The morning call., 1894-02-25
Pinching Poverty Among
the Unemployed.
SOME SIGHTS WITNESSED.
Hunger of the Wives and the
Little Ones.
WEDDING OUT THE FRAUDS.
Investigations by the Citizens Com
mittee and the Result of the
House Visits,
WEDDING OUT THE FRAUDS.

-
gard and old before her time, who made
this announcement, accompanied by a
glance of suspicion toward Registrar
Daniels and CALL reporter yesterday
afternoon op the upper floor OF a miser-
able shanty in a court off Brannan street.
The Registrar held in his hand a mighty
list of the names of the unemployed and
their addresses, and the reporter was ac-
companying him upon one of his house to
house visitations, whereby the citizens
committee are enabled to sift the chaff
from the wheat, or, in other words, to dis
Germ between the deserving men and the
frauds.
He won't be in till dark. maybe" con-
+dnued the woman, with a look of anxious
inquiry, as though she thought The Regis
trar were the Sheriff come at last to attach
her handful of miserable furniture for
rent.
'Oh, he WON'T" responded Mr.. Daniels.
rehectlvely, for 1t is an axiom with him
never to state his business until be has
seen little OF the people to be investi-
gated.
Perhaps you would let US come in and
let US talk to you for a few moments" he
ad0ed. 1nsinuatingly.
Without word the woman led the wav
into a small kitchen containing a stove
with no IRE in it, a rough deal table and
TWO wooden chairs. upon one of which a
gaunt cat was seated. In one corner stood
washub, and IN another was the family
larder, which somewhat resembled Mother
Hubbard's famous cupboard, for it was
bare OF everything but few potatoes and
half loaf of bread.
Wondering little at the questions, for
It was evident that they had not applied
fox charity, Mrs. Reilleg told how her hus-
band had been sick in November and had
not been able to get work since. II have
Got little washing to do at odd times"
she said, but we have four children-yes,
they are down playing in the yard-and
us not easy TO keep peoDe in bread,
much less pay any rent. You'll excuse
me-, sir, but thought when / saw you"
But the story WAS so ideG tically the one
told by John ReIlley himself, when he had
applied for work, that Registrar Daniels
asked Immediately for a pen and ink to
I'LL out slip. By way of reply Mrs Dam
lels glanced at the cupboard and then
going to the door called "Johnniep' in a
thin, shrill voice. A ragged little uTchin
OF ABOUT years OF age, whose cheeks were
more hollow and paler than they ought
10 nave been. responded to this call.
Have you lost the ink l gave cents
Tor last week." asked his moth er severely.
No, ma'am; it's in that cupboard" ra-
pied the child, making a futile effort to
Chamber 10 by the shelves, as there were
no chairs available; tits with my school
book"
Ard then the ink was produced and the
slip filled out and handed to Mrs Kelley,
with the explanation that her husband
would get work ticket next Wednesday
By presenting it. Any one who has given
8 thousand dollars to the relief fund would
have been repaid by the sight of that bag
gard woman's JOY ana gratitude. "The
Lord be praised mat he's got work at last"
she said, cluiching the bit of paper as
though il had been banknote. and as the
visitors turned TO go. she added:
u s long life IN after wishing you for
bringing my man what he was tramping
the streets for"
The next house visited was more pre-
tentiOus buildlng-not, in fact the sort of
abode IN which one would expect 10 find
member of the army of the unemployed. A
neatly dressed woman came TO the door
and admitted that James Renton lived
therein the rear" she added-and then
stared al her visitors as though she would
very much ike to know their business
The woman responded readily enough
to the questions until asked if the mans
VILE could be seen, then sudden thought
seemed 10 strike her, and she asked
abruptly: rs it work at the park you
were thinking of giving him? Well. I'll
tell you right here that there are others
that deserve it better than he does. He is
not married man, and others deserve
The work more than he does"
little more investigation proved the
woman's statement TO be true, and the
name of James RenLon was stricken from
the rolls, Register Daniels observing, as
he drew the pencil through the name:
pathetic story. / am learning that the less
man says about bis poverty the more real
his need is as a rule"
The next case was that of a German
with a wife and seven children. The
shanty where they lived was in one of the
NJ Of
Market. A little girl about years old
responded to the knock, and led the way
into " hat was evidently the livipg-room.
It would be difficult to Imagine anything
poorer and more bare. though the apart
ment and its occupants were scrupulously
neat.
A girl about II years of age was sitting
on broken chair near the window nurs-
ing tiny baby, while another babe lay
asleep in a dry goods box at her feet. A
delicate, sickly woman, evidently the
children's mother, was busy wringng some
clothes out Of the washtub. and a little
girl about 10 years of age was putting the
finishing touches to supper.
Such supper 1t was, meal that in
land OF plenty Ii seemed a crime
TO see The mother of those fragile
twins-a month and half old-sit down
10 after hard days work at the washtnb.
There was large teapot full of weak tea
and loaf of bread, that was all, not even
drop Of milk or teaspoonful OF sugar.
The woman. who seemed to be of the
better class, evidently dsliked to make an
exhibition of her poverty; she said her
husband was trying TO get work, they had
never been so poor before. and she hoped
when they once got a start would not be
again. AS she was speaking the husband,
who had been out all day looking for work
aud found none. ZANE in looking Inexpres-
slby jaded and discouraged. He recog-
nlzed the Registrar and flush of hope
came into his eyes as he explained to his
wife who il was.
Mr. Daniels had seen enough to be con-
Vlnced OF the worihiness of that case He
hao one work-ticket. good for Monday,
ana ne gave 1t to the man with very few
WORDS. 1t was taken with even fewer
words. but The tears in the ewes of the
father. aye, genuine tears, the sob in the
mothers voice as she tried to saw some
thanks. and the joy 10 the pinehed fsces
Of the children. as they realized thai
father had got work." were all more
eloquent than any profuse expressions of
gratitude would have BEEN
Ii any one doubts the genuIneness. the