Evening star., 1895-02-11
A STEADY STREAM
The Various Charity Relief Bureaus
Thronged.
FUEL and FOOD STILL WANTED
Hundreds of Men Receive Work
Tickets Today.
THE SYSTEM OF HELPING

The element of work mingles with that of
charity today at all the bureaus of relief
The central relief committee gave work
tickets to over 200 men today, and the As
sociated Charities sent fifty to the street
cleaning department. The committee depot
on Louisiana avenue was empty this morn
ing when work was resumed, 50 thoroughly
had the supplies been sent out to those
who needed them. Ten wagons were out
collecting today, and several loads were
sent to the police station and the Asso-
ciated Charities.
The Central Union Mission rooms were
crowded at 10 o'clock today. when the doors
were opened, and up to p. m. 341 cases
had been helped. The really distressing
cases are coming to light more now than
at the beginning.
A lady came to the mission Sunday MORN
ing to report a case of extreme destitution
In the southwest, where a family were en-
tirely without fuel and food and had cut
Up some of the doors in the house to keep
from freezing. The mission wagon was
Immediately started out with both fuel and
food. so that they were very soon relieved
Late Saturday night lady reported the
case of an aged couple in the southwest
who were on the verge of freezing and
starving to death. They were reported to
be almost entirely destitute of clothing
They were Immediately relieved. A one
armed soldier, whom the mission had pre-
viously relieved walked over from George
town Saturday to make known the pitia-
BILE condition of his family. He was asked
why he didn't send his son, a lad of four
teen, and he said because the boy was al
most barefooted. AS he was we'll known
immediate relief was rendered. One fam
lily presented a particularly distressing con-
dition when relieved. The father was just
recovering from a severe illness and the
mother had been Frustrated. They were
reported to be without a fire in the house
and without food. Within an hour from
the time the cise was reported to the mis-
sion both food and fuel were delivered at
the house, but meanwhile the poor woman
had died, and the relief came to a grief
stricken household.
Systemntixcd Work.
The mission has in operation very sys-
tematic method of relief. The applicants
are now admitted to warm room on the
ground focr, at the front of the building,
where they pass in line before the clerks
in the order of admission. At the first desk
q blank is filed out. showing the name.
address, number of adults and the number
of children in the family. AT the second
desk the records are searched to see wheth-
er the case has been Investigated and what
help has been rendered in the past. AT the
third desk orders are issued for food or
fuel to those who have been investigated
and to those not yet investigated an or
der for Investigation is issued but In the
latter case if it is deemed urgent, an ORDER
for bread or meal is at once issued, SO that
the applicant may carry something home
TO relieve hunger. From this desk the ap-
plicants pass by the store room, where
they receive their supplies and pass out
at the rear of the building on Z street
When there is rush of applicants they
can be waited upon at the rate OF about
one a minute, the force of clerks being
sufficient to make this possible. This pre-
vents the confusion arising from allow
ing a crowd to accumulate. The mission
helped over 500 cases Saturday. the largest
number yet.
The same scene is presented at the Asso-
cjated Charities, where the applicants
enter the basement four in line. give their
names and addresses. and are sent on to
three clerks. who look up their cases care
fully and make out their tickets. Their
baskets never go away empty Ii they are
deserving If they have no baskets there
are big. stout paper bags provided to hold
what they receive. There were over l6o
applicants at the central office today. They
are still asking for fuel, although the cry
for food is increasing.
Wednesday Nights Concert.
The benefit concert Wednesday night at
Convention Hall promises one of the best
treats of the winter. The subcommittee on
entertainments. appointed by the central
relief committee. and under whose auspices
zerott's was held some weeks ago, has COM
pleted arrangements for this concert. Tie
committee met yesterday afternoon, at
which the chairman, DIR. Howe, reported
partial program. The Marine Band will
contribute four numbers, while the Choral
Society will sing two of their greatest
choruses THE Heavens Are Telling rom
THE Creation" and the hallelujah chorus
from 1.-THE Messiah" The tickets for the
concert are now in the hands of the police
and firemen. who are meeting with steady
success in their work. The police and fire
men have. before this, proved to be excel
lent canvassers, and the sales for Wednes-
days concert are expected to be large.
A Novel Way of Helping.
The Webb Chemical Company Of this city
have arranged to SELL through agents and
such others as may offer their help, 10000
of their headache powders. the proceeds
(s1 ,OOW to be distributed, through the