The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-22
A Lunch Tor a Penny.

A correspondent writes from Wash
ington to the Philadelphia Times as
follows: There is an institution in
Washington that is worth initiating in
other cities; tor I take it that in these
hard times there are very many poor
people in every city who cannot get
work and are. without food. I refer to
what is known as the penny lunch. Wash
ington is city which naturally has more
than its share Of poor people, for they
come here from all parts of the country
IN a vain search for government positions,
and it is, in addition, the center of the
INDECENT negro population Of many ada
cent States. About a year ago, at a time
when there was unusual suffering here
among the poorer classes, and all manner
OF suggestions we're being made as to what
should be done to relieve the prevailing
poverty and want, lady named Mrs.
Roberts started what is known here by
everybody as the "penny lunch" She was
at that time, or had been, clerk in the
interior department, and was a regular
contributor to one of the Sunday papers.
She conceived the idea Of supplying
hungry people with lunch for a penny,
and from very small beginning, she has.
made the lunch success and increased
its advantages, until now it is perman-
ent Institution, and one of the most SEN
sible and practical charities of the coun-
try. Mrs. Roberts was aided IN the I'M
dertaking by some friends, who appreci-
ated her energy and knew the kindness
Of her heart. She began soliciting, per.
sonally, small contributions from bust
ness men, a bag of -four here, a bushel of
beans there, barrel Of meal of one per-
son, load Of coal of another, hundred
loaves Of bread Of another, corned beef of
another, pork of another,a load of wood of
another, and SO on through the city She
refused nothing, but patiently kept at
work. In due time she had money
to rent for a month two small rooms in =
back street. She borrowed a stove, beg
ged few plates, bowls, cups and saucers
spoons, knives END forks and other nee
essary implements. He had printed a
number Of small tickets reaain e Gene
Cent. Good for One Lunch, No. 1915 E
street," These tickets she popularized by
selling them in packages OF fifty and one
hundreds so ladies and gentlemen, who in
turn gave them to beggars and destitute
persons in the street.
Mrs. Roberts started very modestly,
giving her entire time to the enterprise,
and working with surprising zeal and
patience. At first she gave a plate OF
soup and piece of bread for penny,
and before she knew it she could not sup
ply the wants Of those who called. Many
laboring men with large families and no
work came regularly and sent their wives
and children with their pennies to get a
"square meal" It became popular
thing. W. W. Concoran and many of
the other rich and aristocratic people
visited Mrs. Roberts and ate her soup.
It was pronounced excellent, and there
were many money contributions as re-
suit. Of course, the expenses of
such an establishment as Mrs. Rob-
erts' could not be paid by charg-
ing only a penny for lunch, but
the contributions from the people were so
small and spread over so wide a sur.
fact that the expense was not felt by any.
body. One man promised to give fifty
loves of bread week during the winter,
another promised one dollar a week, and
large number of subscribers were OBJ
tanned at fifty and twenty-five cents a
week. The number Of people fed by
Mrs. Roberts last winter I cannot pretend
to give, but the total is enormous. She
now feeds about four Hundred people
twice day. Her quarters are necessa-
rily cramped and only about twenty can
be accommodated at once. From lunch
in the middle Of the day she has enlarged
her plan and Low furnishes breakTas!
and dinner. For breakfast her bill Of
fare is mush aud mollasses, coffee and
corn bread. For dinner, soup, corn bread
and coffee. Occasionally, if contribu.
tons are unusually liberal, she
will give boiled beans and a
little pork or potatoes. The most rigid
economy is practiced, and every scrap of
food is made available She pays her
cook eight dollars month, and with the
assistance of two or three colored boys,
who work for their board, she gets on
pretty we'll. Of course the boarders are