The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-03-24
AP,nFUl STORY.


The Terrible Psvssty Existing Among the
Ls>brsrs In Cities.
The superintendent Of the Pittsburgh
Bethel, an Institution which furnishes
cheap meals 70 workingmen, tells some
pitiful storieato reporter. He says:
"A few wseks ago man came to me.
He drives sn oil wagon and gets 81 per
day. He was paying $3.50 for board at
= boarding house. He has wife and
child in West Penn Hospital. and he
was dianeartened and discouraged be-
cause he could not make enough to
keep them there till they we're well. l
told him to try the home. He is now
With Us steadily, and as regular as Sat
urday night comes his money goes to
his wife.
lone day young fellow, q CONNER
cial traveller. came to me with tears in
his eyes. He said he wanted to pay a
mans board for two weeks. He was
passing down Duquesne Way, he said,
near the hotel, where lot of men were
putting down pipe. Hang your
yelled the big red-faced foreman to one
Of the men, why don't you lift?'
"'Indeed, sor, an l can't lift it. I'm
too wake
"'What is the matter with you?' said
the foreman.
"'Sure. sor. an it's two wakes olive
been atm nothin' but foive-cent males,
an olive no strength left
"'Well, why don't you get better
meals, thenp' said the foreman.
"'Indeed, sor," replied the man, 81
can't; I've a wife and six babies ave me
own in Cleveland, an it's all lean do to
kape them from starvation, sor. If
should take any thing better than do
sure an the faces ave every one of them
would be lookin' up at me from the very
plate was atm FROM"
The drummer bought two weeks
supply of tickets for the man, and ten
cent meals at that The story was {
true one, and the man is working II
the city yet, earning q dollar day
and sending four dollars week of i
home. l tell you these stories to illus
trate the statements ! made that thes'
men are not tramps or outcasts. Th'
majority of them are sober and indus
trious men; men who are willing Il
work. and who do work. But they ar
better of than the men who can't &c
work. Have you ever noticed Loaf
of coal going through the streets, ant
from two to half dozen seedy-lOok
ing men following it, walking a mill
or two, may be, to earn ten or twent.
cents to buy themselves a meal? Their
are hundreds of such men who ar
anxious to work that come to us ever,
week. Lots Of men are now with u
whose families live out in these coun
try towns, and who have come here h
work on pipe lines, etc. We know, TO
many of them bring their money to u
to send to their families. There is NJ
doubt but that many Of these men ow'
their condition to liquor, but not ma
jority of them, and nearly all ar
anxious to work; but there is no worl
to do"
"How about the trampsp"
1.-The tramp, as he existed five or 81,
years ago. is thing Of the past. The
have died, got into prisons and work
houses, and otherwise disappeared
There are but few of them left, an
while the number of men out of employ
ment and in need is on the increase, tn
tramps are decreasing. l don't kno,
why it is, but find such to be the case
l suggest no remedies, but l merel
state the facts as l find them. Ever
year finds the number of men out Q
employment largely on the increase
and growing desperate and dishear
ened. 1t is question which must b
taken into serious consideration soone
or later. "-Pittsburgh Dispatch.