Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-20
CAUSE OF POVERTY.
Bring Husbands and Fathers Re
 sponsible for Most Cases.
Facts Concerning the Improvidence of Parents Revealed by Charity Workers-Some SociolOgk~
 cal Conclusions.

 children in Chicago who are reduced to a state where they are forced to seek public charity owe their cond1- ton to deserting husbands and fa- thers. This is the opinion of men and women engaged in charitable work in the city, reports the Chicago Tribune. They have found that desertion is the prime cause of poverty. In numbers its victims exceed those forced into straitened circumstances through any other cause.
 Deserting husbands-the ones who bring distress and want upon their families-may be placed in two classes, those who desert periodically when ever home affairs become the least bit perplexing and those who desert once and for all time. Strange as it may seem, those in the latter class are less harmful
 It is the experience of charity work CTS that a woman who happens to be possessed of good-for-nothing hus- band is better off and gets along more satisfactorily after the man has left her. She will as rule cling to him as long as he will continue to accept of the fruits of her labors and pro- vide for him without complaint, but she is tied down and hampered in hundred ways. After he has left her she feels certain amount of freedom and sets out 70 provide for herself and family in her own way.
 The periodical deserter, however, is a constant menace to the welfare and happiness of his family. He goes away just when he is wanted and comes back whe he is not wanted, so his wife's plans to get along without his aid are constantly upset and the home kept in a state of turmoil. Deserting hus- bands, as a class, are poor providers, and when they go away they usually leave an empty larder and hungry chil- dren for the mother to look after and care for. That is why so many women and children are forced to seek public charity.
 Poverty, according to students of sociology, is reactive. It frequently asserts itself among the children of well-to-do people, who, though able to live comparatively well, give their sons and daughters no educational advan- ,tages. The result is that when they set out for themselves and start fam flies of their own the improvidence of their parents bears fruit, and before long they are applying at the office of some charity organization for assist ance. Scores of eases of this charac- ter are found in, Chicago every day by those whose duty it is to investigate them. -ss
 There is really pathetic side to many of the appeals for help that come into the West side office of the bureau of charities. It is not always the suf- fering of want that hurts most. This is illustrated by the case of young couple married less than year ago. The husband was buried recently, and behind his sickness and death is touching story.
 The young man and his wife were much in love. They had been sweet hearts for years. He was a. good me- chanic and received good wages They were married and soon after he was taken sick with quick consumption Having no money ahead they were forced to seek the aid of charity. Doc tors told the man he could not live un- less he changed climate. So purse was made up and he was sent t Col orado. The heart-broken wife was to follow, but the invalid husband grew rapidly worse after his arrival in the west, and one day an appealing letter came saying he wanted to come back home, so that he might die in>the conn pany of his wife.
 Another purse was raised and the dying man was brought back to Chi cago. He lived but short time after his return. He passed away and was buried, leaving young wife. heart broken and poverty-stricken.