The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-18
THE SLAMBANGSKIS
A Study and Several Lessons in
immigration and Poor Relief.
An Industrious Family Which Finally
Became Paupers Through Our Sys-
tens of Credit and Charity.
New York Evening Post.


We found her at the kitchen door one
bitter December morning, gestieulatlng
wildly and entreatng something in an un-
known tongue. Thinking she might be
hungry. we placed her by the fire and gave
her hearty meal. She was a tiny, wizened
woman, whose age 1t was impossible to
guess. Skin. hair. and even her eager eyes
Beemed to be Of the same dull. clayish tint
and we felt somehow that she was the out
come Of generations OF people who had been
hungry all their lives. Her fierce pounce
upon the food made US shudder. She took
it. and chartered to it like some unclean
bird.
AS soon az she was warmed and fed, her
frantic imp.Orings began again. Listening
attentively we distinguished sounds that had
an English ring, and out Of that flood of
foreign speech we at last separated the
words: II poor, clean. wash-sheap, oh,
vair sheap,''
1t was a promising beginning for an i'm
migrant, so we determined TO employ her
Tor one day week, and conveyed the fact
To her with infinite difficulty. When we
asked Der name she shuddered an alarm
ing combination of sounds which no self
respecting American could attempt TO spell
or proounce. But the children, as usual,
seized upon her most striking character
fstic and called her Mrs. Slambangski."
So Mrs. Slambangski she remained.
We soon found work for her IN other
families She caught up English with
amazing quiekness, and by degrees we
learned her history. She was an Austrian
Pole. and at fifteen had married a sicIIy
lad scarcely older than herself They
seemed from the outset to have been a bur-
den on their neighbors, and at last when
consumption made the man too feeble to
work, some authorities, whose character
she found 1t impossible 10 render clear TO
Dur ignorant minds, had sent the wretched
couple and their seven children to New
York, where (lIrs Slambangski told us
with pride) she had a very rich brother.
Three weeks after landing In New York
poor Siampangskt died In a hospital and
the rich brother promptly declared his
intentions OF having nothing more to do
xxare 10 Rushvtlle, sonsisning her and her
lanhiy 10 compatr1ots as miserable as
themselves, and SO left her 10 her fate.
again as she told her story. lie save
hve-six hundred dollaire.'
AS. AS time went on Mrs. Slambangski be-
came very popular with Rushville house
wives Her willingness made amends for
Der lack Of training, and in spite of her
less: But we all agreed I'm calling her un-
1 Ises.h once Greta attempted to condole
she interrupted cOntemptuOusly, The no
good: Seek all time. No work-want eat
all time-good thing he die To the seven
gray skeletons she called children she was
equally Indifferent. She worked for them
Ike a slave; but if any of them were ailing
(and some Of them were always ailing1 she
showed no anxiety that they should re-
cover. When there was sickness in the fam
ily Of her employers she was amazingly
neipIul; but she never concealed her amuSe-
ment at their anxiety about such everyday
matter SO by degrees we came to realize
dreaded so passtonately was looked upon
as benefcent friend who took away hun
cry mouths and gave more food to the mis-
cradle creatures left behind.
LEARNING PAUPERISM.
For good or evil Mrs. SIambangsh was as
Initiative as a monkey. In the early days
OF her employment with us she never
begged; but after she saw an old jacket
bestowed another woman she gave us
no peace Henceforth she pleaded for every
thing. from a worrsDut dishrag TO the most
costly bit OF furniture that showed a scratch
or rent. One day a little girl who came
with message invited for dinner
After that stray Slambangskis acquired a
fixed habit of appearing at meal hours. But
pass beyond the kitchen, and never trusted
them out, out of her sight 'Dey lie. deg, steal
philosophical frankness. Children all bad
anyhow"
beginning butcher,
and the landlord all bore testimony to Mrs
Slambangskis scrupulouS honesty, and We
imputed these things 70 her as personal
suspended her scrubbing TO ask me the
startling question: Vat come man here
stinctively that this was the parting of the
ways for Mrs. Slambangski- l racl<ed my
brain i'm a frantic endeavor TO recall the
name of any fellow-citiZen to whom any
thing had ever happened because he failed
- pay his debts In vain We were not
people whose creditors cried aloud I'm the
= market place at the head of all things-in
church and state and society? These are
lmpulsively; but falsehoOd prevailed. and
substituted the usual ptOus generalities
Mrs. Slambangsli gave me one keen look,
and / knew that all was lost. She had
grasped the great American credit system.
and from that day the SlambangskiS began
a nomadic life. They moved from tenement
to tenement 70 avoid paying rent. and soon
the walls of butcher and grocer came loudly
20 our ears
and after their own fashion the Slambang-
skis prospered. One morning Mrs. Slam
bangsH came 70 our house flushed. excited,
triumphant MY reech brudder die" she
said JOyously- He leave me all his money:
TO the cleaning with her usual reckless
During the months that interviewed before
she came into her kingdom Mrs. Slambang
Xxi worked industriOusly as ever, but
she strangely reticeua about her i'm
proved pr0snacrs Occasionally some kindly
h,,svb,,i- ,,-D,,l4 Give ber odtsica about tbe
management and investment Of her little
fortune. but to all such Overtures she sim
ply vouchsafed odd smile and quiet
VI know vat do"
There came a day when Mrs. Slambangsl
failed to appear at the house of one Of her
patrons. The weekly wash lay untouched
TIL noon and then messenger was sent
10 her home He found some OF the chill
dren playing in the street. ITS no use
your bothering mother said OF the
girls. Were rich now and we shan't do
your old work any more
So it proved Without a word of expla-
nation Mrs Slambangski left her early
friends and began her career as a rich
woman. Indignant bousekeepers were kept
busy relating her performances to each
other II she met one OF her old employ
ers in the street she would hail her with
loud familiarity. ask after her family and
tender advice 10 its conduct with elabo-
rate cOndescensiOn. Her house was the
scene Of constant orgies, her children wore
more gorgeous raiment than Solomon in
all his glory. At every fashionable per-
Torrance at the opera house the Slambang-
skis occupied the front row of the balcony.
Mrs. Slambangskfs Sunday delight to
hire an immense carrvall. to pack into it
all the juvenile SlambanEskis and a mis-
cellanecIs assortment OF neighbors. Then
she would drive in state past the houses Of
her former patrons. audibly criticising their
appointments in rather disparaging way.
THEY WANTED TO LIVE.
The lasted only favv mantle