The San Francisco call., 1896-01-26
HELPING THE DESTITUTE,
How the Salvation Army Aids
to Distribute a Charitable
Bequest.
Many Applicants Found to Be Frauds
While Others Are Entirely
Deserving.

The Salvation Army never does any,
thing by halves, and the manner in which
it has taken up the work of segregating
the deserving from the undeserving appli-
cants for the bounty of the Robinson be.
quest fund has materially aided the Mayor,
who has the distributing of the money, in
seeing that it is paid only to proper per-
sons.
The applicants are referred to the army,
the officers of which know almost every
professional beggar as we'll as most of the
deserving poor in the City. On its recon-
mendations the applicant either receives
her proportion of the money or is rejected.
batch of applications were returned to
the Mayors office yesterday, on each one
of which was posted typewriter slip.
telling in the terse, idiomatic language
used in the army the worth or unworth of
the applicant.
Many of the slips tell volumes in them
selves-stories of privation, humbled pride
and direst poverty. Others reveal the dis
honesty of those who would appear to be
deserving, though really not worthy of
aid, and who strive to get the pittance
that would properly belong to starving
women and children.
The first slip in the deserving list tells of
the struggles of woman to keep her fami-
ly on So per week:
Crippled, unable to get about at all without
crntches. Four children, OF whom only one is
old enough to work. This is a girl who earns
So per week, absolutely the only revenue of
the family.
The next applicant is 81 and still strug-
Cling:
Good old soul. Eighty-two years old and
wholly self-dependent. Nearly blind, feeble,
but plucky and not half dead yet.
Then other deserving cases follow in
rapid succession:
Good, square case hard-working, but play
ing in tough luck. Has every evidence of
present need.
A maiden lady, middle-aged, sick, in great
distress; utterly unable to assist herself. Good
blood, good breeding, great need.
Worthy care all around. Poor, willing
square.
poor and a confirmed invalid. Both are fit
subjects for charity.
Very old and dependent upon the goodwin
OF her neighbors, without which she would be
Well known to US for some time as a faithful,
good soul.
of pluck, grit and practical piety. In season,
when she possibly can, she also cans-in a can
merry. Distinctly poor, troubled with an affec-
tion of the heart, but is q long way off being
wilmer or beggar.
The reports on the undeserving appli-
cants read very differently and expose
many frauds. A few of them are as fol-
lows:
fraud. Makes q pretense of peddling to
cover more unwholesome and immoral call
ing. Hard drinker and general beat.
Is Mrs. Q. no longer. She has new hus-
band, an odorous reputation and about $3.50,
the bequest OF a recently deceased sister.
The woman is not to be found, nor is she
known at the address given. She is, however,
by no means unknown to US, as she appeared
only recently at our headquarters drunk,
truculent and disgraceful. We are unable to
discern anything good in herself or her life
Has pretty easy brand of poverty. Two
daughtersearn respectively $50 and $25 per
month. The family has a piano, and has
every appearance of being pretty comfort
able.
Undeserving. Lives quite comfortably, is
able to give her daughter music lessons, and
allows her old mother to do professional beg
ging.
Young, strong, healthy. Works continually
at sewing shoes. Lives with her brother-in-
law, dresses well, apparently lacks little, and
is long way off from being destitute.