Work is progressing finely on the foundation for the Sisters of Charity hospital, St. Paul's sanitarium, on Bryan street. The cement work is nearly completed, and the erection of the superstructure will soon commence. The city engineer issued the building permit on the 23d of this month. This permit, as can be seen from the list of permits issued during the past week, calls for a $100,000 structure three stories high and with a large basement.
     A Christmas tree festival and donation party will be held at St. Joseph's orphanage, Oak Cliff, Monday, at 3 o'clock p. m., for the benefit of the sixty or more youthful inmates of that asylum. Donations are being solicited for the occasion.

     Sister Mary Bernard, Rev. Father Lennon of Emmettsburg, Md., and Supervising Architect, W. A. Overbeck, of this city, will meet this afternoon in the sisters' quarters and formally open the bids submitted by different firms for the building of St. Paul's sanitarium, the foundations for which, have been laid for over a month. It is expected that the contract will be awarded to the successful firm to-day, in which case work will be begun by the first of April and the hospital pushed to completion as rapidly as possible.
     In addition to those submitted by local firms, bids have been received from contractors in Fort Worth, Galveston, San Antonio and St. Louis. Several firms figuring on the work had not sent in their bids at 10 o'clock this morning. At 11 o'clock, all bids must be in the hands of the sisters.
     The work will be let under six contracts; first, the general contract, which embraces the brick of the work; second, the marble and tiling; third, the heating; fourth, the plumbing; fifth, the electric wiring; sixth, the elevator.

     Very neat cards of invitation are out, issued by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, extending a cordial invitation to assist at the ceremony if the opening of St. Paul's Sanitarium on the 15th inst. at 1 o'clock p. m. Sister M. Bernard states that they will be pleased to receive visitors on the 16th to the 25th inst., from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m.
     The occasion of the opening will be a noted one in Dallas, as all of our people, irrespective of denominations, class of creed, have taken exceeding interest in this most excellent enterprise. The imposing building is a conspicuous ornament to the city, of most elegant and attractive as well as substantial architecture. From basement to garret, every provision has been made to secure the comfort, the safety and the content of the inmates. Every precaution has been taken against fire possibilities and every provision made for thorough sanitation.
     What the building is physically in excellence of design and appropriateness of purpose the Sisters, those white-bonneted ministers of mercy and good upon earth, will make it with administration in all its departments.

     Unannounced, and without ceremony, there has been placed at St. Paul's Sanitarium, a bronze tablet of beautiful design, marking the Mary Elizabeth Raney Davis ward for children. The donor was a former resident of Dallas and died a few years ago in the East. Among her bequests was one providing for a ward at St. Paul's for children to be maintained perpetually. Friends in the East corresponded with Sister Vincent at the St. Paul's, and after some delay, due to the completion of the annex, the Mary Elizabeth Rainey ward, equipped with six tiny iron beds and other essentials, was opened for children in accordance with the wishes of this good woman. Among the pictures hanging on the walls of the ward is one of the donor. The little patients often ask "who is the lady with the pretty face?" and they listen with interest when the sisters explain that it is through her kindness that they are being nursed back to health. The tablet, of unusual beauty and design, has been placed just to the left of the entrance to the ward.