Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17

sons in position to judge state that Mr..
Straus' fortune has been greatly overrated
in the biographies which have been pub
lished. 1t is estimated that he is not mil
llonaire, although his two brothers fortunes
have gone far beyond the million mark. He
has to large extent sacrificed commercial
opportunity to his public career.
Mrs Straus' Home for Girls.
Mr.. and Mrs. Straus were close friends Of
the Baron and Baroness de Hirsch, the i'm
mensely wealthy German Jews who spent
millions in founding charities here and
abroad. Mr.. Straus was their chief advisor
in their American charities and is trustee
of 1896 Baroness de Hirsch asked Mrs.
Straus to look into the practicability of es-
tablishing in New York Jewish non-sec-
tartan home for working girls. Mrs. Straus
inspected all of the institutions for women
in the metropolis, Philadelphia and Boston.
and later spent several weeks with the
baroness. in Paris. which visit was followed
by the latters endowment of the Clara de
Hrsch Home for Working Girls. now occu-
plying a handsome five-story building in Esd
street. Mrs. Straus Is president of the in
stitution and has had supreme charge of 1t
since the death of Baroness de Hirsch, who,
besides giving $4,000 for the building. be-
queathed fund of $500, 600 for it's support.
1t comprises a trade. school for girls over
fourteen, who may be either resident or day
pupils; comforta BILE home for self-support-
ing girls between fourteen and twenty-one,
and a place for the care and protection of
immigrant girls after they leave Ellis Is
saved many an immigrant girl from the So
called white slave traders Other girls,
whose parents cannot afford to support
them while learning trade or orphans,
are eligible for admission, and forty-three
scholarships. including board. lodging and
tuition, are given yearly. Girls who can af
ford it are admitted as boarding pupils at
Sc per week. or as day pupils at 81 per
- f~0yA <f@v, = t.
that day pupils cannot afford to pay, they
are admitted Free The resident pupils have
household duties, which vary every two
months. and each thus becomes familiar
with the entire routine of housework. The
trades taught are hand sewing, machine
operation. dressmaking and millinery. Resi-
dent pupils are taught English, reading,
composition, spelling, grammar, geography,
clubs. The pay boarders must be either
orphans girls whose parents do not live
In New York city, and their. yearly incomes
must not exceed $780, The graduates are
constantly sought by manufacturers, dress
makers and milliners An interesting pro-
vision is that in addition to their meals the
girls are given all of the milk which they
wish to drink
Saving Thousands Of Babies.
Speaking of milk, Nathan Straus the
brother of Oscar, who has been president
of the New York board of health, and who
in 1894 declined the democratic nomination
for mayor, originated sixteen years ago, and
has since maintained at his own expense, a
system for the distribution of sterilized milk
to the poor of New York city, which Stats
tics of the board of health show has saved
thousands of infants lives. From his de-
pots and booths, scattered all over the
greater city, he annually distributes about
million bottles of milk and milk foods,
and a million more glasses of milk, every bit
Of 1t supplied by his own dairy and ster-
ilized and packed in ice at his own Ia
boratory. 1t is given in exchange for cou-
pons, distributed among the worthy poor by
charitable organizations and physicians.
That they need not feel that they are ac-
cepting a charity, those who are able pay
one cent per bottle, but the penny Is not ex-
acted. Coal depots and lodging houses have
also been maintained by Nathan Straus in
times of strikes and panics. 1t is estimated
that seven thousand babies have been saved
in ten years by his pasteurized milk depots
Eldest Brother Ex-Representative.
The eldest brother. Isidor Straus, might,
as stated. have sat in Cleveland's cabinet.
While his family lived in Georgia he par
took Of local sentiment in favor Of the
south. AT the age of sixteen he was elected
lieutenant of Georgia company volunteer
ing for the confederate army, but was not
allowed to serve on account Of his youth
Nevertheless, when eighteen he went abroad
as assistant to an agent commissioned to
purchase steamers and supplies for the con-
federates He helped his father build I'D his
importing business in pottery and glass
ware. in which he is still engaged with his
two brothers.
He was elected to Congress as a demo-
crat in 1893 and became close friend and
advisor of William L. Wilson during the
framing of the Wilson tariff bill. Twenty
six other Jews besides Isidor Straus have
been elected to Congress, five of these to
the Senate.
There are now four Jews in the House
Meyer, Louisiana: Goldfogie New York:
Littaur, New York, and Kahn, California,
The Jews who have been electeu t. the
Senate are Judah Benjamin, Louisiana.
who became secretary of state of the con-
federacy; David Yulee, Florida; B. F.
ISidOr RaXner. present senator from Nary.