The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-30
ANGELS OF CHARITY.
The Large Hearted
Policeman Wins
Many Prayers.
POOR FAMILIES GIVEN FOOD.
Children of Abbott Street
School Remember I'm
fortunates.
POOR FAMILIES GIVEN FOOD.

SlNluS, mas uOne MS work so well that
yesterday morning the police stables
resembled wholesale provision house.
Tons of turkeys, barrels of potatoes,
barrels of onions and in fact barrels of
everything that would go towards MAX
ing up a feast fit for king were
brought to station l early yesterday
morning and all day long Worcester's
finest worked like beavers distributing
the eatables among the poor families
There was not a thing missing to
make up a first class feast, and every
deserving person in Worcester who is
unable to celebrate the me-honored
day owing to circumstances is sure to
receive a call from the department
There is no show of ostentation about
the distribution of food and the manner
used in former years of sending around
the articles in the police wagon with
an officer in uniform to do the work
was done away with. The matter was
carefully studied by Deputy Chief At
kinson and he decided that the goods
should be distributed as quietly as pos
sible, and through the kindness of sew
eral officers in the Worcester depart
ment who own rigs Of their own the
goods were left at the houses in the
brought from a store
For the past two weeks people of
Worcester have been solicited for sub
scriptions by the officers, and quietly
they have also secured the names of the
poor people on their beats whom they
knew would be unable to enjoy turkey
and dressing for the THANKSGIVING din
ner
From early morn until late last night
the officers worked distributing the
goods and their wagons laden with
supplies made as many round trips as
possible. In all the names of about 400
families were brought in by the police
and it is figured out by Deputy Chief
Atkinson that the families will repre-
sent at least 1900 persons who will be
able to sit down to a turkey dinner to-
day as a result of the kindness of the
citizens of Worcester in sending in con-
tributions.
The work of filing the baskets yester-
day was. under the personal supervision
of Deputy Chief Atkinson, assisted by
Sergts. Thomas E. McMurray and Geo.
H. Hill. The number in each family
was considered always before the bas-
ket was filed and tagged and in one
case where there were 13 in a family a
19-poJnd turkey was laid in the basket
and second basket filed up with other
things that were necessary to make the
proper f1xings was sent along with the
big turkey.
In other eases, where families con-
sisted of only two or three people, the
size of the turkey was accordingly
small, and it is safe to wager that
there will be no hungry persons in Wor-
cester To-Day, if they have applied to
the police for aid.
1t was arranged as nearly as posi-
BILE that each officer would distribute
the goods in his own territory and
more than 300 baskets were sent out
during the day. Each basket was first
graced with a turkey and then pota-
toes, onions, pork, turnips, beets, cab
bage, parsnips, tea or coffee, cheese
flour and several loaves of bread were
used to I'LL in, and every one of the
officers did work during the day that
ought to stand as a perpetual recon-
mendation of his ability to hustle. The
turkeys were a select lot of Vermont
ers picked out by Deputy Chief Atkin-
son personally, and he used the same
care with every bird that he would
use to purchase one to grace his own
table.
The rounds made by the police went
plainly to show that the persons visited
still cling to the old time customs of
having a bird on Thanksgiving day
and while the sentiments uttered by
the poorer class to the officers differed,
they all were universal In their hopes
for Thanksgiving dinner,
The subscriptions up to yesterday
amounted to S699,e5, Yesterday morn
ing, Miss Alice II. Bedding, principal
of the Abbott street school, called on
Capt, David A. Matthews at station /
and left the following list of articles
which mad been donated by the children
OF the school; Two barrels of potatoes,
two barrels of apples, three barrels of
squash and pumpkins, one barrel OF
cabbage, one barrel Of other vegeta-
bles, one barrel of jellies, cookies and
bread, 100 garments, A countless num-
Der of magazines were also sent in to
be distributed among children at the
city, Memorial and Isolation hospitals
1t shows the spirit Of the children
who attend school at the building, and
the little ones have done more than
their share towards making many
homes in Worcester happy. The little
ones also show their respect for other
little ones in the world who have not
been as fortunate as they, and Miss
Bedding received the hearty congratu-
lation Of all the police officials at the
station for the good showing Of her
pupils. The other teachers at the school,
Misses Belcher, Hopwood, Matthews,
March and Kneeland, united with Miss
Bedding in her work. The pupils at the
Downing street school also sent two
barrels of vegetables. Other contribu-
lions received were: E. T. Smith & Co.,
1870 pounds of coffee; N. Fl. Clark,
smoked shoulders; Genery Stevens,
poultry; j. p. Squires, one box of
smoked shoulders; Dowd & Co.. chest
of tea; Thomas E. Dowd, chest of tea;
Stephen Salisbury, 40 bags of flour, 40
packages of tea, 40 packages of coffee
40 packages of cheese and one barrel of
-four Boston Candy Kitchen two pals
of candy: James Hicks, sugar, tea and
coffee; Elizabeth A. Bradley, three bags
of -four. Walter b. Lester, u loaves of
bread e. L. Pierce, bread; James
Nourse, one bushel Of potatoes; C. M
Herrick, groceries.
Contributions in money received yes
terday were: Prof. i. P. Kinnicutt, 3d.
DR.. Leonard Wheeler, IS; friend, S.;
Gertrude Ward, 50; friend, ST. ]. w.
Sargent. $40; Charles S. Washburn, $25;
James Fox, So; T. H. Sullivan 50; J..
Harper, IS; Scanlon & Mcmahon, 81;
George Weigert, ST. Prentice Bros, $40;
Victor Blake, IS; Fordyce Blake, So;
C. E. Earle, So; friend, 25 cents; j. J..
Sexton. 50; Charles P. Wilder, 81: Mrs.
c. p. Wilder, 81. The total amount re-
ceived in contributions to date is
S7S9.90.
This morning the work of distribu-
ting the goods will be continued and