The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-04
THE COUNTYS PENSIONERS.
OVER 100 APPLICATIONS FOR AID
NOW BEFORE THE COMMIS-
sIONERs.

These Are in Addition 10 the I75
Names Already on the Regular
Monthly EOII-These Benedciaries
Get an Average of - Month.
How Applications for Aid Are Made
and What some of the Applicants
Have to say-A Good Deal of Des-
titufion.
The county commissioners will, within
the next few days. take under considera-
ton about 10O applications for county
aid, which have been coming in and pill
ing up ever since last summer. These APP
plications have been presented in addi-
ton to those names which are already on
the county list. and which are receiving
monthly contributions from the county
treasury.
There is regular blank form on which
the applicant for county aid must put
his or her application. stating name,
age, residence, number Of children, occu-
patton Of children, and must give at least
one good reference, showing wOrthiness
Of the charity asked for.
The commissioners or the committee on
poor has 10 make a careful Investigation
of each case, and the applicant has to
make out mighty good case too. in order
to have his petition passed on favorably
a record is kept with each application
showing whether the applicants were re-
cipients of county charity when the funds
were dispensed through the Louisa Por-
ter Home. and the commissioners make it
rule 10 know as exactly as possible
all the circumstances in each case
The average amount paid to each appli-
cant is about 3 per month. Some get
81, others $l.50, but the greater number
receive s. each, while some few get $3.50
and very small number 50 a month.
There are about 175 beneficiaries on the
list so the county pays out in small
sums about $3.50 a month, or something
over $4,000 a year.
The reasons given by applicants as TO
why they should receive aid from the
county are numerous, ana ia some cases
amusing one applicant says her husband
mas DeeH dead nine years, that he fought
IN the late war and that she is without
means OF support Another gives dropsy
as reason for disability
one woman bases her application on the
Iaet Jhat she always tries to pay her rent
ana another says she was at work al
the time of writing her application, but
would not be able to work after a. few
weeks time A widow for nineteen wears
says she used to take in washing for a
hVlng, but is now a cripple and is unable
10 work. a man states that he met with
~ az iaciAt a snort time ago winch dis
aDled him, and there are a good many who
were wounded in the late war. ParaIy-
SIS ana rheumatism are also put down as
frequent causes Of disability and there
are one or two with spinal disease and
others who are lifelong invalids
one applicant writes oftplerself: Char
ity has not ever been given to a more
worthy person. 4 am sadly in need of
help" says another and still another is
honest and anxious to work whenever she
can get any sewing to do. Those who
nave children have them either too young
TO work, or willing to work when they can
get anything to do. Very few of the chill
dren OF these applicants have any occu-
patton.
The recommendations are as numerous
as the petitions for aid One is worthy
OF assistance, another is a very feeble old
lady very needy and a worthy woman
Whlle a male applicant is put down as
honest, upright and truthful in all his
dolngs, and is worthy of being trusted
Nearly all of these applicants are wo-
men, most OF whom are widows with
children to look out for. The few men
who have applications in complain of
total disability from one cause and am
now on the county's beneficiary list are
white people, but a good deal is dis
tributed among the colored people where
they are found in need and worthy of as
Sistance
There is no doubt a good deal of des-
ttution in the city and the county is
aiding materially in alternating it, There
is some wood distributed also by the com
mlssloners, and great many of the
same parties are looked after i'm one way
and another by different charitable insti-
buttons of the city. Winter weather will
doubtless bring in still more applications
than those that have already been pre-
scented.