The San Francisco call., 1896-08-02
4 Black
Scene in the City
The Kind Of Poverty
That Tends to
Crime

III is not from the DOmeS OF the poor
and humble that the most touching stories
of want and deprivation come" said
Editor Millsaps of The War Cry, yesterday,
recalling experiences in the work of the
Salvation Army. 'The cases fraught
with direst pain and distress are those
discovered among people who are dragged
down by misfortune from positions of
wealth and whose pride. impels them to
withhold from friends who might relieve
their condition the truth concerning their
woeful state. Your City is full of such in
stances, l might say. -.
mot long ago relief corps was led up
into the garret of certain Market-street
building to find there a widowed mother,
aged, and so feeble that she could hardly
move across the ROOM prayi ing at.the side
of her son, who, half crazed with a'burn-
ing fever, lay gaspins for breath on bed
of rags.
"The SON had been messenger boy and
his sickness had deprived the twain of
their only means of subsistence. Nickel
by nickel the small savings went for medi- .
cine and bread, and when the Salvationists
found the helpless couple there was not q
|. sign of food in the house and the son az
terward declared that such had been the
case for several days.
"Indeed, so weak had the mother be.
come that she was unable to, descend the
stairs. The scene that was witnessed by the
soldiers as they entered. the door of that
garret sent thrill through them. The
boy had cIasped one of his mothers bony
hands between his own and was rubbing
and slapping it, the while he cried in
voice OF agony: Great God mother, and
must you starve? You look like death
Your hand feels icy Oh, you shall not
perish herel 1 will get food--1 swear L
will. / have pistol and I'll get money
and bread if l hang for it,
"Peace, my son; my darling, peace
said the mother family; rather let Us
pray
The relief corps brought. succor and
aid. 1t was then learned that the woman
and the boy were the widow and orphan
OF once prominent San Francisco stock:
broker who had died in poor circumstan-
ces. leaving his small family, which had
been accustomed to comfort, if not lux
ury, to battle with fortune as best they
might. One misfortune followed on the
heels of another, and mother and son
were reduced to trying straits. Finally
the boy secured place in the messenger
service, and the pair of them, forced down
by slow degrees, then managed to exist
in bare garret on a pittance day. Sick
ness smote the boy; and when mother
; and son were at the very door of death in
their hard struggle, we accidentally found
and relieved them. The boy told me after.
ward that he used to sneer at the Saliva.
tionists. See that tall, straight, cookbook
ing fellow over there-not ashamed to
wear a red shirt? Same boy His mother.
lives in better quarters and has enough to
eat now.
"We have some highly educated men in
the ranks here-an Oxford and an Eton
graduate among them, so you see our re-
cruits don't always come from the poor
and ignorant, as many affect to believe.
Let me tell you another little instance
that illustrates many more.
"A family consisting of husband, wife
and three daughters, came out. here from
Vermont about year ago. In this City
the husband deserted them and sailed to
Australia. The mother and daughters.
were refined looking and their speech gave
evidence of culture. The girls were pre-
possessing in appearance and all were
dressed stylishly. They tried in vain to
procure employment IN stores and wore
the soles off their shoes in futile tramping
about in quest of work. They could get
nothing to do. They could not descend to
beggary or worse; and so for days they
lived OH breadcrusts and water. They had
suicide in contemplation. The youngest e
daughter had the look of death in her
eyes and the mothers pride was conquered
at last. One night she appeared at the
barracks and in weak voice, sobbing now
and then, unfolded her story. Sad plight,
of course, but there are many like it.
People who have seen better times suffer
most intensely the pangs of deprivation.
The mother and daughters L spoke of
needed only little assistance, for the
girls happily found remunerative work to
do shortly after their meeting face to face
with the grim ghost OF starvation"