The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-25
LOUIS RLElSCHMANN VERY ILL.
HE FED THE HUNGRY NIGHTLY
AT-HIS BAKERY DOOR.

|
Famous the Country Over-Hh Reply
to Critics-War Veteran and PM.
lanthropist, He's Now at Deaths Door.
Louis Fleischmann who established and
owns the Vienna bakery in Broadway, Just
below Grace Church, Is critically III at his
home, West Seventy-seventh street. IL
was said last night that he was at the point
of death He was brought to this city
from his summer home in the Catskilis
last Tuesday and has been unconscious,
with occasional recoveries, since. Mr..
Fleischmann had a severe paralytic stroke
two years ago and has never recovered
| from it.
The best known OF Mr. Fleisohmanns
works is the Broadway bread line the
long single file OF unfortunate and hungry
men who wait every night for the midnight
dole Of bread and coffee at the back door
Of the bakery. For many years after MI.
disposed OF the unsold bread which was
returned to him at the end OF each day
by selling it at half price
While hts health permitted he always
superintended all the work OF the bakery
and restaurant. Once he saw two or three
hungry tramps hanging about the doors of
the bakery In the early morning, smiling
the odor Of freshly baked bread. He fed
them.
More came. The inspiration came to
him that the so-called stale bread, which
was really but twenty-four hours old.
might well be fed to the poor. 1t was made
the duty OF one OF the employees OF the
bakery to superintend the dole. TO the
bread, which was handed out half loaf at
a time, was added cup OF hot coffee Tor
each man.
So many applicants that the distribution
came to be the whole duty OF one man,
who was called Capt. Henry He was
assisted by two other men. Mr. Fleisch,,
philanthropists and sociologists as a pau
perizer Of the idle. He waved their OBJ
iections aside with the remark that he
could stand being called names for feeding
men who were hungry enough TO wait
out under the sky in line for two or three
or four hours for half a loaf OF bread and
cup of coffee
Often the number OF applicants exceeded
the quantity of stale bI sad, but some way
was always found to keep b. any 9ne from
often reached 500 loavee
Through the newspapers Mr.. Fleisch-
mann's dole became known all over the
country. Farmers and business men got
in the way of asking him If he could recon-
mend needy men to them for emp loyment.
Capt Henry" and his assistants got in
the way OF sizing up, men In the line and
picking out those who seemed especially
deserving and helping them to independ.
ance Recently bulletin was established
on the wall near the door where the dole
Ia made, so that men in need OF work could
find out where there were chances for en-
ployment and apply for themselves
Mr.. Fleischmann was born in Austria
on Aug. IS, 1885. His parents were well
to do. He went into the army and fought
as Lieutenant in the Austro-Prussian
War. His bravery in battle caused the
Emperor Francis Joseph to confer two
medals on him. In 1859 he visited this
country, where his brothers., Charles and
Max, had established in Cincinnati the
great yeast industry which bears their
name.
In 1874 he left the Austrian Army and
came to this country to live, His first enter.
prise was model bakery. which he installed
at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
1t was very successful, and he brought the
whole establishment to New York. N has
fourished at Broadway and Tenth street
nized gathering places OF prominent men OF
l. Mr.. Fieischmann subscribed literally to
every charity which made a reasonable APP
peal to him. He frequently went into his own
pocket when some particularly hard story
from the bread line came to his ears. ! he
bread line was the only charity with which
his name was openly connected.
He married in 1873. Miss Hermann OF
Vienna They have five oh ildren. Two
sons, Charles Russell and Otto, are active
in the conduct Of the bakery. The third
Is sophomore at Williams College. Two
daughters live with their parents In this
CITY