The Jersey City news., 1898-09-06
GOOD SAMARITAN WORK.
What the Relief Committee
Is Doing at the
P. R. R. Depot.
SICK SOLDIERS CARED FOR
An Appeal to Citizens offer.
sey City For Aid to
Continue It.

The work of the Soldiers Relief CONS
mittee in this city, has grown to tremen~
dous proportions. When 1t was started
less than q week ago, the Rev. Charles F.
Coykendall who was placed In charge Of
the work in the Pennsylvania depot
merely assisted the men through, took
them to the nearest restaurant and fed
them, or supplied them with money II
they were too sick to drag themselves any
further he sent them to the City Hospital.
He had few of the conveniences which the
men most needed. Since then he has
fitted up a regular hospital In the depot.
1t is located in the space between the
Stationmaster's Office and the passage to
the Twenty-third street ferry. There he
has OVER dozen cots, two or three dozen
camp chairs, cooling drinks of every de-
scription, and an ample supply Of such
medicines as are needed for sick soldiers.
TO this place the sick and convalescerht
are taken when they arrive in the depot
They are fed, nursed and cared for until
they are able to go on their way.
1t is not an uncommon thing for soldiers
en- route from Montauk Point to their
homes in the West to have
to wait four or five hours
or even longer for their trains. Such
men were formerly obliged to sit in the
waiting room, where there was no place
to rest comfortably. Now they go to tho
relief station and sleep on the cots. Mr.
Coykendall pins a record on each
mans cot before he goes to sleep, SO that
he can tell just what time to wake him
for his train.
Mr.. Coykendall is now assisted by q
number of young ladies, who have vol
unteered for the work. Among them are
his sister, Miss Grace Carpenter and Miss
Grace Brooks. His most able and hard
working assistant, however, is his moth
er a kindly woman, whose whole heart
and soul seem to be in the humanitarian
work superintendent by her son. Mr.
Coykendall desires that the following ap-
peal reach the people of Jersey City
To the Citizens of Jersey City:
Soldiers returning from the war-siel<s
wounded, destitute, exhausted with travel
and strangers to the city-are focking
into Jersey City by every train. Destined
to all parts of the country, they are
forced to pass through the city en- route.
often arriving late at night. with no pro-
vision for their comfort or safety during
their stay. They receive transportation
at Camp Wikoff, but usually expect to
| draw their sustenance money in conn
mutation of rations at the Army Build
ing in New York, but arrive after it is
closed for the day, and are thus helpless
for the night.
They are not paupers, but heroes. No
citizen of Jersey City seeing one OF them
in distress would hesitate for a moment
to offer him temporary sustenance on
his homeward journey. This is not
charity; it is humanity. The pity is that
this emergency has arisen SO suddenly
that it is upon US before the public is
aware and before any formal organiza-
tion can be erected to cope with IT
Happily, it will not long continue, but
will for the next three or four months re-
quire daily and nightly attention.
The undersigned issue this appeal In be-
half of the work undertaken by the Sol
diers' Comfort Committee of New York.
under the auspices of the Board of Trade
and Transportation. to relieve the i'm
mediate and pressing necessities OF the
soldiers. and in view of the urgency of the
situation bespeak for it the cordial re-
sponese which Jersey City ever aeeorls
to the call OF humanity. We have IaeR
meeting the incoming trains at the de-
pots, Army Building. etc., to receive tha
soldiers, direct them on their way, give
them tickets for lodgings, meals. car
fares. medicines. etc, and send the sick
to hospitals. Every cent received Is
carefully distributed to the soldiers them
selves, our men working unselfshly as
volunteers, giving their time freely until
the last trains have arrived after mid
night.
VIM. H. PARSONS, Chairman
DARWIN r. JAMES, Treasurer.
S. H. MILDENBERG, Secretary.
The Soldiers Comfort Commits
tee of New York.
All money should be sent to Mr.. Darwin
R. James, No. 203 Broadway, New York.