The sun., 1894-02-14
GREAT RUSH OF BORROWERS.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW LoAN BUREAU
NOT READY FOR so MANY.

" Wy hhu NJ r7lh NrehNs hhNNFtAts
All doubts as TO the popularity OF the Rev
Dr. Greers new loan bureau we're removed by
the second days trial II Is tremendous
success. and II business continues as 1t went
Yesterday quarters must be enlarged and
small army Of clerks added TO keep even with
the demands The capitalization is sufficient.
since it is furnished by Cornelius Vanderbilt
and others. but larger force will be needed.
unless the conditions Of poverty In this big
town are soon mended. Early yesterday morn
ing there was crowd in the hallway
leading to the rooms OF the bureau in
ST. Bartholomews parish house on Fast Forty
second street. The Rev. DIR. Robert s Booth.
the rector in charge OF the house. and MIR.
James \. Mcknight in charge OF the bureau.
were not quito ready for business. but they
did the best thoy could. The money was ready.
but the blank applications and chattel mort
cages werc not on hand To-day the bureau
will Je in full working order As was ex-
planned in THE SUN. the bureau lends money
on furniture at six per cent. In sums OF $50 or
less and takes chattel mortgages for security.
Appraisers are sent to examine the goods al
ter applications are made and the records are
searched to prevent fraud. The loans are re-
paid on the installment plan.
Yesterday afternoon n SuN reporter watched
applicants MS they came. heard pitiful tales Of
the appraiser visited several homes where
chattel mortgages were in demand. In the
hallway beneath were twenty or more men and
women who wore hungry-plain hungry-and
who wero fed with liberal hand from tho par
ish house kitchen. In the hallway above were
men and women who were not hungry. but
who did not know where the next meal
was coming from. They were there to
get means to stand of the landlord
A.
young girls who had been employed ns
clerks. typowritcrs. and accountants. and
whose earnings to support others had been
cut or by the hard times. The mon were
worktngmen. painters. stonecutters, plaster
dollars had been given to the landlord or
e. ocer. The older women were mostly widows
who had earned poor living in factories and
workshops until tncy were thrown out OF en-
pioyment aud forced to mortgage the little
furniture left for means OF sustenance,
in haad and entered in hestating way as
though reluctant to accept even this common
faces were drawn into hard lines: they did
not talk among themselves. The women were
nervous and seemingly anxious to be rid of
One OF the first applicants was n handsome
woman, well dressed in mourning and heavily
veiled. she kept Lehind the others until tho
opportunity. came, and then hasteued through
the line to Mr. Macknights desk. She said In
furniture in her Hat for $40. Her husband had
died several months ago, and the estate was
any part Of her share The furniture in her
HAT, shc said. was worth $1,000, and she must
praiser would look at II to-day.
Another applicant was wei dressed young
man who pushed his way to Mr. MachniGht's
Il must have s2j at once to get something
to eat for my family"
What Is your business"
Il am u house painter. but have had no work
for four months; We have no coal and don't
Mortgage everything in the rooms. but give
me enough money to buy bread and meat and
He was furnished with enough money to
keen the family until the appraiser could Visit
Two girls. about IL and 20 years OF age
wanted to mortgage their piano and parlor set
OF furn niturc. one had been employed in y big
retail dry goods store and the other had kept
books for y snail grocery up town. They
were thrown out Of work when the forces were
cut down and had tried to earn something by
painting plaques and panels part OF their
boarding school education. They sat in their
rooms on Monday and Tuesday without a fire,
and yesterday the landlord said they must
leave by Monday. The piano had come
fnS b%t woltas SS M
promised that mortgage would be placed
upon the furniture.
In each instance money was furnished when
the applicants had no means OF getting food
and the managers were satisfied that there
loans were placed upon Iewelry. and many OF
the applicants came with the security 10 their
pockets. ono young man VINO salu tnat ne
came from boston to secure work in New York
threw silver watch on the desk and said;
hu get aq ON m tnat h any pswn snH
you don't havetC pay so much interest here"
Bnt we don't lend money on lewelry."
much Of that but have got to have some.
thing to eat and a place to sleep tonight"
Well ! guess We can H. you out there.
said Mr.. MacknGht, as he directed the man to
the lower floor, where hot food was served.
Another girl came with two rings and a
lOcket which belonged to her sister who works
in a downtown store, and whose last dollar
fled when told that the money would be lent on
furniture In their nat Another Of the same
was III in bed. but wanted some one to come to
her house and look at marble clock. TO see II
ntil several appraisers can be added to the
stan, Mr.. MackGtgnt, is looking after this
a >U,N reporter yesterday afternoon to house
on East Forty-siHth street, where man. his
rooms. Tho husband was a bricklayer who
had been out OF work several months. lie had
Snsd o GF IIsh 81 'S %H SCI ,%o Sl rarlPs nG
Tho furniture was badly worn, and the man
said that Il that w0nld not DO he would mort
work" asked the appraiser-the first question
put M al insian IS a.. ,,.,o,,r,,,i,,o,
swar, - have Gen everywhere. aud have
wHikel the streets night and day To- get any
kind OF "a Grccpt loh, but everybody says there
Will be nothing going until spring"
Then his wife, who was getting the dinner
on the taplc said: " II is pretty hard, and
never SAW such times before. hut guess they
won't last forever. Anyhow. there is no use
heinE downhearted over it
The dinner consisted OF three bowls OF yeGe;
tails Suup ard bread. II WAS o'clock and
this was the second me',l OF the day;
One place visited was the home Of q, young
dr, ssmakcr who llHd worked ioI swell estab;
lishTsnt on FIith avenue. Sho had saved
some money. but in her search for work had
spent all and had had little or nothing 10 cat
for two days before she came To DT. GTeers
bureau. She wanted loan on a sewing ma
chine and a ltlr furniture. When the ap-
praiser waded through the snow yesterday
morning To visit these rooms he found the lire
out amt tho womiu's teeth chHtt"TiEg. while
She WAS sewing on garments Tor the nelghboTs
children.
At the biz parish house Of St. Bartholomew.
Whu'h Includes many charities all Efforts are
hrlng made to care Tor the deserving. lOoi is
there Tor the hungry and money to be lent on
the plan outlinsd II should TO understood
however thar the loan bureau Is not n bureau
OF charity. Money will TO lent only on unIn-
cumbrTrd household furniture Of actual value"
Mr.. NarNRight said dyesterday that there was
no incorporation, the money being furnished
byh Greer from gifts from wealthy UaTiahlUn-