Omaha daily bee., 1905-02-14
DOUGLAS COUNTY CHARITY |
Keeps on Providing for the Destitute
from Morning Till Night.
SCORES ARE GIVEN FOOD AND FUEL DAILY
A Glimpse at the work Done I'm and
the visitors to the Headauar-
ters of the County Agent
on st. Mary's Avenue.

There is a storeroom on st. Marys ave-
nue. that in this kind of weather is about
the busiest place in town. Here Douglas
county continues to play the role of Santa
Claus long after everybody else has shelved
the legend until next Christmastide. Tom
O'Connor, county agent has headquarters
at 1914 st. Marys avenue and every worthy
needy person in Omaha and South Omaha
is on his visiting list When they pay
their calls they carry large baskets or
drag with them small sleighs. though some
bring clean pillow slips, bags or other
receptacles, into which they can stow un-
cooked food. Many of the visitors to the
county store walk long distances and never
complain of being tired. Neither do they
Insist that their orders be delivered. IT'S
a poor horse that will not carry his own
fodder" is one motto of the county agent
to which no one takes exception.
Mr.. OConnor's callers will number any
where from fifty 10 seventy-flve day;
that is personal callers. He attends to
the wants of many more people than this
because as many more get coal on
county order. This coal is given out in
half-ton lots. In December the county
coal bill was about 1900 and something
like 5000 orders were filled. This month
greater In this number there are many
duplicates, for while most of the recipients
have only small stoves and probably try
to make the fuel go far as possible, the
long continued spell of steady cold has
made of each little stove a devouring
demon. This coal is all bought on con-
traot and costs the county s2.10 for each
half ton.
The waiting and the working.
In the front of the large store room where
the county agent holds forth Is long
bench for waiting ones. These comprise all
sorts of people, pinched-looking men and
women, black as well white, children
who have to carry home the county gifts
to invalid parents, mothers with little ones
hanging to them, and old people who find
difficulty sometimes in handling the pro-
visions handed out. They wait with pa
tience and without demonstration their turn
TO step up to the man at the Office window
and have their order marked 20. K" 1t Is
the aim of the county board and of the
county agent to give aid only to those who
are deserving. but there are cases where
the contribution must be made regular
thing In such cases the messenger Is
known to the agent or his deputy and the
giving is continued as long as may be neces-
sary.
Having the little slip revised and ap-
proved, the man or woman, boy or girl
steps over to a counter where lively and
pleasant-spoken old man is bustling about
The basket or sack is filled with packages
holding tea or coffee cornmeal pork,
breakfast food prunes and such stuff in
that line as the circumstances of the appli-
cant may call for. II there are children in
the family, or If the number of grown per-
sons warrant 1t, a small sack of -four Is
also added.
At the back of the room several men are
busy measuring out, weighing and wrap
ping up the different kinds of provisions,
and these last few weeks they have never
been able to get ahead OF the demand.
Handy to their work bench are chests OF
tea, sacks of coffee. barrels of sugar and
rice, bags of cornmeal and original pack
ages of all the stuff the county provides.
The coffee Is served out whole and the re-
cipients must grind 1t themselves.
Great slabs Of fat salt pork are piled up
in a corner in front of an airy window AS
needed they are cut up into chunks of seven
or eight pounds in weight and these chunks
are wrapped up in strong brown paper. The
pork is of the dry salt variety and looks
quite as palatable as does that exposed in
the meat market. Salt too is provided for
the baskets of groceries and soap is sup
piled when asked for.
Character of the Callers.
Careful observation during busy day
shows that a majority of Mr.. O'Connor's
visitors are clean and decent looking. Some
arc widows in temporary hard crcum-
stances; there are men out of work, others
too weak physically TO be able to do any
thing but the lightest work, brlght-faced
orphans who are doing the best they can
children of drunken or negligent parents
- -
even in receiving charity, are quite cheer
full The cynical loafer who believes the
world owes him or her living finds
chilly reception at tho county store
County Commissioner Trainor has been
giving consideration to q plan to have all
recipients who can work for the county
and get groceries In payment. There are
quite a number of men who have been
working under the supervision of Ed Dee
superintendent of the county building, who
have been paid In this way for shoveling
snow. They are glad to get the chance TO
thus earn fuel and provisions; in fact, the
supply has nearly always exceeded the
number that could be employed to advan-
tage, There are many women. too, apply
ing for aid who would be entirely willing to
work in return for what they get II the
work could be found
Sunday word came to the county board
that a certain road in the town of Benson
is blocked to such an extent that residents
cannot get into town. They are practically
marooned for the time being AS the
matter stands, the county will probably
have 70 pay men TO shovel way through.
Under the payment in kind scheme that
Commissioner Trainor has in mind such
emergencies could be handled quickly and
with entire satisfaction to all parties
Douglas county is fulfilling it's duty in
generous measure I'm caring for the desti-
tute within its borders. While investiga-
tion is the rule where possible. any case of
emergency is promptly relieved first and in
vestigated afterward. 1t seems safe to
say that those who are being helped are
nearly all worthy OF the aid extended.
CITY TO HAVE DUCT IN TUBES