Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-07-29
Eegul.r corresponaeno. Of the Appe.l.l

RON 10 commit suicide. A reporter was sent
TO see her. She wac found in comfortable
apartments. Nothing portable enough TO |
take out and pawn was left in them, but the
remaining furniture was first-rate and there
were no indIcations of any misery not asso.
with idleness. She assured the caller
her intention IL commit suicide was un-
unless somebody a ence gave her
money. Indeed, she said that she hsd al
ready begun TO kill herssif-with whisky- |
She was an artist whom the world had neg
lected. She didn't know how to work, as
most women do when pressed by poverty.
This might be called pride, she said, but it
was professional and proper. Sne who
had danced for half an hour q night for $50
or 80 couldn't reasonably be expected to ply
a needle ten hours a day merely to keep body
and soul together.
Drink is a sure assassin" abe added,
Sand that is why 1 prefer it to violent means.
1 never turned to whisky until L made up my
mind 10 commit suicide. i shan't last long
unless succor comes"
This was published. Most Of Its readers
smiled at the grotesque audacity OF the
woman who, having eq~uaudered q large in-
come, refused to earn a email one by drop
piug out of public favoritism, but brandished
= whisky bottle as a weapon OF self destruc-
ton, and threatened to die On a spree unless
sobered with sims. Would you suppose that
any body yielded to her bulldozing? l have
taken pains to find out about that. Ga the
day after the publication three letters were
cent TO her. They contained $57 from anouy-
nous givers. They were right 10 keeping
out Of sight. Such philsnthropis;s ought to
be ASHAMED of themselves for not finding, in
a city Astounding in women who are trying in
vain to earn a comfortable living by honest
work, a more deserving object of charity han
a profiigate dancer who boasts of DRUM n
ne5s.
THE AsroRs' BENEFAcrIoNs.
However, it is not always as easy as in
THE instance to avoid unwise benefactions.
Wealthy folks are beset on every hand by
solicitations. The task of finding out the
comparatively few deserving beggsrs among
the msny frauds il q harder one than they
are usually willing to perform. Some OF
them get rid of bother by saying no to all.
Others refer applications to their pastor or
some other exp-r in charity. l asked an
employe in the Office of the Astors how many
begging letters were received there.
"fbree hundred a week on the average
was the reply. They not only come from
every State in the Union, but also from other
countries. OF course we get a copy OF every
| circular and pamphlet issued by = New YORK
City CHARITY. These, with the same sort oil
iitCi u PAthtGo hSiC PAoOdOy q
| up half of what We call the charity mail.
The appeals in manuscript are about hall
and halt. l should say, between public and
private objects. Minis ers are by a long way
ahead, and az a rule they ask for aid to build
or enlarge a church. Next in number coms
the projects of philc l~,hropists of all sorts
the one who wants 4 million to evangeliz.
the whole OF some heather people, to The I'm.
ambitious pleadsr for a hundred to send 2
party of New York waits to The West. The
class of undisguisedly selfish beggars il
bigger than you would naturally suppose
Yesterday we had a letter from a woman
who coolly requested $1,000 for capital witt
which to start in the millinery business
She described herself as a lady born to for.
tune, but suddenly reduced 10 poverty; bu
who was not too proud to Engage in trade
provided she could do so in an Independent
manner. And her notion of how to achievs
that Independence was To draw on the Astol
estate for capital. Another letter in yester
days mail was from a man who said that be
was aiawyer without clients. He calculated
that $4,000 would support him unit
he secured a remunerative practice, anc
he could conceive of no keener pleasur.
10 the Astors than that which would arts,
from sending him the cash. Like a good
many of his sort of applicants he evidently
didn't much expe It to get anything, bul
merely took his chances of making a favora
BILE impression by the eddity and audacity o
his proposition. He argued that if b,
should, by Aslor aid, become a great lawyer
and through some freak of fortune the AS
tors should get into financial difficulties, i
might so fall out that his legal skill would
save Them from poverty. In that event hov
glad and proud they woul be for haviu,
aided struggling genius. By the way there
was in that malta project which woulel .pecial
ly interest you, 81 eing that il was a scheme TO
the reformation of Journalists. The writel
wac q clergyman of high standing, 30 b.
said, though his identity was only TO be di
vuIged in case we thought favorably of hi
suggestion. He had observed that the ton,
OF the daily press was not devout. He dt
not, as most critics Of journalism, complain
that the news contained too much abou
crime. On the contrary, he thought il tn
duty of pablo journals to record event
without discrimination. But he had an ide,
that a system might be created by which I,
every account Of a misdeed shout,
be appended a brief moral ap
plicatIon of the lesson which it taught
Thus, if a murder was the result of rum, b
would have a lew remarks on Temperance
Pillow the news, instead of being put int
the editorial column, where the u~nthought
full reader might pass it. What he wishes
the Astors to do was TO give him a fund @
$4,000 for the publication of a weekly orgal
of the movement to be sent to every edito
in the country, in the hope of winning hin
over TO the idea."
"Whst becomes of these letters?" I asked
Waste basket" was the answer. "Some
times We think one interesting enough t
show to our employers, but not often"
"And are none Of the charitable PROPOSE
tions taken into confederation" 81
every rarely indeed. The exceptions ar
only in the cases of ~well-known person, an
institutions. Such are turned over TO th
ladies of the family, who exclusively loo
after the Astor benefactions. Your smile
cynical. Let me tell you that the Aston
give away a great deal of money; but it
done judiciously. Not a dollar goes to al
unknown object"
"Are their benefactions commensurate
with their wealth."
"WeiI, Pill tell YOU this much; the publ
would be astonished to know the aggregate
But there isn't the slightest use for crsnks
attempt to strike US for 50 much as a dime.
"Aud yet some of the suggestions from t.
natics, or cranks, are no doubt truly philal
thropic."
eyes, Indeed. Here's an instan .e: II
civil damage liquor law in this State max
every keeper of a bar and the owner of III
premises liable to make good all the ipjur
done TO 8 drunkard's family by selling drin
to him. But advantage is not often taken
this provision, partly because people do n,
know of it, but usually owing to fear of cost
Now, a correspondent proposed the endov
ment of a society to take up these cases An
prosecute them Cratic. Think of the goo
mat such an organization might do"
ACTORS AT LONG BRANCH.
have had q lazy eye out for the regul
annual directory of theatrical peoples res
dences at Long Branch, but haven't seen
and shall nave to make one myself, Pr
f~atorily, let me say that the dramatic coluu
there is a myth. There is no such thin
The families connected with the show bu:
ness are not socially affiliated 10 any consi
; cradle degree. Maggie Mitchell and Il
Ohanfraus are ~neighbors and associates, al
they are the remnants of q former somewh
numerous summer circle. Near by the
{ lives Mrs. John Hoey, once the gay leadil
: actress of Wallack's Theater, now wife of 4
t millionsire expressma 40, and wholly brok
= away from stage folks. William Henders
t and John w, Albaugh, the latter a brotht
in-law Of Maggie Mitchell, have homes
. the same half mile OF turnpike, but they q
managers rather Than actors, and, therefo
almost unknown to the public. The WI
lacks used to be numerous here, but Jan
w. and William are dead, and Lester b
sold cut his property, owing 10 ~straiten
circumstances. Mary Anderson is away FRI
her farmhouse, In Europe. Tnst finishes I
old settlement OF actors. Oliver Doud I
ron has a house several miles up the beal
; at Atlanticville; John Webster has bous
one at the highlands, still further of, q
Neil Burgess is building at q point half am
inland, while Nate Salisbury has iocated
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