The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-19
CHARITABLE CITIZENS
Nearly Twenty-Five Hundred
Dollars Contributed For the
Relief Of the Poor.

Keller OF the POOR.
The attendance at the Opera House last
night to devise means to relieve the suffer-
ings and distress of the city's poor was very
slim indeed; but yet in one small half hour
nearly $4,000 was subscribed by those who
did think it their duty to come out and help
the poor and needy.
The notice sent out to every prominent
citizen to attend this meeting pointed out
the uuexampled misery in the city at the
present moment, and the charitable purpose
of the meeting, it said, ought to strike a re-
sponsive chord in the heart of every good
citizen. This appeal was signed by George
B. Fielder, o.. K. Pangborn, E. F. G. Youngs
Rev. John F. Morgan, Robert Davis, DIR.
John E. Ewing, Robert E.. Jenning, Alex
ander Mackenzie, DR.. P. Watson, Rev. DR..
J. DeConcilio, Dr.. Leonard J.. Gordon,
Thomas Egan, DR.. George Phillips, VIM.
Hogencamp, DR.. John d. McGill, Rev. ], w.
Hathaway, Rev. DIR. Robert Seton, Rev. DR..
Cornelius Brett, Rev. DR.. Harpes, s. j.,
Rev. DR.. Warren.
Notwithstanding the urgency of the APP
peal, and the ~well-known persons who had
called the meeting the theatre was only
o~ne-quarter filed. There people were in the
gallery; about fifty sat in the upper circle,
and there We're perhaps two hundred in the
pit or floor of the Opera House. Z
On the stage were Congressman G.. Bragg
Fielder, Maj. q. X. Pangborn, DR.. L. J. Cor
don, Otto Grouse, Judge Kenny, Andrew j..
Corcoran, Sheriff Toffey and Police Justice
O,Grady of New York City.
Among those in the body of the house
were Messrs. Jno. P. Feeney, John Mullins,
aH-.-. n1I+rNN nfNoiII Inc n
Banks, Henry Niese, DR.. Benjamin Edge,
Justice O'Donnell, Jno. D. German, Strait
ford, Wortendyke, ex-Fire Commissioner P.
Madden. Fire Commissioner j. Brennan,
Mark Curley, Michael B. Holmes, Harry
Wills, P. E. Martin, E. P. Roberts, Charles
Somers, Jno. Brown and others.
Mr.. GROUSE CHoSEN CHAIRMAN.
Mr.. Fielder began the proceedings by
nominating Mr., Otto Grouse as Chairman,
and as everyone consented, Mr.. Grouse called
the meeting to order.
He was glad to see, he said, that public
spirit and humanity were not dead. There
was no people like the American people for
giving to public charity. The people of
New Jersey, and particularly those in Jer-
sey City are always the first to respond to
this call Of charity.
I'VE are here,n he said, without creed
or party or nationality, to consider the best
way to help our suffering brethren. The
appeaIwe make to you comes from want,
deprivation, hunger and suffering, n l am
sure you will respond generously to it. Our
duty tonight is to organize some system of
charity. Organized charity is a noble thing.
Disorganized charity effects no earthly
good" !
Mr.. Grouse then read the following letter
from the Rev. DR.. E. L. Stoddard.
DR. SToDDARD'S SUGGESTIONS.
No. so SUNNY AVENUE.
JERSEY CITY HEiGHrs,
February l6. 1874.
George B Fielder and Gentlemen:
DEAR S1Rs-I cannot be at the meeting called
for SUNDAY night at the jersey City Opera
House as / am engaged to preach at Newark. l
am. however, heartily In favor OF some con-
certed action for the relief of the poor and take
the liberty OF Offering one or two suggest ions.
i. That all charitable funds derived from this
concerted action, save those of churches lodges,
et... be- sent % and distributed through one
central bureau, which shall be thoroughly or
ganized for this purpose.
2 That this bureau keep open communication
with PoornIaster Hewitt that no charity be
8. That oil churches ami lodges be requested
urgently to report all cases helped by them to
this central bursau within twenty.tour hours.
4. That urgent efforts be mads to abolish
private aims giving.
thing that no pastor, who understands tue
needs of the time and the value OF organization
will refuse to support suggestion No. 3 andI
believe that I am one of many VIII, will aid this
movement IL thoroughly systematized. but who
will fail In their interest If its beuefaciions are
made without such system l am inc lined to
think that 1t would be cheaper 10 the end to
even pay Q good salary to an efficient oniser
who would administer the funds wisely aud
effectively. / would also urge upon private
individuals who are contemplating repairs and
iinpro vements that they enter upon them as
Youts very sincerely.
EDWARD L.. SToDDARD,
Rector st. Johns Church.
Other letters were read, among which
were one from Assistant Secretary of the
Navy VIM. McAdoo enclosing a check for
s15, and one from Monsignor Robert Seton,
sending $25.
JUDGE GRADY's APPEAL.
Mr.. Grouse then introduced Judge Thos.
F. Grady of New York, whose appeal for aid
was eloquent, forcible and very much to the
point.
He was glad to applaud the effort to re-
heve distress SO prevalent in all commune
ties by reason OF the ~unfavorable conditions
of men who have no other capital but their
trade. This meeting MEANS" be said.
sscharity in its broadcast sense. Th charity
which doesn't ask what the man is, but the
charity which sees a suffering man and aids
him as one would aid a brother"
Mr.. Grady said he appreciated the bene-
fits of organized charity and its efforts in
relieving ordinary suffering, but he also APP
III tlkO Wolh L SdhhOb w ldu3O UxC
best deserving are those whose want rarely
come to light. The charity needed is that
which comes from the heart and not from
the han
Leaving all preferences for religious
creeds, and forgetting all political differ
ences, You will, I am sure, look to it that no
distress can come to worthy people here
that honest men of New Jersey can attend
to. How little there is of true enjoyment
if tina great cardinal virtue of charity did
life it is battle of one man against the
cess is often built upon the adversely of an
other
Mr.. Grady concluded an eloquent appeal
now exists to be generous and he begged Of
them to seize that opportunity.
Major Pangborn came next and remarked
that the appeal was not likely to fall on I'M
needing ears.
Poormaster Hewitt was asked to tell some
thing Of the suffering in this city and he
his Books than a year ago. Altogether
to a family that represents $500 people to re-
lieve. He found that people are ready to re-
spond to calls for charity and ready to give
him all assistance.
THE SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Now, gentlemen, said Chairman Grouse,
there's no time like the present for giving
money. l will be glad to receive subscrip-
tons and SO saying he drew a large sheet
of paper towards him, and with pencil in
hand waited-to jot down the amounts SUBJ
Sp,ibad