Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-14
BAD WEATHER FOR THE POOR.
Calls at the Statements Office Increas-
 ing From Day to Day.


 Calls at the Statements Office Increas-
 ing From Day to Day.
 The cold snap has brought in a few new cases to the selectmen, and if it continues the number will be on the increase from now on. It is a pity that the ''beautiful snow'' should bring so much suffering to the poor. It drives them into the selectmen in larger numbers than anything else. Anyone who has occasion to visit the city hall regularly cannot help notic- ing this, for young and old appear to be forced out of their homes and com pelled to ask for town aid as soon as the snow flies. A great many sad sights are seen about the selectmen's $ office during the winter months, but perhaps the worst of all are cases of very old people, women especially, who scarcely have enough strength to pull themselves up the steps leading to the office. No doubt these persons would be seen to at their homes if they so desired. but they seem to prefer to call at headquarters rather than be visited by the officials. It is hard upon old folks whG ave the best a. of their lives to the raising of family and looked to them for a sustaining hand in their declining days to find it necessary to ask for bread from any one, but many of them have no other alternative. Their children didn't turn out well and not being able to make any provision for the rainy day while they were small. the parents have to fall back upon the charity of their fellow townsmen. There is nothing disgraceful in this. So long as ones poverty is not due to any fault of his own. he need not feel ashamed of his condition. The world always had it's poor and it is safe to say that it will remain so to the end. They walked the earth in the time of the Divine Master himself and instead of upbraiding them for not being able to provide for themselves, He minis tered to their needs and counseled others to do likewise. We should all keep this lesson in mind when .sthese little ones.'' and the old ones, too, seek fuel. clothing and bread, remem- bering that in all such cases it is much pleasanter to be the donor than the recipient. and that it is far more hon. orable on the part of needy people to make known their wants and ask as sistance than try to get things on mis- representation Men who run up an account with the grocer or butcher that they do not intend to pay are a greater source of trouble in every community than those who make a clean breast of their. circumstances and trust to the good offices of their neighbors to lend them helping hand without expecting anything i'll return for such aid as they may decide to render X prominent business man told a representative of this paper to- day that the actual value of the things he had given away for charity would amount to considerably more than ali his bad customers had beat him out, and yet what he lost through dishon- est patrons ''pinched" him at times, while what he gave as aims never caused him any inconvenience. You sec" he said, what I had charged against customers and failed to collect had to be deducted from my assets and left me so much short at the end of the year. I made no charge of what I gave to the poor and didn't miss it when I came to balance my ac counts" ;"