The sun., 1904-12-04
HELP FOR POOR ITALIANS.
"LITTLE ITALY NEIGHBORHOOD
HOUSE, GETS VERY BUSY.
1t VIII Not he Formally Opened Untii
Wednesday Night. but That Doesn't
Niatter-Children swarm to the Glasses
--pcculiaritles OF Netghb0rho0d.

W.
Though the Little Italy Neighborhood
House at OF Sackett street. Brooklyn,
has not yet been formally opened. II Is
one Of the most popular Settlement houses
in the borough. Over 5000 Italians and
it is for Italians exclusively visited the
house last week. and several hundred others
applied for admission but were turned
away because there was no room for
them.
The Neighborhood house was organized
three weeks ago for socsl and m edical
work among the Italians OF the Sackett
street district, and in this short time
twenty classes have been formed in bas-
kerry, clay modelling, charcoal work and
cooking, az vel, az for vocal and instru-
mental music.
The head worker, Miss Louise Bartholow,
decided that a reading room would be
more satisfactory than a circulating IL
brary, as most Of the houses have, for II
would not only be easier to keep track
of the books, but she thought 1t would
stimulate the children to do more reading
if the books were kept in the house instead
of being taken to their homes and read at
leisure.
Classes are held from holf past uadl
$50 every day but Friday, and from until
10 at night. But on Friday night the
weekly entertainment Is given, at which
the parents and every member Of the family
are made welcome.
Several boys and girls clubs have been
formed and the children are already study
ing parts for Christmas entertainments
When the head worker was asked how
she had succeeded In interesting the ltal-
ians in such a short time, she said:
"Why. when ] go out on the street, l am
Immediately surrounded byigroups OF chill
dren, who beg me to put their names on
the list for class work, or for membership
in the clubs.
when / first came here. three weeks
| ago, started over to q grocer's, and on
die way met three little Italian boys. l
| stopped them, and asked II they would like
| to come to the house. and help me organize
lighted with pleasure, and one, less shy than
his companions, said We goa now Not
now l replied. Come at half past g.,
Il left the youngsters and entered the
grocery. had been there only minute;
when the scuff1ing Of many feet attracted
my attention looked up and saw horde
! Of half clad Italian boys, gr!nning at me,
and saying. Me too, tescher-me-a 60.
! The grocer woman. thinking they had
decided to raid her establishment seized
! DTOOTn ana 10 cry
tried to calm her, but she continued her
| terrified cries, brandishing her broom,
! 10 left h'nriedly, with the mob Of boys at
my heels-and we have had a large attend
| anoe and full classes ever since
Besides the head worker there is a resi-
| dent nurse. Miss Elizabeth Hatfield. She
goes to the homes Of the Italians when
one ia report ed as .ill' at the house, and
she says there Ia enough sickness In the
neighborhood to keep two nurses busy
| all the time.
She told OF nursing In one Italian family
where the mother Of eight children, all
| living in two rooms, was critically Ill. While
she stood over the woman giving her rnedi-
cine abe felt sonnet hing sharp hit her foot
She moved uneasily. only to be pecked the
harder. STOPPING TO see what was hitting
her foot, she discovered large game cock,
that walked out from under the bed, tapped
his wings and gave long crow OF delight.
Horrihcd at the sight Of gameoock
under the bed OF such siok woman, sne
asked the man OF the family, who sat Idly
| by the window, what he meant by keeping
| the fowl In the same room with his sick
wife. He said, unhcsitttinRlv, I'm keep
| ing Il, miss. because its going to be my
wife's FIRST meal when she Is able 20 eat
! Struck by this particular hind OF thought
fulness and evidsnt tenderness she sald
| nothing more, and before she left she found
| that the eight children slept In the only other
| room. with whole flock Of pigeons.
Atle Italy b little old yellow brick.