Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-17

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She Begged for Her Infant,
Away down on 18th street an old woman
eighty-six years of age was located Notice
OF her case had been sent to The Star by
one of the subscribers to the pound party.
Not only was she in dire Distress but
alone. When the reporter explained the
object of the visit and Larsen appeared
with his big arms loaded with provisions
the old shifted uneasily and stood
beWildered. Not a word did she utter until
a shining half dollar was placed in her
hard Then she courtesied low and said:
MY Gawd, mister dis hyar am grand"
Iown near the James Creek canal the
ADDRESS of another worthy was found or
rather guessed at, for there was no number
on the door. 1t was little one-story frame
shanty, covered with split tin cans to keep
out the rain. The house was closed and
the windows barred. There was no evil
dence of life about the place A knock at
the door brought an aged colored woman.
With a deferantial bow she invited the re-
porter in with an ante-bellum salutation:
Come in, marster, it's too cold outen
doors"
1t took very little questioning to learn
the facts in her case. She had husband
Ill of rheumatism in the back room, and
there was nothing to eat in the house. The
reporter told her what the good people of
Washington had done for her and how he
was their agent When the provisions were
fered up a prayer, so fervant, so full of
pathos and so touching that there was one
member in the party who needed his hand
kerchief to wipe away the tears. 1t was
worth all the hardship and Inconvenience
incident to the trip to hear this grateful
woman offer up thanks.
Answer TO Prayers.
Ode Lord done answer my prayers was
the greeting the reporter received from an
aged colored man in one of the small al
leys near the river front His feet were
wrapped in old sacks and he hobbled to
the door in answer to the summons. Poor
old fellow his right hand was frost bitten,
and he had the glare OF a hungry beast
when the provisions were handed out to
him Thankful? There are no adjectives to
fifty describe it u
On the way back upward of fifty men and
women with empty baskets on their arms
We're closely questioned. and If found wor-
thy supplied with something. These are
only a few of the cases visited. There were
many Others all with pitiful stories. of
hunger and cold, fighting the battle of life,
a struggle against misfortune, disease and
blighted hopes.
Another Expedition.
Two emergency relief expeditions for the
poor of the city this morning closed the
pound party which The Star has operated
for the last three days. The largest of
these big expeditions was sent to the north
east, and was in charge of a representative
of The Star, carrying with it an abundance
of food for seventy-fiVe or one hundred
people. These things were taken In the
largest sleigh to be found in the city, and
every corner and crevice of the blg Veh1cle
filled with something to eat. Inere
were barrels of bread of the freshest TO be
bought in the city, hundreds of pounds of
bacon and fresh beef. These We're obtained
from market man who refused to charge
an extra increase in the prices now being
added for these things. In addition, Mr..
Loeffler, the market dealer, made present
of $50 pounds of meat puddings and bacon.
Besides the meat, bread and flour, the
large expedition carried hundreds of pack
ages of tea, coffee, milk, etc, making prob
ably the most complete and novel eXpedi-
ton of the kind ever known in the city.
The Star representative in charge had the
names of meritorious people to whom to
give these goods
The second expedition was destined for
the northwest and took similar supplies
for about twenty-five to fifty people. 1t
was in charge of Mrs. Curtis. wife Of DR..
Curtis of Freednen's Hospital, who volun
teered her services. She also carried with
her list of names left with The Star
by responsible people, police officials and
others.
In all of these cases there was not the
least doubt of urgent need. Mrs. Curtis
services were gladly accepted. for the rea-
son that she is perfectly familiar with
many of the cas.s which were supplied
There were throughout the day number
OF expeditions on q smaller scale, supplies
being furnished TO volunteers who had
means of taking the goods to those in need.
While the pound party at The Star office
itself closed yesterday, and will not be
opened again, a few especially urgent cases
were supplied toCay. Besides this, the great
work will still be in progress several days
to come at the headquarters of the super
NisinS principals of the city schools. Thus
the poun1 party has spread throughout the
city, touching every section of need. The
Supervising principals have been supplied
with money largely for the purchase of
shoes and clothing for children. Food will
also be supplied to those whose cases are
known to contain exceptional merit.
Cases of Touching Character.
The few cases supplied at the pound party
room today We're of the most touching ma
ture possible. One white woman with re-
fined face and manner appealed to all who
saw the tears in her eyes and heard her
story. 1t was plainly seen that she had
never before asked, for food. Her story, in
brief, was that her husband, a painter, had
been unable to work during the three weeks
of bad weather which has brought so much
distress to the city, and now he Is sick at
home. The landlord Is demanding his rent
and every penny which could be raised has
been used to prevent being turned out of
doors, leaving nothing for food and
prospects that there will soon be work to
supply food.
If We can only get enough to feed the
think that John will be able to make some
money and keep us going after that. He
never drinks whisky, and all he makes goes
to his little family. 1t is not his fault that
we are without mouthful Of bread.
1t is needless to say that she was sup
Piled with all that could be found, and that
money was taken from the pockets of the
pound party managers TO buy her the other
necessary things which were not to be
found In the supply on hand. This was one
of the cases in which there was not the
least doubt, and consequently more liberal
ity was shown than in many where there
had been at times considerable doubt
Widow and Her Charges.
Another case equally touching was that
of widow with two children and an aged
mother to supply with food She has been
living in one of the best portions Of the
city, but some time ago lost her husband,
who had been well-to-do during his life
time, but had lived up to his income. She
was heavily yelled and told her story be-