The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-24
SICK AND DESTITUTE.
How Misfortune Pursued the
Holgerson Family.
TARDY RELIEF IS WELCOME
Disease Brings Many Troubles-The Sick
Father, Powerless to Help, Sees
His Boy Drowning.

A humble, shed-roofed shack, reached
from the Grant street bridge by long
plank walk built out over the water, con-
stitutes the abode of the Holgerson family,
whose sad state of sickness and destitu-
ton was briefly described in the PosT-IN-
TELLIGEScER few days ago. 1t stands on
the tide flats, two blocks south of the Ore
gon Improvement Company's mill, and
several blocks west of Grant street bridge.
When reporter of the PosT-INTELLIGEN-
GER reached the place last evening, ID
year-old boy was endeavoring to amuse a
younger brother and two little sisters in
front of the shack, while the mother, a
small woman with a care-worn face, was
starting fire in a small cook stove in one
Of the two rooms.
Propped up by pillows in an homemade
chair, sat man whose sunken eyes, pale
and close-drawn features plainly showed
him to be an invalid Though reduced to
almost skeleton and so weak that he
could scarcely hold up his head, he gasped
and tossed painfully. His struggles lasted
but few seconds and, sinking back in
his chair, he groaned and clutched family
at his throat and breast.
Hes all right for a while. now it's
only spell, said the woman, stepping to
the door, as she noticed the caller and his
inquiring glance.
The man was Holgerson and the woman
his wife, and the story they told was GER
tainly sad one.
Holgerson came to Michigan ten years
ago from Denmark. Seven years ago he
married the woman who is now his wife,
being then "a years of age. Two years ago
he came to Seattle, and soon after his
throat showed signs of disease. A year
ago last February he was taken down with
lung and throat troubles, and for fifteen
weeks he was in bed. The few hundred
dollars he had saved up soon went for doc
tors bills and medicine, and, when he
finally did recover, his family were we'll
nigh destitute.
He went back to work at his trade as a
carpenter. He built several small houses
for a man named Curren, who, before the
buildings were finished, went insane, and
is now in the state asylum. Not having
the money to press suit, he lost $3.50 by
the deal.
He saved up $142 but misfortune again
befeI him, and he fell a victim to the no
torious timber land swindler, Charlie
who got all his savings. He managed
to save up $40, when his throat
troubled HIM SO he had to go
to doctor He was told that he had can
Ger of the throat, and that he could not re-
cover. In few weeks he became so weak
and emaciated that he could not work at
his trade, and secured a job with the Sing
er sewing machine agency here. This he
held until last Christmas, when he was
kept at home by his suffering.
Long before this his small savings were
gone and he has not since been able to
work. Five weeks ago the crisis came and
he could not leave his bed. He grew
weaker and weaker and the knowledge
that he must die only tended to deprive
him of what little strength he had left.
The people who live in the neighborhood
never knew the condition of the
family, for charity was not
asked. The mother and her oldest
son would go out in a boat on the tide
flats and catch crabs, and the boy would