Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-14
EACH DAY BRINGS A NEW VISITOR.
What the Department of Charities and
Improvement of the Poor Society Will
Do for the Needy.
WORTHY CASES TO BE TAKEN CARE OF
Over 5000 Bushels Of Coal Dispensed BY the City
Within Six Months

out of the way Office on Fourth avenue yes
terday afternoon, a little girl wearing a very
ragged dress and the most pitiful look i'm
aginable on dirty face, walked in and e1-
hibited letter signed by Mrs. Kelly. The
letter stated that the person whose signature
was attached was the mother of five small
children, and they were starving for food.
The woman said her husband was dead and
begged for few cents. When asked why
she did not apply to the Department of Pub
lie Charities, the girl said she had been
there, but the department had refused to do
anything for her. As it was pretty good
proof that it was not q worthy case the girls
appeal was refused.
The writer happened to be in the same
Office on Monday and Tuesday when two
different old women appeared and solicited
aims, Both of them sang pitiful songs of
distress, and the tales of woe they poured
forth would make willow weep. The story
told on Tuesday was similar to that of Mon
day, and the letter Yesterday was not unlike
them both. Money had been given in each
case, and the old women went away re-
varded for their trouble.
GIVING TIPS TO EACH OTHER.
When the girl appeared yesterday it be-
gan to look as if the Office was getting to be
an expensive place to visit notwithstand-
ing the fact that it was in an out of the way
place, and one that was not inviting to q
beggar. 1t suggested that the first woman
gave tip to the second, and the latter COM
municated to the mother of the girl that
the Office was q good one to visit. Inquiry
was made at several other places on the
avenue, where it was known money was put
in circulation through beggsrs, and it was
found that in many Offices they had regu-
lar class of customers. It is certain that
the word has been passed along the line,
and like the professional tramps the women
beggars have regular places to visit.
When one strikes new place she does not
fail to put the others onto it.
For the purpose OF finding cut what the
Department of Charities was doing in the
way of preparing for the regular rush in the
fall and winter for assistance, a visit was
made to the Office, and Examiner Hoffman
interrogated. He said:
$50 far we have decided on no new work,
but will continue on the same old line, as
we have for years. The past summer has
been a light one and unless next summer is
q severe one. 1 do not think we will be over
run with people wanting assistance. We
have great many calls now, but every case
is investigated before we extend aid. At
present we have one examiner and a messen-
ger. whose duties are to look up all cases.
To guard against being imposed upon, it is
necessary to proceed cautiously sometimes
in the investigations.
THE NEIGHBoRs WILL TALK.
"When a person comes in that we do not
know, we tell them we will call and see
them. They then go home and prepare the
house for the reception of the examiner.
Very often it is not necessary to go to the
houses of applicants, as the neighbors are
interrogated. From the latter we can, in an
off-hand way get all the information we
want, and If we find that any attempt has
been made to impose on us, the applicants
house is not visited and the case dropped.
This explains why we do not call at the
houses of applicants after the latter has been
told theirca will bein vestigated. Whe we
don't call, the applicant thinks we have OF
done anything about the case, little tn ink
ing that we have their record and all about
th EN- worth knowing.
''ThIs year we will get an appropriation
of SS5, 900, or $1,000 less than last year.
We think the appropriation will fully cover
everything, and we will take care of every
worthy case that makes application. A
deserving family need not want for a loa
of coal or shoes to wear during the winter.
From October l. 1889, to April 9, 1890, we
gave out ,032 orders for coal. Each order
was for % bushels, and the total amount
given away was %, 800 bushels. This cost
rs about 81, SOC. As long as there are
no extended strikes or epidemics our work
is light"
At the Office of the Association for the
Improvement of the Poor, Mrs. Lippincott,
the Superintendent, was seen and asked
what the society proposed to do to take care
Of unfortunates next winter. She said:
"We will continue our regular work. It
is little too early to outlive any specia
features, but we will do all we can to help
the needy. The central office takes care o.
the people living between the Point and Roup
street, and there are few worthy cases in the
city that are not attended to. Our temporary
home for children will open again on Oc-
tober i, and we expect to do considerable
good in this institution. We take the chill
dren and place them in good, comfortable
homes, where they may be educated.
VISITING THE POOR.
I'VE have u lady visitors, and they are
kept busy during the winter. As soon as
we get an application from person we do
not know, the visitor, whose district the case
Is in, calls at the house and examines it. If
il is q worthy case. the visitor gives an order
on the Office for the goods the family is in
need of We make special effort to provide |
for the wants of the sick. We have q de- |
partment in the basement of our building |
where we make beef tea fresh every day.
We also dispense mutton broth, milk and |
other medical diets.
There have been but few requests for |
reliet so far this summer. We have had a |
number of widows with large families who |
wanted assistance to bridge them over their |
difficulties OF the time being. 1t has been |
remarkably good season for those who could |
work, and as q result we have had few ap- |
plications. When the cold weather sets in |
we will dispense the usual amount of coal |
and provisions. We get most of the former |
from the different funds we have and by |
contributions. We have the Brewer Craw- |
ford and Nimick funds, which yield quite a |
revenue each year. in addition to these |
Mrs Gusky gives us considerable coal, and |
we occasionally get contributions from the |
coal operators. In addition to the above we |
have the Hsleman bread and potato fund. |
ThfU nufS ahonf G1 mn