Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07

plaster of paris. He could hardly breathe
He had a wife and little children in Vir-
gina as destitute as he was himself. We
kept him here until he was quite well and
strong, procured transportation for him to
his home, and friends were found who gave
him money enough to set his family on its
feet
Many Suffer From Drink.
1.-The world is filled, apparently, with hab-
itual drunkards. 1 believe in my heart that
drink causes more suffering in the United
States than all other agencies combined.
Seven-tenths of all the crimes committed
in the District of Columbia are directly
chargeable to liquor and my observation is
that nine-tenths of the others are indirectly
due to the same cause. Men come to us
sometimes ready to sell the clothes off their
backs for a drink. What sort of a showing
could such men make on an examination?
They need particular treatment, and the
first phase of it depends on sympathy. After
their self-respect comes back a good many
of them can be cured.
'One example will indicate that the cure
can be made permanent. A man who heard
me speak at the work house one Sunday
happened to be discharged the next day. 1t
rained very hard the next night and ne
came to the home for a lodging soaked to
the skin and chilled through. Next morn
ing he arose early. stepped into his clean,
dry clothes, with hardly word and set off
IOI "Oih ne WAS Il line mechanic a steam
filter. The following Sunday he was back
at the home. with money in his pocket, and
announced that he wanted to pay for the
board he had obtained. He is now at work
in Baltimore. as steady and respectable as
any man of his trade. 1 learned afterward
that while serving his two months term i'll
Jail this man had firmly determined to jump
into the Potomac his first day of freedom.
Our experiences of this kind moved us to
fight half a dozen saloons and club in
the neighbOrhood of this home Now they
are all closed.
Did you ever think what a hard lot the
discharged prisoner looks in the face when
he leaves the work house? 1t looks as
though he must either beg or steal. We
watch for men of that class particularly
By this time we are pretty well known to
prisoners to US when the terms have ex-
PRED A good many fall back into the Old
channel of vice and crime of course but
we get the rest and we find them work.
Great Oaks and Little Acorns
zone might go on citing instances all day
until he had exhausted nearly the entire
roster of men who have been received
here at the home. We have followed our
beneficiaries pretty closely, with the help
of our clerk, an exceptionally able man
who was at one time an inmate himself,
and is now a good bookkeeper with steady
place. Some of the totals might be inter-
esting. In addition to the 300 we have
helped find work, We have sent 456 to their
homes, 159 to hospitals for further treat
ment. "a to the Little Sisters of the Poor
and only 10 to the almshOuse.
ITO do this work for the past seven years
has cost us-how much do you think? Not
as much the ordinary home costs in
rents. Our total expenditures have been
only s12 .36S.55-about one-fifth of the cost
to the government to care for an equal
number of men for the same time in the
workhouse; and we have the advantage of
having sent our men into the world to
work and not to beg or steal. Our rent.
light and fuel cost us S1,2S3; clothing,
s1412 aid and transportation, 50, 100, and
provisions s., 4J6 We save money because
not one of our officers-not even our clerk
gets a cent in salary. Then our rent is
very low-$10 a month. If you want to do
good, slip into an alley somewhere and
keep your expenses down. That's the Sc
cret of success.
''The funds come from many sources.
When the home started the st. Vincent de
Paul Society contributed about S2,SOo. The
leagues contributions have amounted to
81 81 The rest has been obtained some
where just as soon as we needed it.
Religious, but Not Sectarian.
These references to the st. Vincent de
Paul Society and the figures of st. Anthony
excited a question about the religious work
of the home.
We'll" said Mr. Downey, with a smile,
''ths isn't Catholic home, by any means.
have found. though. that most of our in
mates know the meaning of that statue and
understand the home better if told we are
following the example of St. Anthony. L
am a Roman Catholic, but I have often
found myself deciding to give the last coat
in the locker to Protestant when Cath
Ole stood by waiting for one also. NO man
could be interested in home like this long
and remain a bigot. If good is to be done
it depends on genuine sympathy, given to
men without regard Tor their rellSion or
anything else.
yet we find opportunity to do much re-
ligious work here Some of our men stay
with US a month or so. When Sunday
comes we inquire what faith each man pro-
fesses Then we merely tell him where he
can find his own church, and the suggestion
works wonders.
1T may be that. after all, these men in
the home are not the real beneficiares. l
have often thought that We of the League
of the Good Samaritan were more benefited
than any one else. The league member
ship has grown gradually, without any agi-
tation by any one, and includes persons
who never did any other work for their fell
lows-employes in livery stables, depart
ment clerks, business men and. mechanics
all jumbled together. 1t is wonderful how
soon little work of this kind broadens
them all. / know that. as far as | myself
am concerned. this home has helped me
more than il has ever helped any one of its
inmates,
An Organization OF Helpers.
The League Of the Good Samaritan, to
which Mr.. Downey referred so frequently
| depends very largely. of course, on his
| leadership. 1t is, however, rather a strong
| -orga MIA ton numerically and a wonderful
| power morally. Its membership is indefi-
mite, but approximately one hundred and
| includes men of every class, half the en-
plcyes of his livery stable among the others
Mr.. Downey is the president, Mr.. Charles
NJ. Cornell the secretary and Mr.. Joseph
| +. Roach the treasurer. There are few
meetings and no useless formalities, but
| the league is sufficiently we'll organized to
| obtain nearly enough clothing for the pur-
poses of the home and help wonderfully to
| support 1t. Any persons philanthropically
| inclined and disposed to bestow help where
| it means restored self-respect and indie
pendence for the beneficiaries would serve
themselves greatly and aid the home ma
terially by sending any one of these Of
! fcers contributions of old clothing pro-
visions or money. ~
| Part of the leagues funds are obtained
from the sale of a magazine published at