The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-02-01
A NOBLE WORK.
Hundreds of Poor People Fed and
Sheltered by Charity's Hand.

DAYS HERALD of the work being
done 10 relieve the suffering FROM
cold and hunger endured by the
hundreds of poor Mexicans IL and
around the city, but full report
was not then made Of the scope OF
the work. ON Thursday evening and
Friday morning food and fuel were
distributed to several hundred peo-
ple at the city market by direction
of Mayor Carson, but on the latter
day the work of relief was taken in
hand by private charity.
All that was necessary TO raise
and expend funds for the sufferers
was head-a leader to suggest, to
take charge of the money, and direct
ITS investment. This leader, as in
previous similar instances, develop
ed in the person of Capt. j. Z. Cum
mings, the warm hearted principal
of the public school. Realizing the
pressing necessities of the poor, on
Friday morning he volunteered his
services, if the citizens would assist
him. The hand of charity is always
open IN Brownsville. Within two
blocks on Elizabeth street, in about
half an hour or less, Capt. Cummings
had raised 500.
4 Obtaining permission to use the
uublic school building, be at once
set about gathering the poor Mex
leans there, and securing supplies
Of food for them. Fires were kept
mn in all the rooms on the lower
floor. one wing being set apart for
the men and the other for the wo-
men. Friday night several hundred
nersons were provided with coffee
and bread, while warm place 10
sleep was provided for all who need
ed if. Saturday as many as $50 were
fed at the school house, and proba-
badly equally as many were supplied
nv food which was carried out by
mothers to children at their homes.
On Sunday, though the cold had
greatly moderated, nearly as many
were fed and sheltered Fires were
kent up in all the rooms during the
entire time. This morning Capt
Cummings felt that the warm wealth
Ter justified him in dismissing his
temporary charges, and they return
ed to their homes.
4 HERALD representative went oui
YESTERDAY at noon. feeding time, to
visit Capt. Cummings free boarding
Ihouse. The sight was certainly an
interesting one. As the sun was
lshinino brightly, the dinner wa
served out on the long porches-ar
"al fresco' feast. The women and
children took their dinner first
!. Nearly three hundred were seated
on the floor in the warm sunshine
The menu consisted of soup, meat
bread and coffee. Great buckets o
steaning soup and beef were carried
along by the walters, and each on'
was given as much as she could eat
Right here il should be remarked
the soup which those poor people
enioved was as good as any the re
/ porter ever saw. Rich and nutrl
cious. thick rice and tomatoes, it wa
tempting and delicious. The CAP
, tain took the reporter through TIT
cooking department, furnishing
| few figures showing the amount .
food consumed by his pensioners
, Coifee-good, strong eoffee-wa
made by the bucket full. Ninet
pounds of coffee were used in thre'
DAYS, with an equal amount of sugar
Great stacks of bread were piie'
upon the tables. over $55 was spen
for tie staff which meant life 10
, these poor people. The soup wa
made under a shed cut of door
TAree immense cauldrons, hoidin
iE all about a hundred gallons, wer
made full The ingredients OF Ia
soup for one meal We're half bee
thirty pounds of rice, and two doz
en- cans of tomatoes Half Goze
: men were employed in wasilin