Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-13

friends in some part OF this, or
.urned to a foreign country. Yet
-.,briek building on Fourth avenue is
ery day the Mecca for scores of helpless
ones They file in, and in turn sit down
and tell their stories of want, OF poverty, of
death or Of destitution, as the case may be.
Listens to Many a Pl2intive Tale.
From morning till night Examiner Hoff-
man sits there, and, like father confessor,
hears each plalntive story and rewards or
reproves, as his Judgment may direct. 1t
is a wonder that his hair is not gray from
the burden of woe that has been poured in
upon him. His long experience has made
him almost proof against imposters. Dur
ing the past winter be has been taxed to the
utmost. 1t had been a season OF financial
troubles There was a want of natural gas
in the mills, and many Of them were closed
down. This was especially true of the glass
houses. Many husbands, impruvident when
making a good living, were left without
anything when their work stopped. Disease
and death added to this in the homes made
destitutiOn a ready visitor in many OF the
houses, and the only aid was from the De-
partment OF Charities.
Added to all this came the epidemic of
grip, with its attendant malady, spotted
fever. On some days there would be as
high as a couple OF hundred calls at the
Department, but it was only considered
routine work, and even the clerks said moth
ing Of il. Doctors and medicine were in
the greatest demand. Since last October
the physicians of the Department have
been sent out to attend little over
200 patients. At the same time
5000 prescriptions have been filled at the
expense of the city and sent out to the homes
OF the destitute. Covering the same period
the inspectors of the department have iuves-
tigated over 5000 outdoor cases, and ad-
ministered relief where the circumstances
required it, while Examiner Hoffman has
listened to at least 9, 500 tales of suffering.
Disbursements of the Department.
During the winter the department has
also distributed nearly 10000 bushels of
coal among nearly 800 families. Besides
this. large number were cared for at the City
Farm or sent to the County Home at Wood
vile. An immense number Of shoes and large
quantities of clothing wero given out. but the
exact number could not be obtained without an
extended examination of the books
People from every walk in life and from al
most every nati0n. are numbered among the
benedciaries Of the department. The Irish
still lead among the applicants for charity, al
though they are closely followed by the Poles
HunEarians and Germans. few years ago 80
per cent of the destitute in the city were either
IRISH or Of Irish descent but now the Poles and
Germans are almost equal TO then. Although
there are still many children of the Green Isle
the books, there are fewer of them that now
make application, while She other nationalltes
Of EuroDe pour in fast. In fact, the Poles,
EunCariaus and Germans are told befote
they leave their native homes that if they be-
come sick OF unable to care for themselves
the authorities OF America are compelled to
take care of them. They are told that by
steamship agents, as one of the inducements to
bring them over here. Any money that they
earn IS soon sent back to their homes, and when
they are without work, or become sick, they at
uuce amply to the Department of Charities and
demand assistance as if it was their right
Going TO the Farm With Money.
They even 60 there when they have money,
and it is not over year since one German
woman was sent up to the hospital at the City
Farm. She had not anticipated as thorough a
searching as she received up there for on her
person was found gold watch and Sl33 in
money. She was released when recovered,
DUI threatened 10 sue tue 1nStli utlOn because
the cost Of her keeping taken from her
store Of savings. She thought she was en-
titled to care without paying for 1t.
Chief Elliot, in speaking of the matter, said
il was an outrage 10 let SO many foreign pau
pe-s into the country. "But then" he said
''we manufacture them here l believe
some Of our institutions really foster
rather than prevent poverty, and then
there IS 50 much of it feigned. Why, we
hardly ever give aid to Italians. There is not |
one OF them that does not nave from S25 to $50 |
concealed about him all the time Many of |
them hide their money in their shoes. If every |
italian IN the city were searched believe my
statement would be proven eight times out of |
ten.
cit has often been question with me-" he |
continued, ''as 10 whether the system of char
ities Is proper. l am often inclined to think |
that many OF the aid societies do more harm |
than good By indiScrimInate charity. People |
know they Will be relieved, and hence make no |
attempt to better themselves. Frequently we |
ceJies who, after thorough investigation has |
been made were found to be undeserving of |
relief.
Paapers for Three Generations
''Why, we have families on our books that |
have been there for three generations. 1t is |
not that poverty is a heritage, the same as |
wealth, but because the stipend received each |
month from the city is counted IN as part of /
the income of the family. They know they are /
sure of getting so much from charity and then |
by doing much work they can exist. They 1
make no effort 10 get beyond, and when the /
parents die the children continue on the books |
from one generation to another"