The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-18
WHAT REFORM WOKK COSTS
Mrs. Charlotte Smith Advises People Not
TO Make Oyer The World Unless Rich.
CAN SPEND A MILLION EASILY.
lakes "A Fortune for Lawyers and Det,& .
ives Every Time You Attack New
City-.'Parkhurst Is "a Run
Away"

WASHINGTON, July ia great many
people think tnat d rerormeg IS IN tina
business Tor her health. That II costs
her nothing but her time, That 10 Is her
pleasure ana her JOY 10 reform. ana that
she accomplishes tho work py few
words and Il nItle moral sudsion. But
can tell them mat when other people
sleep she works. When others take their
summer vavation she keeps on ploddins
Just the same, spending ner money ~.
not at the seashore, but at work.
have been 4 ''reformer" for the WORK
OF industrial women for twenty years.
and for i've years nave devoted all my
time to unfortunate women. Just what
IT. has cost me L cannot tell. can oh4y
estimate it in the lowest figures.
L have put my hand in my pocket con-
tinually. once 1 remember lV,VVO women
were turned out in the Streets they had
no home, no friends. l hired house,
put in beds and sitting-room furniture
and hired cooks and servants had as
many as l25 new applicants day. Soon
my house proved too small for tho haiE
of them, even lodging them In cots ana
on mattresses. Then 1 gave them money
TO get lodgings and meals at a essaurant
This lasted about four years before all
got settled In their proper places. l had
a house in Boston, and also 4 place ia
New York.
The experience might have cost mo
$500 at the beginning. But before l got
through it surely put me $4,000 out "
pocket.
Notwithstanding that I have spent SO
much money, even IL had spent thous-
ands It would be only a drop in tho
bucket. 1 have had more practical ex-
perience than any woman In tina coun-
try. L get out circulars and pamphlets.
have issued $1,000 circulars at cost OK
$3.50 a thousand. l got out 5000 letters
in Albany and wrote personal letters %
each individual. What We want IL thu
legislature to act in tho matter.
l suppose l am what you would call
rich woman. My present income from my
husbands estate and by inheritance -
5000 per year. 1t used TO be a great
deal more but as my work progressed 1
disposed Of property right and left to
meet the demands. IL / had saved my
money. or II l had lived upon my In
come, letting my capital increase In value.
1 should have been worth half a million
to-day at a very low estimation. A mil
lion would be small II estimated properly.
Notwithstanding that l have spent 30
much money, il IS only a drop In the
bucket TO what might be spent.
In Albany during March and April I
issued 60OOO circulars at a cost OF $3.50
per thousand. They were 10 help along
a branch Of the work which every in
telllgent man said was a necessary
step. wanted 10 get a popular petition
for introducing a certain bill before trs
Legislature-and you can't do a thing
without money.
1 got out 5000 personal letters in Al
bany 10000 pamphlets, paid hundreds
Of dollars to detectives. and, incidentally.
helped all the girls who came to me-
A reformers lawyers fees are very
great. They eat up hundreds. No reform
can go on without lawyers and detectives.
| The latter are useful In tho way OF eri-
| dence. You must get inside facts; then
when you face your Senator you can
| tell him this and that about himself
| OF course back OF you there must be
legal advice 10 frame petitions, drag up
| bills, write letters 70 Governors and de-
fend you against malgners. In Albany
| this spring IN less than three months
spent $4,000 getting Albany started in
reform.
don't believe an earnest reformer
can keep an actual expense account
spent $4,000 in the last four years tina,
can't account for. Ny personal expen.
ses are least OF my expenses. eat simple
food. never 90 20 tho theatre. A roll
and n cup Of coffee twice a day supports
me- Ten dollars n week would be ample
for my personal expenses. I live on 81
n day individually. outside Of car fare.
But my lawyers expenses per day-a
last Saturday-are $50.
Undertakers bills also eat up money
The lowest price for burying a baby II
ST. I have buried about sixty-hve peo-
pie. young and Old. IN the past four
years.
Then medicines take money. started
a dispensary IN Boston for medicines. az
a cost Of about 5000 7 ran it Tor two
years. until the Legislature passed an
act helping me ont
CHARLOTTE SMITH