New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03
THE WHITTIER HOUSE.
WORK OF WOMEN AMONG THE FACTORY
CLASSES OF JERSEY CITY.


A NEW FORCE AMONG THE POOR PEoPLE-wh~'
MISS BRADFORD AND HER FELLOW -LABoRERs
ARE poING-A GLEE CLUB FOR MEN AND
GIRLS CLASSES FOR OLD AND YOUNG
AND LOAN FUND-INrEREsTING
DETAILS OF THE WORK
rey force and d new life have come INTO the
humdrum existence OF the working peop'e III
car.an norton OF Jersey City, and were the factory
,, ,bo aocs weekly TO the Whittier House. In
cra,ds, asked TO describe the beginning ana
growth Of the new influence which is working upon
them they would point to the labor the eh'iu'as,
and the courage OF a small band OF workers s''up'o
under the leadership OF a woman iuii VI e"e'e'
and sympathy. . - -.
Forty years ago Grand-st was, as us ha"e i"'-
rlios ono NJ the elegant dweirg-places OF jersey
civ running along just Httle way PACK iro"
the r,ve--front where the people had an uh'hter-
rlptel view OF the white-wingec snlps as INV
sailed down the Hudson The street is no io"ee,
elegant; its wealth and glory have departed anu
have left the low-lyrg land along the river 10
the toiers of the city Yet it is by no means .ne
worst norton Of the town 1t is so far free from
wretchedness and crime that young e'ri "a"
90 her way there day and night. without rear
But it is within only few minutes walk OF inc
most squal.d and ilthy tenement-house disttic's
~ city. The workers therefore, III inc Nh''Ni
House. which is situated at No a. and in whose
loftv-ce!llnged rooms twoscore years, ago Mayor
Clark was wont to give his official balls are ad-
mirab!y placed; for they can readily meet with
the moor but respectable working classes around
them and yet extend a helping hand to the people
living miserably only a few blocks away. ,
The Whittier House is organized something after
tine plan Of the University Settlements whose work
in New-York and in ether cities is wei known yet
the Whittier House IS officially distinct from the
University Settlements, and it has some charac-
terlstic features of It's The class 10 "nich IL
gives perhaps its first energies is that MADE up OF
the Young men and women who work ali day long
in the Jersey City factories. and who find in the
old Mayors mansion in Grand-st. those influences
that lead them to think and talk OF peter 'hihss'
suggest to them life which is broader ana more IN
spring and slowly awaken them TO ne" views anu
higher ideals This is the task which the workers
OF the Whittier House are trying IN the race Oh,
many d.scouragements to do.
II seems hardly credible that in the oriet space
of a year the work should have grown so swiftly
from its small beginnings TO It's present scope ana
influence, yet il only a twevemonth ago 'ha'
Miss Cornelia F. Bradford began alone her work
among the poor people in that part Of Jersey Cty.
For several months her only room WAS smah
one IN the Peop.es Palace known as the whittier
House Office" and here the work was carried on
and the plans for enarg.ng 1t were formed' Az
first Miss Bradford b. gan - visit the poor notheS
n npignbOrhOOl,
with them and az she herself says listening 10:
stories OF sorrow AMI suffering. helping people 20
hem themselves by finding work for them. seHlhS
at reduced price clothing which mad been given 10
Us chatteI mortgaging and proving ourselves gen.
era,ly friendly"
This was the time when Miss Bradfords plan LOT
chattel u,ortgaging became noised abroad ana she
GAINED a quite unintentoned reputation as
..pswnbroker" Miss Bradford was perfectly over
whelmed at this period with articles "hch came
from all over the country directed to her pawn
shon" because II charged only per cent interest,"
But il was not her intention nor that OF her sup
porters in the work to carry on any plan OF ms
kind and so this branch was properly conhned
only to chattel mortgagins in Jersey city Inc
MORTGAGES ran generally for three or six months,
and il may be said in passing that out OF he a' so
number Of mortgages taken there has been only
one case in which payment has failed to be MADE
As the poor people Of the neishborhood became
more and more interested. Miss Bradford began
series Of weekly afternoon teas. to wnich she
bade the mothers in the neghborhood This was
so novel a proceeding that II seemed TO many or
the women that there must be some deeply hidden
r,o,i,,a for these gatherings holder than the
rest finally blurted out: Miss Bradford We don't
know what u think about these meetings lou
don't ask us 10 go to church. 10 sign pIedSe' OF
to pray with YOU You TO forget we are used
10 washn' scrubbia' and such work: that we are
used TO waitin on ladies and not having them wait
on us You seem only ry 10 make US happy.
Now. wha, do you want of us. anyway: "he"
Miss Bradford told her that she wanted 10 give
them one afternoon week when lie might seem
To them plea. ant and comfortable the tired race
Frightened and the woman replied Well HE amt
so bad after all when you have a friend who cares
whether you live or die 1t is the custom OF the
Whittier IIouseworkers at these teas TO give iect-
ures and talks to the mothers on home improve
ment and kindred topics.
Another feature OF the early work OF Miss Brad
,i,cs - fy-6y o.
c.alsts. al. men, who came every sunday AFTER
noon 10 talk with her questions OF he hour.
These men ranged in their views from me mlidly
dissatisfied workingman the rabid Socialist ard,
could they have had their way, they Would pIoo-
cor" "onrssiderebIo regularity But the woman Who
talked with them each week made one or TWO
We're TO make no attack on religion; they were
not to Wild and unseemly language; II tner
their teacher could summary dismiss them In
this way the class became great success ara
and reason The fruit of this work is not Yet frll
when the time OF the strike or lockout comes
stpnGiV in scope and power until now ii embraces
a free kindergarten. a sewing SCHOOL a mo.ast,s
spoken Of: the beginning OF loan fund for the
poor; various University Extension classes s", iop
both the day and evening: TO suit the convenience i
Of all penny proviient fund poor man doctor
and poor mans LAWYER system o. OF Work
with the swiftly gro~ng classes ana c w,Sn .Re
spread Of the work in so many iirectphs tdne tmo
Irnneratve calls one for larger headquarters,
the other was for more helpers. The task 10 gel a
suitable habitation wa. not an easy one put nhaiy
ths old home of the former Mayor OF Jersey CITY
wns chose1 with it's big windows looking out over
tho river and bay. This rented ana here
ana me headworker TO give the organization
ornament headquarters. And the name that was
chosen cannot but be recognized singulary APP
nropriate for 10 Americans the thought OF Whittier
always brings the memory OF the man and poet
whose heart was full Of brood hum lnitarianism ana
kindly sympathy. and the motto OF the house are
those happy words OF his
lie serves thee best who loVeth most
His brothers and thy
The Whittier House H. not charity mat tact
should he distinctly understood. For az teachln8
classes that are not designated free the
charge is 30 cents for lessons and thus all help
in the work. But this meagre income cannot begin
10 nav the heavy expenses for the OF the
house supplies. administration. etc. IL Is only