The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-13
AMONG THE POOR
Miss Bradford's Noble Work
With, Not For, the
Suffering.
NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES
Revival Throughout the Methodist
Episcopal Churches-Notes
From ALI Sources.
NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES

The announcement made some time ago in
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS that Miss Cornelia
Bradford of Upper Montclair had decided to
city, suggested at once to the minds OF many
a missionary movement, to others the Col
lege Settlement in Rivington, New York.
The first of these is radically and entire
ly wrong-there is nothing in the
remotest degree like a church mis-
sionary movement In Miss Bradford's
work-as she herself said, in conversation
with a reporter for THE JERSEY CRY NEWS.
"a missionary works for the people-I work
aeitA them.p Then, too, the settlement has
no distinetively religious side. 1t will differ
from the Rivington street settlement in that
those in charge will not be exclusively col
lege men or women. In fact, Jersey City's
"W hittier. House" will be in many respects
peculiar to itself, although preserving the
general outlines of settlement work.
To begin with Miss Cornelia Bradford is a
woman evidently of wide culture, of broad
views and of tireless activity, moreover,
with a real desire to strengthen the social
system, so far as in her lies, and to make a
brave attempt toWard solving the problem
of the poor.
Miss Bradford started with the firm con-
viction that the greatest error of a philan-
throphist would be any action tending to en-
courage pauperism. With this in mind, she
began the study of social problems as they
exist, and are treated by sociologists here
and abroad. She spent two seasons in the
Manchester House Settlement at London,
and much time in Chicago at Hull House,
the largest settlement of the sort in America.
After this wide experience Miss Bradford re-
turned to New York, coming almost directly
from Chicago to Jersey City.
AT H PEOPLES PALTCE.
She is to nave a business office at the Peo-
pies Palace, but will have no connection
whatever with either the Palace or Taber-
nacle. She pays for the rooms, the only adj
vantage being in her obtaining them at a
minimum rate. In time, as the work pro-
crosses, others will join the settlement,
agreeing not only to work for the poor, but
to live among them, believing that in this
their condition. Two already have volun-
teered, and there will no doubt be more ap-
plicants when the work becomes more widely
known. Next Wednesday afternoon the sea-
son really opens, with a Mothers Tea"
given by Mrs. 7. c. Bird, who has been for
many years connected with Henry Ward
Beecher's Church in Brooklyn, and who gives
every Sunday a luncheon at the Madison
Mission, New York City.
R GOLDEN BALLS.
Miss Bradford's pet plan is one which has
never before received a trial in this country.
1t is the establishment of a pawn shop, where
advances may be obtained at 4 per cent. in
stead of the exorbitant rates which make the
redemption of personal property almost inn
possible. Miss Bradford was a warm per-
sonal friend of the poet Whittier, and when
the settlement attains such a growth as to
warrant the rental of a building, over the
door will be the words whittier House."
There will be a side entrance, and over that
door will be three golden balls, showing that
Miss Bradford has been appointed a licensed
pawnbroker.
The next step will be the appointment of a
epoor mans lawyer" 1t is hoped that some
young law student wishing to build up a
practice will consent to act in this capacity.
Meantime educational classes will go on,
there will be lectures on physical culture
and many such subjects, the mothers teas
will go on, and there will be many similar
social functions.
And this is only the beginning of Miss
Bradford's work. 1t will richly repay the
student of sociology to visit her office and
stand for a time face to face with the prob
lem of poverty as she sees it, not the poverty
airy aid, but the poverty that asks to be
stayed from sinking into the slough of pau
perism.
Miss Bradford wishes to acknowledge
through THE JERSEY CITY NEWS the follow
ing who have contributed to the fund from
which the Pawn Shop will make its ad-
vanceS-
Mr.. Asey, Brooklyn. ............a... ......$ 25 90
Y.,P:s. q. E. of Montclair. 49,. 70 %
i. ii. Johnson Of II. -. q
4 woman. D W