The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-22
VERY VERSATILE.
Ways Of Some Berkeley
Students.
CAN PLAY MANY PARTS.
Willing to Wash Windows and
Do Chores.
OR EXPOUND THE CLASSICS.
A Man who Lives on Meal Day.
Appeal by the Students Aid
Society.

work. lust 10 enable them TO get food to
eat and a roof to cover their heads"
j. NJ. Handsaker, the secretary Of the
Students Aid Society of the State Uni
versity, said these words with a good deal
of emphasis, as though he strongly object
ed, in the name of the society, to poor but
ambitious students being looked upon as
objects of public benevolence.
owe have just issued a new circular" he
continued, (which will be sent principally
to alumDR and other people who are likely
to feel a sort of personal interest In the
society. Part of it reads: The directors
feel that the services of a paid secretary
are necessary, and al their last meeting
pledged themselves to the payment OF
small salary. AS the society has no source
Of revenue, we know of no other way to
meet this demand than by appealing to
The friends of education for such cOntci-
buttons as they are inclined to make
snow in about a couple of weeks we
shall give the secretaTyship to one of the
needy Students" continued Mr.. Hand
saker. ut would really surprise people TO
know how many students come here With
out means, in the hope of getting some
thing TO do to cover their expenses. Some
of them are boys and some girls, but the
bows are in the majority, l suppose be-
cause thew know that when the last cent
is gone they can set off and tramp home.
OF course, it would be harder for girl
TO walk to a distant part Of the State,
and the students come from all over Cali
fornia, indeed, it seems as If the lmpe-
cunious ones come the longest distances"
us there really much want among the
undergraduates this term?" was asked.
well, it depends upon what you call
want" replied Mr.. Handsaker. Zone
man [ know never gets more than meal
day. and be is one of our best students,
too. He came here with about $50, and
the Students Aid Society found MIN
place where he could have room in ex-
change for work. He is making his little
capital pan out as long as possible, and to
make it 90 further he lives on a meal a
day.
About sixty Of the students have ap-
piled 10 US this term. Some have little
money in hand that they want to exc out,
and others are entirely dependent on their
own exertions. If the people, not only of
Berkeley but of Oakland and Alameda,
would apply TO US when they want any
work done they would be benefting the
cause of education. What kind of work?
Why, bless you, we can supply all kinds.
One student is plumber by trade, and he
is very anxious to get odd jobs. We have
several gardeners; quite a number who
want to get milking or Window washing,
and as for domestic work and chores of
all kinds, we have students who are
actually thirsting to 90 them"
1t appeared from the secretary's state
menr that girls as well as men from the
learned shades of Berkeley are willing TO
earn their room rent and board by per-
forming chores in private families. But
the Aid Society has quite versatile set of
would-be employees on its books" added
Handsaker. You just pay your money
and you take your choice of the sort of
work they give you. The plumber can
abstract law titles, or give tuition in pri-
vate families if people prefer that sort of
service. The boys, who are willing to
wash windows or do gardening, are just as
willing to obtain statistics and other data,
CODY manuscript by hand or typewriter.
do stenography, bookkeeping, mechanical
drawing, OF translate documents. Scien-
tifc literature and business communion
tions can be translated into or from near
IL every European language by applicants
for work to the Students Aid Society, and
If need be the dead languages and modern
Asiatic tongues would be forthcoming.
Eyes, those undergraduates who want
work to carry them through their college
course are, as q rule, among our very best
students. The faculty is not hard upon
them in the matter of fees. Indeed,
there are some who have never paid their
entrance fees yet, but they are not duDned
for them. When boys and girls write to
the society to inquire whether the outlook
is favorable for keeping terms and earning
a livelihood at the same time we never Ell
courage them to come-in fact. we rather
discourage them-but If any student short
of means is here we do our best to help
him or her"
The secretary then coDfded the day.
dream of the society. tits only in the
air yet." be said, Just vague hope that
is probably doomed never 10 be realized
But if fairy were to give US three wishes,
the first one would be that some person
who could afford it would start fund to
loan little money to needy students
They could be charged-say 1 or 2 per
cent interest, ana could return the interest
and capital when they had got through
their college course. and were. earning for
themselves. That's our dream, but it's a
very unsubstantial one at present, and
what We are more actively engaged in
looking out for is work to enable some of
our needy undergraduates to live. The sixty
on our books are very small fraction of
the 1850 students of the State University,
but we hate to see them want. Those boys
and girls must be really hungry for knowl-
edge to have come here under such diff
culties."
MI. HanGsaker's revelations seem rather
novel idea in comfortable, weIl-fed Cali
fornia, though the universities of the Old
World are very well acquainted with the
''poor student" who very often, in the
long run. has proved more than a match
for his rich companions. The Aid Society
of Berkeley says that all those on its
books promise to bear out the old belief
that impecuniousneSs aud talent are nearly
allied. 1t will not be the fault of the or
ganization if work is not found for the
sixty struggling students on its books.
The following compose the board of di-
rectors of the Students Aid Society: Pro-
lessor w. b. Rising. Mrs. Frederick Slade,
Miss Lucy Williams, Miss E. S. Wade,
Milo S. Barker.
In the Wrong House.