The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-29

When / became superintendent of the
St Paul Bethel, some eleven years ago,
one of the first problems | had to face
was what to do with the penniless and
homeless man. 1t didn't seem right TO
tu.n him away, yet if we gave him free
entertainment he would soon fill the
place and bankrupt the institution. The
second winter friend gave us a car
load of slabs, and l proceeded to re-
quire these men to saw the slabs. They
soon disappeared and gave the Bethel
wide berth.
In the spring of 1893 [ was requested
by Mrs. Col. Newport, of this city, to
visit the Eastern cities and ascertain how
they cared for such men. / went to Bos-
ton and visited the Friendly Inn, con-
Quoted by the municipality. ! fond a
clean place, with about 800 beds, and
plenty of good food, for which accom-
mediation they required each man to saw
q pile of wood. There We're only about
fifty men staying there, although rthe
weather was very cold
Two blocks away 1 visited. the same
evening, one of Bostons celebrated mis-
sions, in which nearly 300 men were col
= leeted, and they were conducting a re-
lig1ous service. The odor was fearful,
, the man at the door stopped me from
taking a seat among the crowd, on ac-
count of the vernin. So l went forward
to some seats reserved for the workers
of the mission. At the close of the Ser
mon the preacher asked how many want
ed to lead a new life, and all the crowd
stood UP. yet the preacher, after short
prayer, clv sed the meeting and paid no
further attention to these candidates for
the new life. At once / saw the men
take papers outs of their pockets and
spread them on the floor for bed, with
chairs for a pillow, Some cots We're
brought out. and all who could raise >
cents were given a cot. | was informed
that in the morning coffee and rolls were
given free to ali who could not raise
S cents.
= asked the manager why they did not
send the men to the Friendly Inn, just
two blocks away. He answered that
they held no religious service at the Inn,
and they made the poor fellows work
for what they got. 1 told the manager
I considered such missions more the wcrk
of he'll than of Christianity. Il am glad
to hear since that the police have closed
such missions, as a protection to the
city from toughs and petty thieves, who
made these missions their headquarters.
The same conditions [ found in other
cities which l visited. In the panic of
1893 st. Paul was filed with homeless
men: Mayor Wright appointed commit
tee of twenty to consider some method
OF municipal aid in caring for the men
In behalf of the Bethel we offered to
care for all such men. if sent to us. at
no expense to the city. The committee
thought the task would be too great, and
some suggested free soup houses and
free lodgings. But men like DR.. S. F.
Smith, on the committee. Joined us in
condemning any plan that meant free
n illO pl-a 10 al lf.,1
men. They We're asking work, not char
ity So the committee accepted our Of
fer, and We at once proceeded to furnish
SeVenty-tiVe beds and a few cars of ma
pie. We required each man to saw one
eighth of cord of wood for meal or.
lodging; baths We're free.
There were nearly 400 such men in the
city the day We opened. We notified the
poiiceate send all such to us. They no.
tilted the men they must either go to
the Friendly Inn or leave the city: that
hereafter no man could sleep but one
night in thepolice station. Over 100 came
and locked over the wood piles. Forty
eight tried, but only thirty-six did the
work. The next night forty-two met the
work. The next night forty-two met the
conditions, and for few days about the
ssitalls1 Number, when suddenly the num-
her dropped to dozen
We discovered that our sister city.
Minneapolis, had adopted the free SOUP
: plan, and hence the sudden immigration.
aThe highest number we ever reached was
sixty-two, the average was thirty four
Thus ST. Paul solved the problem. and
was able to use its money to care for
ats ownfpooe and furnish them work.
st. Paul therefore passed through the
panic as we'll as any city in the Union,
and with but little suffering.
The Bethel has continued its good
work Of caring for all such men sent
to it ever since. The numbers have
steadily decreased. so that last winter
we only averaged three a week. Grip
pies shave been cared for by other So
cleties, and our city. hospital has always
cared for the sick So that no man
woman, OF. child ever coming to ST Paul
can complain that they are not cared
for. No city in the world takes better
care of the needy than this city.
4 The Genus Tramp.
The tramp is a great study and is full
of interest to the student of political
economy. Several thousand of this ella Sc
have passed through our hands during
The last ten years. We have discovered
That about 60 per cent are American
born OF the foreigners. so per cent arc
.eeent from different nations of Europe.
Eighty per cent are unskilled laborers.
Members of labor unions are seldom
found among the patrons of friendly
inns, If in good standing. Of the skilled
laborer, dissipation is the principal cause
of his misfortune but this is not true OF
the uaskilled laborer. This class, in good
times, does mot earn sufficient to pro-
vide Tor hard times, and consequently
suffers most in reduction of wages. While
I in good times they viii earn $500 a wear,
yet in hard times their wages will fall
below 5000, so we see how impossible it is
for such men to be ready for hard times.
e Nearly all these men have common
school education; about 20 per. cent have
a higher education, and 3 per cent a col
Iege training. This clearly shows how
our school sytems do not prepare our
boys for the struggle of life.
A Remedy suggested.
The remedy is, hetkarqpay for unsliH-
ed worSmeI,S mo81el tndging houses, with
every facility for cleanliness and self
1mprovenen after sthe model of the
Mills hotel.,.nf New York city, for sin
gle men; model tenenepts for our city
poor, with good sanitary conditions, at
low cost a
The greatest cause of poverty is ig-
norance. Ignorance of how to use small
wages to the best advantage. This.
should be the work of. our public schools
to remedy from the kindergarten
through the night school. Manual train.
ing must be taught through all the