Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-02
DARKER SIDE OF LIFE
Work of the Shelter Homes
in Washington.
STRIKING CONTRASTS
TYPICAL THRoNd FOUND AT CEN
TRIAL UNION MISSION.
Men Whose Fortunes Had Been Ruined
by Drink Habit-Rescued
From Vice.

New Year eve. as you sat before the
cheerful fire in your comfortable home and
watched the old year out and the new
year In did you think of the thousands Of
homeless men in Washington who had no
gladstone greetings for 1904? Doubtless
not. The man who has good home Of his
own and a handsome bank account seldom
does. He is too apt to forget the misery
that Is to be found all about him, and
think only of his own happiness.
While multitude of voices, horns. bells
and whistles were ushering in the new
year. these discouraged mortals were
either resting On their cots in the dorni-
tories or lounging in the various rooms Of
the various Shelters scattered about the
city, most of them perfectly Indifferent to
the fact that the sounds about them were
signalling the death of year that had
brought them little of Joy. And in most
cases 1t was this, coupled with the fact
that the new year promised them nothing
better, that caused this Indifference Some,
1t is sad to say, were completely under
the influence of liquor as not to appreciate
the change, while there were few who
joined with their more fortunate brothers
in extending to the newborn year hearty
greetings. The latter were men who have
recently found deliverance from sinful
habits and who have faith that the new
them.
The Throng Passes In.
A Star reporter spent Thursday night at
the Central Union Mission. and there he
had an opportunity to study this unfortu-
nate class of men. At dusk they began
dropping into the smoking room, and long
before O'Clock, the time set for the ticket
takers to station themselves at the dormi-
tory doors, the room was crowded almost to
suffocation. The ma jority of the faces bore
the unmlStakable signs of dissipation, but
mere and there was a man or boy who evil
IDENTIFY had had but little acuuafntance with
vice.
When the dormitory doors were thrown
open a reporter was convefsing with a
gentleman a t the bottom of the stairs lead
ing to the apartments above and as he
saw some of these homeless men drag
themselves YEARLY up to their sleeping
room, and thought of the little happiness
that the new year will bring into their
lives his heart ached for them
See that fellow there" said the reporter q
acquaintance, pointing out good-looking,
well-bult man We'll sir, you will be sur
prised when I tell you that he is a scholar.
and not long ago commanded a salary of
MsD year. But drink has the best of
him now, although We believe he will vet
see the error of his ways and give I'D the
cup He could make a big success in life il
he would only quit drinking and somebody
would befriend him.
Several other men passed. everyone OF
whom commanded salaries ranging from
81 $50 to 5000 a few years ago. but because
of vice and unfortunate investments in some
cases they had lost their foothold and now
are homeless, without money and without
friends.
The attention of the reporter was drawn
in particular to one man. a man whose
voice and manner indicated refinement He
came to the foot of the stairs hesitated a
moment though n in
such quarters and then slowly assembled
the steps thinking no doubt, of the days
when he had spent New Year in his own
happy home.