Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-27
SEVENTH DISTRIBUTION.
GIFT OF BOOKS TO SUNDAY SCHOOLS
BY KAUFMANNS'.
The Number Scattered About 100000
Candy, Picture Books and Other Good
Things for the Homestead Poor
Cost of the Presents at
Least $4,000.

There we're many presents given ana &C.
cepted in Allegheny county yesterday, but
there was one feature, which, besides CIV
ing additional Joy and brightness to the
aeetinr day. will be remembered with
gratitude and pleasure throughout the year
and will even stretch to some extent
through the wears to follow. The one
Christmas gift which is useful and instruc-
| tive, as we'll as pleasing aud ornamental, Is
a handsome and entertaining book. Illus
| trated in a manner to place the solid con-
tents before the reader in the most sterac-
Yesterday was the occasion of Kauf:
manns' seventh annual free distribution OF
picture books t9bsns to sns TnpAy
towns. The steady growth OF this enter
prise has been remarkable. seven yeaEs
| ago only 10000 volumes were olstrlputeu,
| last year So 600 volumes gladdened the hearts
| of the little ones, and this season the num-
ber distributed reached 100000. Ten
times the original amount were were
| needed to meet the demands of the work.
| This shows that the generosity of the kaut-
| manns is appreciated by the public as well
as church people. Each book contains %
| pages handsomely bound and finely Illus
| trated The cost of the books cannot be less
| and very likely more than I5 cents apiece.
| This would swell the amount OF this years
distribution to nearly $lO Ooo rms is iatgo
| of the Kaufmapns when they consider the
result-1OO, 900 happy children. Verify 'tls
blessed
| long men with drays carrying large boxes
| were busy landing the books at the churcn
| doors, and scholars and superintendents
spent the afternoon arranging them on tnS
shelves Next Sunday the children Will
have lot of new and entertaining books TO
read and bright and attractive stories to re-
late to their friends.
While these gifts were made entirely unso-
licited many letters were received by the
Kaufmanns from the ministers and the
Sunday school lsuperintendents, praising the
l NI0 md
cured. They tell of the joy with which the
children received the presents, ana tne
brightness which the books caused in many
home. They dispel the gloom OF ennu1
and make everybody more cheerful The
little ones themselves express their pleas
ure in the most enthusiastic language, ana
Kaufmanns is to them name synonymons
ceived by each church ranged all the way
from % to l, 200, according to the size OF the
church and the other attending clrcum'
stances.
Some philanthropists seek to connect
their deeds with the greatest amount OF
notoriety, but not SO with the kanfmanns.
They try to avoid it. Instead OF advertising
the free distribution OF books they simply
and quietly mailed circular letters to the
ministers or the churches, asking them the
tive Sunday schools. The distribution was
made in an unostentatious but pleasant
manner and the gifts were received in the
same commendable spirit.
All the denominations were remembered,
and none were neglected. The Presbyterian
United Presbyterian, Cathollc, Baptlst,
Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant,
Episcopal, Evangelical, Lutheran and
nnmber OF miscellaneous churches were in
cluded in the list
gotten by the Kaufmanns-
Tine scene at the commissary, the little
building on the corner OF Fifth avenue and
Amitv street, which had been donated for
the purpose of distributing supplies 70 the
d6aerintiOn.
When the reDorter arrived on the spot the
first installment was being served, and
throughout the day the influx never ceased:
1t had been heralded about that kaufmanns
had prepared grand Christmas treat for
the little ones, and the eager, expectant
looks on the faces of the little tots was
most nathetic one as they came trooping
in to the commissary one after the other, not
boisterously or in forward manner, but
each one awaiting his turn to be served:
Gratefuleyed mothers, ieaolng nssle en1 ones sol OF
nation and with tears of joy IN their eyes,
turned back to their homes happier than
they had been for many Long aay: 600
whose ewes betrayed the joyous emotion
she felt "Thetr generosity has put good,
warm clothes on my boys backs
counters of the commissar ry. and the shelves
were lined with books. TINS huge display
set the scribe's mathematical machinery in
motion-does not this great array represent
quite q large sum OF money? With this idea
in mind, the writer set to work TO estimate,
If possible, the cost of the treat. There were,
at the very least calculation, 1000 children
who participate ted IN the distribution. As each
child received one pound OF delicious sweets,
chocolates, bon-bons, caramels, etc., this
would run the value of the candy alone up
to 81, 600 When this is added to about 600
picture books, 1t will be seen that the extent
Of Kaufmanns' contribution to the Home
stead children's Christmas treat was not less
than $12OO surprising realization when
one comes tn reckon it up. But this, how
ever, is not the extent of Kaufmanns' gen.
erosity, as everyone knows. Only last week
they sent $685. worth of clothing, wraps and
shoes to Michael Sherren, of the Pittsburg
trade council and head of the Relief Commit
tee. These goods came precisely in the nick
OF time, and to-day many q maa, woman and
child in Homestead is comfortably clothed,
who, but for KaufmaEns' timely philan.
thropy. would have been exposed to the
cold. The figures above can be depended
upon as being correct, and thus it will be seen
that nearly $4,000 worth of supplies have
been sent to Homestead by Kaufmanns'
alone.