The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-24
DRIVEN BY HUNGER.
S0rrOWful DestitutiOn of the
KOenig Family.
An Honest German With Sick Wife and
Five Children Seeks Food and Shell
ter in the City Prison.

Hungry and alone in big city without
money home or friends. Such is the con-
dition in which Henry c. Koenig. an honest,
hard workug German, found himself with
sick wife and family OF five children.
Shortly before o'clock last night Keonig
and his helpless family arrived at the City
Prison and asked for shelter. lie carried
his youngest child. bright little boy, 10
months old, in his arms. Following came
the wife. scarcely able to walk, wit the
other four members of the family bringing
up the rear.
They were furnished with supper, the
best the prison menu offered. and given
quarters for the night in the Prison Hos
pital. All were neatly and comfortably
dressed and mad the appe arance of family
that had always been in good circumstan-
ces. From the story told by the father it
was learned that they had been in San Fran
cisco one week. arriving in the city last
Wednesday from San Jose. they had
little money and took two furnished rooms
at 974 Folsom street, paying one weeks
rent in advance. The father and his oldest
boy. Heinrich, aged 81, tried to get work but
could find nothing TO do. Mrs. koenigs
lung trouble grew worse. the fathers rheu-
matism, contracted in the War of the Re-
beilion, came back. and to make matters
worse their small store of money gave out.
The rent was due again last night, and hav-
ing hO ilOicJ W pay lbi thU iDObo thO
Koenigs went to the authorities for shelter.
THEY CAME FROM CHICAGO.
Koenig vino is an intelligent man about
IS years of age. lived in Chicago for twenty
years, during which time he was employed
in the packing-houses in that CITY, The
greater part of that time he worked for
Armour IL Co. Then Mrs. koenig was taken
sick and the family moved to Kansas City,
where the father worked in the packing
houses. From there they went to Omaha,
but as Mrs. Koenig did not Improve in
health they emigrated to Salt Lake City,
where it was thought the salt spring baths
would prove beneficial. The altitude of
| that region was too high and the Koenigs
thought the climate OF California would
bring the mother back TO health.
They went to San Jose, arriving there
August 18th. Their finances were low after
paying the expenses of the journey, and the
father could find nothing to do. The boy,
Heinrich, got place in cannery, where he
soldered tins couple of weeks at the rate
OF 81 per day. But the work gave out. and
this SUall revenue was cut off. Before their
means were entirely exhausted they decided
to come to San Francisco, where tue father.
son and eldest daughter, Annie, aged II,
hoped to find employment.
THE CHILDREN WE'RE HUNGRY.
The landlady at 974 Folsom street did
not put us out" said Koeng, after lis FAM
lily had been comfortably fixed for the night.
pay for the rooms and did not want to go
in debt with no prospect OF paying it. Even
had left my wife aud children there while
the boy and | looked for work they would
have had nothing to eat. So | thought the
best thing TO do was to come here The chill
dren were hungry and | had no money to
buy them food"
Koenig is not discouraged by his misfor
tunes. and says that If he could find a home
| Tor his family for week or so he and the
| son could get work. He says he could find
| place driving team at Baden il be had the
crippled with rheumatism. which prevents
| him from doing some kinds Of work, but
he can drive team. They have no friends
| or relatives in the East.
Later in the evening several benevolent
German citizens, who had heard of Koenig's
| troubles, visited the family at the prison
and cheered the father by promising him a
situation and means TO keep the family I'M
til he could provide home.