Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-12-26

tary gave him an order for some meal,
-four, meat, beans, and told him to go
home and get something to eat and feed
his family and then returned to the Office
where he wanted him to go to work.
The man promised that he would re-
turn, and taking his order, went off to
the grocery store to have it filled.
1t seemed, from experience, that the
secretary's little wood shed in the back
yard is the rock upon which the
schemes of many who have designs
upon the funds of the society split, and
go all to pieces. The impostors don't
want to work, and when the wood shed
looms up before them, they manage to
leave and seek more congenial scenery.
Sometimes they break the saw or dull
the ak with the view of lessening their
hours of toll.
The chief of our city police says that
the dumping lots furnish field where
many of those who scramble for exist
ence find employment in raking out
cinders and chips for fuel. When snow
is upon the ground their occupation, as
well fuel supply, is gone. 1t is then
that they appeal to the police. They
crowd the station houses at times and
are grateful for the smallest pittance.
A pound of flour and bushel of coal go
a long way with the starving, shivering,
half-clad old woman who lives in an al
ley garret. Those most dependent in
the district are the colored people, to
whose numbers the contiguous states of
Maryland and Virginia largely contrib
ute. Nourishcd in moderate climes,
they soon collapse under the vicissi-
tudes of cold winter.
There is another class of poor, COM
- 10 6<1 1<, Il for h.
lie relief until actually driven to do so.
These are persons who have experienced
better days, many of whom make a
living on the streets either as laborers
or peddlcrs, but are deprived of their
vocations by bad weather. The police
men endeavor to acquaint themselves
with the condition of those who live
upon their respective beats and the
needy are promptly reported for as
sistance.
The demand for rent money is an un-
usual feature. The threatened evic-
tions for non-payment of rent were al
most as numerous as those reported
from Ireland. Men, women and chill
dren, representing every color and de-
gree of intelligence, called at police
headquarters, some of them almost
frantic for want of means to satisfy the
landlord. In nearly every instance the
notice to vacate" was presented as n
guarantee of truthfulness on the part
of the applicant. -.-r
Food and fuel were distributed in the
same systematic manner as has charac-
terized this work for years. The de-
serving were given orders on some
grocery or wood yard, over the sigma
ture of the lieutenant in whose precinct
they resided. These orders were re-
ceipted by the applicants after obtain
ing the goods, and the accumulated or
ders and accounts were presented to
the department for payment at the close
of each month.
That tells the story, and it is story
which might be repeated again and
again concerning all cities. Indeed ii
the true tale were told concerning the
suffering of the poor in New York, Chi
cago and the other cities which are
larger than Washington, it would be har-
rowing in the extreme. Superin-
tendent of Police Moore tells me, how
ever. that there is not single family
in Washington to-day without fuel and
food; unless it may be some family too
proud TO let it's poverty be known to
the duly constituted authorities.
SMITH d. FRY.
The only gem In the world which