CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-04-07
fMPRoyIDENT POVERTY.
A Difficult Problem for Philan-
thropic Workers.
Poor People Who DO Not Knew How
to observation-disclosures Which
Point Out Their
FafiinkD,

The general improvidence of the poor
and their inability to make the most
of the little money upon which they
must live are constantly being i'm
pressed by new illustrations upon the
minds of all charitable and philan-
thropic workers. People who are liv
ing in the utmost wretchedness, suf-
fering oftentimes from both hunger
and cold, will, unless careful watch
De kept over their movements, frequent
Iy spend the first money which comes
into their possession for some entirely
supertiuous and useless article. II is
the old story of being able to get on
without the necessaries of life, but
not without its luxuries. A case in
point recently came up before the
..Society for Relief of Poor Widows
with Small Children" This is one of
the oldest charitable organizations of
the city. having recently celebrated its
hundredth anniversary. Its object is
to assist widows who have as many as
two children under 12 years old, the
help being given, as rule, in the form
OF food. clothing. etc, instead of in
money. The woman in the instance re-
ferred to has six children. the youngest
of whom is now ~. Although this
properly excludes her from the bene-
fits of the society. the Officers have
been interested in her struggle to main
tain her large family and have con-
tinued their aid at their own private
expense. In spite Of this, ard the fact
:i.at two or three of the older chill
dren are earning money. the mother
complained recently 10 Gre the set
Elements WHERE She IS known fiat she
was much behind in her rent, p did
not see how she could e. 80. A
visitor called At her house sni .oticed.
as soon as she entered. two -ew and
rather expensive pieces e tnrniture-
folding bed and chest drawers.
ITrnn ir:uufry she learned tff' She wom-
an had bought then short time be-
fore and was paviny for tEem by in
siallmeuts. To rlee; the last payment
she had pavned rev suit belonging
- her I5-year-old SON. The rent was
three months overdue.
When demonstrated with for this
piece Of extravarauce, the widow said
that when she bought the things she
rid rot see any reason why she could
not ray for them. because her son was
receiving good wages, Il was some time
b. fore she could be made to see the
foolishress of the purchase, and 1t IS
not probable that the lesson will be Of
ary use when different occasion for
spending presents itself
Another extremely poor widow. to
whom the society pays FIVE dollars a
month af'-zyirp her 10 take IL in any
commodities she chooses. was found to
have bcugtt from this amount, AZ de
partmcut store where the society has an
account a yard and half Of velvet.
A third woman. who is unable to
work. IS visited by the workers of one
OF the settlements. and also receives five
dollars n month from private person
who is interested in her. Herrert uutil
is;e,y has been seven dollars q month
for two rooms. Helped as she was, If
was possible for her 10 raise the re-
naming two dollars to make up ,he
rent The other day, however. the set
it4at the woman hGd hired another
room. thereby Increasing her rent TO
trn dollars month
-'vhv did you DO such thing as
;ha,2~ she was asked.
We'll" ste ansv cred. 81 thought
n,arhe : Trfrht he able 10 let it cr
arair. ana then I'd make something ou;
n IT,"
nst there was no tenant in view, az
rP - the present the specu,a 'oG har
rrctuced outlay and no revenue.-N.
y sTrFhurs