Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-10-01
LEAKE BREAD DOLE.
A PRACTICAL CHARITY OVER ONE
HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

Miilionaire-Oncc q Week the Bencfic;-
aries Are Given Loevcs of Bread-Some
Of tho Recipients Once Wealthy.
Ono Of the most interesting charities
IN operation in this city, and one which
is probably less known than any 9th
er, is that which is designated III the
register Of Trinity church as "the Lcal1e
dole Of bread
Since 1892 this practical benefactior
has been in constant operation, and it
would be exceedingly difficult to COM
pute the great amount of good it has
done and the number of hungry persons
it has fed. The dole is bequest by
John Leake, q long forgotten million
aire and philanthropist, who, with John
Watts, founded the we'll known Leake
and Watts Orphan House, which is still
in existence in this city. The portion of
his will in which the bequest is made
reads as follows:
Il hereby give and bequeath unto the
rector and inhabitants of the Protestant
Episcopal church of the state OF New
laid out in the annual income i'll six
penny wheaton loavcs of bread and dis
tributed Oil every Sabbath morning,
after divine service, to such poor as
shall appear most deserving"
This wish has been faithfully carried
out with orc exception. The regular
COMMITMENTS Of the church will no
doubt wonder, for not more perhaps
than 100 of them have ever noticed the
dispensati1n of "sixpenny wheaton
loaves Of tread" after the morning
service
Nearly 40 years ago, when the dis
tributing station was transferred from
Trinity church to the shadow of old ST.
Johns at 46 VaIicl street, it was
deemed wise to change the weekly day
of distribution from Sunday to Satur-
day and thus Obviate tho publicity and
lessen the pain to the pride of the recip-
tents, for some CT them were, and even
now are, not only communicates of the
church, but people who at one time had
been among the most wealthy of the
congregation. Every Saturday morning
between and S o'clock there are deliv-
cred into a recess of the gaunt ccclesi-
astical structure ca leaves of wholesome
fresh bread Of the kind known as ''homo-
made, each loaf being worth about 10
cents. While not exactly "sixpenny
loaves, they are as near that price as
is possible TO obtain, and 10 one has
yet ventured an attempt to break the
will owing to this slight emergency or
the fact Of the change of date of distri-
button.
The loaves are piled upon a long set
tee in tho vestibule, where these lucky
enough to DO considered rs appearing
to be the most deserving" either call or
send for them. There arc at present Just
18 Of these pensioners, and others are
constantly waiting 10 take the places of
those whom death has claimed. The
leaves arc distributed in varying num-
bers, some persons being entitled to
four, while others receive only two,
this being regulated by the size of the
family. The leaves arc distributed
without Ostentation, and although one
of the official representatives of the
church is present he is lax in the amount
Of vigilance displayed, allowing the
pensioners to enter the vestry and help
themselves to their allotted share, and
it is matter of record that not once
has any one made the mistake of taking
an extra loaf.
Shortly before o'clock every Satur-
day the IS chosen rs deserving benefi-
Charles or their messengers begin to ap-
pear. The first one to call yesterday
morning was an impoverished looking
woman bowed with age, who, the sex
ton said, has been making the same
weekly trip for nearly SO years. While
thin ard cmaciated she still bore the
impress of refinement, and her dress,
although tlireadbare, was remarkably
clean and neat.
With slight inclination Of the head
she wished the sexton "Good morning"
and quietly dropped two loaves of bread
in the basket she carried, after first
carefully wrapping them in q piece of
newspaper. As she slowly walked down
the stone paved yard toward the gate
she staggered under her load, and her
evident refinement led The Sun reporter
to ask who she was.
''She is one Of our Oldest pensioners,
replied the sexton, land has for over so
yca1s never missed a Saturday, rain or
shine. She was orce 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. 1t is
one of The pathetic stories most Of these
people could tell"
In direct opposition to this case was
that Of a gray haired negress, who, al
though more than so years old, is still
quite spry, and entered the vestibule
with ''Mornin, massa," in a manner
which indicated that she very probably
is manumitted slave. After q slight
interchange of conversation she shuffied
away, apparently happy.
One noticeable popularity was the
fact that there were no men. The bread
was claimed either by very old and
decrepit women or by young children
who invariably staggered under the
load. OF the children who called, not
one wore q hat, and when the sexton
4 r