The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-09
POORMARY ANDJUDGEBOWKER
LiT'GH AND JOKE BEFORE Az.
Gust COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
She Keeps = Horse. INT Passaic Has Her
on Its Poor List for q Dollar . Week
In Groceries Another Pauprr on the
Roll Is Father OF q sewer Inspector.

NOl IL fatner Of . sewer inspector.
PAssAIc. y. j., Nov. s-Twice year a
committee of Passaic Councilmen Is sup
posed to summon before il all Of the city's
outdoor poor to question them as TO their
needs. II might be supposed that the poor
would find the ordeal unpleasant. but no
one who saw the semi-annual examination
yesterday could well believe that they do
not regard the occasion as diyerting and
pleasant
This happy state Of mind l. due largely
10 Judge Bowker. who dispenses minor
iustice and wisdom to Passaic much after
the manner and style Of an Eastern Cadi
The Judge has the final voice in sending
poor folks to the poormasier. He Is not
a member Of the committee which holi.
the semi-annual inquisition, but he comes
in on general principles and practically
runs the hearing.
Not the leas, pleasing feature OF the
proceedings To the poor folks is TO see the
somewhat uneasy mental attitude II the
poormaster Dr. II. H. Hutton. when Judge
Bow ker is bossng the questioning. DR.
Hutton used to be principal Of the high
school, and he got SO used TO having supreme
authority ia his earlier days that tho Judge >
calm assumption Of all responsibility gets
on his nerves. But the poor don't seem
to -yinpa, hze with HIM.
When Mary Trippe came forward yester-
day Judge Bowker laughed in pleased
anticipation.
Now don't anvb body say a word 10 Mary
bu' me-" he warned his fellow inquistors.
We'll. well. Mary, how is IL YOU are the
day. he asked her genally.
Bless God, I'm well and hearty, judge
said she, I'm as we'll and strong as you are
handsome and kind hearted
still keeping boarders, are you Mary.
the miserable creatures are still staying
with me while they have no money and
| leaving me as soon as ever they get jobs.
III not put up with it much longer, Judge.
indeed wi i not
judge Powker explained to the others
that it had been Mary's habit TO lodge and ;,
40 far az she could. 10 feed number Of
aged wayfarers who drift in on her at her
little shack in the outskirts. Most Of her
boarders are even older than herself and
very much poorer.
Mary said the Judge. very solemnly.
we hear queer things about you. We hear
that, though you come to the city for
dollar, worth OF groceries a week. you
are really a rich woman. Now
Bless God, Judge" she exclaimed, its
great joker you are. And its Mary Trippe
wishes you were a prophet.
This is no joke. Mary continued the
Judge. We understand that you are
hsP9S cs aoss hs NSw ,b saS sGnS pretty
Praise the saints, will you listen TO the
mani" exclaimed Mary. appealing to the
committee Then she turned TO the Judge.
Now listen. Judge. That horse belonged
70 To- that miserable bum Joe yeilers To
a race track somewhere because they
told him II would be good for sausage
could he sell the horse o a slaughterhouse.
And he got a job somewhere cleaning up
r. r. l. Ill 4 ID. I
and, like all the rest, he left me without
paying his board. He left me the horse
Tor security It's friendly beast and !
make quite family pet Of him. your Honor"
But how do you feed him
Its not for YOU 90 Toe fearing he eats
the city groceries. No. He gets no but
ter OF tay or flour. Worrytnot at all on
that. Indeed. itr easy enough. l turn
him into the graveyard next door every
morning and he eats the grass from OF
the graves. It's good for the horse and Il
makes the graves look better kept and
more respectful To the dead"
Mary was dismissed with the assurance
that her dollar-a-week allowance of city
groceries would not be cut of
The good God bless YOU all and keep
you always as wis.' and kind as you are to
n poor old woman this day she shouted
fervently as she stepped back into the
crowd
But .ome Of the incidents are not so pleas
old, and livos rent free In little house
with daughter who seems almost a. old
as he is himself tremblingly Explained that
he was quite without any means OF support
His life has been very sad
One OF his sons was killed in an accident.
anot her committed suicide, and in one way
AID another all Of them had, he said, only
added 20 the troubles Of his old age. There
was no question of his need aud his claim
was passed promptly. But after he had
gone out Councilman Geene, who was the
only fully authorized member Of the com
mttee who thought il worth while 10 be
pre-, en', happerel to he struck by an idea
lie called the old man back
mfr. Neitch," he said. what relation are
you 10 John Neitch, who is an inspector of
sewers here;"
He is my son. sir" said the old man.
Does he know what your state is?'
Wont he do anything for your
Mr.. Greene shook his head and looked
at Judge Bowker. who said things under
his breath, The old man turned and went
away even more bent and trembling than
when he came in.
Some of the candidates never had any
opportunity for examination They came
up with tears in their eyes and their hands
outstrctch.d 10 make surplication and
Judge Bowker shut them Of with n big
hearty roar:
Get out Of here he called to them.
.we know you are all right You don't
have 10 tell us anything AT all. Your gro
ceres will come as long a. you need them
Don't worry. Go home and take care of
yourselves
II was on such occasions as these that
some Of the observers thought that DR..
Hutton looked a bit uneasy.
Altogether there are forty-four appli-
cants for aid on the city's grocery list
Some who have large families get an allow
ance Of 81 so a week. but most Of them get
much loss The number IL decreasing
under DR.. Hutton's watchful care. There
are now thirteen less than there were year
ago. The examination yesterday, how
ovar IiJ mot rn.nl, IL, ha rat,,,, To-, Of ha