Miss Eleanor Quin, secretary to Mr. Higinbotham for the past ten years, is still assisting; without these people, whose love and devotion has been unfailing, the work could not have been carried on successfully.
It is difficult to follow without emotion the story of Mr. Higinbotham’s devotion to the Home. From the time of his retirement from business in 1902, it became, after his family, the chief interest of his mind and heart, with which nothing was allowed to interfere. When in town he made daily visits, always becoming personally acquainted with—indeed, the friend of—each inmate, and cheering them all on with unfailing sympathy and humor. The coldness of many institutional “charities” was never allowed to enter here, and the love which rewarded him in life, and mourned his death, was pathetic in its fervor.
When the death of other early benefactors had made him the sole survivor, he presented to the Home, as a memorial to those who had been associated with him in its establishment, a bronze tablet bearing the following inscription:
A. D. 1909
“This tablet is placed in loving memory of those good and faithful women and men who gave unselfishly of themselves, and generously of their means, for the establishment of this Home. Their names are not recorded here. Yonder in the Infinite they are written on pages more glorious and far more enduring. This tablet is the gift and the tribute of one who knew them well and loved them fondly.
“May patience and peace and plenty ever abide within its walls.
“May those who suffer and those who serve, those who sing and those who pray, as well as those who, unable to do more, stand by and cheer, be equally blessed.
“May this great city, and all the agencies here employed to heal the sick, alleviate suffering and advance the interest of humanity, be prospered always.”
Among the many incidents which portray the tenderness of his nature was one relating to a poor woman in the Cook County Hospital, who, when told that Mr. Higinbotham had come to see her, said: “Is this really Mr. Higinbotham!” Bursting into tears, she drew from beneath her pillow his picture, cut from a newspaper which she had carried many years, as a help to make her patient in suffering, as an inspiration to be gentle and kind. Many other stories of his kindness to those in sickness and distress might be told; particularly details of his daily visits to the Home for Incurables.
A few other incidents may be mentioned to illustrate further Mr. Higinbotham’s keen sympathies and his untiring activity in obeying their commands. The case of Leo Frank, whose conviction he felt to be unjust, interested him so deeply that, unsolicited, he went to Atlanta to intercede with the Governor and the Commission for his life. His efforts were successful, as the sentence was commuted and Frank was removed to another city; but the lynching of the prisoner soon after prevented further action in his favor.