The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-03-11
HARD CHARACTERS.

1
| moral town in every sense of the word. 1t
people are ms ade up Of that element of hospi
tallty and kindly feeling toward each othe
| characteristic in many respects of some o
the much smaller settlements of the agri
| cultural districts of the west. A stranger
who may have the good fortune to make hi
home in our city, isreceived with that heart,
welcome which at once strlks the tende,
spots in the hearts of those especially who
have lett their homes and relatives in the
east ard come west to build up their fortunes
and grow up with the country. II they be
unfortunate, or are in needy circumstances
| and show the least tendency to help them
| selves, our citizens do not hesitate to come
to the front and use all reasonable efforts to
| assist them to find employment, and if
| necessary, and the case be meritorious
one, to go down in their pockets for suffici.
ent financial aid to assist them in time of
trouble. There are times, however, when
this charity is imposed upon, and case of
this kind is the subject of this item.
Last summer there came to Corvallis,
from Albany, man and woman with three
little children ranging in age from two to
six years Immediately after their arrival
the man made application to GO on tue
SouuIy. Lie tEc request as
far as the woman AMI children were con-
cerned and they were taken to the poor
house, while the husband was ordered to
get out and rustic. This he did, or at least
he left Corvallis Not long after the woman
arrived at the poor house she became infatu.
ated with one of the inmates of the house.
county charge known by the name of
James, which soon led on to a divorce from
the husband, and the marriage of James
and the woman. On permission, James was
allowed the use of an old shed belonging to
Andrew Emrick, ON a block owned by the
school district near the S. P. depot. To
this place he removed his wife and family,
where they have since resided or existed, at
least, during the day time, apparently OBJ
Jects of the most pitiable and dire destitu-
tion, and have been for some time objects of
charity in that neighborhood having been
assisted not only by contributions of food,
clothing, etc. but also financially It has
come out, however, that the man and woman
stay at home only during the day and are
nearly always away at night until or 3
O'Clock in the morning, leaving the children
to take care OF themselves as best they may
Vague ramors at length began to be heard.
which became more and more definite as
time passed without any improvement il
the behavior of the couple. Now, the fact
is that the woman is thoroughly able
bodied woman and the man is apparently
able bodied, but both parties seem to be |
averse to work of any kind. 1t has been
found that the woman, in her nocturnal
pllgrimages spends her time in one of the !
lowest brnthels which Corvallis is unfortun-
ate enough to possess, thare earning the
wages OF prostitution which supply the
family with all they get otherwise than by
the charity of the neIghbors. Now, at this
lime there Is no reason for any person, male |.
'r female, being out of employment in Cor
Wallis at wages good enough to assure them
It least decent living, and when any people
become so thoroughly depravea as this
couple appears to be, So that they become
he common talk of the town and even the
'bJect OF newspaper criticism, without max
ng an effort OF any kind to mend matters,
looks as though they were thoroughly
lard cases and a disgrace to any community
which harbors them, since they appear to
ave not the slightest respect either for
themselves or their neighbors
Last Week James was arrested on charge :
f vagrancy and brought Before the police
udse, but was released upon his showing i
be certificate Of physician that he was ,
ot an able bodied man, which by some )
leans he had obtained. At this examiua-
lon James admitted that the woman fur q
isiied Rhao support the family had. As 1
etore stated, the woman goes each night to a
ne OF those dens of iniquitv whittier the
IAN follows her and there they remain un- +
Il morning, leaving the three ct;iIdren in I
he old shanty which is but little better :,
han no protection at all from the elements;
nd such treatment cannot fail to have a | f
influence upon them. For the | f
ood OF the children themselves, they ought a
y all meaDs be removed from such ss.oci- n
tions and it has been suggested that the h
ase be brought to the notice of the Boys't v
nd Girls Aid society, of Portland, and il
omes found elsewhere for the little ones, +
hose condition cannot be otherwise than =
lie most pitiabie. +
AS for the older parties words are ina le a
nate to express the disgust and cIlagrin that u
u respectable citizens must feel at findingf n
lem III their midst. II there are no means / n
reaching such cases through the law we i
el almost justified in advocating extreme II
easures and suggesting that both parties Il
, ridden out of town on rails and with o
ckets of tar and feathers. One thing can ll
Id should be done. The premises occupied Il
the couple is the property of the school e,
strict and the directors could at least or. IL
'r them to leave the grounds. If they fail Ia
obey, they could be dealt;with according n
law Something should by all means be Esi
me to rid the community of such DIS 81
putable characters. liz