Evening star., 1899-01-02
HELPING THE NEEDY POOR
Prevailing Weather Conditions Call for
Food and Fuel.
Work of Organizations Having the
Charities in Charge-Every
Case Cared For.

Cold and cherries are many homes ir
the capital city at the beginning of the new
year. The poor. who rejoiced with their
| richer brothers and sisters during the glad
| Christmas season, when the days were
balmy and spring like. are suffering, today
from the bleak wintry weather which set
in with the shades of New Year eve. While
happiness and cheer reign supreme in
many places where there is every evidence
of p!enty-money. food and seasonable bev-
| conditions just the reverse hold
sway in the poorer districts where little
single-story houses. marked with crevises
and cracks, through which the night winds
creep do duty as home"
Snowy weather always increases suffer
ing among the poor, for many of these in
digent persons have to depend upon forag-
ing trips in the unsettled pfTtions of 10 lhe n
is now covered with snoT and completely
hidden from view. The /resent heavy fall
in temperature has hroEht about this con-
dition of affairs and /he poor are faring
badly.
The cold snap how/er, is not without its
blessings, for many Willing men in reduced
circumstances have/ found work in remov-
ing the ice and snfw from the sidewalks;
The money thus syured has been of untold
value in hundreds/of homes. large force
of men has founfy employment today in The
street cleaning department, which is be-
ginning the wo1k of removing the snow
from street crossings and the business
thoroughfares ! Much suffering has thus
; been alayed and many poor people are re-
liered of the necessity of soliciting aims
from the char5ty associations and institu-
tions-
Previous Warming.
The sufferingsin the District among the
needy class of the population has not been
very great so far ebis winter. The present
cold spell was foreessted several days in
advance of its ARRIVAL and those who were
wise prepared during Che pa~t week for the
ganizations We're preb/red. alsS. to meet
the invading army oschill. bitinG weather,
and their agents had reported alNthe faml-
lies who would likely suffer most Erom the
people were at once supplied, so faNas pos
sible, and all last Saturday until Aate at
night the representatives of the charities
labOred in distributing supplies of fodI and
fuel. The agents did not stop their work of
relief on account Of Sunday and New Year
day combined. but labored on attending to
all the cases brought to their attention
which We're found worthy after inyestiga-
ton.
Secretary Wilson of the Associated Char
tties nd several of his assistants gave up
their holiday today and were at the office
OF the association looking after the inter-
ests of the needy. The applications for as
SiStanCe are mostly for fuel for it is from
the cold the poor are suffering most at
present. 1llY-clad their houses of a con-
structlon far from the warmeSt and with
no fire TO take the dampness and chill from
the atmosphere within, there is necessarily
considerable distress. but every need has
been met so far by the charities and there
is no reason 70 believe there will be a
dearth of supplies during the present spell
Of frigid weather.
The Co-0perntiye Effort.
The representatives of the Citizens Relief
Association. the outgrOwth of the central
relief committee, Lave also worked long
and diligently in relieving all needy persons.
These two charities have co-opcrated in
their work. In the cases reported to these
agencies yesterday temporary help was
rendered to tide the parties over Sunday.
Today more substantial aid is being admin
istered.
The Associated Charities request persons
needing men to do any work at this season.
cleaning sno.y from the sidewalk, etc, to
notify the office by note or telephone as
men can always be furnished who are ready
TO work and are in need of the money to
provide for their families.
At the Union Mission there have been a
number of calls for assistance, while the
number of dodgers over night has been un-
usually large, as is usually the case with
Such weather prevailing. The municipal
lodging house has also been well filed with
boardcrs during the past two nights. These
institutions care for those whose habitat is
the street and who have little to cheer