Grand Rapids Herald

WORK OF THE HOME
Meeting of the Emerson Home Society.
OFFICERS WERE ELECTED For the Ensuing Year, and Mrs. King Gave a Resume of the Grand Work Accomplished.

The annual election of officers of the Emerson home took place at the residence of Mrs. S. A. King, No. 17 Sheldon street, last evening. The officers elected for the year are as follows: President, Mrs. W. J. Perkins; vice president, Mrs. S. A. King; secretary, Mrs. Esta Granby; treasurer, Mrs. Jacob Kleinhans; vice treasurer, Mrs. Mary Kleinhans; executive board, Mesdames Cassius Sweet, E. A. Moseley, Margaret Anderson, J. W. Cloyes, E. J. Horton, J. D. Lacey and L. H. Austin. The advisory board was re-elected for another year.

Reports of the various officers were given. Through the medium of the Emerson, many fallen women have been reclaimed from lives of sin and shame and placed on a footing with respectable women. Homes have been provided for many in private families and in some cases employment has been secured for them.

Mrs. King in speaking of the work of home said: "We are just entering our fifth year with better prospects for doing good than ever before. This is the only home in the country that I know of that is conducted on the principle of ours. There are several reformatory institutions in Chicago, New York and Detroit where women of this class desiring to become better women or suffering from disease can go, but in every other case they must stay for a certain period of time. In the Emerson the girls are not obliged to stay an hour, and once they leave the home they can return as many times as they please. In the home everything is done to lead the inmates to forget their past. They are not allowed even to speak of their past lives and are encouraged in their endeavors to become better women.

When the home was organized four years ago, through the instrumentality of Georgie Young, it was looked down on by many and the police authorities threatened to close it, but we trust that period of our career is past.

"In nearly every case those who have been reformed through the instrumentality of the home have been true to their vows, and not five out of a hundred have returned to their former lives of shame."

Various means for raising funds for the home were discussed, and before long it is hoped that better service and equipment can be procured.