The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-10
THE PEABoDY HOUSES.
What the American PhiIanthropist Did
For the EngIinh Metropolis.


For the EngIish Metropolis.
London Cor San Francisco Chronicle.
When Peabody died he left charity
fund Of S. 100000 for the benefit OF the de.
serving poor Of London. You may be in
terested in knowing that the fund is the
most useful Of any Of the many that have
been established in England He first
gave E1250O0, which he desired the trus.
tees to use in such manner that it would
be reproductiveand should yet benefit the
poor. The trustees had q hard time to find
out how to fulfill the conditions OF the
Gift. He had said, II don't want any de.
domination 10 have H." therefore none Of
the institutions under church auspices
could be benefited. It would not do to
give 1t In aid Of the pauper and public
asylums and hospitals, for they were al.
ready charge upon the taxpayers and
therefore the taxpayer would be the one
chiefly benefited in the tightening OF his
burdens. Neither would 1t do to give 1t to
the blind or the helpless, for then It could
never be reproductive. It was ve.y diff.
cult to fulRll the conditions Of the Mart.
main law, and these troubles were aggra.
waited by the fact oil Mr.. Peabody's Ameri.
can birth. This seems like ancient history,
dare say, in the columns OF live news.
paper, but there are lots OF people who
don't know anything about II; and besides,
| II you would know OF the American colony
here, you must learn Of the existing results
OF the munihcence Of Its former greatest
member. II was at last fixed up, however,
and the trustees decided to build tenement
houses on the most approved plans, which
they would rent at the minimum
figure, 10 the poorer classes OF the
working people. They did so. It was a
great success. The fist house accommo.
dated nearly FIVE hundred tenants, and the
return for this investment was about q
per cent. Then they built more, and now
nearly 1000 people are living in the Pea.
body houses. They-pay for the quarters
FIVE shillings and sixpence down to two
shillings and ninepence, or Sl.32 to GO
cents per week. They have, in the case
Of the highest price, four rooms. in which
are gas, water, range, bath and retiring.
room, for none Of which they pay any.
thing; and in the lowest price.list two
rooms. There are none OF them that are
not as comfortable "a you please. Many OF
them are better than the middle-class
families lives in in America. The arohi.
.ectual aspect Of the houses Is good, too,
aud there Is IN interior court, with play
ground, fountain, shade and SO on, with
comforts innumerable. There Is no doubt
Of the fact that the people who live in
them are very cosy and comfortable, and
| II seems to me that similarly disposed
charitable men in many cities Of America
could not do better than follow Mr.. Pea.
body's footsteps, and l often wonder why
Peabody did not do+it at home. He did
considerable for Baltimore; established an
institute and library, but unfortunately,
people cannot take the books out Of the
library, and the purpose Of the donor Is not
realized. Danyers, the place Of Peahody's
birth, also received much from his lsrgess,