The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-27
TO A POORHOUSE HOME.
Application Made to a County
Judge for a Private Com
mitment.
YET FAsHIoNABLY DRESSED.
Rather Than Appeal to Millionaire
Relatives They Prefer Becom-
ing Public Paupers.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, March 26.-0nce
rich, and that not many years ago, DOS
sessing a wardrobe and diamonds deemed
consistent with women of their reputed
means, travelling in Europe as wealthy
tourists travel, Mrs. Alexander Majors and
her daughter return finally to Kansas City,
their old home, their diamonds in pawn,
their costly wardrobe almost depleted, and
being no longer able to paw for even the
meanest lodgings they confessed to Judge
Stone of the County Court that they were
destitute and asked to be sent to the
County Poorhouse.
They are of the family of Alexander
Majors, once classed among the wealthiest
citizens of Kansas City. He was one of
the pioneer freighters across the plains.
The Mrs. Majors who now wishes to be-
come a public charge is his second wife.
She told Judge Stone she had a sister liv-
ing in Chicago whose husband was a mil
lionaire, but rather than appeal to them
for help she chose to go into the oblivion OF
the Poor Farm with her daughter
These friendless women were waiting at
Judge Stones home at 1892 Prospect ave-
nue. Saturday evening when he returned
home. The Judge says he could hardly
believe they We're in earnest when they
made their wants known. The mother,
the Judge says, wore a dress that must
have cost 800 and it was none the worse
for wear, and the daughter, comedy girl
of q or thereabouts, was also stylishly
clad. The elder woman said they were
parted from Mr.. Majors for some years
and that while they were in Europe he had
become penniless in California and wrote
them that he could not provide for them
Since then everything of value they owned
had gone to the pawnbrokers for means to
take them home and keep them alive
Judge Stone asked them why they did not
make an effort to find work, and Mrs
Majors replied that they could not, whether
meaning that they were physically unable
to do so or were not so disposed Judge
Stone did not inquire He says they both
looked in good health.
Judge Stone told the applicants that
while he regretted the necessity they would
have to appear before the County Court, as
he had no authority to act in the matter
alone. The women asked to be excused
from that ordeal and Judge Stone replied
that his colleagues had to sign the order
of committal as well as himself and that
they would be spared any unnecessary
publicity. They went away saying that
they would appear before the court yester-
day, but they did not.
Alexander Majors is one of the most
widely known pioneers in the Southwest.
He is living in Los Angeles, Cal, to-day at
the advanced age of so. About a year ago
he published book about travel on the
plains in the early days. He was an over
land freighter and a friend of the noted F.
y. Aubrey. He lived at Westport and still
calls this place his home. Mr.. Majors was
one of the freighting firm of Russell, Ma
lors & Waddel and was reported to be a
man OF great wealth in his palmy days.
The noted Missouri River steamer Alexan-
der Majors was named after him. He
would not allow his teamsters to swear or
abuse the animals and he daily held divine
worship in crossing the plains. Adverse
fortune of late years deprived him of most
of his means. He has recently been en-
ployed as mining expert.