New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-11
SNAIL SUNS DO MUCH GOOD
WHAT ONE DOLLAR WILL BUY.
THE TRIBUNE FUND SUPPLIES bAS-
KETs OF FOOD TO NUMEROUS
FAMILIES.
Relief GfrEy 70 STIRLING PEOPLE.

y-,1or rs,rr GpocERIEs FOR NEEDY EAST SIDE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF THE APPLICANTS IN
vEsT1GATED-eAD STORY OF THE uNEM-
rIoYI:r-TI.EY HATE TO ACCEPT
CHARITY. BrT ARE DRIVEN TO
DO 50 by DIRE wANT-THE
DISTRIBUTION TO GO
on TO-DAY.
The Tribune Coal and Food rum sen, ,, ".n,
quantity Of groceries to the DE VIII .ie'Ao ''
Church No 80 Eivngtcn-st YESTERDAY i"''e Wa
sufficient 10 provide 10 needy families each win
the following:
Five pounds OF hominy.
Two pounds OF oatmeal
Cne-haf pound Of tea
One pound Of coffee.
Two pounds of GOLDFISH
Four quarts Of beans.
Two pounds Of corned beef.
one can OF condensed milk.
ore dollar provides al this
The distribution was begun In the afternoon ana
will he continued fer several days Wv the mission
workers under the direction Of The pastor OF the
church the Rev ". r. Esing. a diNereht method
was adopted for giving the food 10 ire poor from
that which has been followed at other places. IL
has been found that the most pracucaoie pan IN
some districts has been to send tickets to appli-
button with baskets to receive their portions Inc
articles IN this district will BE- sent 10 The houses
The Rev Mr. Esing has been especially interested
IN providing work for the unemployed. lie was one
OF the Organizers Of the STRENGTHENING brigade on
the East Side in which men have been employer
at 81 "A day, with the double result that hungry
~cople have been fell and certain districts or the
densev populated East Side have been made cleaner
than they ever were before. lie has employed men
to distribute the groceries sent bX the fund, thereby
enabling them 20 earn their portion ana perhaps a
few cents extra to 60 toward paying their rent
This arrangement will make the process OF dlstri-
button rathcr slow but will avoid the necessity Of
giving out the food publicly Dispensing cAarIty ~
delicate business. Even in the most deserving and
needy cases there is danger Of diminishing the self
respect OF the recipients. and Of debauchng their
ncighbors by the spectacle OF giving. The Roman
nobs in the days OF the Caesars were excellent ck-
ampes OF the results Of indiscr.mnate giving OF
charity Mr. Elsing and many other workers amons
the poor ray that the best possible way OF giVinf
food and fuel 10 destitute families next to FUR
rlshing them with u chance 10 the necessities
Of lie IS 10 bestow the charity az privately az
possible The personal distribution Of the groceries
from house to house is intended to accomplish that
end.
There are few districts however I'm which tho
established charitable organizations have sufficient
resources to enable them to do this and II would
not only be exceedingly expensive. but II would
also greatly delay Tie work Of Toe agents Of the
fund II they should try 10 make house-to-house
distribution. When men are starving the msin
thing is TO give them food II the most approved
means are not hand. others must be adopted
Az LAST SIDE TENEMENT.
One who has no, mace 4 personal visit 10 tn
tenenent-house districts on the East Side cannot
krow bow great g. the suffering there T. Is doubt
ful even II the casual visitor would be- able 20
4 ,Ff.s- -
no pen picture can adequately portray The wretch
cdrcss which exists there Not until has Ind NJ
least three OF his soases-s.chi. smell and hearing
appealed 70 b. {: can h. realize what extreme pow
eriy IN a great city means. Whole families. com
pr.srg seven eight. nine or ten members. and Per
haUs q b)ardcr or two. are hudilei together IN
two or three small rooms one Of the rooms con-
talns a stove. a table. few cooking utensils and
small sink. about eighteen inches long BY twelve
inches w.Ce. into which wafer Is forced by pump.
The drain is frequently leaky AMI IS never provided
with a trap or any coa;rivancc 90 prevent bad doors
ana disease germs from entering the apartment.
\ broken chair or two. p bed in the back room.
which is almost Invariably dark complete the
furnishings The tenement looked better Pew
months ago. but some pawn tickets on the shelf
tell why It IS 50 bare now. The family
parat!vely happy few months ago. too. The IA
Their then had work and the mother added some
thing each week t. their income. Bat both father
and mother have now been Idle for months Their
small savings have disappeared their clothes. ox
cept the poorest and thnnest, In pawn; even the
wedding ring and the chlldrens clothes have gone
the way or the other articles. Now there is moth
Ing more to sell. l. Is beg. steal starve.
The condition Ct the unemployed Is briefly this
They have been idle for months. They have got
along thus far by spending their savings. pushing
their email cred!. - the utmost, and by the help
OF their ne!ghbors who have been little more
fortunate. Now their money is gone. their credit
has failed their friends are also OF work. or
are working at reduced pay. their resources are
exhausted They are approaching the desperation
point. Many Of them have reached 1t already
They Will reach II IN great masses in few weeks
Then there Will be appalling unless charity
in great force, comes TO their all. THIS is the
forecast Of those who have worked among them
for years and who know whereof they speak
NOTHING LIKE IT FOR YEARS.
Speaking for the field included in the parish OF
the De Witt Memorial Church. which has popu-
lation OF about Go00o the Rev. Mr.. Elsing said
yesterday: 'In my experience OF eleven years or
working among these people have never known
such widespread distress exists now | have
never known time when their condition was 70
critical ] have never known a time when work
WAS so scarce. | wish TO speak with the utmost
conservation. but | do not hesitate 10 ray that
many hundreds Of families within the district
bounded by Grand-st.. She:ifi-st.. Houston-st and
the East River are IN the sOrcSt need IHcse
ueople must live charity If they to 1--we
at all They are naturally Industrious people
but they are utterly unable 10 get work at any
price.
give years ago. most OF the families about here
were American. Their principal occupation was
shipbuId!ng Iut In rapid succession the Germans
and Irish have come in and now these have mostly
given place to Polish Hebrews | should estimate
the proportion OF Hebrews in this district 10 be
about ~ usr cent Few Of the Americans In
great distress They are largely engaged janitors
and housekeepers OF the tenement houses. and their
occupation has not failed them. II Is an Interest
ing fact that nearly every tenement house occupied
bv Hebrews mas an American janltor and fire.
quently he Is almost the only man in the house who
can speak the English language
THE Hebrew families have been In this country
only three or four years on an average. They
principally engaged In the clothing business as
tailors. pressers.. etc In the block in which this
church stands, 1900 people i've or the 800 men
seventy-nine are taiors. The tailoring shops In
when they have worked are closed running with
few hands The unemployed have been depending
on their pcighbors FOR help but that resource will
fail shortly Charity must be given TO these people.
ard | know of no wiser way than to give Ii through