The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-03-18
For Months Family Lived
on Charity and Refuse
From Restaurants.
MAN HAS NO WORK
NeighborS Gave Some Aid
Eldest Child Aged
Eleven Years.

Without food or fuel Mrs John Lindsay
and three little children were sheltered at
the city Jail last night. During the better
part of the winter the mother has picked
up crusts OF dry bread to keep her family
alive. Although her physical condition un-
fits her for work OF any kind, she has tried
TO do washing and scrubbing, and the lack
OF such employment drove her to seek
charity behind the bars when starvation
was threatening. The story is one OF the
most pitiablc examples OF dcstitution this
city has seen.
Only the Kindness of a ncighbor kept
the family from freezing during the cold
days OF the winter. This woman, Mrs.
Sarah Perfect, herself widow with two
children whom she supports by washing.
has given such bits OF food aud scraps of
fuel as she could spare. But these were
of necessity few, and there were times
when the Lindsay family went through
days without anything TO eat. wrapping
themselves in the scaniy bed coverings to
keep from freezing.
Husband Out OF Work.
The two women told the story this
morning at the home Of Mrs. Perfect.
Lindsay is n laborcr. lie lost his position
last fall. Since that time he has been able
to get very little to do. lie has stayed
away from his family. his wife states sim
ply because he could do nothing for them.
Mrs. Lindsay mp 10 last fall kept the sec
ton boarding house at Dawson. Then the
railroad brought in Japanese hands. These
men board themselves AS a consequence
the woman was unable 10 make even
enough 10 pay the SIS a month rent for tho
section house. She came to Butte hoping
that her husband might find something to
do. She was at the time unfit 10 do any
work.
In spite OF this fact she set about 10
find some washing 10 do Once or twice
she got odd jobs, but these were very rare.
Most OF the winter the mother and chill
dren have lived on scraps OF food. gcncr-
ally stale bread thrown out from rostaur-
ants, and kept themselves warm by such
bits Of fuel as they picked mp or as Mrs.
Perfect was able to give them from her
own poor store.
Many days they stayed in bed all day
long without anything to eat and with no
warmth save that Of their bodies.
When their neighbor, Mrs. Perfect. got
work Mrs Lindsay helped her in return
for the kindness she had received. But
~ "lIt'r WbIf Oh ANt grew more weak.
Cold and lack Of food told on her and she
became so i'll that she was scarcely able
to drag herself about the room When
she told her story this morning the little
woman coughed at times until she had to
stop talking.
Sheltered by the Police.
In this condition the family were when
last nights cold wave struck the city.
They had seen nothing to eat since morn
ing. Their neighbor learned Of their con-
dition She was herself almost without
fuel and had no money in the house. She
called a policeman and he took them to
headquarters. They were made comfort
able as possible in the detention room.
This morning City Jailcr Levy saw that
they had a good breakfast. They spent
the rest Of the day with Mrs. Perfect
The Lindsay home is in No. in the
alley back of as South Arizona street.
Its furniture consists Of a couple of
chairs, table and a bed, that is all. The
walls are bare. The eldest of the children
is girl aged II. Another boy and girl
are almost babies.