The evening times., 1896-07-24

Persons passing along L street north
west, between Sixteenth ana Seventeenth
street, have noticed large brick black
smith shop two stories ingn. IL Is situ-
ated far back from the pavement, and
there Is spacious grass plot in front.
Steps On the outside lead from the ground
to balcony on the second floor Fre-
quently Old and young men are seen out
on the balcony. Then again one catches
the odor of btiled cabbage and frying meat.
On the second floor OF this building is
located an institution OF new ideas and
piainexistence. It accommo lat es all classes.
The discharged jaiibird tostles against the
ordinary hard-up; the gray-iiaired sinner
sleeps and eats beside the youthful beggar,
and the social outcast tells to the uniniu-
ated the course which has brought him to
| the lowest round in the ladder. But at the
homeaii these characters are given chance
to brace up. get square meal, good
sleep and fit themselves for work. II they
are worthy the friends OF the inmates as
sist in procuring for their adopted wards
some honest employment.
Anyone is admitted without official red
tape. Although only year or two old,
| the institution boasts of never having turn-
shelter and food During last winter the
average attendance was from thirty to
fifty each night, while now there are but
| ten or twelve boarders at the mdair hotel.
EVERYTHING is COMFORTABLE.
a representative OF The Times visited
the place recently. 1t Is small, but car
ries with it an unusual amount OF solid
comfort. To the right OF the doorway, on
entering, Is a curtaiDed apartment where,
during the day, the cots and bed clothing
| are kept. A long table stands in the cen
| ter of the room, and at the farthest end is
long Kitchen stove, with all the necessary
| utensils and dishes. The cook. an elderly
man, came to the home soon after it was
| started, and, having neither home nor
| money, and yet desirous OF doing something,
| he was given his present position. He has
| become permanent fixture. as has also
| another Old man, his assistant.
| An illustration of the working of the
| horne is found in the efforts in behalf of an
| aged inmate who came to Washington to
| get pension and ran out OF funds. He had
| no place to so, got in trouble and was di-
| rected to the home, where he was taken in
pitiable object. He now has new pair
| Oi Eets tuTee per anu
| wears decent clothes, while the home peo-
| pie are assisting him to get his pension. In
| nuence has been at work to that end, and
the pension is nearly ready to be granted
| The founder and supporter OF this in
! sttution is William F. Downey, the we'll
known uptown livery man, whose chief
| work Sundays has been TO visit the District
4 Jail and give religious instruction to the
inmates. From them he learned OF the
strong temptation to discharged prisoners
| 10 sin the second time. Many pris oners,
when released, would call upon MI. Downey
| for assistance, and he conceived the plan OF
| home for such men and also for other
wanderers, where they would have no
, temptation.
The st Vincent de Paul Society has taken
held OF the project and soon there will be
some excellent improvements. AT the pres
ent time the cots are placed about the room
at night an hid away during the day. In
few months hunks, On iron frames, will
be erected along one side OF the room. The
Kitchen and pantry will te partitioned off
and in another part of the room will tie CoF-s
structed hath and wash room
There is quite Il good library for the bene
fitof the guests and should they desire they
may play checkers, but smoking and drink
ing are positively prohibited.
OBJECTS OF THE HOME.
Speaking of the object of the home, Mr..
Downey said: We have in our midst today
u class of men for whom there seems to be
10 place; namely, discharged prisoners,
convalescent invalids from. hospitals and
destitute worknien, many OF whom, through
lack OF employment, are forced to wander
| frcui place to place, ever il danger of ar
rest and Imprisonment. There was no
refuge~for the discharged prisoner, who,
If he eegs in the street for IL few pennies,
is at once arrested, imprisoned and con-
deained 10 work out his sentence The need
| need OF practical plan for the permanent
benefit of this class has been particularly
felt by those engaged in reform work in
the prisons and hospitals"
The first yearly report of the home
shows the following record. from February
8, 1895, to February 8. 1896;
1 Number OF lodgings furnished, $3.50;
meals, 11.7SS; temperance pledges admin
istered, $40. Twelve persons were assisted
| In reaching their homes and SO assisted in
securing enplo yment
An example OF the work of the home
may be found in the following incident:
| On February IL, 1895. youth Of
about nineteen years of age came to the
home, ragged, half starved. and very Ill
| from the effects of a tramp from Florida,
where he had gone for the purpose of
picking fruit. The frost having almos.
entirely destroyed the fruit crop, and
being unable to find other employment, he
was obliged to return North, his only food
for time being frozen oranges. After
| supplying his wants aud learning his
history, correspondence was opened with
his people, with the following results:
! A letter was received by the above-men-
toned young man from his mother, he
having been absent from home for eight
| months during which time his father had