Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-11-27
PRACTICAL GRATITUDE.
THANKSGIVING FOR THE POOR.
Over Four Hundred Dollars Contrib
uted for the Benefit OF the Worthy
Poor in the City.

The household Of many poor family viii
be gladdened to-day by full supply of good
things for substantial Thanksgiving din
ner, and thanks to the generous wen-to-do
citizens Of Grand Rapids. No worthy pro-
ject was ever undertaken and met with such
prompt response as the one undertaken and
executed by Congressman Houseman, 1.
NJ. Weston and Supt Perry yesterday
These gentlemen met at Sweets Hotel
yesterday forenoon, Supt. Perry was handed
a subscription paper headed with the names
of Messrs. Houseman and Weston, and in a
few hours succeeded in raising over $4,000.
The Alderman and Superintendents Of the
Poor met in the city building in the after
noon. The lists of the city poor were soon
the U. B. A. Home, st. Marks Home and
from suggestions made By those present. A
committee to purchase supplies was ap-
pointed. They did their work promptly and
effectually, and by 7 o'clock in the evening
the city supply store, under the American
Express building on Pearl street, was well
filled with turkeys, chickens, ducks, oysters,
steaks and roasts. There was also an sbund-
ance of crackers and canned fruits and vege-
tables. Messrs. Houseman, Weston and
Mayor Belknap were soon on
hand and hard at work sort
ing out the provisions. labelling them
with addresses of the families to whom they
are to be distributed this morning. Mayor
Belknap took hold of the work heart and
soul, and volunteered to distribute the food
among the poor of the Sixth and Seventh
wards himself. When it made this PROPOSE
ton, some suggested he had better have
some help; that he could not do it all alone.
"Oh, yes can," he replied, as he grabbed a
twelv,e ,oun turkey and marked it to man
in the Fifth ward, with family of nine
children. The prime movers, together with
the Mayor and the Aldermen, were kept
busy until after 10 O'Clock, dividing up the
turkeys and such among the $50 poor fami-
lies on the list. This morning they will be
distributed in the city under the direction of
the Aldermen and others who have interested
themselves in the work. Wagons have been
procured, without any expense to the city,
and the work of distribution will be prompt
and in time to give the recipients time
to prepare their presents for dinner. The
little gamin have not been overlooked and
will have feast in the old Peninsular Club
house between one and two o'clock this af-
ternoon. The newsboys, boot-blacks and in
fact all youngsters unacquainted with fire.
quent recurrence Of q square" meal are
cordially invited to be present and gorge
themselves, though they must not put any
away in their pockets. The following are
the names of the citizens who so frequently
contribute toward making so many Of their
fellow-townsmen having occasion in great
measure in enjoying the full significance of
thanks giving "a: julius Houseman, SOS;
/. M. Weston, $25; @. E. Belknap, $25; A. B.
Watson, $25 w. Sears d Co., $15; Leittelier
& White, $25; F. L. Noble, $40; j. M. Bar
nett, $50; H. A. Lamos and employees of G.
R. d. 1. railroad, $26.75; d. d. Cody,
$40; G. G. Comstock, $40; Isaac G.
Levi, $40; Spring d Co., $40; ID. M.
Benjamin, $40; Eaton 4 Christensen. one
barrel crackers, $40; G. n. Withey, $40;
Detective Connolly's friends, $l2 A. Friend,
81; o. B. Gibson. s.; Mrs. Geo. b. White,
So; E. s. Pierce, s.; @. Morton, S.;
H. T. Ledyard, S.; H. Leonard &
Son, S.; Houseman, May d Co., S.;
Curtiss, Dunton & Co., s.; Arthur Meigs d
Co., S.; B. f. McReynolds and forty four
others, $64.25; donated by Van Avery & Co.,
twenty-five pounds of steak, $3.50; John
Mohard, steak, $3; ]. W. MCGOWAN, meats,
81; A. B. Wykes, poultry, IS. making total
of S4O090. OF this sum total, Superintend-
ent Perry yesterday expended &2oo, for
poultry, $95; for meats. e5o for canned
goods, $3s; for oysters, -, leaving q small
sum of the amount collected to be expended
for the same purpose to-day.