The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-18
Queer Demands are Made on
St. Paul Board Of Control

received a little money, enough to lay
in a decent supply of groceries and fuel
and buy some needed clothing. The
agent Of the associated charities, hear
ing of the family's good luck, visited
them and gave them profitable advice
in regard to the expenditure of the
money.
They promised to follow his advice
and he departed.
The next visit he paid, the mother
Of the family, who was unable to leave
the house because she had no shoes,
showed him with pride a "genea1cgi-
cal tree" she had purchased for $40.
The tree" was the genealogy Of their
own family which family, she assured
the agent, was "of the best" That
book, she boosted, would prove her
right to membership in any one of the
numerous patriotic societies Of Amer
lea.
But not all the poor are foolish. The
cherries little Office has heard pathetic
cases discussed within it's walls,
eases" that have been frightened by
exhibitions Of very real heroism. Not
long al go the board instructed the agent
Of the associated charities to inVesti-
gate a case that had been reported.
In a squaliI room in a big down town
block the lease" was found.
In one corner Of the room on a
luInDlGQ uJWn D0u lay "a HldH COuSuII
the hacking cough that tells of the
last stages Of consumption. Three
meagerly clad children played about
on the floor. In spite cf it's poverty
the room was clean and the indignant
protest Of the sick man showed, that
in spite Of bitter poverty, there was
plenty Of independence and self-respect
In the dingy room. The ease" was
reported as worthy"
Mother Supported Them.
The mother was enaeavoring, 50 that
report read, to support the children
and her dying husband and was sue
ceeding fairly well. But the husband
himself needed medical aid and neigh
bors had demanded that something be
done for him. The offer Of medical
aid was accepted, but nothing more.
The mother said that she was strong.
and SO long as she scould work would
not allow her children to accept aid
from anybody. But a further investi-
cation Of the case showed that the
father was as heroic as his wife. Every
day as long as he was able to crawl
about the floor he played with the chill
dren keeping them interested and hap
py. He did what little work there was
to be DONE and even when he was ur-
able to rise from his bed he directed
the eldest child, a tiny mite of six. in
pluckily, though the husbands days
are numbered and he lies on the bed
all day coughing feebly. But he
smiles when he hears the small children
caution each other in their play to make
no noise, father Is SO i'll"
Dependent poverty long continued
shows there's q screw loose some
where somebody has insisted. and the
stories told in the office Of the board
Of control bear out this homely state
ment. Shiftlessness, an inability to
save, or bad judgment in expanding
are the chief causes Of chronic pauper-
ism. An agent sent to investigate a
case reported to the board of control
this week found a dingy howell where
the inmates shivered over a meager
fire. The floor was full Of cracks and
on the floor, playing with eighteen
cents, all the money in the house, lay
the baby of the family. 1t had not
occurred to any Of the family to put
the money in safe place.