The herald., 1895-12-15

henry WarQ beecncr ulViueu thotu iuto
three classes: The Lords poor, the DEVILS
poor, and poor devils, and since the second
class are the especial protegees of The
HEaALD's stunning correspondent, and
the third class are study by themselves,
the present article has to do only with the
first. Perhaps nowhere in the known
world is there less visible poverty than
here in Los Angeles. If child scampers
about in bare feet the year around, 1t can
hardly inspire commiseration from the
we'll shod pedestrian by Its side. whose
Difference to the fashionable toothpick shoe
has resulted in deforming the foot until
unshod, it much resembles the front shape
of flatiron, and the toes are more like
tiers of shingles in arrangement than like
the proverbial peas in pod.
Nobody seems to feel poor, excepting the
"poor in spirit" who are usually the fur
thest from actual want.
Now and then, to be sure, one meets a
man, woman or child in rags, but the ex-
preston of absolute content and the gem
orally well-fed look is sure to dsarm pity
for the rags.
Not long since l employed landress for
family washing. She seemed very well-to-
do, and always as blythe as a lark. Stipu-
lating when she undertook the work that she
COulu HOt PTOiiliSc W hocP ~ up lOT ally
length of time, for when her husband was
able to find work she should give it up,
she came after it with horse and express
wagon, usually bringing one or two happy
looking children, and nothing in the per-
sonal appearance of either herself or her
family suggested any degree of privation.
One day she came when there was q sur
plus of cold roast beef in the house, that
delicacy chiefly appreciated by makers of
cook books who have so many recipes for
using "left.overs" where there is no st.
Bernard dog to solve the problem.
With some hestancy ventured to offer
the cold beef to my laundress and was
and saying it would be great treat for
them all.
little sympathetic inquiry revealed a
state of affairs that would open wide the
eyes of the average mother of family.
Fifty cents day had fed her family of
five sor the past three months.
To how many families of five in Los An
geles this sum represents merely porter
house steak or a few sweetbreads for lunch
] leave your readers to judge, while 1 i'll
vestigate the modus operandi of feeding
five hungry mortals at the average cost of
10 cents apiece per day.
"What do you eat?" asked in wonder
with mental visions of grocer and butcher
bills doing a scalp dance over that puny
SIS.
mot much meat" she answered, ~ buy
a scent soup-bone every Saturday and we
have soup for dinner, and then there is
nice bit of meat left for hash for break
fast"
so, we have enough, we never go hum
gry." She exclaimed almost merrily, see
ing a look of dismay on my face. II don't
know what we shall do for clothes, though,
if my husband doesn't get work pretty
soon,' she added with shadow fitting
over her face for minute. "I'm afraid
cam buy clothes, too, for that"
"But tell me what you live on" per-
sisted.
"Well, buy two quarts of milk per day
and we have mush and milk for breakfast,
and then we live on bread and fruit and
vegetables for the rest. We can have
plenty of rice and sage, and we drive out
i'll the country where we get our fruit and
vegetables very cheap" o
"Non
eggs or butter?''
"Oh, no. v couldn't afford them. I
Use beef suet for butter with the vegetables,
and we really don't miss those things SO
very much.
III couldn't get along at all if my hus-
band had any bad habits" she added re-
flectively, 'but he never drinks or uses to-
too enough to pay house rent and for the
horses feed, and we mostly pick up what
wood we burn"
One day hunted up the home that was
to me such marvel of thrift. l found a
very pretty little four-rcomed cottage with
bay window and vine-covered porch, and
plenty of fresh air and sunshine, all for SO
per month. 1t was accessible to cars,
schools, churches, and all the appliances
of city life.
Matters went on thus month after month
until left town for awhile, and SO lost
sight of my laundress.
After several months absence returned
and one day met her on the street, wearing
the same gown, to be sure, but 1t had
fresh band at the bottom of the skirt and
the same old hat was still on duty.
asked if her husband had work yet and
she answered, mot steady work, but we
get along very we'll now, for the boys Jagged
sand 10 years. sell papers and black
shoes mornings before school and she add
ed proudly, they didn't have to go bare
footed day last winter. They earned all
the clothes they needed and gave me money
besides"
This is the story of how one brave little
woman kept the wolf from the door on fifty
cents per day and did it without the shadow
of a whine, which was better still.
One day middle-aged woman came I'D
to my door with basket on her arm, Of
fering small wares such as buttons, thread,
etc., for sale. purchased 25 cents worth
and she thanked me so prOfusely | must
have looked astonished for she said ~
shall make profit of eight cents on what
you have bought and that makes up the
fifty cents, so now can go right home.
have to make fifty cents at least" she
added, and then little by little | learned
her pathetic story, although she was I'M
conscious of the pathos, SO much part
of her daily life had it become. Her nus
band was helpless victim of rheumatism
and had been SO for years. She had one
little girl of nine who staid at home and
kept house while the mother trudged about
and n'rned the fifty cents that kept soul
and body together day by day.
II u ,ed To do washing" she said, land
tina wasn't hard work, but my hands got
crippled with rheumatism and SO had to
try something else."
She was a sweet faced woman. neat and
self-respecting, and even CLEAN of sum
shine stole over her face as offered her
car fare which she thankfully accented. as
she said it would give her time to stop and
take a new hat home to her little girl, who
had been saving money for months to paw
for it. III can get such pretty one for Is
CENTS" she said, land she will be so happy
over it,
"Do you never get discouraged?
asked.
$50, no." she replied, ~ have never had
to ask for help from anybody, but Los
Angeles people are SO good, and it seems
to me everybody wants to help u.s.
"Where do you live?" asked, and she
mentioned q street over in East Los Ange-
les, where but for the saving grace OF my
proifered nickel she would have patiently