Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-02
FOOD FOR $50 FAMILIES.
Howard Benevolent Union Receives an linus
ual Amount of Assistance

What did the Howard Benevolent
Union do for the poor. this year, the
Journal asked +. Il. Dudley and
Thomas J. Lynch, Friday afternoon.
Neither gentleman could give figures
regarding the food though each could
say that about $l35 had been contrib
uted in cash and that a great many
groceries had been given. Both direct
cd the Journal man to +. II. Beale as
the one who would know most about it
as Mr.. Beale had, with the ladies, su-
perintended the distribution Of the
food.
Mr.. Beale was found in his office and
when asked the same question that The
others had been asked, said, The poo
pie of Augusta We're unusually free
with their money and food. this year
They did nobly and about $50 families
were made happy thereby.
How many turkeys did you give
away" asked The Journal.
We don't deal in turkeys" answered
Mr. Bcal. laughing. They are LITTLE
beyond us as chicken answers the pur-
pose very Well. The contributions are
about always in chicken and, as wt
cannot give all turkeys We DO not give
any, but coufinc ourselves to chickens.
We distributed 500 pounds of these III
on" form and another Some were
baked already for the table as they
had been given to us by the people and
In" rest we purchased outright. Then
in connection with this we gave away
900 pounds of spare rib. Among other
things sent out were two barrels of
onions. three bushels W cranhcrrip5.
thro" barrels of potatoes, two barrels
of squash, one barrel of cabbage. 20D
pounds of sugar. ~ pounds of coffee
- pounds Of tea. four bushels of tur-
Ufre.
I.. was this al djstributrd%"
II was brought in hy the contribu-
tors in the first place, t. Il. A. r. han
and we carried an til" things we pur-
chased there Then the baskets of
food were madrup and all day Wcdncs-
day We had three teams engaged in
the delivery Of The baskets.
WAS there no ric s,ivcn?'
Every basket had pies ana brcal
with enough doughnuts IL satisfy tn
greatest caters III the city. All thcya
baskets If food containing the dinner
were delivered to the different houses
made d"uhIy happy.
''ITuW do you know where to deliver
them"
The Union is 4 Well organized insti-
tuition ana it has every part "f the city
with every needy and worthy family
that lives within it's limits under sur
VIGILANCE. You see the Union has a
me ting. every week. and at thcSr
meetings the lists are revised. The city
is divided into sections or districts. ana
every district is looked after hy SOM.
member. Every needy family il looked
az ana their wants attended to whether
it is at THANKSGIVING or any other tim
in the year. If family is respectable
and it is in need there is every help eX-
tended to them. Miss Hincklcy of tn
board Of lady visitors to the poor
house, and Overs-er Of the Poor G. a.
| Robertson gives Us great aid in find
ing the families that are worthy Of aid.
/ We keep many from going upon tn
city by giving them aid in the time
when they need and thus bridging over
the times when they are actually in
hard circumstances. So you see every
time an affair like this occurs We have
the list Of every section to 60 by ana
the worthy ones receive the food.
4 1T would have done the contributors
good to have seen the people. Wednes-
day as they received the food. II
nearly every case they were exceed
ingly thankful for the sid and the goo!
/ elmer. and it was Il pleasure to assist
/ them