Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-04
RELIEF OF THE POOR
Supervisor j. H. R. Spilman Tells
of the County's System.
MEETING At Y. M. c. A. LAST EVENING

One of Special Series OF Three-Pa-
per Divides the Poor into Different
Glasses and Distinguishes Between
Worthy and Unworthy.
The second OF a series of three meet
ings was held last evening at the Y.
M. c. A. auditorium for the considera-
ton OF the conditions of the poorer
classes in Ottumwa and Wapello coun-
ty and the manner in which they are
cared for by the public officials and
the charitable institutions. A week
ago Mrs. Della Randel and Mrs. Clara
Miller spoke on the subject OF the con-
dition of the poor people as they are
found by the mission workers in the
city. Last evening the train of talk
was taken up by ]. II. R. Spilman,
member of the county board OF super
visors, who spoke regarding the care
OF the poor as given by the county
through its different agencies.
Mr.. Spilman's address was thorough
ly clear to everyone and brought out
several points which were new to his
auditors. He classified the poor peo-
pie and pointed out the divisions which
contain deserving people and those
which contain the undeserving. His
paper not only shows what is done by
the board for the poor, but what re-
mains that can be done by city mis-
sions and other agencies, in the way
of Christian education as we'll as fl
nancial aid. The third meeting of the
series will be addressed by Rev. D.
Jameson, who will explain the work
of relieving the condition Of the poor
people as done by the city missions.
Mr.. Spiman's Address.
Mr.. Spilman said:
"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men:
County care Of the poor is a ques-
ton in which every citizen should be
materially interested for at least two
reasons: First, from humanitarian
standpoint and second from the ex
pense view. Now, ladies and gentle
men, in order to avoid confusion and
to more clearly define our county's
method of caring for the poor, l will
divide them into five classes, namely,
LllC u elholChI, lHC ISlupol uSpSAu-
ent, those who are assisted continual
ly at their homes, those who are cared
for at the poor farm, and the pauper
children.
First Class.
First, there is transient class,
commonly called tramps, who do not
have any established citizenship and
who, as rule, are as unworthy of help
as any class there is since it largely
seems to be profession with them
They usually pretend to be hunting
work. but are vary careful not to find
| 1t. Yet, there are some of them who
are honest; as, for example, one of
| these fellows, fine specimen of ply
steal development, who applied to me
t last summer for twenty-five cents to
/ purchase something to eat when he
should get to Eldon, which was about
half mile distant.
Il inquired why he was begging and
he said he was out of money and was
very hungry. Then / said to him that
il he wished he could get into the
buggy with me and ride back to my
| farm and that ] would give him work
SO that he would not have to ask for
charity. He looked at me as though
astonished and very politely informed
me that he had not lost any work and
was not going to hunt for any, as the
world owed him living and he did
not have to work.
But as for that class, We pay as lit
| tie attention to them as possible.
| There are cases to which we must
give little attention, and in these
cases we give meal if need be and
transportation out of the county thus
turning them over to the tender mer.
cies of our neighboring counties, which
do likewise. 1t has become one of the
unwritten laws of the state to keep
passing them on.
Second Class.
"The temporary pauper. Now, Mr.
Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, this
is a class that causes the county more
trouble than all other classes. OF
course, there is no question as to oul
duty, both moral and legal, yet, EN-
bodied in this class there is every i'm
aginable type of humanity to deal with
First, there is Mrs A, woman Of
high moral type. who has been left {
widow with a family. She is too proud
to ask for aid and uses every possible
effort to struggle on in an honorable
and independent way, until, through
hardship and exposure, she becomes {
prey to illness and, not until wan
and possibly real hunger is pinching
her dear ones, then she makes hel
needs known to the overseer of the
poor. And then, as soon as she car
get along without aid, the oversee
does not hear from her unless hi
makes inquiry.
"Now We will take peep at Mrs
c.. She either comes in person o.
sends by one of her type and demands
of the overseer immediate relief in thu
shape of load of coal and goodl!
supply of something to eat. The over
seer meekly replies that he will lool
after the matter and ventures tn
question as to why they ask for help
He is told that husband is a drinkin.
man and possibly had been intoxicat
ed, spending all their money and prob
ably remaining out all night. AS
result he made himself i'll and in hi
opinion was not able to work, TIL,