Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-30
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

THE Partisan Mont de Piete' is now in
operation on a limited scale in New York
city," said Philip Barney of Gotham at the
Riggs House yesterday. land the people OF
New York who are driven by necessity to
temporarily part with cherished personal
property In return for loan now given
the opportunity OF doing so without sub
hitting to the usurious charges of regular
pawnbrokers. The new venture is known
as the Provident Loan Association and mas
opened its experimental Office at 22d street
and Fourth avenue. 1t began last Monday.
and. 50 far. I understand has been literally
patronized. Some time ago a number OF the
wealthy men In New York, among whom
were Frederick II. Coudert Abram s. Hew-
lit j. Pierpont Morgan, Adrian Iseln. ex-
Secretary Chas.- S. Fairchild, VIM. E.
Dodge. Oswald ottendorfer and some TWEEN
" OF thirty others. formed themselves into
a company known as the Provident Loan
Association. with a capital of 100000
iheir purpose was to loan money on jew
cry. clothing, furniture and similar prop
cfty In sUms to suit the owners at the
rate OF 4 per cent per month. and II was
determined no charges OF a fictitious char
acter, such as for storage, insurance and
SO fortn, should be made TO swell the in
| terest to an usurious rate. The legislature
OF New York passed a bill exenpting the
association from the annual tax of 500
which regular pawnbrokers are required TO
|
An experienced New York pawnbroker
named Leopold Hecht was placed in charge
OF the establishment and the wisdom OF
| his employment was fully shown ia the
| first two days the place was open becaus
IL was visited by hund-els Of dishonest
people. who brought worthless jewelry and
wanted to pawn IL with the idea Ihat they
would find inexperienced people behind
the counters who would allow their philan-
| thropy to blind them to the real value Of
the things offered as collateral II the
present venture proves successful similar
establishments viii be placed all over he
city. OF course the regular licensed pawn
brokers' are up in arms against the new
association. but they can not injrre ii in
any way because Of the high star ding OF
| the gentlemen who are backing il. Robert
w. DeForrest. James Speyer and Otto T.
Barnard are the president, secretary and
treasurer. respectively. Of the new enter
prise"
THE recent fire in DR.. Talmage's taber>
nacle has scared the Brooklyn fire insur-
ance people pretty nearly TO death" said
]. b. O'Neill OF the City of Churches at the
Ebbitt this morning. Without exception,
50 I am informed. every company Carrying
risk on a church has notified the off,
Gals Of such an institution that their rates
will be raised. AS an insurance man N.Y.
self / have always thought that the rates
on churches were altogether too low 1
know Of many Instances where companies
have refused TO put two thousand five
hundred dollar policy on a house. and
straiGhtway gone to work and put 81 40
safeguard on a church. In ninety-nine
cases out Of a hundred when a church esii-
fee catches fire. IL is absolutely destroyed
The construction OF such a building makes
II a regular blast furnace as soon as the
flames get any Roadway whatever. There
were five hundred people or more in the
tabernacle. you know. when the fire was
hrst discovered, and. in spite Of this. there
was no chance. apparently. TO stay its pro-
gress. i suppose the low rates on churches
that have heretofore held good have been
caused by the impression on the part OF tie
insurance people that Divine Providence pro-
tects the edifices in question, but il has been
SHOWN that careless sections are only hui
man. and the proof has been so costly that
believe the rates on church buildings an
over the country will be lifted up 10 a
oasis sufficient TO make the risks fair ones
TO the companies assuming them"
New Jersey has just adopted a new law
which will prevent all forms Of euack rnedi-
cine being practiced in the state" said DR..
Hamilton Beckwith Of Elizabeth at Ia Nor
mandie yesterday. "and especially will Il
drive out the so-called faith cure and mind
cure healers. who have been reaping a har-
vest among the deluded for such q long
time. The new law requires that all candI-
dates who wish 10 get permission TO prac-
tice medicine must have a competent COM
mon-school education and be graduates OF
medicine and surgery. which they shall have
studied for at least four years and upon
which they shall have taken three full
courses Of lectures at some reputable school
of medicine within the state. The board uf
health OF the state is made the final judge
OF the qualifications Of such applicants. and
IL a physician from another state wishes 70
practice in New Jersey he will be required
to bring a certificate from the board OF
health Of the state which he comes from
W from aFafc sin slur
TO those in force in New Jersey. The enact
ment of this law was brought about mainly
by the alarming spread OF this so-called
faith-cure practice. You cannot imagine
how many virtual homicides have been com
mitted in this country I'm the name of the
faith cure. 1t was first called to my atten-
ton in a serious way while i was in Dem
yer in 1890.
There was a young man prominent In the
business circles of the city, and who was, I
believe, secretary Of the Denver mining ex-
change, by the name of Joshua Nansant
He was taken sick with a complication OF
disorders, his kidneys particularly being
pretty badly affected. His wife. IL appear
ed, had been giving a great deal OF atten-
ton to the so-called faith cure or Chris
tian science system for the treatment OF
disease, and when her husband was taken
sick she called in some OF the disciples OF
the new creed of cure and regularly Sc
cured their services. Some of Vansant's
friends happened TO hear that prayer
taking the place Of physic in his sick room
and sent regular physicians TO his resi-
dence. Mrs. Nansant refused to allow the
doctors TO see her husband. and OF course
he grew steadily worse. A Denver news
paper learned of the affair and exposed II.
but IL was then too late TO do the sufferer
any good and he died. There was no doubt
in the minds of any OF the reputable physi-
clans of Denver. when all the details OF Mr..
Nansant's case We're learned, that his LIE
could have been prolonged had IL not been
for the employment OF the faith cure
quacks. / believe the law OF New Jersey
would look splendidly upon the statute
books of every state in the Union, as We'll
| as on those of the United States itself"
Permission Refused.
A tall. rather raw-boned individual. who
| .,,.,solf Maj George Il Ward