The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14

bilious, Industrious useful citizenship. He
must have ideas and courage, be able to
plan out his own campaign and carry out
his own plans.
HOW MARSH WORKS.
That is precisely what Mr.. Marsh has
been doing for the past six months. He
entered into the work of the Society for
Organizing Charity last fall. and has since
then made their Wayfarers' Lodge at 1724
Lombard street his headquarters. He has
since then been studying carefully the men
who come there for shelter. They are
given a clean bed in a we'll ventilated dor
mitory; shower BATH and supper and
breakfast. For this they must give a few
hours work. They may stay three days
and Mr.. Marsh has those three days to
waken them to desire for better things
and start them on the path toward re-
spectacle citizenship. Rather a strenuous
proposition that! But Mr.. Marsh has pre-
them and studying theoretically their con-
dition and their point of view, but so far
as possible by practical experience.
He has visited the various institutions in
Philadelphia where homeless men are
lodged. He has himself sought shelter. as
one of them, in the missions which give
such men free lodgings and breakfast with
out any work test. He has visited the po-
lice stations wayfarer. He has begged
in the streets Of Philadelphia, and at its
doors. And he does not, in view of his ex-
men me for whom organized charity finds work
do not always grab 1t with an avid enthu-
siasm.
He finds that of the fifteen philanthropic
shelters for homeless men In Philadelphia,
five-and two of these are the lodges of
his own society-provide a work test. OF
the remaining three, two require reason
able amount of cleanliness and personal de-
cency. The second and much larger class
will keep men week after week for a charge
or 10 or 10 cents night. One which Mr..
Marsh notes as the cleanest charges a dime
extra for single room. and for IS cents
will furnish supper and breakfast as well.
Some which are semi-religious in character
a bed Many of them nominally require
every man to take BATH" but the ma
jority do not enforce this requirement. In
one where the compulsory bath figured in
the regulations the only bath tub was half
filled with cobwebs and broken glass.
Then there is a third class which does a
regular clearinghouse business by a ticket
system. That is they sell to the charitaby-
minded strips OF tickets. generally ten for
81. And many of them when men claiming
to be without money apply for shelter, &C
toally direct them to the purchasers of these
tickets. All Of which is good for business,
since ii impresses the purchasers of these
tickets with the number of hungry and
homeless wanderers there are in the city
and with the necessity of always keeping a
supply on hand. Clergymen are the most
| numerous patrons Of such Institutions.
Mr.. Marsh also tells of his adventures as
| a 'fve-cent topper" He had applied at one
| of tha shelters for permission to sleep on
| the floor, saying that he had no money. but
would work for his lodging in the morning
But apparently Ii was place where nc
| credit was given For he was told that IL
he had not a nickel he might go out and
| beg. He went. but as il was in poor dis
| trict he was not very successful. Return
| ing a little later, he offered a nickel and
was sent upstairs to pick out a place. II
was easier said than done. Men were sleep.
| ing on the landings between the floors In
4 two rooms on the second floor they were
| lying so closely that there seemed no room
| for another TO stretch out. All slept in their
clothes. and the stencil in the unventilated
rooms was something frightful few OF
| the men persisted In talking far into the
| night. and Mr.. Marsh learned a thing or two
about the management of the House of Cor.
| rection from one Of the conversations he
| overheard. The place figured as an indus
trial home but industry was conspicuously
| absent.
| SALVATION BARRACKS.
| Another night he spent in a Salvation
| Army barracks. He applied about mid.
night. ostensibly broke" But the office,
| in charge had exhausted his supply OF sym
| pathy. workman offered to pay for hi.
| lodging. and he accepted. agreeing to repa,
him later. The accommodation was hardl,
worth paying fora double-decker iron bed
with extremely dirty blankets and linen
these being. according to regulations
| changed once a week. One OF the attend
| ants was drunk and had free fight with {
| lodger. Here. as at several other places
| Mr.. Marsh found men who were earning
from $3.50 TO s. a day, but spent II yer,
freely and had no regular abiding place