. Services were held in the
church, the pulpit, desk and organ loft
being covered with black; the governor
and council in deep mourning convened
at the state house, and marched in pro
cession to the church, where they sat
In pews draped in mourning; the organ
played a funeral dirge, and two sermons
were preached. In the tribute paid by
the Reverend Mr. Ellington, he said, “In
him met the finished and complete gen
tleman and the real and true Christian.’
It has been Mr. Whitefieid's expressed
wetir-.. L i be placed, if he died in En«
land. In the vault beside his wife in
Tottenham Court chapel, London. He
had also expressed the hope that if
death come to him in America he might
lie in the Old Smith church, which was
dear to him, and which had been huil led
largely through his instrumentality. And
so it was. On the second day of Octo
ber, 1770. he was interred, about Vo.000
people attending the services; bells were
tolled, guns fired £w-3 the shipping, flags
placed at half mast, and with every at
testation of sorrow one of the greate-t
mm of his age was laid away, and the
people of America and of Great Britain
mourned with a common grief.
He was buried in gown, cassock, bands
and wig, and in a mahogany-stained cof
fin. His two intimate friends, Parsons
and Prince, pastors- of the church, were
subsequently placed in the crypt with
him. The original tomb, built in i770,
was located in front of the pulpit, as it
then stood, in the northeast side of the
building and was reached by a trap-door
in the aisle. But In 1829 the house was
remodeled, the remains were placed in
new coffins-, and removed to the new
crypt, which is seven feet square, with
a flight of steps leading down into it,
and lighted by gas,
MANY PILGRIMS.
Visitors come here from everywhere,
sometimes whole assemblies of religious
bodies, tile registry shows the names of
thousands, many distinguished persons of
foreign lands, as well as our own coun
try. The lids of the three coffins are
left off, exposing to view through the
glass the head an.,1 chest of eaeh body.
The skull of Whitefield was some years
ago removed and taken to Boston that
some casts might ho made from it, one
of which is to lie seen in the crypt, bu:
it was’safely brought back, as was the
arm stolen long ago and eventually re
turned.
The theft of the arm was a remarka
ble and mysterious occurrence. In IS36
it was seen in England by a Mr. Robert
Philip, who, to induce the culprit to re
turn the limb, promised to conceal his
name if it was done. Accordingly it was
shipped in a box to Rev. Dr. Stearns,
who, apprehensive lest the consignment
be an infernal machine, and being the ig
norant as well as unwilling consignee, re
fused to open it. He kept it for some
months, until finally a, letter came stat
ing that the bone had been sent, and
asking if It was received. Being thus as
sured the box was opened and the arm
restored to its place in the coffin. it
had been the custom In early years to
permit visitors to touch the body, or
skeleton, which had made the theft pos
sible. The name of the guilty perron, it
is believed, was Bolton.
UNMERCIFUL DISASTER.
Mr. Whitefield, at his death, bequeathed
Bethesda to the Countess Selina Hunt
ingdon; who spared neither thought nor
money in -the furtherance of the institu
tion’s interest, but misfortune appeared
to have marked it for its own. Shortly
after the founder’s death the buildings
were struck by lightning and burned.
a. ig ii. a be- ha ) brer* rF Ti
the British army destroyed them. A For
Lady' Huntingdon’s death the state gov
ernment, as successors to the trust
claimed the property, and an attempt
was made to establish a r-tato institution
at Bethesda, but a second time lire dam
aged the main building, and a hurricane
laid waste the outhouses and planta
tion. The legislature now ordered the
property sold, and the proceeds divided
among several charitable institution?,
one of them the Union Society, probably
the oldest char^tabSe organization in
America.
This looked like the end of all White-
field’s plans and hopes, and for a time
it seemed so. But the Providence that
had watched over the work for fifty
years did not forget now; though tempo
rarily the. home was lost it was to be
restored, and placed permanently in
hands than which none better—the Union
Society, a history of which is one long
unbroken story of deeds of love and
humanity, now took charge of the work.
Though it was 45 years before the so
ciety was able to buy back for Bethesda
125 acres of the original site and con
struct anew buildings for a home. At
last it was done, other lands of the
original grant were donated, and Be'!ios-
da, Whitefield’s orphan house, the ward
of two continents, was restored.
