The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-04-07
IT is FEARFUL.
The Destitutlon in Chicago. Accord.
ing to the Report of Minne-
apOlis Man.
Fifty Thousand Idle Men and Twenty six
Thousand Destitute Families.
(Minneapolis Penny Press.)

tMlnneapOllS feany ffe9S.)
Attorney II. D. Stocker, Jr. secre-
tary of the Gold and Silver club, re-
turned this morning from Chicago.
Mr.. Stocker has been making a per-
sonal investigation of the condition
of the poor Of Chicago. During his
stay he spent his time among the des-
titute. visiting their homes and
novels, the county agents relief build
ing, interviewed the chief of police,
president OF the board Of county COM
missioners, county agent for the poor
and many other officials Of lesser i'm
portance living in the Windy City.
Mr.. Stocker, in an interview with the
Evening Press today, in part, said:
"No period in the history Of Ch;ca-
60 has been marked with such general
dissatisfaction and distress as that
which is found there at the present
time. No matter which way l turned
| found idle men and discouraged
hearts. Tramps fill the streets and
the guant wolf Of starvation is star
ing into the desolate homes of about
<O,VUV la uillCS. AVAC 10 dU Vic plCS.
ent time over $1,000 idle men. The
county agent informed me that that
is three times as many as there was
this time last year. Out of 12,4O0
starving men and women assisted by
the county authorities, within short
space or time, only II we're single men,
the remainder being classed as follows:
Married, 9,O37; widows, 2.31S; deserted,
Sl7: and widowers 220. Since the lst
Of January the county of Cook has ex-
pended $500 to keepa part Of the in
habitants Of Chicago from literally
starving or freezing to death.
"The sum Of sos, 900 does not include
the contributions made by charitable
organ cations and charitably inclined
persons, which the chief OF police esti-
mated at So, 900. The saddest sight
ever witnessed was last Thursday
morning at 126 Clinton street, in Chi
cago At the invitaJios Of President
HI ally, of the board of county commits
sioners, l witnessed the distribution
of the days rations to several hund-
rcd men, women and children. And |
must say that they acted more like
hungry wolves than human beings.
One poor unfortunate, while standing
Ia line, fell to the floor from lack Of
SuHlclcuC IOOQ. one OI Uile county OF
ficials informed me that out OF 779
calls made on these unfortunates by
the county physicians hired for that
| purpose, over 600 cases of sickness was
coused by reason Of lack Of proper
nourishment.
and to think Of all this when our
granaries are burs ting with the pres.
sure of bountiful harvests: and, our
farmers have no end Of produce to sell.
"Thcse poor men, women and child
rem, by the housands-hungry be-
cause they have not the money to buy
corn at 20 cents bushel. Starvation
in the midst Of plenty, and yet our
gold friends inform us that there is an
oYerproduction OF everything. How
foolish!
"They also tell us in the face of this
destitution that there is plenty Of
money Where is it? Tied up in a
few Eastern banks. How true were
the words OF Bacon, the English phi
losopher, when comparing money to
manure: IL gathered in heaps it does
no good; on the contrary, it tecomes
offensive; but being spread, though
ever so thinly, it enriches the whole
| country"