The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-15
AT THE WORK CAMP.
Practical Charity in Operation
in South Seattle.
CUTTING AND HAULING WOOD.
Fifteen Men Employed-More to be
Taken as Orders Are Received
For Wood.

Seattle has a very practical charity in opers-
ton. the work camp in the southern part OF the
city
More than month ago r. L. Detering, who
has charge of the Union mission, proposed 70
secure some neighboring tract OF woodland and
set unemployed men at work cutting hrewood,
the sale OF which would pay the board and
logging OF the laborers. The suggestion
accepted by number of those interested IN
Charitable endeayor, aud the working camp
received from various sources gifts in tools and
IN money TO purchase the needed equipment.
W. D. Wood, who has charge of a tract in South
Seattle belonging to W. 5 Laid, OF Portland, gave
permission 10 cut the trees, if the men would
taken them of close % the ground and clear as
they went. Accordingly WORK was begun about
three weeks ago, and has continued steadily
ever since.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES reporter who visited
the camp yesterday found fifteen men busy
cutting, saving, splitting and cordfng up the
wood They were not touching the dead-falis,
bat were taxing oGly the 1--we trees. Some OF
wood was sawed into four-foot pieces, and some
into stove lengths OF twelve, fourteen or sixteen
inches. The long pieces were intended for the
Washington Iron Works and for one OF the brick
kilns which get their fuel from this camp. The
wood intended Tor stove use was being divided
into two classes, the clear hard heart and the
BARK aud sap. The former is sold at the usual
price for irewood, s. cord. and the latter for
$3.50.
One or two OF the men were cutting kind
hngs. Fifteen dry cedar sticks were tied in
bunch, and thirty OF these punches in bundle,
which Is sold for - cents. Thus the camp fur
nishes for quarter OF dollar kindiing wood
enough to light fires Cor month.
Not lar from the clearing is carpenter shop
which has been turned into q lodging house.
On one side are rows OF hunks, and through the
cente. of the building is table where the
meals are served. The dishes are of the
eommonest quality, but everything about the
place is neaL The food, though plain, is well
cooked. and there is an abundance of it. At
dinner yesterday the men had beef potatoes,
carrots, bread and coffee, and each was priyi-
legged to eat until he was satisfied. The build
ing is warmed by two stoves, aud is comfortable
at ali times. Reading matter, Puck, Judge, and
other illustrated papers are supplied by Low
man j Hantord.
Mr.. lettering, in speaking OF the camp, said
''We have proved that the plan is success. At
present fifteen men are earning their living, and
three or four times that number could be put TO
work were there sufficient demand for our wood
10 employ them. That there are hundreds III
Seattle ready and anxious TO YORK is shown by
the number of applications / have had. | ex-
plain TO the men l. send to the camp that they
cannot expect TO do much more tnan earn
living, but they are z al of the chance TO do
that.
'of course we can't pay big wages. We fur
nish the tools and give the men 70 cents cord
for the iourfoot wood and sl.75 for that cut into
short lengths In this way man is able 10 earn
from IS cents to l5o Il day according TO his in
duslry and his skill as wood cutter The men
get less with US than in camps where they
must supply their own tools. The men can
board themselves or pay $3.50 a week-50 cents a
day-at the house. That sum, as closely as we
can calculate, just about covers the cost of
board. Ii a man earns from 81 20 $50 day ne has
left above expenses from four bits TO dollar,
and many man is mighty glad to earn as much
as that in these hard times.
"We are not taking men from other camps and
giving them work here, for work has shut down
elsewhere, and we take only the absolutely I'M
employed. Neither are We trying to crowd out
regular wood dealers by cutting rates. for we
charge the regular price l can Say this for our
wood, we give full cord, piling the sticks com
paetty. The stuff we sell for s. a cord is clean
and hard, and has given satisfaction eyery.
where that we have delivered it. You cannot
find better hrewood, for we use no deadfa,ls.
and the best proof of the good quality of our
wood is the fact that our customers stay with rs
and repeat their orders.
Here is chance for the people of Seattle TO
give employment 10 men, aud vet not give
money away, but spend il in buying as cheapiy
as they can buy elsewhere in the city. We
have hired two teams for delivery and We are
ready 10 send the wood to the city at any time
The Office OF the Union Mission, under the
Seattle National bank, is open all day to receive
orders, and all We want Is Il market for the wood
TO furnish further employment
81 also send men from the camp to those who
need help IN all sorts of odd Jobs When Ihsve
employed man Tor few days down there I
can md out what he is and what he can do ana
know whom am sending out and for what /
can recommend him