During th“ civ 1 :
the nearness to th
best to remove
longer received
thi
war, on ennui, t of
coast, it was thought
boys (girls were no
the home), and the
place was occupied by confederate sol
diers. Later during the federal occupan
cy a detachment of federals was housed
here As soon as practicable after the
close of the war the home was reestab
lished and the boys returned to it. Since
which time it has prospered, sheltering
hundreds of orphaned boys, and sending
the mout into the world honorable and
useful citizen?-. At present the home is
tilled to its capacity, even to crowding,
and plenty and promise are its happy
lot.
A worthier charity our country does not
possess, nor one more deserving, consid
ering its founder, its beginning and its-
long life, of our unswerving allegiance
and fostering care.
The city of Savannah, city of monu
ments as it is, has no shaft or stone,
no enduring memorial save that whose
foundations were laid with hi? own hand,
to finis noble benefactor, one of the.
greatest men that place—or America—
has ever known. Yet he needs none
other. In this country Bethesda will ever
suggest Whitefield and Whitefield Be.
thesda—and may one live ns long as the
undying memory of the other.
ABLE SURGEONS AMONG OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS
party of Johns Hopkins
students were talking
about “immunity" last
night. One of them re
marked that a dog’s saliva
has a perfect bactericidal
and healing power and
suggested that perhaps It
would make a good anti
septic, although it seeeme 1
that no bacteriologist hud
caught the hint contained
in the simple process of
a dog’s licking a sore, a.
process seen every day.
This idea was discussed generally.
The young man who first, mentioned it
took down a pile of old magazines and
after a diligent searclt produced a paper
by Doctor George M. Gould. Here is a
part of it:
When we commence observation of the
origin of medical discovery and treat
ment we are struck by the fact that
'our brothers the animals' were first in
learning not a little of medical art. It
has been noticed that birds often show
u true surgical instinct. M. Tati a on
several occasions has killed woodoo -k
that were when shot convalescing from
wounds previously received, and in every
Instance found the old Injury neatly
dressed with down plucked from the
stems of feathers and skilfullly arranged
over the wound, evidently by the beak of
the birds.
In some instances a solid plaster was
thus formed and in others ligatures had
been applied to wounded or broken limbs.
Ten times in his experience he has found
birds whose limbs had been broken by
shot with the fractured ends neatly ap
proximated and litigated together—a
statement that is vouched for by no less
a naturalist than Fulbert Dumonteil.
BEES WILL SEEK ASTRINGENTS.
“Doctor James Weir says that when
bees are attacked with diarrhoea they
at once begin to suck astringent pieces
of the dogwood, poplar, wild cherry or
hickory and rapidly cure themselves.
Their instinct carries them so ftir that
in winter if they should happen to be
afflicted with diarrhoea they will read
ily drink a decoction of wild cherry if it
is placed in the hive. Moreover, they
seem to know that filth is a source of
further believes that
•r animals have diseov-
materia mediea that
nized by human phy-
dogs
"1 lector Weir
many of the high
erod and use a
should be
sicians. For instance, dogs willl seek
out and devour the long blades cf
couch-grass (triticum repens) when they
are constipated; horses and mules will
eat clay when they have ‘scours’; cattle,
with eczema have Been seen to plaster
hoof and joint with mud. He speaks
of seeing a cow break tlvia ice on a
pond and treat her itching joint to a mud
poultice. Cats will go miles when they
are ‘under the weather’ for a dose of
catnip.
CURATIVE POWERS OF SALIVA.
“The saliva of animals seems to have
a distinct curative action. Dogs, ca-s,
cattle, rodents, monkeys, all lick their
wounds when they can get at them, and
soon effect euros. Weir also tells of ai
large dog-faced monkey who scratched
his shoulder badly on a projecting nail
in his cage. He immediately went to a
corner and, seizing a handful of clear,
sawdust, pressed it on the bleeding
scratch. In a few moments the bleeding
ceased and the blood dried, leaving a
coating under which the healing vas
prompt.
“Rev. Egevton R. Young, a missionary
in northwestern Canada, shows us that
the surgical instincts of the dog may
become so far developed as to produce
a real surgeon doctor. One of his dogs
spontaneously took up this work ants
became so expert that the Indians
called him Muskeke Atim, the surgeon.
Galls, wounds, frozen feet, etc., in
the other dogs were successfully an I
systematically treated by ’Doctor’ Rover.
The wounds or sores that could not he
reached by the dog s own tongue did not
heal. The fact shows that. In a -fa e
of health and with pure food, the dog’s
saliva has a perfect bactericidal and
healing power. Perhaps it would make
an ideal antiseptic. No bacteriologist,
has caught the hint.—Baltimore News.