The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-11
Progressive Charities.


upon helping their fellow men Is q
pretty strong argument in disproof of
the assertion, made by some, that kind
ness of heart and generosity of impulse
are declining characteristics of the
modern American. Indeed, with the
Kirmess before us, in successful local
evidence, and with the novel charities
that one may read about, almost any
day, in any newspaper, it seems reason
able to conclude that whenever cynic
asserts such things he does not know
what he is talking about. The cynic,
by the way, is fond these days of point
ing out great defects in the life that
those Americans live-and the number
who live it is growing rapidly, the CEN
sus tells us-who reside in the large
cities. But the cynic seldom admits the
counterbalancing truth that in those
same large cities where poverty pre-
walls, and crime and vice and wretched-
ness, there are daily arising new and
valua Bile ameioratory agencies, the like
of which has never before been known,
in the whole history of the human race
Within a week we have, in these
columns, described no less than three
of these improved methods of making
unhappy people comfortable. We dare
say that in that time twenty times
three such improvements have been
| planned and put into execution, with
out our knowing it. One of the curious
| facts in human nature is that it is in
variably evil news which travels the
| fastest If it were not so, we should
print fewer records of crime and wrong
and a great many more records of hon
we now take pleasure in adding to the
credit side of our daily ledger two en-
tries in the account of civilization with
its victims. And by no mere coinci-
| ly inaugurated with remarkable sue
cess in that bane of cynics, the contin-
ents metropolis.
The first of these entries must be re-
| tblutl III lDt llulit Vi d HulIlDtl VI
sympathetic Gotham ladies who have
organized at 167 West Eighteenth
street what, for convenience sake they
call the Loan Relief association. In
brief, this association operates upon the
supposition that there are hundreds Of
needy families who may be benefited
in better ways than by making out
right donations to them. The associa-
tion therefore loans them whatever
they may need. whether money. fuel,
clothing, furniture, medicine or medi-
cal attendance, and charges such small
| interest or rental that its loans become
real charities. The missionary nurse
last year made 1,j75 calls upon sick
families; employment was found for lS5
persons, of whom forty have obtained
permanent places; $50 delicacies were
sent to- the sick room and AS simple
remedies furnished. Not the least in
structive fact, in connection with this
original movement, il the assertion of
its management that in all of it's many
hundreds of transactions had with
families in all stages of want or suffer-
ing, not penny has yet been lost be-
cause of theft or through failure to
make Il proper return of borrowed
articles.
To Rev. DR.. David II. Greer, pastor
of St Bartholomew's must be credited
the second enterprise in this list: and
he it was, too, who originated the in
dustrial training school for the poor
about which we recently wrote The
project at present In mind is also loan
bureau somewhat similar to that just
described. This bureau loans nothing
but money, and was started by Dr.
Greer out of his personal funds, upon
the principle that loans to persons IN
need, even If not secured" to the same
extent eXacted by usurers, would in the
great majority of instances be repaid
Concerning the experiments outcome
the New York Tribune says
1t was a hazardous Undertaking, hut
DR.. Greer was confident that 1t could he
made success, and the result of the first
years work has shown that confidence
ana trust in the deserving poor was not
misplaced. The sum of $500 a week was
appropriated for the first loans, but it soon
became apparent that this amount would
not equal the demand, and n fund of $25, ,OOC
was raised by the congregation of st
Bartholomew's church, of which DR.
Greer Is pastor. james A. Mcknight was
appointed manager, and In the course OF
the first eight months u total sum of S25,
55i.50 had been loaned to 76S different fam
HES, and the fund has received back I'm In.
stalments $,6S6,09. All loans are made
for one year, and are payable in sma
monthly lnstaments. The good accom-
phshed by the bureau cannot be easily
explained. People who have found them
selves suddenly reduced from comfortable
independence to beggary have been saved
by the bureau from the clutches of the ex.
tortionate money sharks" 1t has saved
the property of families which would 9th.
erwise have been sold for storage, and has
given those upon whom misfortune has
fallen the power to help themselves The
bureau IL now lending about $4,000 a
month. Although the applicants ar,
greatly In excess of the resources, the re.
turns for the year show an extremely sat.
isfactory result. Patrons have paid off
their Indebtedness, In most cases. with
commendable promptness, and only few