Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05
The Plea That Goes Up From Thou
sands Today.
NOBLE WORK FOR CHARITY
People Who Need Everything in
the Worst Kind of Way.
RIB UTING FOOD

The drop in the temperature, coming
sharp and brisk IS it did, has brought
pleasure to large section Of the commune
ty who like genuine winter weather. 1t
is such fun to sit in front of glowing
crate and watch the embers in hickory
| fire. 1t is awfully jolly to sit down to a
well spread dinner table in warm and
coy dining room, with shades drawn and
lamps lighted.
But how about the people on the OUTSIDE :!
Not all are able to enjoy the comforts of
the winter season this year, and there are
those to whom colder days and nights
mean but an aggravation Of wretchedness
which was already so keen one would have
said i" could not be made worse. Think of
those who feel their toes Jingle in shoes
which are wide open to cold and wet.
They try to warm their numb fingers at
little rusty stoves, in which the last coal
has long since dropped to ashes. There is
no fuel in the house, no food i'll the larder,
no feeling that things are likely to take
turn for the better by tomorrow.
How can they improve? There is no
chance of the husband and father getting
work. He has tried in every way possible
to secure employment, no matter how
small the wages, but at every turn he has
been met with the same reply. Business
houses have all they can care for, and
there is absolutely no room for another
man about the place. Do you wonder he
gets discouraged? 1t is always darkest
just before the dawn, it's said, but he sees
no ray of light and hope in his gloom. he
gees to he'd hungry and he wakes worse
off than when he lay down. But the worst
Of all is the feeling that the wife and lit
tie ones are hungry and cold. They are
dependent upon him, and yet he cannot
help them in the least. That's hopeless
ness. He turns his face toward the Gen.
trail Unicn Mission or the Associated Char
tiles, and he comes away with the con-
seriousness that he has become an object of
charity.
busy and Crowded.
And so it is that the offices where Or
ganized charity is dispensed are busy and
crowded places these days Those who are
in charge of the work are simply over
whelmed with appeals for aid, requests
that they know come from worthy and de-
serving people, and yet, after all. there is
SO little that can be done for them. What
most Of the applicants want above all else
| is work, and this Is the one thing that can
not be given to them. Tue man who is in
charge of the woodward at the Central
Union Mission told Star reporter that of
all those who are put at saving and split
| ting wood for their meals by far the larger
majority put in plea for some sort of
permanent employment, anything at all,
| just so that it will give them a regular
income that can be relied on.
1t is not pleasant to have the digestion of
one meal spoiled by the horror of doubt as
| to whether there is going to be next or
not. The average man does not enjoy a
| meal that is given to him from pure char
ity anything like as much as he does one
| that he has earned for himself by the
sweat of his brow. The average American
makes a poo beggar.
Not Experienced.
In the groups of men that fill the wood
| yards where they are given enough to do to
| earn meal one thing that is very notice
| able is the large number of those who APP
| parently have never had any experience
| with manual labor While it may be true
| that the hobo element predominates and
! there are many professional weary walk
I! erS'' who would rather StarVe than work,
| there are still many who are willing enough
| to saw or split wood, but have evidently
| had experience with the buck or ak.
| They go at it willingly enough and chop
away to the best of their ability, but they
| would only get one meal day if they We're
| only rewarded for what they accomplished.
Such as these are usually men who have
seen better days, as the saying is and
have filled positions in banks, stores and
business houses. For one reason or anoth-
er they have lost their positions and are
down in the world and among those who
find it almost impossible ever to get fresh
start.
They could handle pen or a yardstick
with all the facility in the world, but give
them the Implements wheicwith to break
I'D wood and they have not the slightest
idea even with which hand to pick them up.
AS q rule the man who Is in charge of the
wood yard let's them work on until he is
tired watching them and then he calls
them off with the remark that they have
| worked hard enough for one time. They
have not anything like finished the allotted
task, but they have shown that they were
willing enough; the flesh alone was weak.
Product of Work.
Among those who came to the Central
Union Mission and the Office of the Asso-
ciated Charities today there were many
pitiful stories of wretchedness and desola-
ton, appeals for help of any sort. AS is
usual when there has been considerable
drop in the temperature the majority of
apple atoms were for clothing and fuel.
Both headquarters have been fairly well
supplied with clothing but they could dis
pose of many times as much if they only
mad it. In almost every case that was
known to be deserving. or presumably such,
enough coal and wood were sent without de-
lay to last the people over Sunday and
we'll into next week. The Associated Chart
ties make it a rule to give provisions
enough to last for a week whenever this is
possible. For the last few days its wood
yard has been full of men. who were hard
at work earning q little som cthing to take
home to their families in distress.
10 Superintendent Emery says that when a
pretty certain he is not sham or fakir.
In no case is money given for this work.
and Mr.. Emery says that If a man were not
honest in his plea for food he would take
his services to some other business where
he would get money that would enable him
to rush the can.
Both of the wood yards have extended an
appeal to the public to become purchasers
of their product. They buy their wood by
wholesale and there is no desire or attempt
to underbid the regular retail dealers who
saw and split wood, for they sell at the
same price. But they are not able at all
times to dispose of the accumulation, and
it piles up in L most hopeless manner.
Back Rent.
Among those who apply for assistance are
many who make a strong appeal for money
and will not he satisfied with anything else.
One of these-an elderly colored woman
became almost vituperative yesterday
afternoon when she was given to under
stand that the benefits of the association
were limited to food, clothing and fuel. All
she wanted was little money-enough to
make partial payment to her landlord, SO
that she would not he put out into the
streets She was months behind in her rent,
as of course, most of those who are
compelled to beg for food. 1t is hard to
have to refuse these people. but the rule
10. uopo forth and has to he adhered tn