Evening star., 1898-07-15
SOLDIERS FAMILIES
Many Now Need Assistance and Are
Receiving It.
SYSTEMATIC WORK GOING ON
Relief Committee of the Daughters
of the American Revolution.
SOME DISTRESSING CASES

Only prompt action will save the District
of Columbia from a scandal that will for
ever be regretted by every patriotic citi-
zen. From one thousand homes within the
District fathers. sons or brothers have gone
to the front and are now at Santiago de
Cuba ready to sacritlce their lives In the
defense of country and of liberty.
1t is not strange that out of this large
number there should be instances in which
the families left behind have suffered from
having their means of support withdrawn.
In some instances these cases have been
attended to by relatives or friends of the
patriotic soldiers. Those who would be
slow to ask for assistance have been forced
by stern necessity to appeal for food and
clothing for little ones whose fathers are
doing service in the ranks Some time ago
several associations began taking up these
cases and systematic effort Is now being
made to so organize the patriotic forces of
the District that in the future 1t can never
be said that the mother, wife or child of a
soldier who went to Cuba from the Dis
trict of Columbia to risk his life before
Spanish soldiers or from disease or priva-
tion has suffered for want of the neces-
saries of life.
Mary Washington Chapter.
Most prominent among the association
that have entered upon this work has bee |
the Mary Washington Chapter Of II =
Daughters of the American Revolution-
This organization has appointed a relief
committee. which has been actively at
work for some time succorlng the distress
ed, in which work they have been greatly
hampered because of lack of funds. This
relief committee consists of Mrs. F. w.
Dickins. chairman, 1884 10Th street: Miss
Virginia Miller 1729 P street: Miss Corne-
liza Clay, 1913 s street; Mrs NJ. B. Hatch,
202i street; Mrs. J. E. Bradley, 6f7 East
Capitol street; Miss Lawton, 1880 Massa-
chusetts avenue; Miss Hill, 14th street
near Euclid avenue: Mrs Rafr. 603 22d
street.
The home of Mrs Dicklns has been con-
5 verted into a headquarters for this relief
work. and chairman of the relief COM
mittee Mrs. Dickins every morning receives
applicants for assistance. has cases inves-
tigated. receives and distributes donations
/ or 0lOtntng as well as food and money sup
piles. and in many Instances personally
| looks after cases reported to her. The
facts connected with this relief work are
highly credtable to that American spirit
which refuses assistance except as last
extremity.
Up to last evening there were on the
books of the relief committee TWENTY-FIVE
cases of wives of soldiers who had applied
for assistance, and in whose cases an in
yesttgation had shown that the applicants
were thoroughly deserving. These twenty
two cases involve forty-four children an
VI NCiidcA CStS, d 1dTBe NUMBER OF them
being ba bes in their mothers arms This
makes at least sixty-six people who were
dependent upon soldiers who have gone to
the front now depending upon the gener-
osity OF those who have remained at home.
for actual necessities of life. Against this
account OF necessities there is now in the
treasury of the relief committee lust $50
10 stand between these women and chill
oren and starvation.
When Relief Was Asked.
This morning three addition al applicants
were added to the list, and they will be
promptly investigated A popularity of all
the cases of suffering among families of
the volunteers is that in nearly every in
stance relief was asked for after every
means of obtaining 1t In some independent
way was exhausted. Won en- left at home
had sought work everywhe without sue
cess. and then in order to provide food for
the little children left in their care had
sold one piece of furniture after another to
get food to put in the mouths Of the little
ones.
In one case a woman coming for relief
/ had emptied her house of every piece of
/ furniture except a table and a wash tub.
One by one the parior chairs had been
/ taken down to the secondhand furniture
store and disposed of, the money received
for them being exchanged for bread on the
way home. The pictures for the walls had
come down and the bed room furniture
even the bed itself. had gone the same
way
1t only when desperation brought on
by the piteOus appeal of children for food
had driven the mother from the home in
fruitless search for work that she hunted
up the reHef committee and stated ner case.
This is only one instance. and in a general
way 1t is a fair example of nearly all the
cases the relies committee is endeavoring
to provide for.
lief for herself and children. 1t was read
fly seen that she was thoroughly exhausted
for the lack of food. The case was prompt
ly investigated, and it was found that she
and her thres children had for several days
subsisted on dry bread. the mother having
a little supply of coffee. Before they ap-
piled for relief tkis meager stock had been
exhausted. The family consisted of a little
girl six years old. boy four years old and
a baby ten months Of age.
Some Distressing Cases.
Another distressing case is that of a wo-
man with I'VE little children, and who is
about again to become a mother In her
pitiable condition effort is being made to
reEeye her, but such relief is is afforded Is
very small
Nearly all the women who apply for re-
lief do not apply for money. but for work
In most instances they have little children
at home. so that the only work they can do
is sewing. which they take up in the
intervals of looking after their little ones.
1t has not been possible to secure all the
work of this kind that these needy women
could do. and even If that were possible the
pay they would receive would not be suti-
cient TO take care Of themselves and their
children. The wife of soldier who lives in
Georgetown is now engaged in making wo-
mems garments at . cents apiece. and by
working every spare moment she can find Is
able to earn only from 15 cents to 81
week.
Another case that would appeal TO the
patriotic sentiment OF every American is
that of d woman who has a husband and
son in the navy and a son in the army who
Is living in this city with her family in
great necessity. The oldest child of eleven
years Of age. is subject to f1ts. ard there
are five other children, all less than eight
years OF age without means of support
It is known exactly what the husband
and the two sons receive from the govern
II ent. but they having enlisted only
Gently. the regulations are such that they
have been unable to send any money home
and cannot do so for at least six weeks to
come
A most touching circumstance attending
this story of privation is in the fact that
nearly all the soldiers whose cases have
come to the attention of the relief commit
tee have seat every penny of their. pay