The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-28
WHERE THE MOST PATHETIC OF
HISTORIES ARE TO BE
FOUND.
STORIES OF THE ALMSHOUSE.
A MOTHER May REAR If chill
DREN, BUT IA CHILDREN CAN
NOT SUPPORT HER.


went into the Health Office on Saturday
last with a friend and a permit to the
Almshouse. The friend did all the talk
ing for the old man would not trust him
self to speak. He tried to look brave and
the effort called for all his resource. When
he attempted to say good-by and to
thank the friend for several little kind
offices he had shown him he simply said
that he could not.
''This old man has two sons who are
well able to work and support him." said
the friend when the old man had gone
Zone of them is an engineer at work for
the Fair estate on Pacific street and the
other is at Los Angeles. They will do
nothing for him. This old man has been
steady going workman and it is long
illness that brings him here-and the re-
fusal of his sons to help him. | am going
to write those sons letter they will not
forget"
The old man had turned into the little
room where he was to wait for the Aims
house van.
Canary" smoking his pipe with
cheerful complaisance, the air of a man
taking his ease in his inn, sat on the
bench opposite the door and greeted the
newcomer with airy heartiness volunteer
ing the time at which the van was to be
expected. He knew it well. Two dismal
old women moved along little to give
him room on the bench. 1t was still an
hour before the time for the wagon, and
towards the end of it this rugged old
| mans face had taken on that melancholy
hopelessness of expression that distin-
| guishes all of them-all save the cheerful
whom it is all familiar.
| But when reused al that time by ques-
| ton from an outsider as to Just how he,
workman could have touched this extrem-
! ity, look of alarm came into his face as
| he instantly devined the purpose.
''For Gods sake don't put this in the
newspapers, he said. 81 am seventy-one
years Of age, but | will soon be able to
work again and then / will leave the place.
1t must never be known that John Fell
went to the almshouse. No! No! Ny
sons are all right The one that is en-
ployed by Mr.. Fair tells me that it is more
than he can do to support himself and the
other that is in Los Angeles has been look
ing for work for a year and cannot find it.
! | was at work in the naVy-yard and hurt
myself. will soon be all right, SO please
don't put it III the newspapers"
Out of respect for his plea, therefore,
John Fell, as given above, is not his name.
eli the annals of the poorhouses were
faithfully written" said Mrs. Weaver,
matron of the San Francisco Almshouse,
speaking of this case, ''they would form
the most pathetic of histories. Just the
other day an old man who has been a
faithful employee of the Pacific Mail
; Steamship Company for forty-three years
reached here at last. He had occupied
responsible positions for a great part of
that time. He represented the company
for years at Acapulco. But fevers and
other misfortunes kept him poor. For
several years past he has been Waterman
in the company's coalyards here, and he
says he was just getting upon his feet
again when some change in the manage
ment resulted in his summary discharge
After lifetime of steady industry, an I'M
relieved struggle, he is here-se parated
from his wife, somewhat younger than
himself, who has taken up the struggle
alone.
But speaking of ungrateful children, -
continued Mrs. Weaver, 1--WE have Lear's
story repeated here with variations almost
daily. The old saying that one mother
can care for for fourteen children, but
fourteen children are often unable to care
for one mother is shown to be common
place truism.
1--WE had recent instance: A neat
: little old lady of an intelligence imme-
, diately apparent arrived with the others
and went through the ordeal of being
: QuSSblOHcu dlIQ dSSlSIlcO W HSI IOOu-Judl
moment of arrival that is most trying to
those of any refinement when the full
! horror of being in the poorhouse is upon
! them-with hard, steady face that meant
to accept it and not waver.
|. II OWNED something of her case and
did what l could to make her comfortable
and cause her to feel that her DAYS here
, might still be bright and cheerful
Scarcely an hour after she arrived a car
riage drove up and two well-dressed young
: women came in and asked if this old lady
was here. told them she had just ar
, rived.
: :. She is our mother, said one of them
: and we are well able to take care of her
1t is a mere caprice, her coming here
Please tell her that we have come to take
s her home | did not do that, but without
2 saying who it was told the old lady thai
she was wanted in the Office.
when she stood in the doorway and
, saw her pert daughters in their stylish
) dresses her eyes lit up with anger, but
Y she waited until they spoke.
|. Mother, we have come to take you
, home. What in the world do you near
by coming here? You know very vel
: !