The morning times., 1896-01-05
DROPPING MERCURY DRIVES THE POOR TO sHELIEB|
Where Shivefing Humanity Found
Asytums from the Freeze.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RELIEF
Funds ana Provisions Exliau listed at
the Union Mirsion-work of Labor
Bureau and Associated Charities.
No General Distress In the City.
Coming Faar and warm weather.

The phenomenaiiy cold wca ther which
now prevails in Washing ton has put keen
edge on the inquiry. what to do with or
| Tor the dependent classes of the city,
The cold is SO Intense that even the beg
gars have been driven off the streets into
confinement wherever "a shelter can be
found.
Last night at 10 O'Clock nineteen fairly
clad. but nevertheless half frozen men.
! filed into the First police precinct and ask
ed one by one the boon OF u shelter from
the weather.
They were all from different places
and not one OF them a resident Of Washing
ton. They were assigned 10 the guests
bed chamber, which last evening early
had displayed the flag of distress and the
sign standing room only Even this
kind OF tragedy has its huInors-
At No. five applied. at No. three,
and at No. four. There were thirty-two
who ran the gauntlet of being "vagsed''
for their petitions for place to sleep. The
lodging house was full.
FEAR THE wORKHOUSE.
1t might be supposed that there would
have been larger number applying at the
station houses They do not appear there
because II they cannot give good account
VI thc'hSciNes tuey are uelu is NdEfantB-
Hence II Is possible that those who did
not take the chances at the station houses
or who could not raise by begging. the
nfteen cents for lodging at the cheap
houses, sought an asylum IN lumber yards
or in doorways- or the angles and hiding
places of public buildings.
1t Is problem not TO be solved at police
headquarters what is TO become OF this
army or lshInaelitcs from day TO day as
long as the freeze endureS.
In these hard aud bitter times for the
floating population the center of the
storm is usually at the Central Uuion Mis-
sion.
The Times called there last night ard
found between seventy and eighty men
ana boys IN all stages and phases OF mis-
fortune cougresated in the cellar of the
building, from which they We're later trans
ferred to the dormitories. This is not au
unusually large number. but the mission
is not able to give many nen work as
within the past two months.
Meals and lodging are furnished TO these
who work for them, the principal industry
being the saving of wood. and OF this
there is now an oyerstock on hand.
To add to the aggravation OF the con-
ditions, ii was learned last night that lie
mission is out or supplies to be given III
charity. not in exchange for work. On
last Thanksgiving Day the mission issued
food TO about 200 families and 600 individ-
uals. There was something left over frcm
the generous contributions made AT that
time, and since then several of the Sunday
schools have sent in small but very ac-
ceptabie quantities.
NO RELIEF FOR THEM.
On Thanksgiving Day there was a record
OF more than 100 families which were with
out visible means OF support. Miss Acklaad.
who was in charge last evening. exhibited
81, lKaf faty.-
tifths of the cases the surviving head OF
the family was a woman. and the average
was three children.
In several cases there were ten children. |
Miss Ackland was asked il these had come |
IN again Tor aid owing to the stress of the |
weather, to which strangely enough she |
replied that they 1Iad not. Miss Ackland. l
however. ex xpElined this by saying that the I
news has gone abroad from those who l
have asked FOR. assistance, from time 10
time, that theressvas nothing to be had, in
asmuch as the supplies left over had been /
absolutely exhausted
1t is therefore quite likely that these |
people are suffering in silence. certainly |
those OF the great number who have not |
been found by the friendly visitors of the
Associated Charities.
1t is not likely, however, that the suffer
ing is widespread in Washington. There
are small funds ataIl the police precincts
for emergency eases of food and fuel. bat |
the relief In these cases is naturally confined
to those who make personal application.
Only seven applied at police headquarters,
and these were referred to the precincts to |
which the applicants belonged. The cmer-
gency committee of the Associated Chari-
ties is also Il ready source or relief where |
instant help is necessary.
The present freeze is no; to be of long |
continuance. and. therefore. the problem |
lS not tn lp fnr th.a.T ha 4
same that was presented during the pro- 1
tracted spell OF 1S94-'95. There is no |
telling. however. when thai fearful con- |
tingency may again occur, when it took |
$50 900 and mountains of old clothes to |
feed and clothe the masses that cried for |
relief.
Master Workman Simmons. OF District |
Assembly, No. Go, K. of l., said last night |
that there are about 10, 600 resident wage
earners in trades of the city. He estimates /
that tue season OF work is over for about |
7 900 of these. and that the averag daily |
wages OF these from April TO December has |
been only 81 a day.
GIVE WHAT THEY CAN.
These men never belong to the dependent |
class. but, only being able to tide over |
the winter themselves, they are not in posi- |
tion To give largely to the cause Of charity. |
II is well-knuwn fact, however. that
in proportion TO their means they are very |
people, their names appearing
Bumerously on all the contributing lists.
The Labor Bureau has been cunsidera-
BILE factor in relieving the situation 1t
was not in operation last year when good
men wandered aimlessly about in search
Of employment. A commentary on that
condition was offered last week at the
bureau, where seven men asked for work
and six were placed in good positions.
The bureau is ''non-partisan' In its
work of charity, iuasmuch as several of
its bencriciaries were non-union appli-
cants.
Mr.. Simmons furnished The Times last
season with data on which the hest charity
estimates for the season were based, and
they proved To be eminently correct. He
is of the opinion that the distress will |
not be as general this year as last. but
that there will be plenty of work to do
e IL L. z,.x,.. .iI.alal liz iIa..li li.a.a1l