Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-01
BACK TO USEFUL PATH
How One Man Was Restored
to His Former Condition.
WHAT rs BEING DONE
By THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
DAY AFTER DAY.
Secretary Weller Cites an Instance
That is Fair Example Of
Work Accomplished.


| The annual report of the Associated Charl-
| ties, notice In general way of which has
| already been made in The Evening Star.
| contains some interesting statements of the
| work that Is being done constantly among
| the poor of the national capital, the char
| acter OF which will readily appeal to those
| who are DESTROYS that the work shall be
prosecuted. Mr.. Weller. the secretary of
| the Associated Charities, has taken pains
! In the preparation of the report to go into
detail In one of the many cases that has
come to his attention. 1t Is better told in
| his own words:
| A Polish nobleman fleeing to America
| because of prosecutions in his native land
established himself successfully upon a
! wisconsin farm. but removed to Washing
ton later on account Of his wifes ill health
I lie brought to the national capital several
hundred dollars, the selling price of his
/ farm. but he was soon defrauded of this
| entire amount by being persuaded to pur-
| chase a worthless business. A stranger
! IN a strange city, with four little children
ana a SICK wife, he soon came to grief and
FOUND his way. in July, 1902, to the Asso-
| ciated Charities.
Friendly Confidence Established.
| AiipioJLieh was what he asked The
agent or the associa ton visited the house
i'iii.ieola'eiy replenished the empty larder
with a grocery order of the Citizens Relief
| <hasocialioh then looked up the references
! and visited several employers hopfng TO
| find him work Finally a contractor fool,
| the discouraged fellow as common la
| borer. and the Associated Charities heard
| nothing further from him for several
| months
| do ar,;f
| mat he was the eldest son of a noble fam
| lily VINO mad been accustomed to wealth That
| was FOUND out accidentally some months
/ later. 1t also appeared subsequently, how
important it was that in his first. besita,ine
| appeal to charity the man received such
| cordlal treatment as showed him for the
| future where he could always find a friend
| in time of need
| In December the man came again to the
! Associated Charities, diffidently as before,
! ana stating as the sole object of his visit
| tnat ms FAMILY would be glad to receive
one OF the Christmas dinners soon to be
| distributed The secretary suspected there
| were further needs also and he chatted
In leisureiy. friendly manner with the
| real condition.
| without underwear or an overcoat in
nsht summer clothing. with shoes which
We're only uppers. the man had been work
| ing through the cold December weather as
| a substitute street cleaner earning only
| an uncertain pittance. A good oyercoaf.
| underwear and outer garments were imme-
| oiateiy supplied him from the store Of
! cast-oH garments sent in by numerous
| friends. ~
| A Citizens Relief Association order for a
| new pair or shoes was also offered but the
man seemed embarrassed about presenting
| Inns at the shoe store, until the secretary
learned that he had socks at all. and
| this need also was supplied
| Worse Conditions in the Home.
AT the famly's two-room home in an oh
| scure alley still worse conditions were dis
| covered. A call was made there that same
! evening by the division agent having that
| section OF the city in her care The two
| rooms were on different floors The single
stove In the first-f1oor room was so badly
broken that no fire could be kept at night:
| the sick wife and her four little ones Suf
| fered constantly from colds and croun
| There was one bed only and the two
younger children shared it with their par
| ents. PC.
| Two older girls, aged five and seven
| slept on the floor. None had sufficient he'd.
| clothing. By day the little ones were clad
In calico, without underwear Their food
| was often insufficient. Yet all their depri-
| Vat1ons had been concealed by the man
! and they were only discovered through
tactful Inquiries and friendly visits by the
| agent or the Associated Charities
Fitted Out Completely.
The Golden Book fund" was drawn upon
| for underwear and bedclothing, and it was
! replenished for this purpose by contribu-
lions of $40 solicited for this special case
| A benevolent furniture dealer was also in
| tefested, and the family saw the silver
| lining of their clouds when a wagon came
| to their alley shanty with stove, bed mat
| tress pillows rug, chairs and other house.
hold comforts. Fuel and food were again
| supplied by an order upon the Citizens Re-
| lief Association A volunteer friendly Wis
! itor. enlisted early to assist with this one
| family, took the mother to the stores and
| helped her purchase bedclothing under
wear and outer garments with the cash Sc
| cured for the family. This friend also in
| terested an influential lawyer, who endeav9
ored, though unsuccessfully. to recover
| some of the money which the man had
| sunk in his worthless Investment
| The rest of the story only be sum-
married. In order to suggest how much per-
| Sonal service is often necessary in a single
| case. Excluding many persons whose
names are not distinctly mentioned in the
| records, there remain forty-one individuals
| and organizations whose active interest had
| lem was solved.
Many Helpers.
| Three of this number were the secretary
| and two agents of the Associated Charities
| who gave many hours of labor and study
| to the many details of the case For in
stance, one of them saw Mr.. W. who in
| troduced him to the District Commissioner
and to the superintendent of street cleaning,
| with the result that the applicant was pro-
| NOTED from substitute street sweeping to
regular employment at the city dump during
the sickness of an older employee.
| But something more than so weekly was
| necessary for refined family of six per-
! sons and 1t seemed that work of higher
character should be secured for a gentleman
| who had completed the highest university
! training afforded in Poland. graduated SUBJ
sequently at an agricultural school in Paris
| travelled extensively and then conducted his
| famiy's agricultural estate of several
| thousand acres.
The first friendly visitor tried in vain to
L SECURE annrOnriate emnI0VInent for the ,,na AZ,