CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-05-12
[MPROvIDENT POVERTY.
A Dimcuft Problem for Philan-
thropic Workers.
Peer People Who DO Not Know How
to Eeonoaise-Instaac which
Point Out Their
FaflinKs-

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-
thrupic workers. People who are liv-
ing in the utmost wretchedness. suf-
fering oftentimes from both hunger
and cold, will, unless a careful watch
De kept over their movements, frequent
" spend the first money which comes
into their possession for some entirely
superiuous and useless article. 1t 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 IL years old. the
help being given, as rule in the form
of food, clothing. etc, instead of in
money The woraan in the instance re-
ferred TO has six children. the youngest
of whom is now II. 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 ard have con-
tinued their aid at their own private
expense In spite of this, ard the fact
that two or three of the older chill
dren are earning money. the mother
complained recently to one nj the set
Elements where she is known that she
was much behind in her rent, and did
not see how she could ret aicrC. A
visitor called at her house and roticed.
rs soon MS she entered, two new and
rather expensive pieces of furniture
folding bed and chest Of drawers.
Upon inquiry she learned that the wom-
an had bought them n short time be-
fore and was paving for them by in
stallmcnts. To meet the last payment
she had pawued rev suit belonging
>, Ne- 15-vear-old son. The rent was
three months overdue.
When demonstrated with for this
piece OF eNtravaEarce, the widow said
that when she bought the thiurs she
did no; see any reason why she could
not raw for them. because her sor was
receiving good wages, II was S-r7e time
be fore she could be made 70 see the
foolishress of the purchase, and il i
not probable that the lesson Will be Of
any use when different occasion for
srendirv presents itself.
Another extremely poor widow, to
whom the society pays five dollars a
month. s',-wiuE her to take i; il any
commodities she chooses, IVES ferud TO
have hcurht from this amount. ~ . de
partmeut store where the societ~ las an
account. yard and half cf ve'vet
A third woman, who is urab'e to
work. is visited by the wc~l,ers Of one
Of the srti'r-sNats- a dalse receives FIVE
dollars = meth f~-,a rrivate '-erson
who Is II, --Stce T. her. rcrrsr; rntil
lately has tcea sefcu do-ars V>enth
for two rv'~--S. Tc,red as SIC vas. it
wEs | asss'''r Cor her TO ra'.c the re-
malnis~ ,vvl dcl'a-s to RAKE up she
rent. III cher cav. however,. -he' set
t.ement Visitor was as,crr bed 10 find
that the wcmar - hired aasther
roOr' 't.rrtv decreasing her rent to
ten 6c'afs mouth.
~why did You = such thing as
| that :" she v-as asked.
| -we,i.- she arsy cred. Il thought