The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23

~ NM oNon burouHn q DOOM 9uo rbcoNSbOu
and has the usual social difficulties attend
ing . settlement where everybody h familiar
with his neiShbor's business. This u the
extent Of its charity work.
Each Thanksgiving Day at q union service
IN one OF the churches h taken q collection
for the city mission fund. This amounted
last year TO sS4.oO, the year preceding 70
Ss7. A committee. consisting OF two mern-
bers from each OF half q DOZEN leading
churches. works with tho city officials, that
none Of the needy may be missed.
The principal expenditure 10 In buying
Christmas baskets and sending them 70
the families Of widows or TO the aged a.
reminders OF the day.
Occasionally some immigrant n stranded
here a. be goes with his family across u
try In his white covered wagon explained
the chairman OF tha committee. We helped
two SUCH cases last year. Some families
with little children where the parents arc
Ill have been assisted, but We, have not
spent all our money this year, nor did We
last year.
But do not the town and county spend
something for charityt'
yes, and there is q poor farm, but IL has
only seventeen inmates. all Of them there
because infirm, sick or aged. IL Ia really
q hospital. It has steem heat and bath
rooms, and Is more a hons than q public
refuge. The city marshal sometimes takes
food or coal TO families In town, but Il Is
when sudden misfortune has visited the
homo and not because OF poverty In tho
usual sense OF the word
This was characteristic OF other towns
In which inquiries were made. Many OF
them had oven q better record, % having
10 many railroads and 80 escaping the
trampdom that guides It's movements by the
direction OF ines OF ties.
The tramp problem, closely allied as IL
IL to poverty, exists In the plains region
as elsewhere. While distances are ex-
pansive and opportunity for securing work
so numerous as 10 be impairment the
procession OF able bodied men loafs along
the highways and halts in the parks and
groves
Questioned, most OF the members Of the
Guild Of the Wandering Foot will say they
are bound for the Coast or are going
East to the wife's folks Many towns
have ordinances making the giving OF aims
to strangers an offence, specifying that
beggars shall be sent to the city authori-
ties.
In summer whom the farmers are begging
for help in the harvest it is aggravating Ia
see able bodied men living their ire
sponsible life and refusing q a day and
board for work in the wheat fields. Kan
sas asks for 5000 workers in harvest every
summer, Nebraska uses 5000 and the
Dakotas as many more.
Farmers Of all These States find II
more difficult each year to obtain help FOL
their farms and thousands are selling on
or renting their land and moving to towT
because Of this shortage OF farm labor. 81
long as he who will work can till land Of hi
own and make more profit than he cal
serving others this condition will continu'
and it, disposes Of any possibility Of rea
poverty in agricultural communities.
The exception in securing farm labor Il
| the large ranch where much help Ia needed
Here grows up a comradeship that hold
the men, and, as wages are high, seldom
! is IL dificult to keep employees-for life OF
Western ranches is far from being barrer
| or ~burdensome. Indeed, It has a fascina
! ton and q charm that attract even thoe'
who could make better incomes by beinG
their own masters.
- biuni NObOOH SN"H COOA' w VIZ ~"
tor TO offer little chance 60 earn q livelihood
The store IL 90 very small, the hotel is *
very cheap-a dollar q day is the top price
charged only to transient outsiders; dur
ing tie harvest season the shops seem D
sleepy and the streets 90 deserted.
But talk with q business man and yoV
will find that every individual has a mission
Many Of the men are running farms jus
outside tho town; some Of the shops ar
branches Of bigger ones at the county seat
the hotel proprietor also runs the liver.
stable and charges well for his teams hicl
are kept busy carrying drummers 10 tn
next village.
The streets may be deserted at midday
but on Saturday afternoon, when the farmer
com in to shop, every hitchins post will b
In 8 and every store will be filed wit
customers.
Not only are these towns free from povert.
In It's usual sense but they oner to tho we
to do dweller an uncommon advantage, on
not co~mprehended by the city resident c
the metropolis.