The Washington times., 1894-10-17
THE POVERTY THAT KILLS
Sad Scenes in the Gloomy BYWays of
South Washington.
WHAT COL. TRACEY SAYS
His Interesting Review of Last Winters
Work by the Charity Organizations Of the
District-There Are Already Many Fam
lilies Who Need Immediate Aid.

| Bowie, OF the Fourth precinct. The reporter
| was bent upon an Investigation of the actual
condition of the poor in the above locality
thus early in the season, and he found that
the serious condition OF affairs as reported
| by the police had not been exaggerated in the
least. The trip exposed to view panorami c
presentation OF grim poverty in all OF its sad
phases, and the handwriting on the walls OF
many lily and scantily furnished novels which
he visited read in burning letters; Help!
Helpr'
Before leaving the police station, acting
| Lieut.. Smith said the outlook indicated that
there would be much suffering this winter, es-
| pecially among mechanics VINO were unable
| TO obtain work during the past summer.
! These people, he added. would not apply for
| relief, but prefer to suffer rather than have
their true condition known.
To-day, said the lieutenant, Il was sent
for by a friend of a certain family to go and
see their condition. Now, mind you, / was
| furnished this information on the quiet, for
| the family IN question would rather have per-
! ished than to ask for aims. There were a
father, wife, and two children, and they were
| entirely without food or fuel and had been In
! that condition for several days The father
| is worthy mechanic, but has been unable to
| OLtdiu ana II HDOUL lO ldC6 u
! severe winter without a penny in his pocket
| We gave the family immediate relief, but that
will only last them for a day or two, and then
| the hungry wolf will howl again."
THROUGH THE sHADowY BYwAYs.
Proceeding with Policemen Anderson and
Bowie, the reporter went through the darken-
ing shadows OF the numerous foul smelling
byways in the noted precincts of BloodAeld.
The moon was just rising and the only light
in the narrow thoroughfare was furnished by
the hickering rays from skaky looking coal
oil lamps or candles which cast their sickly
CLEANS out into the gloom, through the win
dows of hut and tenement.
Here Is sad case" remarked stalwart
Officer Bowie, as he stopped in front OF a
small frame dwelling, No. l24S Delaware ave-
nue. southwest, and entered with the re-
porter. The interior Of the house was cleanly
and as tidy as new pin, but the grim phan-
tom of poverty was there Presently colored
woman, perhaps fifty years of age, entered
the front room. Her name is Catherine Bell
and she is widow with three small children,
the youngest not yet two years OF age.
MY poor husband died" she said. ''three
weeks ago, and since then / have been com
PEELED to live as best l could. 1 cannot go
out aud work, because there is no one to take
care of my little ones, and the best part of
the time we nave to go hungry and without
fuel"
Have you anything 10 eat in the house
now?" asked officer Bowie.
"Only this, replied the poor woman, going
into the back room and returning with a
plate, on which was a crust Of dry bread and
ham bone devoid of meat.
zone of the neighbors gave me this lust
now. The folks about here cannot help US
much, for they are almost as poor as we are. -
Officer Bowie SAYS Mrs. Bell is q worthy
and industrious woman and would work will
lingly il it was possible for her to do So
The next place visited was the humble home
of George Lively, an industrious and de-
serving white painter, who lives in little
tenement, No. 115 o street southwest This
family consists OF tho father, mother, and six
children, the youngest an infant in arms.
''GoD ONLY KNOWS WHAT WE WILL DO"
"My father has only done one job OF work
this season." said one OF the daughters, an
intelligent girl of fifteen years, who was shoe
less and scantily clad.
The money he received from that we used
to pay our house rent. We only have to pay
81 a month Tor this house, but we carnot
even raise that. don't know how we have
managed to make out so long, and God only
knows what we will do this winter. Papa is
willing and anxious to work, but he cannot
get it.
Have you any food in the house now?''
asked the reporter.
mo, sir, not a mouthful."
This is really pitiful case and should be
attended to by our charitable citizens and or
ganizations, The family are all native WASH
ingtonians, and were once well-to-do.
In a lonely-looking tenement No. 800 Van
Zant street southwest, were found Jane
Parker. colored, and her six children They
were all poorly clad and bore traces of hunger
and suffering on their pinched and sunken
faces. In addition to poverty, that dread
! disease, diphtheria, has invaded their humble
home, and her Oldest son, the only one able
to assist her by his efforts, Is in bed suffering
from that disease. Mrs. Parker is a widow.
and the outlook for herself and children is
gloomy indeed.
Several other cases of extreme suffering
were found. but the above are given as illus
trations of the situation in October and as in
dications of what the generous people of
Washington may expect when the ground is
covered with snow and the icy north wind
sings its cherries song through the crevices
and roof trees OF the citys novels and tene-
mentS
In Willow Tree alley, Porksteak alley.
Broad alley. and others, families of from five
to twelve persons were found huddled to-
gether in one small room, which they used
for combined kitchen, dinning- room, bed
room, and sitting-room.
COL. TRACEY PLEASED.
Col. John Tracey, United States superin-
tendent OF charities for the District of Colum-
bia,was met by TIMES reporter last evening.
He expressed himself as well pleased and in
full accord with the timely editorial and news
article in yesterdays TIMES, calling attention
to existing conditions among the poor of
Washington and the grim probabilities of the
| approaching winter
He said the Federal Capital is peculiarly
placed with regard to the conditions of dis
tress that exist in all large cities of the coun-
try. Not being manufacturing center the
number of unemployed artisans and aborers
is relatively less than in other municipalities
of Importance. Nevertheless, the entire sus-
| pension Of building Industries has thrown
large number OF men out of
work, not only masons, carpenters. and
| plasterers, and other mechanics, but employees
of brickyards and other establishments in
which building materials are prepared
Thesuspension of these industries has left
out of work many hundred men who USUALLY
earn money during the spring, summer, and
autumn. There is considerable suffering
amoung the people engaged in what the
| French call ''the small industries" The
financial panic has deprived these people OF
their ordinary custom, and there are hundreds
| of homes in Washington in which there exists
real want of the necessaries of life among
| people who are very reluctant to make their
| sufferings known, and who, through pride
bear their privations in silence as long as thew
| can.
INFLUX OF NEEDY PEOPLE.
''There is also in the winter added the
colonel, IAN influx of needy people, particu-
larly colored persons, from the District oil
| Qolumhio ou+cida of Woobiprtor ,,a g.,