Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-02
WORK FOR THE POOR.
The Anniversary of the Association
for Their Advancement
NOBLE LABORS WELL PERFORMED
The Annual Report Reveals Progress in
Every Direction.
ACAIL TO TIE PEOFLEFOR MORE MONEY

The fourteenth anniversary meeting of the
Association for the Improvement of the
Poor was held last evening in st. Peters
Protestant Episcopal church. There was
large congregation. After brief services OF
song and prayer, the annual report was read
by Mr.. b. K. Porter. The figures of that
report were published in The Dis
PATCH yesterday. There were, how
ever, explanatory remarks connected
with the statistics. The families un-
der the care Of the association had
been aided, as rule, only temporarily.
Where case was looked after for any
length Of time, 1t was because Of sickness or
accident Assistance was usually given in
the shape of orders for food, fuel, clothing
or household utensils. Where things were
needed not within the power of the associa-
tion to give, special friends were made ac-
quainted with the case. 1t was the princl-
pie of the association that the best way to
help the poor was to teach them to help
themselves. Whenever persons were able
and willing to work, work was found
for them. The facilities for furnishing
such employment had been unusually good
during the year past. Persons who were
able to work but unwilling to work could
not get help from the Association. Worthy
poverty was found to be caused by sickness,
accident, blindness, desertion, widowhood
and inadequate work. The society had
found SAL families maintained by the joint
efforts of women and children, who needed
the society's help to keep them from want.
During the year there had been II visitors
in the service, each with defined district.
Every appeal tor aid was thoroughly inVes-
tigated.
DEFENDING THE POOR.
Such an investigation was defense and
protection for the worthy poor, defending
them from the rapacity of the unworthy.
The association had vital work to do for the
children. Often they were forced to work
when they ought to be in school. In such
cases the association tried to give such aid
to sick father or INDECENT mother as to en-
able them to let their children go to school,
and the children were given fit shoes and
clothing. Praise was given to the order of
the Kings Daughters of the Disciple and
Presbyterian churches who had made cloth
ing for poor children.
The branch of the association called the
Children's Temporary Home had been car
ried on with gratifying results There had
been 103 children received, and So had been
placed in homes or transferred to other in
stitutions for the care of children. There
had not. been one death in the Home. Let
tiers received from persons who had taken
out children were very satisfactory. During
the year the Country Home at Oakmont,
known as the Fresh Air Fund work, had
made its best record. A country life there
for two weeks had been enjoyed by 56 women
and 283 children.
The report referred tenderly and SORROW
fully to the death of William Thaw, saying:
'His memory will live in the hearts of those
to whom he gave generously time, thought
and money, for the benefit of humanity.
He was true example of those who believe
that they are doing Gods best work when
they are doing good to their fellow men,"
The report was signed by the Secretary,
Mrs. S. E. Lippincott
LIBERAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
Rev. Mr.. Mackay, the rector. repeated
the last words of the report, and urged the
members of the congregation to act upon the
line of that sentiment. While the choir
sang, four ushers went through the assembly
with the collection plates. The contribu-
tions were liberal, and the plates were
heaped up with clinking silver and rustling
greenbacks.
Rev. Mr.. Mackay then spoke briefly of
the claims of the poor and of the work of
the association. Soon after his arrival in
Pittsburg he had fallen in with some of the
visitors of the association. He found them
praying for the dying, literally laying out
the dead, helping here, sthere and every
where He had attended their district
prayer meetings, and conducted some for
them, until his friend said that he was turn
ing PRESBYTERIAN. He said: "Men and
women came to those meetings absolutely in
rags. Their shawls looked as if they had
been carded by comb. They were in
shreds = can understand why those people
would not come into a church. You cannot
expect them to come here among you. Their
selfrespect forbids it. F"
Rev. Mr.. MackaY said that he had heard
some criticisms OF the associations manner
of work. 1t might not be just such as the
angels would adopt. He had no doubt that
there would be people on the resurrection
morning who would find fault with the
angel Gabriel for the manner in which he
blew his horn.
Rev. W. A. Passavant, venerable min
lister, delivered discourse on the beauties
of charity and the miseries of the poor. re-
lating anecdotes from his own experience.
He praised highly the work of the associa-
ton, and advised the rich to give it aid.
The association had distributed through
the church small slips containing the
printed statement, "We need S., 900 in ad-
dition to the amount received from annual
subscriptions and funds by bequest." Con-
tributions are solicited.