Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-28
Pierce. the I'hilanthropist.

workman at the filter who admits pay
ing Foreman Solloway two dollars a
week, is philanthroplst, He says so
himself, We quote from the report. of
Tuesdays meeting of the Boaid OF
Water Commissioners:
In reply to question Of President
Porter as to why he had paid the money
10 SOllOway, Pierce said he heard that
SolluwAy was hard up and he agreed to
give him 81 per week
Commissioner PiGkels-Then you gave
him the money out OF mere friendship,
and not as u bribe2
Pierce-If anybody who was hard up
would ask me Tor money would give it
To han. gave him the money as gift,
Commissioner Hastings-Yoti gave the
money out Of pure benevolence?
Pierce-Nes, l gave the money to Sollo-
way.
Commissioner Hastings-Have Won any
other income besides what you get at the
Pierce-No. sir. ...- ....-
Commissioner Hastngs-Are you in the
habit OF giving money away in that man
ier2
Pierce-No, sir, never did before.
There you have it. Mr. Pierce's do
aations to his employer shine forth
amid the selfishness and distrust of this
wicked world irradiating the gloom like
a tallow candle in barrel Of charcoal,
1t is good to meet such generous exhi-
billions of disinterested philanthropy.
They serve to strengthen our wavering
faith in the approach of the millennium.
True, Mr.. Pierce said he had never be-
fore given away money in this manner,
but that must have been because ne had
never before met man who was SO
"hard up" as Foreman Solloway, for he
says himself that "if anybody who was
hard up would ask me for money l
would give it to him."
And what makes the generosity of
Mr.. Pierce the more striking is the
showing that among all the mon EN-.
ployed on the filter he (rierce) was the
only philanthropist. Even Mr.. Andrews.
who took it upon himself to direct Mr..
Pierce's attention to the deplorable con-
dition Of Mr.. Solloway, stopped short
of putting his hand into his own pocket.
He knew that Solloway was "hard up"
and thought somebody else should do
something for him. This was kind on
the part of Mr.. Andrews, as far as it
went. But Andrews philanthropy ap.
pears to have stopped here. He said to
the Board 81 have no knowledge that
any money was paid, only what talk |
heard among the men, but l suggested
to Pierce that he pay the money to
Solloway." And Mr.. Solloway told the
Board that Pierce was the only man
who "had given him money"-who had
Clipped in to relieve his hardupness.
Generous Mr.. Pierce!
To be sure the other workmcn do not
say absolutely that none of them ha.
Initiated Mr.. Pierce in beneyolence, and
it does not seem probable that the 50 a
week received from that philanthropist
could alone have bridged the chasm be.
tween financial embarrassment and fl.
nancial ease. Twenty-three of the work.
men signed communication to the
board-at least such a communication
was preseated-which purports 10 say
that "Mr, Solioway has never ap.
preached us in regard to money as an
assessment to hold our job or to give u.
employment" and ".we have never given
him money as bride" But Mr.. Pierce
himself signed this disclaimer; from
which it might be fairly deduced thai
other unknown philanthropists among
his % fellow-signers might with equa
truthfulness have appended their name:
thereto, were it not for Mr.. Solloway'.
statement that nobody except Pierce
had ''giyen him money"
Seriously, this is very thin story ant
we are not disposed to do any member
of the Board the injustice of imagining
him to be SO gullible or so ready to bl
gammoned as to be taken in by it. Oh
viously there is more beneath the sur
face and, as Commissioner Tasting
said, the matter will keep-keep with
ont salt until tho navt n,oot;n,,