Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-26
4 cRy OF DISTRESS
Prom the Ladies, Heneveient se-
ciety OF this city.

eiety OF this city.
The officers Of this society respect.
fnlly beg leave to submit to the public.
and especially to the wealthy and be-
psyolent Of Los Angeles. the following
statement in regard to its condition aHd
prospects. To the thoughtful it will be
evident at glance that the means and
methods Of Benevolent Society in.
tended to pare for the worthy poor of a
city OF ten Thousand inhabitants, the
increase OF whose popolation was slow
and the salubrity Of whose climate was
scarcely known beyond the Rocky Noun
tains. are wholly inadequate to city Of
forty thousand inhabitants that is in
| crsasing at the rate Of ten thousand a
year and considerable portion Of whom
are refugees from the inhospitable eli
mate OF the North and East. Once we
could get along fairly by personal solici-
| tation from time to time among the
| wealthy and well disposed Of our city
and in homes which they themselves
| had procured assist the comparatively
small number Of destitute persons in our
community. But the condition OF
things Is greatly changed. Now the
work not only extends from the Univer-
sity to East Los Angeles and from Boyle
Heights to the West End, but our eli
mate, the chief source of our wealth
and prosperity-our climate, which we
have spared no expense in advertising
far and wide--is attracting q very con
siderable class who come here IS last
resort. Some of these, long unable to
labor, have remaining only money enough
TO enable them to reach the place. and
therefore from the day of their arrival
they must be cared for. This is not the
place to discuss the wisdom or the want
Of wisdom thus displayed. Suffice It to
say, here and now, that, In considerable
numbers, such persons are here. Sec
ondly, that in their places we should do
precisely as they have done. Thirdly,
we must now provide for them or they
will die from actual want. Throughout
the past winter and even now there are
in our very midst cases that would move
the hearts and open the purses OF our
wealthy men If they knew the circum-
stances. Summarily, therefore, we beg
leave to say that il we are to do the
work contemplated by the organization
of our society. that is If the wants of the
worthy poor are to be even fairly met,
the means at our disposal must be very
greatly increased.
Secondly, instead of running from end
to end Of the city, and frequently q
dozen times to see the same person, we
must have Home with hospital de-
partment, to which many OF our cases
could be brought for their comfort as
well as ours.
Thirdly, we also need at once public
nursery, to which mothers who n.ust
earn their own living could take their
infants to be suitably cared for while
they themselves are at work. In many
cases this would relieve us OF very great
care aud trouble.
Preparatory to an earnest appeal to
the wealthy men of our city. we submit
TO them the foregoing considerations.
We are only almoners Of their charity
Supply us with the means and we shall
gladly do the work. Withhold the
means and some as worthy as ourselves,
but the victims of strange ill-fortuue,
will die for the want Of the necessaries
| of life. But the means will not be with.
held, COMMITTEE. 1