Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-05-29
LEAKE BREAD DOLE.
A PRACTICAL CHARITY OVER A
CENTURY AGO.
A Request Made by a Long Forgot.
Beneficiaries Are Given Loaves
OF Bread-Some OF the Recipients
Once Wealthy,

OF Bread-S0me OF the Recipients
Once Wealthy.
New York Sun.
One OF the most interesting chari-
ties in operation in this city, and one
which is probably less known than any
other, is that which is designated in
the register of Trinity church as "the
Leake dole OF bread"
Since 1892 this practical benefsc.
ton has been in constant operation,
and it would be exceedingly difficult
to compute the great amount of good
it has done and the number of hungry
persons it has fed. The dole is . be-
quest by John Leale, long forgotten
millionaire and philanthropist, who,
with John Watts, founded the we'll
known Leake and Watts Orphan
House, which is still in existence in
this city. The portion OF his will in
which the bequest is made reads as
follows:
81 hereby give and bequeath unto
the rector and inhabitants of the Pro-
testant Episcopal church OF the State
of New York $1,000, put out at inter.
est, to be laid out in the annual in
come in six penny wheaton loaves OF
bread and distributed on every Sab
bath morning, after divine service, to
such poor as shall appear most deserv-
ing"
This wish has been faithfully carried
out with one exception. The regular
communicates of the church will no
doubt wonder, for not more perhaps
than 100 OF them have ever noticed
the dispensation of" sixpenny wheaton
loaves OF bread" after the morning
service.
Nearly 40 years ago, when the dis
tributing station was transferred from
Trinity church to the shadow of old
st. Johns at 46 Varick street, it was
deemed wise to change the weekly day
OF distribution from Sunday to Satur-
day and thus obviate the publicity
and lessen the pain to the pride OF the
recipients, for some of them were, and
now are, not only communicates OF
the church, but people who at one time
had been among the most wealthy OF
the congregation. Every Saturday
morning between Z and 8 o'clock there
are delivered into recess OF the gaunt
ecclesiastical structure 67 loaves of
wholesome fresh bread of the kind
known as "home-made," each loaf be-
ing worth about 10 cents. While not
exactly sixpenny loaves." they are as
near that price as is possible to OBJ
tain, and no one has yet ventured an
attempt to break the will owing to
this slight divergency or the fact OF
the change Of date of distribution.
The loaves are piled upon a long
settee in the vestibule, where those
lucky enough to be considered as cap
pearing to be the most deserving"
either call or send for them. There
are at present just Is of these pen
sioners, and others are constantly
waiting to take the places of those
whom death has claimed. The loaves
are distributed in varying numbers,
some persons being entitled to four,
while others receive only two. this be-
ing regulated by the size of the FAM
lily. The loaves are distributed with
out ostentation, and although one of
the official representatives of the
church is present he is lax in the
amount of vigilance displayed, allow
ing the pensioners to enter the vestry
and help themselves to their allotted
share, and it is matter OF record that
not once has any one made the mis-.
take of taking an extra loaf.
Shortly before 8 O'Clock every Satur-
day the Is chosen as deserving ben-
efciaries or their messengers begin to
appear. The first one to call yester-
day morning was an impoverished
looking woman bowed with age, who,
the sexton said, has been making the
came weekly trip for nearly 80 years.
While thin and emaciated she still
bore the impress OF refinement. and
her dress, although threadbare, was
remarkably clean and neat.
With slight inclination OF the head
she wished the sexton "good morn
ing" and quietly dropped two loaves
of bread in the basket she carried, af-
ter first carefully wrapping them in q
piece OF newspaper. As she slowly
walked down the stone-paved yard
toward the gate she staggered under
her load, and her evident refinement
led the Sun reporter to ask who she
was.
"She is of our Oldest pensioners" re-
piled the sexton, "and has for over 80
years never missed Saturday, rain or
shine. She was once one OF the
wealthiest of New York's women res
idents. but an ungrateful son, after
gambling away her fortune, left her
destitute. and has never been heard
from since. 1t is one of the pathetic
stories most OF these people could tell"
In direct opposition to this case was