The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-04

An Old ard Transformations Charlty
That 10 Stil in Operation.

.One OF the most interesting cnaTltieS IN
operation i'm this city, and one which Is
probably less known OF than any other,
10 that which Is designated in the register
of the Trinity Church as The Leake Dole
OF Bread
Since 1892 this practical benefaction
has been in constant operation, and 1t
would be exceedingly difficult to compute
the great amount of good it has done and
the number OF hungry persons IL has fed.
The "Dole" Is a bequest by John Leake,
a long forgotten millionaire and philan-
throphist, who, with John Watts, found
ed tfe well known Leake ana Watts Or
phan House, which is still i'm existence in
this city. The portion of hin will In
which the bequest is made reads as fol-
lows:
81 hereby give and bequeath unto the
rector and inhsb btants of the Protestant
Episcopal Church OF the State of New
York $1,000, put out at interest, to be laid
out in the annual income in sixpenny
wheaton loaves of bread and distributed
on every Sabbath morning, after divine
service, to such poor as shall appear most
deserving. -
This wish has been faithfully carried
out with one exception. The regular
communicates of the church will no
doubt wonder, for not more, perhaps,
than hundred of them have ever noticed
the dispe nsation of "sixpenny wheaton
loayes OF bread after the morning SER
vice. Nearly forty years ago, when the
distributing station was transferred from
Trinity Church TO The shadow of old st.
Johns, at 46 Varick street. it was deem
ed wise TO change the weekly day OF dis
tribution from Sunday TO Saturday, and
thus obviate publicity and lessen the
pain 10 the pride of the recipients, for
some of them were, and even now are,
not only communicates of the church,
htttt Ala hr af l.,I
among the most wealthy OF the congre-
CATION. Every Saturday morning, be-
tween and o oclock, there are delivered
into the recess OF the gaunt ecclesiastical
structure 81 loaves OF wholesome. fresh
bread, OF the kind known as ''home-
made, " each loaf being worth about 10
cents. While not exactly "sixpenny
loayes, they are as near that price as 1t
is possible TO obtain, and no one has as
yet yentured an attempt to break the
will owing to this slight divergency or
the fact OF the change OF date OF distri-
button.
The loaves are piled upon long settee
in the vestibule, where those lucky
enough TO be considered as "appearing
to be most deserving either call or send
for them. There are at present Just IS Of
these pensioners, and others are constant
ly waiting TO take the places OF those
whom death has claimed. The loaves are
distributed in varying numbers, some
persons being entitled TO four, while
Others receive only two, this being regu-
lated by the size OF the family. The
loaves are distributed without ostenta-
tion, and although one of the official rep
resentctives OF the church is present, he
is lax in the amount OF vigilance display
ed allowing the pensioners to enter the
vestry and help themselves to their allot-
ed share; and It is matter OF record that
l.. a a.
OF taking an extra loaf.
Shortly before o'clock every Saturday
the 1S chosen as deserving beneficlaries,
or their messengers, begin to appear.
The first one TO call yesterday morning
was an impoverished looking woman
bowed with age, who, tn sexton said,
has been making the snme weekly trip
tor nearly 80 years. While thin and enact
atcd, she still bore the impress OF refine
ment, and her dress, although thread
bare was remarkably clean and neat. With
a slight inclination Of the head she wish
ed the sexton "good morning. and
quietly dropped two loaves OF bread in
the basket she carried, after first careful
ly wrapping them in piece of newspa-
per. As she slowly walked down the
st one-payed yard toward the gate she
staggered under her load and her evidert
refinement led The Sun reporter to ask
who she was.
"She Is one OF our oldest pensioners, I"
replied the sexton. "and has for over 30
wears never missed Saturday rain CT
shine. She was once one OF the wealth
lest OF New York's women residents, but
an ungrateful son, after gambling away
her fortune, left her destitute, and has
never been heard from since. IL In one OF
the pathetic stories most OF these people
could tell"
In direct opposition 60 this case was
hat OF gray-hsired negress. who, slth ough
more than 10 years old, is still quite spry,
and entered the yestibule with a "Morn-
Ina, massa," in a manner which indicated
hat she very probably Is a manumitted
lave. After a slight interchange of con-
yersation she shufiied away, apparently
happy.
Ihat there were no men; the bread was
,laimed either by very old and decrepit
women or by young children Who invari-
,bly staggered under the load. OF the
'hiidren Who called, not one wore hat,
md when the sexton was asked for an
.xplaustion Of this. be replied that, al.
hough he had notiocs IL, he was unable
o give any reason. Hssless,' he said,
they haven't any.