The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-02
PREFERS POVERTY TO EASE.
Phelps Stokes Tells Why He Lives
 With the Poor.

New York Letter to Chicago Tribune,
 J, Graham Phelps Stokes, son and grandson of New York millionaires and descendant of a European ancestry dat ing back to the Montespesdons. a titled French family of Normandy, and who has left a luxurious home at 229 Madison Avenue to live in small simply fur nlohed room in the heart of the over crowded tenement district of the East Side. has chosen this life in order, with the money and knowledge to aid and upiift the poor, whose poverty and envi- renments have made existence a constant struggle against misfortunes.
 Mr. Stokes is 30 years of age, 6 feet 4 Inches in height, and is built like an ethlete. Likeness Is no part of his pro- gram, for he works from ten to eighteen
 His note book today showed engagements for every working hour of tomorrow.
 Tt is not fair" ne protested, ito call these streets slums The people who live and as intelligent and moral as any one in New York.
 Some of my friends tell me that have left behind all fun, all pleasure. Even if not the main purpose of life. But 1t is not true.
 This is the most interesting life have ever led. 1t is deep, whole-souled enjoy ment from beginning to end"
 When asked what had first turned his thoughts in the direction of college set clement work Stokes replied:
 There were three distinct things. First when was IS years old, read a book of Bulwer' s, The Disowned.' It was the story of young man of wealthy parents who gave his life to social work of this Kind. Second, l served for a time as an ambulance surgeon at Roosevelt Hospi- tai, and so became acquainted with tene- ment home life. It brought me face to face with the misery and the suffering or the world. and l saw how much of 1t might have been prevented by a little self-help and cooperation. Third and perhaps most influential of all, was a vivid arraignment of fashionable society In one sentence from the pen of Oscar Wilde It was this: Modern fashionable society is a dead thing smeared with
 T have the utmost repugnance for Os- car Wndes career as 1t is generally known It is unnecessary to emphasize that But my abhorrence of Oscar Wilde's life cannot blind me to the awful suggesrlveness of the epigram.
 Ideals are tho impelling force which leads me on look forward to the time when the spirit of brotherhood shall be- come so strong that we shall have a union of all the people not only in a political sense. but in a truly social sense as we'll Wealth, social prominence, genealogical trees and such things only create barriers between man and man
 Tt is only right to say that my re- llgious feelings have had a great deal to do with my social work. If we had in this country a national organization of Christian Socialists, similar to that which was formed in England by Kingsley and Maurice, l would certainly become a member of it."
 While MT. Stokes plans of future course were still undetermined, when on a trip to Chicago he visited the Hull House and was so greatly impressed with the good work done there that his resolutions for his present life took immediate shape.
 With MT. Stokes in the University set tlement are thirteen young men co-work- CTS. In the settlement are fifty or more clubs, besides classes for dancing, singing, literature, gymnastics, cooking, a penny provident bank. a loan office, 5-cent baths, many industries and other features.