Connecticut western news., 1888-02-22
TRAMPS AT WORK.
An Institution Where They Saw
 Wood for Victuals.
The New York Woodward Asso-
 citation and It's Charities.

The New York woodward association occupies corner in the big woodyards lying around Nineteenth street and Ave nue B. It struck the earnest and active humanitarians who direct the Charity organ,zation society that the exaction of a certain amount of wood chopping for . stipulated amount of charitable:relief would test the willingness to work of those who applied for charity. Irving P. Alcott was appointed superintendent of the woodward, and two separate schemes were adopted for discrimi- hating the worthy and making them feel that they deserved the aid given them An applicant for relief was given what is called the test ticket. This entitled him to apply for work at the woodward and on satisfactory answer to series of ques tions was given saw, sawbuck and axe and sixteen cordwood logs which he was to reduce to kindling wood.
 That was the days task and on its completion the man was furnished with . ticket entiting him to three meals at the kitchen of the society, 420 East Twenty-sixth street, as we'll as to one nights lodging there or at one of the other lodging houses of the society at 16 Sixth avenue and 404 Pearl street. If his work proved acceptable he was en- titled to work for ten days at tho end of which he was expected to iud work elsewhere Tickets of this variety were sold to the charitable patrons of the so- ciety, who themselves bestowed them where they would do most good. They are sold at the rate of 90 for $1.
 The red or employment tickets are more important affairs. They are sold at the rate of four for $1, and absolute ly entitle the holder to the work and to get 50 cents per day instead of the food and lodging if he so elect. These are given out more sparingly and with strict view to the assistance of worthy laboring men whose regular employ ment ceases with the coming of winter. On applying for work the men are ques- tioned closely about their social con- dition, where they worked last, why they lost their jobs, and their last em- ployers' names and addresses. It has been found that these questions are sell dom answered truthfully, but that does not often work deprivation of the need ed aid.
 Sixteen logs may not seem like very heavy task but to green hand 1t means nearly full day of hard labor. A reasonably expert wood chopper might finish the work in five hours, or possibly . trihe less. Each log has to be sawed into five lengths. By the time a saw has been engineered through pine log eighty times the sawyer is likely to have become painfully aware of the fact that he has back. The splitting is not SO difficult but Superintendent Alcott says that he has to keep the closest sort of watch to keep the men from. sol- diering on him. The really deserving, however, soon get the hang of the work, become reasonably expert in day or two and perform their tasks as if they had some interest in them. Per functory work, however, is the rule by large majority.
 Fifty-six is the largest number of tramps that Mir. Alcott has ever had un- der supervision any one day. The aver ago since November 1, has been about twenty-fve.-INew York Graphic.