Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-13
VICTIMS OF THE COLD
Blown Into the Offices of the Chari-
table Institutions.
COAL AND SHOES ARE In DEMAND
At the Rooms of the Society for the I'm
prOvement of the Poor.
GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS WORK

Everybody enjoys snap, unless it proves
to be cold snap, and as yesterdays snap
was of that sort, it did not prove so enjoya-
BILE as it might.
The friends of the poor had their hands
full, as the saying is, but taking it in the
literal sense, they were not compelled to
keep their hands full long, as there
were plenty of applicants who were willing
to accept almost anything from a pair Of
partly worn shoes to ton of coal. A sud-
den gust of cold weather with little snow
and wind is sure to blow in great number
of applicants for assistance. Yesterday the
ladies at the office OF the Society for the I'm
provement OF the Poor were fairly overrun
with applicants for assistance Coal and
shoes were the chief wants of the callers,
and it was found impossible to supply all.
1.-The shortage of gas affects US greatly"
said Mrs. Lippincott. "There are so many
orders from others that 1t is almost impossi-
BILE to get our orders filled. This is very
bad, as the houses in which the poor people
live are not supplied with even the limited
amount of gas and when they have no coal
they must suffer with the cold. We have
been delayed on all of our'coal orders"
SOME SAD CASES OF DISTRESS.
The ladies told OF several very sad cases
of distress that have been found within the
past few days. One case mentioned was
that of family now being supplied by the
society. Three children were taken sick
with measles, which developed into pneu.
monia. The father is a paralytic and all
depended upon the mother for subsistence,
she taking in washing and doing other like
work. Before the children had recovered
the mother took sick, and thus the mainstay
of the family, being gone, they had to SUBJ
sist by charity alone. The society finds
numerous like cases and their visitors come
in contact with many sad scene.
The usual Christmas sacks are being pre-
pared for their visits of charity. The first
trip the sacks take are by mail. They go
to grocerymen, drygoods merchants, etc.,
with request to be charitable and fill them
up preparatory to another Journey. This
year 800 sacks will be sent out. Last
Christmas slightly more than one-third of
them received kindly receptions and re-
turned well filled. The ladies expect a bet
ter outcome this time. What is most needed
is clothing, cast off fannels, shoes, etc., and
groceries. Christmas is an exceptionally
busy time with the ladies connected with
this institution. as they aim to gladden. as
many of the poor as possible. Articles
given the drivers of the grocery wagons of
George Z. Stevens or John Renshaw will
be Immediately delivered to the rooms of the
society.
Chief Elliot said he had little more than
his usual run of good customers yesterday,
except in the cases OF cripples who are
away from home and looking for a warm
place. OF course, there were numerous
orders for coal and applications for money
which were granted This is the depart
ment's harvest time for the loafng done
through the summer by men who should
have put aside a little for a cold snap
Tramps don't receive any mercy at the
hands of those in this department. They
are in luck if they get a bunk in police
station at night, while in the daytime they
are compelled to travel to keep warm.
CHARITY ON THE NoRTHsIDE.
Over in Allegheny Major Hunker is the
chief man at dealing out charity. Although
he did not feel that he had been over
worked Yesterday he was rubbing his hands
at the thought of the prospect of to-day's
business. 1t usually takes about two davs
to freeze out Alleghenians as they are about
as slow in that department as any other.
However, when they get out they make
big run on the Major.
There was lively scene on the wharf
yesterday after the Scotia arrived. There
was not enough business to keep the negro
roustabouts at work and they had great
time. The badge of a roustabout Is either
toe or a heel protruding its nakedness
from hole in the boot. It's aggravating in
weather like that of yesterday, but it goes
and the darkies never seem any the less
happy, singing and dancing as merry as
ever.
The thermometer told its icy story yester-
day, though the mercury had little time at
stops, as from morning to night there were
constant changes in the weather. 1t was %
degrees above zero at II o'clock, and then
the mercury began its downward Journey,
and continued as surely as though some mis-
chievous school boy was pouring ice water
down its CLASSY surface.
The Signal Service man says it is going
to be colder to-day and that the weather is
to be fair. He only thinks that, however,
and does not give 1t as an assured fact. On
Thurday he thought the nice weather was to
continue until Sunday, but that night, while
he was off duty, some one turned the crank
too rapidly and everybody knows the result.
He has also branched out into the Wig
ginsonian prophet business, and declares
that (unless Providence rules otherwise) the
temperature will be 10 degrees below zero
before next seasons crop of young robins is
harvested.
nToD e. --s1I