The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-09

49, - - n.
we nave no hesitancy in making the loan.
Ihey realize In most cases that II is vital
Soon me : ap pps 7 to receive the money as
making their researches. Not one of them
f genbt a penny for his services, and
performed. You can see how we'll they
nave done their work by the fact that out
or more than ~$1,O00,000 loaned in the last
eleven years the losses will not exceed
Tn investigators confine their work to
looking up the standing of the indorser.
Inc one plan OF the Organization is thai
the applicant for a loan shall be subjected
10 neither expense nor humiliation. When
ne comes to the window to make a request
Tor money he is asked but one question.
VINO Will indorse your note?'' He does not
nave to state his religion, what he wishes
10 Go with the cash or answer any en-
oarrasslns questions The money does not
cost him even the price of the stationery
required in making the record of the trans
action. He may be an Irishman, an Italian
or poVerty-stricken American. He gets the
dox Hebrew.
Each investigator has to look up from
Two TO ten indorsers a week: but such is
me enthusiasm with which the task is per
FORMED that a report is never delayed more
IMAM three days unless the indorser is ex-
tremely hard to fud.
DO SUNDAY BUSINESS.
Applications for loans are received on
Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. for it is
on Sunday that the poor people have time
10 attend to matters outside the earning of
their daily bread. On such occasions the
offices of the association, on the second
floor of the building at No. 321 Grand street.
are packed with persons seeking to nego-
uate a loan. 1t is a typical East Side
crowd that forms the line. m-clad. heavily
bearded men. the heads of large families;
oare-headed women wearing what COM
monty would be known as breakfast lack
cts, although it may be late i'm the after
noon; young men with black down barely
showing on the upper lip, make I'D a pro-
cession that stands in front of the window
Tor hours. Most of the applicants are He
Drews, but there are many Italians, Hun
garians. Poles, a few Irish and occasionaIIy
q native American who has settled on the
East Side and found it necessary to ask
his Jewish neighbors for cash.
only a Few days ago al old Irish woman
came into the office and asked for a loan
OF $40.
"Shure an I'll be thrown out Nv me house
on Monday II don't git it," she walled.
This was late Friday afternoon, and it
gave short notice to look up the standing Of
her indorser. When she was told this she
began to wall afresh anG tell of the conse-
quences OF delay in getting the money.
Ineyn be around to throw me out be-
tore sun,up on Monday" she cried.
.n1 mo. they wont" said the kind-hearted
up case, and We'll investigate your indorser
right away. If he is all right we will have
the money Tor you any time you want TO
The old woman went away, and a messen-
ger was sent to an investigator with in
structlons to ascertain the standing of the
lndorser as soon as possible. The report
was made on Saturday, and the ole woman
called and got her money before noon on
Sunday.
Persons Of all occupations have been the
beneiciaries of the institution. The man
who is ambitious to own a little pushcart
and start out selling fruit or peddling laces,
COInnS- ShORGTT1nOG nnH md nnrx- Il ns
abled TO embark in business on an indie
pendent scale. If he needs SIS he gets it,
and the date OF the first payment is fixed at
two weeks hence. Then he comes around
and pays $3.50 on account. 1t makes him
think that he is a fulI-fiedged business man,
and he is imbued with a high sense of bust
ness honor. He would sooner think of let
ting his family live on bread and water than
miss paying each installment on the day 1t
comes due.
Men who have little grocery stores and
become cramped for a small amount of
cash find the association a good friend in
times of distress. Tailors also are frequent
borrowers. On the East Side are many in
dependent needlemen who exc out n living
making clothes for their neighbors, who,
perhaps. are not sufficiently prompt in pay
ing to keep the wolf from the tailor'S door.
The tailor finds relief by getting a RESPONSE
bic indorser, and he is able to repay the OBJ
legation in installments. Students. and
there are many in the crowded tenement
districts, have been able to buy books and
pursue their courses through help they re-
ceive from the association, and some who
are now lawyers would never have been
able to gain admission to the bar had ii not
been for these little loans.
ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES.
About six years ago a tailor applied for
q loan. He was a man of more than ordi-
nary intelligence. and said he wished to
study medicine. At first he got SIS, and he
repaid 1t all. Then he asked for $50. He
repaid that and still kept on borrowing.
But all this time he was studying. In the
day he worked at the bench and at night
he attended lectures and read. For three
years he was rarely out of debt to the as
ISOLATION, for as soon as he had cleaned up
his account he borrowed some more.
Finally he got his diploma and went to
practicing medicine. He borrowed money
for two or three months, but finally he
paid up his last installment and never made
application again for aid. To-day he is a
successful practitioner on the East Side.
He has not forgotten the Gemilath Chasso-
dim Association, for in addition to paying
his membership dues and making contribu-
tons to the fund he Is one of the most will
ing and expert of the investigators.
The records of the association show how
much good 1T has done. Among its old ben
eficiaries are nearly 100 who to-day are
worth $2o, 00 or more. Three hundred per-
sons who received their first start in life
through it's aid have little fortunes ranging
from $500 to $4,000. while those who have
DCCI v III ulIlDG
thousands.
1T would not be possible for us to ac-
complish what we do at such a small ex-
pense if it were not for the hearty cooper
alton of the members" said Samuel VIII
ner, president of the association. I'm the
eleven years the organization has been in
existence we have never called for volun-
teers i'm vain. Although we have to main
tain as large an office force as a small bank
| our salary roll last year amounted to only
a little more than $500. If there is any
extra work we call for free aid and 1T is
cheerfully given. Even our counsel, Ed
ward Phillips, donates his services. 1t
costs us almost nothing to make collections
| even from obstinate delinquents, for the
| members do a large portion of that work
for nothing. Although we loaned out near
ly $4,000 last year We paid our only
about $500 for expenses OF collection and
that amount did not come from our cap
| ital, but was charged up to the operating
| expenses and was paid out of the fund
created by membership dues
Then we try TO save labor by being sys-