The Washington times., 1895-05-11
Willing Men and Women to Earn
Their Daily Bread.
POTATOES FOR WORTHY POOR
Heads of Families Apply for Chances
to Turn Charity Into Food for Their
Loved ones-Typical Scenes on the
Plantations-Path and Humor
Blended-Childrenw wor k for Parents.

AhSy aiC lOISeI Iney are
laborers. The mendicant class of Wash
ington are being rapidly transformed into
honest laborers and producers. They
have put their hands to the plow handle
and spade on the experimental potato
farms.
No more grateful evidence of this could
be desired than a visit yesterday to the
office of the farm allotment committee,
on G street, where this business is being
conducted by Mr.. l.. s. Emery, its secre-
tary. Applications had been filed in
writing of fifteen additional persons by
Mrs. j. w. Babson, and of twenty-eight
additional by Mrs. Chapman. These people
are vouchcd for by these ladies as indus
trious and willing and able to work. OF
this forty-three there were seven white
men, all of the applicants being the
heads of families. A good proportion OF
them are colored women, who guarantee
the care of the potatoes by their children.
Mr.. Emery has two young lady clerks,
who keep the records and answer questions.
One of the sketches below represents
them at actual work, with an applicant
aiting Der turn. In another part of
the room Is Mr.. Emery, examining an
applicant TO see thar he is bona fide
resident and a worthy subject of the
charity. A very affecting scene was OBJ
served In the groups yesterday--that of
daughter leading a blind mother The
daughter and some OF the younger chill
dren are TO do the work for the blind
tenant OF farm.
CLAIMS WERE INVESTIGATED.
great many of these cases are known
at glance to be meritorious, for their
claims were investigated last winter, and
they were helped by various charity or
ganizations.
The joint committee guarantees to do
the plowing for these people, to furnish
them with potato seed and other kinds ut
discretion, and TO give them implements.
The work of plowing was commenced
Thursday afternoon ou-the Thirteenth
group OF lots, between A and b aud B and
Z streets northeast. ''Plowman'' Brown
is in charge of this work until further as
sistance is obtainable. He is using two
horses to his pIow and the task is not au
easy one. The instructions are To ''piow
deep and that is quite necessary on lands
that have been packed by travel and rain
for years. The breaking up of the soil
with number OF piOws VIII not take loug
- NHS iOitS VI my 4Ots dlC llOl very
large, but there are also TO the credit of
the committee about Thirteen acres in the
suburbs which can be pIowed and subdi-
vided when the city lots on hand and vet TO
be rendered are occupied by potato farmers
The practical side of the plan in operation
rs well Illustrated by Henry Albert col
ored, at work. He has been assigned a
patch by Mrs. Babson, at No. 1920 North
Carolina avenue northeast. He is an old
man with a family. He didn't wait for
the wagon or the plow either. He at
tackled his plantation spade in hand
and is making the dirt fly, as they say in
eleemosynaTy agricultural circles. The
perspiration is flowing freely, his face is well
beaded with the drops of honest industry.
but this farmer knows that it is the early
bird that catches the worm, and gets the
mealy murphy first on the market stall.
This man is the pioneer potato patcher of
Washington. He has fenced himself in
from the goats and stray Go ar'; Ioogs
like man who has good thing.
HE is AN OBJECT LESSON.
Another excellent object lesson in these
piping times OF peace, perspiration, and
potatoes is Charles Shorter, who has taken
advantage and possession OF one of the J
lots kindly rendered by DR.. Purnam of
Home Made Manor, Mt. Pleasant Shorter,
by the way, is lame. He is an old colored
man, with gray, grizzly beard. He
has been loaned a oue-horse plough and
runs what they call one-horse farm. He
was at work yesterday plowing, and it
was not the best day in the calendar for
such exercise.
The potatoes must be planted now as
soon as possible and an effort viii be made
TO have all things in readiness before
another week rolls round. The committee
is in ample funds, having $1,11O in the
hands of the treasurer. Mr.. Emery said
Thursday that he would probably buy
some more seed and distribute it Just as
soon as the men and women assumed
controloft ftheirpatches. Fromth eagerness
exhibited yesterday they desire to get
possession at once. There is OF course a
general desire to get City farms and there
are already applicants enough for the
available lots. There is q committee
however, whose duty it is to solicit lots
and there is little doubt after it is known
that the poor people are in earnest that
many other lots viii be rendered.
The committee have it i'll their dis
cretion of the farmers other seeds than
potatoes. so as to diversity their pro-
ducts. Onions and cabbages have been |
suggested. There does not appear to
be any doubt in the mind of any of the |
committee that every farmer will be |
able to pay for the implements and the |
seed, fertilizer, and the plowiug out of the |
crop property, and have plenty to eat |
and plenty to sell.
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME.
Everything points now to a successful
outcome of The enterprise. 1t will be
noted that only two of the four sections
Of the city have been covered, and persons
have been found to supply the farms.
Each of the divisions of the city in
which the assisted charities does its WIN
tee work is a fertile field for inyestiga-
ton, aud the roll of the tenants will
doubtless be very largely in creased from
lay to day.
The scheme commends itself to the judg-
ment of the poor people, After the crop
Is growing it does not require constant
attendance. A little boeing to make the
grass keep off, the potatoes is all that
Is required, and men with famiiies-and all
applicants are such-can detail hands out
of their own household to do the work,
knock off potato bugs aud find other
employment.
Some of the applicants, as stated, are
old col ored women who were expert
planters on the old plantation long before
Mayor Pingree evolved the potato plan.
They were adopts before the war, or as
they put it, IN slaibry time" A fair
example of this class is Mary Jefferson,
who pumped her obese. perspiring person
ality into a chair in front of Mr.. Emery
1t was quite warm, but she
bad her head tied in a white kerchief, which
1ripped at the edges with the ichor of ell
thusiasm and hurried walking from Mount
Pleasant.
what can do for you?"
''I want to work; ] want lot"
"Do you know how plant potatoes?''
'tWho, me?" said Mary with q tre-
mendous emphasis on the personal pronoun
..P'tatZ amt uthin' to me. ! come into