Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-11-14
A Department of Charity.
from Thursdays Daily.]

There are few citizens of North Dakota
who have not waxed indignant over the
reports so extensively circulated in the
east last winter as to the suffering condi-
ton of the people here. The appeals for
provisions and clothing for the destitute
poor of the state posted up in New York
and Chicago have set the state back ten
years IN the march of progress. To pre-
vent the injurious effect of such exagger-
ated reports in the future, the patriotic
ONE of the state have stepped to the
front and through the medium of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance union have
established a department of charity, with
headquarters at Bismarck, and with Mrs.
Linda W. Slaughter as state superintend-
ent.
Mrs. Slaughter made the following state
ment to a TRIBUNE representative yester-
day:
During the past two weeks l have given
much thought to the work of the depart
ment assigned to me and I'm attempting to
carry out the following plan, in which l
hope to have the support of all the good
people of the state. I shall have an assist
ant superintendent of charity in each
county, and these again shall nave assist
ants inleach township, and there shall be a
record made of each family and person
winter. These we will help by obtaining
private contributions from the good people
who reside in their nelghborhood, suited
to each ones wants. But if private means
are inadequate in any county, then we
shall call upon the board of county com
missioners in that county for their relief;
and if in any county the board of commits
siOners for any reason cannot furnish the
relief needed, then-and only then-Will
we ask an appropriation from the legisla-
ture to meet the wants of that county. 1t
DOESN'T take much to make people happy
and comfortable-much money, | mean
for if all the men and women in the state
were actuated by the desire to help those
less fortunate than themselves, and this
in that direction, no one would be left to
suffer want. Let me show you how easy
it is. Last fall there were a number of
families in this county burned out by
prairie fire, n there were q number of
children among them who had no clothing
from the flames. l wished to help them,
but could not provide for so many, so I
called on my friends, and the kind hearted
ladies of Bismarck gave q carriage load
of clothing, much Oft being such as their
own families had no further use for, and I
carried it out myself, and the good women
of the neighborhood formed q little sewing
band and made over these garments, and
In q few days all those poor children were
fitted out in warm and comfortable clothes
and ready for the winter, and it didn't cost
n of us q cent of mOney-Only a little
thought, a little time and q little trouble
for each OF us-and there Is no computing
the comfort and happiness this little ser
vice carried with it or the suffering it pre-
vented.
"That is all there is to my plan, which
Is based on the natural inclination of
everybody to sympathize with the dis
to. be led into practical ways for their; re-
lief; and | hope all the ladies of the state,
and especially In our own county, who are
willing to help in this way, either by their
contributions or their work, will send me
their names or, better still, call to see me
at our headquarters here. OF course, all
our work Is gratuitous, but If we can help
the poor and distressed among our people
and save the credit Of our state by demon
strating to the world that North Dakota is
not only willing but abundantly able to
take care of her own poor and to relieve
the wants of the few cases Of restitution
that occasionally occur here, as they do
everywhere else, then we shall feel suf-
ficiently rewarded ~
Mrs. Slaughter's zeal in furtherlng the
organization of a society for the benefit Of
suffering humanity is c0mmendable. and
1t Is to be hoped that the people will re-
spond In times when aid is needed.
The Other Train Robber.
Inspector Watkins, who did some very