The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-31
Big ClTY'S POOR MADE RICH.
AN ODD CHARITY EMBARRASSTNG
70 ST. PAUL's CITIzENs.

MiIliens Len to Their "Worthy Poor, with
Strict injunction That institutions
snail Not Re Helped or Provided With
the Msuey-And the Poor Are Few.
ST.. PAUL, May so.-How St. Paul can
use all the money it will soon have for
charity Is puzzling several leading BUSH
ness men Of the city who will be charged
with spending the money. while hundreds
OF charity workers who have been en-
gagged In Systematic relief work for years
are wondering whether city Is not rather
worse OF than better when 1t has more
money 'for worthy poor than In normal
times Il has worthy poor.
81. Paul. like every Western city OF ite
class, has not 4 large INDECENT population.
Its poor are those overtaken by misfortune
and are public charges only for a
limited time; those who by economic con-
diions beyond their control have failed
70 obtain the humble living with which
they arc usually content, or those who
are the victims Of their own or anotheTs
intemperance or lack Of thrift. Under
normal conditions there is work enough
for ali who will work. and living for all
who are willing to earn 1t.
The twoscore or moro charity organiza-
lions In the city are banded into an or
sanizahon known a. the Associated Chari-
ties, and II is estimated that there was
donated for local charity In one form or
another last year about NO,oOo n CASH.
which was supplemented by gifts OF cloth-
inn, provisions and fuel that would amount
70 as much more.
And now has come the sWilder Charity"
Two women OF wealth, a daugH ter and a
mother, dying within few Weeks Of each
their fortunes, estimated to be worth from
81 900 900 TO o, 900 900, to the worthy poor
and husband, Amherst H: Wilder, pioneer
perhsps not the best friend the women
had would say that they possessed a thor
ouEh knowledge Of the needs of the citys
worthy poor, or that they appreciated the
complications their kindly meant beneficene
would create yet they have provided fu1d d
an annual income Of III, 900 to sloo, 600. or
enough to give Thousand families hundred
dollars a year each. st. Paul has nothing
like 50 many needy families, and' tesiGes
there Is the SloO, 900 year, donated by PIT
o va,e P sS. sn9 Hnd xbae s beoome
Of all the old clothesp Here is an embarrast-
The suggestion of the wilder Charity
dates back TO 1880, when Amherst d. Mid,r'
one OF 81. f8u I1Cu ulCiSttaAies' wa
templatine a trip abroad with his lie and
daughter, his only child, a young woman
just emerging from her, teens.
He Thought Of all that might happen
TO him and his wife and daughter should
there be = disaster At SEA. What would
become OF his millions2 -,
He drew up q will providing that his
wife and daughter should each inherit a
third Of his estate, the remaining third to
be hold IN trust and managed for them;
- ta~
dollars were left to faithful servants. and
one or two funds were created Tor the
benefit Of distant relatives. Not dollar
~sa appruisso at a few thousand
less than y 900, coo.
This vas In case bis wife and dsnghtsr
survived him But the fear Of disaster
At sea Influenced him to insert a provision
for the disposition Of the fortune Ia case
al three pertahed together. The ~, xih went went
erty shouH b applied to founding The
Wilder Charity. aa Q perpetual memorial