The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-28
RELIEF FOR WANT
Pastor Little Says That
LAFAYETTE Is In No I'M
mediate Need.
THE BERGEN MISSION WORK
DR.. Ellison's Bergen Baptist Church
Does Good Work Among
the Poor.

denominational association for the relief of
distress among the poor, stands upon too
narrow basis. For it is organized to CO.
operate with the Overseer of the Poor.
The association, organized for the first
time this year. would seem to be intended to
relieve those to whom it was new and pain
full need to apply for assistance. And it is
known fact that to this class the Overseer of
the Poor would be the very last person to
whom they would allow their needs to be-
come known. The very people whom it
would seem this organization wishes to
reach are those who will suffer the keenest
want rather than own themselves paupers
This, it must be understood, is the opinion of
those clergylnen and laymen who do not
fully sympathize with the plan of the new
organization.
IN LAFAYETTE.
In continuing the reports from clergymen
and priests In various parts of the city it is
gratifying to learn that in Lafayette the
situation is by no means alarming. Pastor
G. E. Little of the Lafayette Methodist
Episcopal Church, ON the Sunday morning
week before Christmas, said from the pulpit
that contributions of food, clothing, fuel,
money, or articles for the relief of the poor
IN any way, would be received at the altar of
the church on Christmas Eve. He found a
gratifying amount of interest manifested by
the congregation; Mr. Small sent fifty chick
ems and orders for 200 loaves of bread Mr..
e. r. Hitler, five tons of coal, and many
others liberal contributions The Pastor an
nounced that relief would be given without
regard to denomination or nationality, that
no one save himself should know the names
OF recipients, and that applications might be
made to him personally or by note slipped
under his door Moreover, the gifts We're to
be distributed in the regular delivery
wagon of a local grocer, to insure
absolute freedom from the appearance of
pauperism. This was intended to make it
less painful for those who were out of en-
ployment and destitute this year for the first
time, of whom it was believed there
Pastor Little said to-day to reporter of
The JERSEY CITY NEWS, 81 am glad to say
that did not receive one personal applica-
tion for relief for poverty that was the effect
of the peculiar business CO editions now pre-
valling. Eight applications for aid for men
out of employment this year for the first
time were made to me by friends, but the
main body of applicants were from the
habitually dependent poor, who are this year
poorer than ever 1t seems that those upon
whom they depend, while they have enough
for their own needs, have none to spare for
Others. 1t is gratifying to learn that either
the situation among the wage-earners of
Lafayette is not at all distressing, or else
that the high spirit of the people will not
allow it to become known The latter is
hardly probable, in view of the opportuni
ties for absolute secrecy offered.
''lt had been my intention to confer with
prominent citizens of Lafayette as to the
formation of a Relief Association to observe
no distinctions of denomination or national
/ fox -
the holding of mass meeting next Sunday
night, which should, if possible, unite all the
Lafayette churches, and should be addressed
by good speakers. But in view of the facts
as I found them this Christmas, it seemed to
me that such action would be premature and
would tend to create class of applicants
rather than to supply the needs of the de-
serving poor.
WORK OF THE BERGEN MISSION
A JERSEY CITY NEWS reporter had an in
teresting talk last evening with Mrs
Hulthusen, the missionary of the Bergen
Mission on the poor as she finds them and
her methods and means of assisting them.
Mrs. Hulthusen was appointed by the circle
in April last to devote her time to visiting
among the poor She calls on from twenty
five to thirty families week If she finds a
family worthy of assistance she tells her
friends and the good people she meets, and
it they want to give her clothes, money or
groceries, she takes and delivers them. There
is also fund laid aside by the mission for
the relief OF the poor, and in very needy
cases she draws on that She also spends
great deal of her time in praying with the
sick and In trying to cheer them up.
She said that there are more destitute people
about at the present time than ever before
in her experience. 81 have to be very care
full though" she said, ''to whom I recon-
mend people to give, there are SO many
I1Ac oh ho
the number of false addresses that are given
to people by women who claim to have large
families, and to be in destitute condition. l
often walk for blocks to find an address,
only to find that no such person as the one I
am looking for lives there; but I would
than miss one deserving person"
The Mission made one hundred and fifteen
poor children happy on Christmas day with
q Christmas tree and presents. They also
supplied seven families with Christmas
dinners of turkey and a quantity of gro
ceries. The Bergen Mission, through Mrs
Hulthusen and the ladies OF the Circle, is
doing big work among the poor
WORK IN THE BERGEN BAPTIST CHURCH
There are various ways,n said the Rev
DR.. Ellison, last night s'in which the Ber-
gen Baptist Church helps the poor; there is
the church poor fund; the Home Missionary
Committee of the Y. P. S. c. E. and the
touiiNeAJ SCdOO4 pioFiucub IuIu. 1uEOugn
these and our various other societies, we
help great many poor people,
s'We must have about fifteen families on
our poor list now. This is an increase of
four or five over last year. These fifteen are
members of the church. Besides them the
Y. T. 5. G. E. must take care of about fifteen
more, making altogether between thirty on.
forty families. We find that the number of
destitute cases is increasing all the time"
ssTo what purpose is the Sunday school
provident fund devoted"
''Why, it is a fund founded by the scholars,
and is to buy clothes for children who haven't
then and are kept from attending Sunday
school on that account. About 5000 year is
used from it for that purpose"
Tonight the Sunday School will have their
Christmas festival They will all receive
presents and each one will bring a package
of dry groceries or canned goods for the
poor.
SALVATION ARMY WORK.
Two women who do great work among
the poor are Captain Bryant and Lieutenant
Dunlap, the officers of Corps No 2 of the
Salvation Army.
Their afternoons are spent in nursing and
praying with the sick and in ferreting out
deserving poor cases. Their evenings are
spent in trying to save the souls of the peo-
pie who flock to their salvation meetings 1t
seems that of late more people have attended
these meetings than ever before st
is the hard times,' said Captain
Bryant, that are bringing people
to a realizing sense of just how they stand
with God. ] believe that we shall have