Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-19
AN EMPTY TREASURY
Badly Cripples the Immigrant Aid
Society in Pittsburg.
ABANDONING A GRAND CHARITY,
Which Has Protected Innocent Foreigners
From the City Sharpers,
AND HELPED TO REDUCE IMMIGRATION

The agent of the Immigrant Aid Society
is doing his last work at the Union Depot
this week. Unless the treasury of the or
ganization is reflled Immediately its pur-
poses will have to be abandoned. This is
the first time in its history that this worthy
charity has been so badly crippled. Here
tofore it has been backed by the wealthy
Germans of Pittsburg and Allegheny, and
was one of the best supported institutions
west of the mountains. People, somehow,
lost interest in it lately, and as a last re-
sort committee has been appointed to ar
range ways and means to raise money.
Nothing has yet been agreed upon by that
committee,
The society will be nine years old in June.
In that length of time it has expended about
s., 900 in lettering the condition of immi-
grants arriving in Pittsburg. An agent at
all the depots was always on the lookout for
deserving cases. These were referred to the
Treasurer, and aid extended by him. Last year
s725 was disbursed in this way. In that year
10000 more immigrants arrived In this country
than during the previous year.
STILL PLENTY TO DO.
The officers of the society are Rev. DR.. L.
Mayer, President; E. Emmerling, NJ. D., and
]. NJ. Hoffman, Vice Presidents; Justice Mulert
Secretary; William Grabowsky, Treasurer;
Directors, Charles Meyran, Joseph Abel, Anton
Gusshart, Ludwig Grasser and Christ Wetzel.
Treasurer Grabowsky said yesterday to a
DISPATCH reporter that there was still plenty
of work for the society to do. Immigration
has not decreased any and there are countless
cases where harm will be done the new ar
rivals of foreigners in Pittsburg if there is not
some agency to protect them.
The gentleman recalled several cases where
poor but honest immigrants were aided by this
society on their arrival here, and they are now
among the city's most successful business men.
Rare discretion has been used as to just who to
help, and that accounts for the success
of the charity in its ultimate results.
Hundreds of persons have been refused
aid because it was found that they were
paupers shipped here by foreign powers to get
rid of their charge. On the other hand no de-
serving case has ever been turned away from
the Pittsburg doors, This charity is disbursed
in various ways, viz. in furnishing railroad
transportation to points where stranded immi-
grants have relatives; in paving funeral ex-
penses, doctors bills or the board bills of immi-
grants until they secure work; furnishing situa-
tions in the stores and factories of Pittsburg
Germans to these foreigners. and in reuniting
families which became accidentally separated
in travelling.
RESULTS OF THE WORK.
Treasurer Grabowsky says a good work is
done by the society in protecting foreigngirls
and women who, as innocent strangers in a
great city. are liable to be entrapped. Only
this month young woman arrived here from
Germany. Through the agent she was referred
to Mr.. Grabowsky. She asked him to pay the
charges on her trunk at the B. & o. depot. so
that she could go right to work Mr.. Grabow-
sky saw she was penniless, and inquired where
and how she had secured employment so soon.
She said she had met man near the depot who
had engaged her to come to his house as
a seamstress. She had addresses. This she
showed the Treasurer. He went with her to
the depot, paid all baggage charges and then,
suspecting treachery on the part of her new
found friend, accompanied her to the address
which she had. He found it was house of
questionable reputation on Second avenue. He
would not let the young woman enter the place,
but sent her to a respectable lodging place un-
til be secured her good employment. A score
of girls have thus been saved from the pitfalls
of Pittsburg.
OF course in dealing literally with nearly
5000 immigrants the Pittsburg society has
secured a reputation in European countries far
ahead of similar societies in Philadelphia, New
York and Baltimore. A very large number of
letters have poured in upon Treasurer Gra-
bowsky from every part of Europe asking if
the society will aid the writer's in getting a
start in life at Pittsburg. In nearly every in
stance a reply has been sent back advising the
inquirer to remain at home, that he will prob
ably not find things here as glowing as he
thinks and under any circumstance not
to start for America without at least 81, 600 on
hand. In this way the society thinks that it
has aided the Government more or less in
keeping down immigration. One of these let
ters was from young and poverty-stricken
doctor in Russia. He was strongly urged by
Treasurer Grabowsky not to come such long
distance with no fixed purpose. Two years ago
Mr.. Grabowsky while travelling met this Rus
sian aboard Hamburg steamship as the physi-
clan of the vessel He told the Pittsburger
that he had accepted his advice and was better
off as result.