The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-04
GIFTS OF APPLES.
Farmers Make n Fruit
Offering to Boston Poor.
Boston Transcript.

Boston Transcript.
There are three topics to-day that absorb
the attention of the very poor; coal, milk
famine, and the farmers fruit offering. The
first two are most depressing subjects, but
the last one is as cheering as ray OF sun
light in a dark room. 1t Is fortunate that
the apples arrived just at this time, when
there is no margin in the family purse for
extras of any sort, as all the spare pennies
have gone the way of the stove and the
milk bottle A free gift of apples at such
a time is mamma in the wilderness of
woe, and the children of Israel were not
more grateful than are those who go forth
from the presence of the charity workers
and missionaries with cards in their hands
and come back with fruit for the family.
The substation for giving out the farm
ers' Offering at ST. Andrews Church
Chambers street may we'll be taken as an
example, for it is Systematically managed
and is center of district where free
apples are in demand. This station has
been opened up only a short time, and the
almost constant rain has prevented people
from coming, but still over four barrels
have been distributed, and when ii is con-
sdered that they were doled out in peck
measures and other small allowances it
will be seen that many people have al
ready been made glad. At all times during
the day people drop in with their applica-
ton cards and go away happy with 1ruit
sufficient for their immediate needs.
After 4 o'clock is really the busiest time in
the day for apple carriers. Then the chill
dren old enough to be depended upon are
nome from school, and il is pleasure for
them to hurry away on such an errand.
in the near vicinity of st. Andrews there
is an almost unmixed population of He
brews, and they, with the colored people
up the hill, constitute the chief bene-
ficaries.
1t is interesting TO see the different re-
ceptacles that are brought to bear away
the apples. The farmers fruit offering
plant, so TO speak. is now to furnish paper
bags, but at first ii did not. and the prOvi-
dent who mean TO allow nothing TO prevent
them from taking away as many apples
as are allowed always go prepared. The
favorite shopping bag of the Jews is "a
pillow-caSe. Nothing seems TO fill the bill
more completely than pillow-case. 1t
may be neatly rolled up, put in the top
of the hat if man carries it, or tucked
under the arm, which is under the shawl.
If woman goes appleing. Then when
it comes TO the filling the bearer of the
pillow-case feels that he has done all that
can be done in the way of influencing the
doing out of a liberal portion. Coal sacks
are also used to a great extent and not
infrequently is an apron pressed into serv-
ice. Sometimes woman trudges content
cdly home with her apron still on and as
conveniently full as she can manage 1t.
The colored people, especially those who
have Southern traditions in the blood, go
forth in quest of apples with basket on
the arm
The coming of these apples into the fam
lily iarder is an event of such Importance
that few can appreciate just what ii means
unless they themselves have been i'm such a
tight fix financially that 5-cent piece
represented quite bright bit of existence.
TO such as these the coming of bag of
apples means unwonted luXuries, such as
pies, apple dumplngs, buildings, apple
sauce and baked apples. 1t was baking
day, for wonder, in humble home
yesterday, and there was one pie made.
When the little girl was asked If the pie
was good she quickly answered: II don't
know, for we haven't had il yet Mas
saving it for supper. We would have had
two pies if we hadn't eaten up many of
the apples.
Do aunes really on into families ,baro
they are needed, is the question asked
sometimes, and perhaps the best answer to
that Is a letter Just received at this sta
ton. IL asks for as many apples he
spared to this family, as the mother is just
about TO enter the hospital for a severe
operation. and the father is going 10 keep
house and care for the children. He wise
~ thinks that the apples will make the
problem an easier one. Apples brought
great excitement into one home. The bag
was kept behind the door and the atmos-
phere was richly favored with the fruit of
New England apple trees. There was a
rush OF Italian feet and up the stairs they
numbered, ar onslaught was made on the
bag behind the door and although the
mother, with the twins asleep i'm her arms
called frantically for them TO let the an
pies alone, they each secured one. and up
and down the sidewalk they went MUNICH
ing. while the mother philosophicalIy So
liloquized: Il shan't have to get so much
for supper
Another thrifty housekeeper brought up
in good old Yankee ways of cooking ser a
dish of apples fried in pork and .noIasses
before her appreciative lord-a dish he said
ne had not had for years. Those who have
had apples once may call for more" after
q lapse of time. The farmers could cor
tainly have hit on nothing that would have
done the poor more good Even an in
valid has been made happy by the sight of
a rosy-cheeked apple fresh from the coun-
try so dear.