The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-21

He1p-Inquirics Werc Made Early in
the Morning About the Poor Woman.
Contributions OF 5000 in Cash and
Many Valuable Articles of CIothin..
Left ut The Times Office During the
Day.
Wednesday night the wind blew a
sullen gale from the northwest and
heralded the approach of winter. Those
whose business did not take them out
drew closer to their fires than has been
thor wont, and when the evening meal
came on the grace before meat sprang
spontaneously from the lips of men.
Away from the haunts of sin and vice
the streets were deserted, save here and
there the belated traveller or tho home
ward bound man of business detained
bit longer than usual From over
transoms and peeping out of shattered
windows came random rays of light,
and all seemed comfort.
But to the policemen and to the re-
tlire.
Look at the other.
Seated over fircless stove, above
which boiled no merry pot, sat woman
OF perhaps 30, whose fearless eyes spoke
greater grief than Il torrent of tears.
At either side, close to her skirts,
mute but wondering, was child of ten
der years. Nor did it take Il physician
to detect the fact that the time was
fast approaching when another soul
would he ushercd into this world.
No fire.
No food
Shivering in the cherries gloom Of
that November night .arrayed in clothes
1T would be dignity to term as scant.
That was the picture TINES report
or was conveyed to sec bya bluff police
man whose rugged exterior i'll accorded
with the great and gentle heart within.
After temporarily relieving the wo-
mans wants the reporter laid before
the good people of Roanoke the simple
statement that Mrs. George Panl was in
destitute circumstances, and urgently
needed aid.
liefore the reporter had gotten out of
bed the next yesterday morning many
inquiries had been made at THE TINES
ohicc about the matter, and various
small sums had been left at the counter
to be conveyed to tho destitute woman.
At noon one Of the wagons of the
Magic City Transfer Company drove up
to TIE TINES Office. In it was seated
Mr.. Douglas Smith, one of the propric-
tors OF the transfer business. who had
collected Il small sum hastily and de-
sired to have her supplied with food
and fire Immediately.
Collecting the sums which had been
left in the office, THE TIMES reporter
and Mr.. Smith drove to the station
house and secured the services of a
policeman to guido them to the place
where the woman lived, having bctwe IN
them the modest sum of $40.
Driving to Third avenue and Fourth
street, II. O., where Mrs. Paul lives-or
rather exists-the reporter for THE
TIMES and Mr.. Smith assembled to her
cheerless quarters.
In the scantily furnished room the
light of day made little improvement on
the scene of the n ght before, but on the
table were few little packages of gro
cerics which good VIII Evans" as the
poor woman called our mayor, had
caused to he sent to her after reading
the account in TIE TIMES
There was no fire as yet, and Divine
Providence was needed to put it in the
heart of man to provide the wherewithal
to cook the food, and the instrument had
appeared.
Those who dropped their little mites
into the gencrel fund would have been
amply repaid if they could havo seen
the start of JOY which that poor woman
gave when THE TINES man told her of
what had been done and what was doing
in her behalf.
There was a suspicious moisture in
the eye of Douglas Smith. and even the
reporter used to the harder side of life.
felt a choking sensation in his throat as
the pitiful sum was counted over to her
When the reporter returned to THE
TIMES Office many moro inquiries had
been made and moro subscriptions OF
money and goods had been brought to
the business Office.
The following is the list of subscrip-
tions received yesterday afternoon:
THE ROANOKE TIMES. .. S. 90
Left at TINES Office in morning.. %
Collected by Douglas Smith:
w. w. Workman IL Co..... 1 co
j. w. Chain .... so
w. y. saunders. ...... ! 90
Il. A. Johnson so
Oppenhcim & Co. Is
Harry Gallagher ... 90
Magic City Transfer Co. $500. 90
f. A. Barnes ..... 80
Cash Observation-Disclosures. so
Left at office in afternoon: