ugh occasionally having one, but chose rather to
convince the understanding, and leave the matter before the people for
consideration. No public duties of mine were ever more agreeable than
these; and the results proved afterwards most happy, in securing a large
rural "constituency," who steadily supported our movements in good times
and bad; so quietly devoted, and in earnest, that death did not diminish
their interest--some of our best bequests having come from the country.

The next great implement was that profession which has done more for
this Charity than any other instrumentality. Having, fortunately, an
early connection with the press, I made it a point, from the beginning,
to keep our movements, and the evils we sought to cure, continually
before the public in the columns of the daily journals. Articles
describing the habits and trials of the poor; editorials urging the
community to work in these directions; essays discussing the science of
charity and reform; continual paragraphs about special charities, were
poured forth incessantly for years through the daily and weekly press of
New York, until the public became thoroughly, imbued with our ideas and
a sense of the evils which we sought to reform. To accomplish this, I
had to keep up a constant connection with the press, and was, in fact,
often daily editor, in addition to my other avocations.

As a result of this incessant publicity, and of the work already done, a
very superior class of young men consented to serve in our Board of
Trustees; men who, in their high principles of duty, and in the
obligations which they feel are imposed by wealth and position, bid fair
hereafter to make the name of New York merchants respected as it never
was before throughout the country. With these as backers and
supervisors, we were enabled to approach the Legislature for aid, on the
ground that we were doing a humane work which lightened the taxes and
burdens of the whole community and was in the interest of all. Year
after year our application was rejected, but finally we succeeded, and
laid a solid and permanent basis thus for our future work.

SOURCES OF INCOME.

Our first important acquisition of property was a bequest from a
much-esteemed pupil of mine, J. B. Barnard, of New Haven, Conn., of
$15,000, in 1856. We determined to use this at once in the work. For
many years, finding the needs of the city so enormous, and believing
that our bes