The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-25

When she came down to her office at
o'clock in the morning she found sew
eral little ones waiting in the cold air
for her coming. She administered tc
their wants, and then the tide began TO
come in earnest. About two hundred
families were represented in the multi
tude which came all day. Each family
received a basket containing toys.
candy, fruit, etc. and an effort was
made to fit each one out with clothing
of some description. Besides those who
called and received gifts at the office,
about fifty baskets were sent out to
families who were unable. to come IN
person. They received their snare Just
the same.
children were not the only ones ben
Gifted by Mrs Thorpe's Christmas work
Old men and women. many VINO may
not see another Christmas, received
presents and went away re1Olc1nS
Benevolent people of the city furnished
a large number of destitute people with
a Christmas dinner and fuel to COOK IL
Orders for coal were given to Mrs
Thorpe, and she parceied the precious
stuff out where it was most needed
There is no one in this town more CON-
petent to administer to the poor Mrs
Thorpe has made it life-work to re-
lieve want, and she knows the deserving
from the otherwise
AS the children crowded around her
Yesterday she seemed to know nearly
all and had a kind word to go with each
basket of presents. The children were
ORDERLY some extremely shy A re-
porter went uD stairs to speak to Mrs.
Thorpe and passed two children and
their mother standing in the hall below.
When he came down fifteen minutes
later they We're still standing there. AS
the reporter passed out a small boy
asked Say mister, do you think 1t
would be all right for us to go up there
now?" They had stood there half an
hour, hesitating to go up because OF the
crowd in the upper rooms.
Among the last to come and receive
presents were two small boys, Ii others.
They were strangers to Mrs Thorpe,
and did not belong to the poor families
dwindled away and so had the stock
of toys, so she told them to go into the
eadly depleted toy department AMI SEE
what they could find After q critical
examination of the contents of the loom
| tnev loaded a tin gun. two picture
| books and a few other small articles into
a basket and departed. but not until
Mrs. Thorpe had added some apples ano
candy to the collection
Related donations from Sunday
| schools and individuals continued tc
come in all day, some of them after the
visitors had departed. They Will not gc
1 to waste. however. Mrs. Thorpe uses
donations of every kind to the best ad.
To be sure there is not the per cen
of poor people in Topeka that there /:
in larger cities, but there are man.
dozens of children who would not have
known that Santa Claus had passed this
way but for the .tireless efforts of Mrs
Thorpe. Her duties as police matron d'
not include acting as the unpaid agen
of the charitably inclined She hai
taken it upon herself and has dom
much to systema tize charity in the cit.
SO that many instead of a few are ben
effei thereby.
Sne is continually inventing new way
to help the poor and make them he'll
themselves and each other Her co
operative plans. such as the Mothers
Sewing club. Children's Industrial class
etc. have practically solved the prob
lem. Her aim is not only to assist thos
in dire need. but to teach the pocre
classes how to avoid want and repuls
the grim wolf
The scene at her office yesterday wa
only an enlarged view of what is goin
on every day in the year Mrs. Thorpe
charity is not confined to stated period
or seasons of the year it is continual.