Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-20
Re InesdaY MORNING, Feb. 20, ls8l.
nag-raE Room MEETlNe LEI NloilF.--

We lnesday Morning, Feb. 20, 1881.
nsg-rnE Poon NlEETlxo LAST NicnF.-
meeting was held last night at Wash
neton Hall for the purpose of adopting
ome measures by which the poor of the
tity may be relieved
On motion of Mr.. Brady, Mayor Sweeney
ras called to the chair, and Mr.. 3. Pax
on acted as Secretary.
Rev. Mr.. Perkins suggested that those
resent familiar With the condition of the
,oor. make some statements to the meeting,
lat they might come prominently before
he people.
Mr. Henry Eehols, overseRr of the poor
or the eighth district, said that the appli-
.ations from destitute people for aid, had
Increased SO rapidly rs to besOme alarm
Ing. In former years the applicants for,
i'd we're generally women aud children,
but this winter many able bodied men
zane to him, who said they could get no
work and whose families were in actual
want. In the country it was different
The poor people all came to the city for
Employment, which they could not get.
sons of those who applied were sadly in
heed. He instaured one case where an
applicant had been disabled by an accident
"a man with a large family who had
aothing at all to eat. Applications were
frequently nude at night BY men, women
md children, who came il the cold and
uclement weather and begged shelter and
food. Mr.. E. said he had helped about
l5O people this winter in his district. BE
vas frequently imposed upon by persons
who misrepresentcd the number Of their
children aud exaggerated their condition.
Many times persons applied with u larg.
number of small children, which they had
borrowed for the purpose of exciting sym
pathy. 1t was necessary to deal very care
fully and always with due inquiry Into
the cases. 1t will cost the county this
year to keep the poor, about nine thousand
dollars.
Mr.. Echols said the Poor House was
full. 1t contained ninety subjects, aud
could take no more. 1t was made the du-
BY by law of an Overseer of the Poor, when
he saw ii child begging in the street, to
take it up and provide for it.
Mr.. John Downs, overseer for the 7th
district, had assisted QUO hundred aud Rfty
nine persons. AIauy were able-bodied
men, who could get no work. He had
supplied some and taken their promises to
pay when they should become able to do
so, Like Mr.. Echols no was often impos-
ed upon by borrowed children, mud other
j deceptive means, but he generally ascer-
tanned the wants of those who applied, by
personal examination and inquiry.
Mr. S. Brady submitted motion that
when the meeting adjourn it be to meet
pm Thursday evening next, in the Jury
Room at the Court House-that the Mayor
be requested, in the meantime, to procure
copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of
he old Wheeling Benevolent Society, and
that the same be made the basis for plan
Reorganization to effect the desired object.
Mr.. Brady said that the old plan to
which he alluded worked we'll in its time
and he had no doubt but it would be eff
fcctivO at the present time. The motion
was adopted.
After Il brief discussion as to what WAS
necessary to poo. mans comfort. and a
sick mans wants, air. Thomas Sweeney
read an extract from a paper, setting forth
how that one j. w. Farmer, of New York
had spent $4,000 on the poor, and fed a
thousand people from his own door Mr.
S. asked If there was gentleman present
who could beat Mr.. Farmers libernlity.
On motion of Rev. Perkins, the Mayor
was authorized to appoint Committee of
three, whose duty it should be to enquire
into the expediency Of establishing Soup
Houses, such as exist in other cities. The
meeting then adjourned. The meeting
was small One-sO small, in fact, as to
cause one to Sigh
Alas for the rarity
az human charity
Under the sun.
We think, however, that the wants OF
the poor have not been properly presented,
and that there is sufficient benevolence
among US to prevent actual suffering. W,
hope thatwe may have this opinion verified
pit the meeting on Thursday evening
There is no question that but there is {
great deal of suffering in the city, which
can be alCviated by tue right ktud of aetiv,
cxertiOu, and at very small expense tt
each OfthOse who are abandantly able II
give.
R8-A RASosaOUs Joa.-A dangerous
job was that of adjusting the telegraph
,,.;,.. $500. - cs..; u.: