Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-31
THE POTATO PATCH.
Boston Is to Try This Novel Han of Set-
 ting the Idle to Work.

Boston Is to Try This Novel Elan of Sct-
 ting the Idle to Work.
 Especial Correspondence
 BOSTON, May 2S.-I3ostOn Is to try the experiment. this summer of setting the un- employed raising potatoes upon the many vacant lots. Money has been raised by private subscription and unused land freely offered, yet such success as Mayor Pingrce of Detroit obtained can hardly be looked for. First, the movement is not started by the mayor and backed up by city funds second, Detroit has a largo population of Poles, who, if they cannot get $1 a day, will work for $ n week rath- CT than be idle; third, to uSc city lots for raising vegetables is putting such land to its lowest use; fourth, 10 put labor that Is capable of higher "inploymcnts to this primitive one is n waste. Yet, when all Is said, how small arc tho disadvantages compared with tho good that has been al ready accomplished in other cities! Some have thought that there arc but few now out of employment who would be W filing so to work, yet n Sunday paper recently gave graphic description of crowds of men and girls who responded to tho call of largo firm for temporary help, the wages offered the girls being only sl per week. Thcro is nothing dispiriting as idleness, with no incentive to action. Let hope and faith out of n man, and hc bo- comes lcadcn clog There arc thousands today here in Boston thus sinking into mere machines, with temptations on every side.
 Mrs. Josephine Shaw Lowell says, "The poor havc profound and well grounded distrust of charity" They are slow to cJ, fI oh hOir good. Much patience and sympathy arc of ten needed to induce thcm to put forth cx- Crtion, especially when underfcd, but once donc it will bc found that "man ducs not live by bread alone;" that even in the most drspairng there is an infinite possibility of good and usefulness. And for those who will hail this uSo of vacant land as n joy and q saving. what bencflccncc!
 A hookkccpcr out of employment said to me few days ago: II live in the cOun- try and havc n small garden. Were it not for that I should go crazy to be idle so long" And when to this hcalthful work is added the pleasure of seeing their labor bring forth something of value to thcm and that this is also removed from the humiliating order of charity, tho blessings that must flow from his project arc beyond computing.
 In the suburb where live the King $ Daughters have brought a poor family from a den in the South Cove, in Boston, to these lovely sunny heights, from a state of wretchedness into self respect. The mother tells me that when the children arc rebellious she has only to threaten to move back into the heart of the city to bring them at once to obedience.
 This novel plan of setting the idle at work upon vacant lots will be tried this summer in 20 cities. The scheme Is grow ing in popularity. Last year in some cities, many widows, assisted by their chll- dren, have planted their lots, and some so says the report-were forced to dig their potatoes before grown to satisfy their hun ger. If anything shows the need of this | plan, 1t Is the picture of such hunger If anything shows tho blessings of this plan, it Is the picture of the listless, idle, nursed to life and activity by fresh country aiI and the sight of growing things planted by their own hands. If anything shows the real Christianity and brotherly kind ness of the plan, 1t Is its exemption from charity, its many homes that have resulted from its benencent Influence.
 ELIZA STOWE MITCHELL