The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-16
FEW CALLS FOR CHARITY
TALK WITH SECRETARY CIRCUIT, OF
CHARITY ORGANIZATION.
Poor People of indianapolis Are Saw
ing Money and There Is Very
Little Suffering.

the shrieks of the bitter north wind" said
Charles S. Grout. secretary of the Indian
apolis Charity Organization Society, last
night. THAT is, the greater part of them
are added Mr.. Grout. Our organization
emphasizes its plan of encouraging poor
people to fight against poverty rather than
its willingness to furnish assistance graz
tuitously in proper cases. Each year les
sens the number of paupers in this city,
and the reason for this is to be found in
the societys saving system. In this depart
ment of the work. deposits from cents
up are taken. and as the advantages of the
plan become more generally known 1t Is
coming into greater use.
During the year past the poor people
here have saved over $4,000 OF course, one
can readily appreciate what this means in
the reduction of amount of charity that has
to be dispensed. Deposits are not coming in
at this time very rapidly. because the peo-
pie who have money saved up are drawing
it out to prepare themselves and their fam
lilies against the ravages of cold weather.
The $4,000 mentioned means that shoes,
clothing, fuel and medicine were stored
away last summer and fall against the
coming of winter. Isn't Ii much better Tor
these people to walk in here like men and
women with their savings books in hand
and call for money that belongs to them
than for them to come in cringingly and
ask for a little something to eat or some
clothes to protect them against the cold!
Without in any sense boasting, can truth
fully say that the savings system OF the
Indianapolis Charity Organization is the
greatest in the world, taking into consid-
Grafton the size of the city.
CONSIDERABLE SICKNESS.
Another thing that causes large falling
off of savings and deposits is the unusual
amount of sickness in the city just now. l
feel confident. however, that the winter will
pass without any great amount of gratui-
.ous relief being supplied to the poor. The
city has reason to be very proud of its ex-
cellent condition in this respect. We of the
Charity Organization do not believe in the
system in vogue in other cities, as, for in
stance, Columbus and Kansas City, of CIV
ing out an immense amount of poor relief
just for the sake of making an imposing
showing. We think the better showing, by
far, is made in the smallness of the amount
of such assistance. The result of the fndis-
criminate method of giving is that tramps
and unworthy beggars of all sorts flock TO
the cities where it is the practice. When
ever an individual enters our office and
asks for aid you may set it down as pretty
nearly certainty that such person is
worthy and in actual want.
As Mr.. Grout was talking an aged colored
man hobbled into the room, with radiant
face, head erect and holding little book
in his hand. He limped on into the next
apartment, where he proceeded to place
himself in front of the bookkeeper's desk
and lay down the book, accompanied by
dollar. This makes $40 you have on de-
post now" said the young woman who
keeps the books, as she gathered in the
book and silver coin. DO you want to
leave your book to be balanced?' Yes.
ma am" replied the colored man, his teeth
all exposed by the parting of his lips in
happy smile.
There you have a practical demonstra-
ton of the value of the savings depart
ment,' said Mr.. Grout. THAT man looks
as though he had in former days been an
applicant for relief. but now he helps him.
self, just as scores more are doing to-day"
GOOD TIMES.
Mr.. Grout rejoices over the good times
the country is enjoying but at the same
time he calls attention to a somewhat
curious occurrence which almost invari-
ably accompanies prosperous conditions.
This is the desertion of families by work
ingmen. I'm good times you will always
notice that there are more cases of wife
and family desertion than when times are
hard" said he. 1.-The reason appears to be
that when men are employed and making
good wages they have money with which
TO indulge in drinking and carousng, and
these things tend to arouse a spirit of rest
iessness and discomfort, at the same time
making them Indifferent and even cruel to
those they ought to love and protect. Take,
for example, the case of Mrs. Melton,
chronicled in the papers yesterday. She
was abandoned by her husband and left to
care unaided for six young children, the
Oldest being only twelve. She is the same
woman who tried to commit suicide last
winter. The neighbors used to often hear
her at night moaning and crying, walking
the floor in her anguish. because she knew
then that her husband was thinking of
leaving her. Our society is bending every
energy toward securing the passage of
some kind of legislation that will reach
such cases as these AS is we'll known, few
women will appear against their husbands
in court for cruelty or desertion, because
they stand in fear Of the consequences.
Often the poor women will perjure them
selves to ward off punishment from man
who richly deserves it. We are trying to
devise some law that will mete out pun
ishment to this class of offenders with
In my opinion 1t is as much a crime for a
man to leave his family it would be for
him to steal a watch"
Mr.. Grout declared that there has been
scarcely week during the past few
months when the society's attention has
not been called to from one to three cases
of family desertion. When asked for some
figures as TO the amount of relief being
given out by the society during the present
cold snap, as compared with that of
other times. the secretary said that il is
not one-tenth as large as 1T would have
been II the people had not been educated
to lay by their savings for a time of
need.
HOMES FOR ORPHANS.
Mr.. Grout is an enthusiast on the sub
ject of providing homes for orphan chill
dren instead of sending them to institutions
kept at public or private expense. Nobody
can take the place of child's own mother
nearly so we'll as another mother" said
the secretary emphatically. II am bitter
ly opposed to the idea prevalent in many
places that an orphan asylum is to be
commended in proportion as it comes near
est to being filled with inmates Ny idea
is that such an institution would deserve
greater praise II It kept itself practically
depopulated by sending the children out
into good homes. Why, have watched the
J development of institution bred children
in home. 1t is an interesting and beauti-
| full sight. AS they gradually realize that
they are in place where they don't have
to eat exactly the same food for breakfa ST
every day. or walk in exactly the same
manner all the time. they begin to omen
out like flower, and become natural hu-
man beings at last Any one who has wit
messed such a sight would not talk very
earnestly in favor of permanent residence
Many people argue that If for any reason
her 81;