The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-29
A POOR HOUSE NEEDS.
How the Mendicants Are DaIt with


by the City.
one of the crying needs of 4 county is
9 moor farm. in fact as wells in name,
which should include a poohouse or
number of small houses forhe residence
of the people sem to such a face.
This is Mayor Myers id9 as expressed
70 a Morning News report. Being forced
10 listen daily to tie appel of the poverty
stricken, it is not TO be Fondered at that
the mayor believes SOM provision should
no made for the ere 4 these unfortun-
ates who are unaPe y care for them
sslves, and who hvd none to care for
them H.
distribution of oariy by it would be
vely gladly avoied, but in the face of
piteous appeals ron people who evil
fanflv have no ther source to look to
a few dollars aredoled out daily to those
Who appear full. worthy of aid.
occasionally arailfoad ticket is pur-
obased for som unfortunate, often
woman with chdren who has friends
~ relatives elselhere who will care for
tbem. The meas of the charitable or
eanizations and Institutions of the city
are limited, and their aid is given IL
enIlIGlY
taken under ther care after thorough
Investigation of heir claims.
The county hasa poor fund, but it is
distributed only Those who have been
naced upon the 1T after investigation of
their cases. Thee is no place for those
IN turn. whose cadit.on requires imme-
date relief, and Who know no one who
will assist them,as they apply to the city.
If cases of thiskind were all that the
MAYOR was called upon to investigate he
would have littleto complain of on this
score but there Ire two classes of pro-
fessional mendicnts with whom he is
forced to deal. tne class consists of the
resident mendicats, who, having gotten
oil thew can fran the county and the
charitable societss, and perhaps were re-
tected bv the later as unworthy, appeal
at regular intervals to the mayor Tor
assistance. Tho other class is the travel
ing mendicants people who beat their
wav from onecity to another, and who
exnect TO be furnished with transportation
out of town Vlenever they get ready to
leave.
that the mayr's of the various cities in
which they lmded had rather furnish
them transportation out of town than
have them remain as public charges.
In fact, the mayors of some cities seem
10 think il ve.y shrewd on their part to
unload these nendicants on other cities,
moi seeming to realize that the same game
is being played upon them constantly.
The mendican frauds had quite picnic
when this system was at its hight, but
now city authorities generally have tum-
bled to the fact that they were buncoing
themselves, and the transportation is not
furnished so freely as formerly. Still the
frauds m ma on m around.
Some of this class travel from one end
of the country to the other. AS cold
weather approaches they are beginning
to head south. They always have a
brother or sister or some other relative
who is willing to care for them If they
can only reach them. At this season or
the year the relatives are usually located
in Florida In the spring they will head
north again, and their relatives are some
where up there.
These people have been given mights
cold comfort of late. They are usually
told that the city does not furnish tickets
for any one Mayor Myers is very careful
in dispensing charity, and about the only
instances in which tickets are furnished
are where the applicants have
resided in the city and their
request is backed up by some citizen who
can youch for the character of the appli-
cant.
1T is very evident" Mayor Myers said,
that poor house or poor farm is need
ed There are many deserving cases which
can only be properly cared for by an in
sttudon of this kind. The charity dis
pensed by the city is only a mere pittance
TO keep soul and body together until other
resources can be found
In large county like Chatham, a poor
farm is a necessity. believe that it could
be made self supporting in
short while. There are frequent
instances where persons discharged
from the hospitals as cured are too weak
10 work, and are without friends to care
Ior themselves. If there were an aims
mouse or poor farm they could go to it
ana remain there until they had recuper-
ated their strength. There is a number
OF cases of women dependent upon char
Ivy with their children running about the
streets in rags who could be properly
cared Tor by such an institution"