The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-08

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awed mouths and were silent.
Mr., Patton and Col. Rodman held many
and anxious conferences over this mat
ter. "T confess myself bafied," said the
clergyman. "Here, on n side, is a
large body Of wealthy Christian people
ready and anxious to give their money
to help their poorer brethren, and on the
other are the poor asking for help. Yet
somehow the help never reaches them"
aI will not presume to solve the whole
problem" said the Colonel; ''but the mis-.
take which the wealthy class makes, a.
It seems to me, especially such men as
Kensett, Is that Of too much confidence
They put = premium on fraud. They
either give their money TO sorry beg
gars without personal investigation and
; o develop beggsry, or they hand 1t over
To gigantic charitable organizations and
go put temptation in the way oil their
managers.h
"You do not mean 10 say these men are
all tempted to steal" cried Mr.. Patton, In
~dignantly.
sNo, only the lowest class Of them are
affected BY the actual money. The temp.
tation 20 the majority Ia that Of unlimited
power. Men or women, honest sincere,
humane in the beginning OF their work,
take charge Of one Of these mammoth or
CARNATIONS, with hordes Of Inferior hu'
man beings 10 control. Rules and system
are necessary; II becomes to them pres
emily 4 mere matter Of rules and system;
they handle these human souls en- masse,
until their own hearts become hardened
and mechanical. That Is the effect upon
the finer natures. A coarser man, placed
in this position OF absolute power, lie
tempted to cruelty and fraud every hour
Of his life. For my part l should not
trust one OF them with the control Of
these unfortunate creatures, without q
close, constant, legal watch upon them. l
remember that no Christian church has
over stood the test Of arbitrary power
without falling into cruelty or corrup-
ton"
Very lew Of the peoplso Of St. Matthews
conceded with the Colonel; even Mr.. Pa.
ton held him to be an extremist In his
views. He never gave q dollar to any
charitable society. II want to zee with
my own eyes where my money goes,' he
said. He never gave 4 penny IN down.
right aims to beggars. "You shall have
help II you pay for itin work after ward"
was his rule. In fact he had little pa.
thence with the helpless unable poor.
@There are plenty Of Kensetts to carry
that dead. weight" he said. "My bust
ness Ia to make the weight less dead for
the next generations TO set the idle to
work."
BE had made his own money; he had no
kinsiolks to be his heirs, and he aYowed
his intention not to leave = dollar Of II
to any institution to mismanage when be
vas dead. N mean to help the world
with It, and help 1t now" he said.
His usual plan was to burrow into
haunts Of vice and poverty until he found
a child born with some capital Of talent
fine instincts or honesty Of nature, out oil
which 4 useful man could be made. This
child became then his charge. He edu-
Gated him for Whatever trade, profession
or business he was fitted, and placed him
in Il. How many men helping the world
upward to-day are his instruments, car.
rying ont his ideas, only he knows, and
God. Another fayorite within OF the Col
onel's was to enable the poor to help eact
other. He would lend money TO an en-
erRetic woman to start q laundry or 1
small shop, provided she gave employ:
ment TO other women poorer than herself
When an orphan fell into his charge, h
placed It NOT in the asylum, but in tn
family OF some worthy, needy couple,wht
would care for It kindly. They were thu
gamers by the money; the child had
home. The Colonel borrowed, too, Iron
the Quakers, many Of their shrewed
practical modes OF helping men who hell
themselves. He founded a training
school for adult mechanics; an eating
house for working men, where the ioot
was furnished at absolute cost prices
After these establishments were ono
founded, they soon became self-support
When the present hard times began
Col, Rodman was one OF the first to sc
that the only chance Of escape for th
surplusage OF unemployed workmen II
the cities, waS TO open up the rich vast
lands Of the country. &c bought up
large tract Of forest in one Of the olde
States near TO a market at q low price
cbope himself about ifty sober, industri
Gus laborers and mechanics, who were on
Of work and on the verge oil starvation
and advanced the money TO take then
and their families to It, and TO feed then
for six months.
aMeasure of your farms, clear ant
plant them, and pay me the cost price Ii
eight years" he said.
Tbe men went TO work n those VIII
have been called back from the edge o
the grave. Lat July, when the labo
strikes held the country paralyEed, the,
we're quietly reaping their harvest, wei
fed aud we'll clothed.
allow does your colony succeed
somebody asked the Colonel the oths
2Thsy hold their own. They hay
paid their second installmsnt to me--to
"a hard man, Rodman !" said his quel
toner when he was gone. "strange this
A Christian should have no better idea q
true charity r.