The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-20
HALEA BUSY man
Cold Weather Brings Woes to
the Surface.
Many Applications for Aid Are.
Received.
NEW FACES ARE SEEN.
Chronic Aid Seekers known to
wv FACES ARE SEEN.
Chronic Aid Seekers known to
the Officials.
One Hundred Professional
Poor" in Shawnee County.

Today is not exactly Christmas with
the poor of the city but it is the next
best thing from their viewpoint and
long before the poor commissioner $
office in the court hous was opened
this morning they we're there in force
They came singly, by twos and threes
and in one instance, at least, the entire
family made the Office a call and asked.
for aid.
THE first fall of snow is the signal
for the poor to seek my office, said
A c. Hale, commissioner of poor. this
morning, land I expected the greeting
1 received this morning. There are
cases which are pitiful among those
who called and then there are others
that are not entitled to any considera-
ton whatever. There are all kinds OF
poor, the old. the young, the halt and
the blind, and it is no easy matter to
sort the deserving from the imposters
who live off of the sympathies ana
charity of the community.
Il have been in this Office for nine
teen years and there were some or the
were there when first took charge
Two simple minded girls are now be-
ing cared for by the county whose
mother was among the first who called
at my Office when I took charge OF
1t nearly twenty years ago, Doth OF
them born since that time.
Among those who ask aid from the
county are a few of the genteel poor
who have seen better days and they
shrink from the crowd Of mend1cants
and shun them, waiting until they can
see me alone to tell me their story OF
restitution and suffering. IL IS among
this class that the sad stories or Ire
develop. They could go to the poor
hut 81 ri from
a pestilence and prefer to live IN pow
erty and suhsist on the mcager Charity
which is doled out at this office, rather
than suffer from the publicity o.
move to the county farm.
IN this class there are old men ana
women with kind faces marred VIII
the mental and physical sunerlng, ye1
showing the traces of education ana Ic-
dnement that time and sorrow cannon
enace Back somewhere IN their hNes
there is a story In many instances 50
pitiful that it brings tears TO the rs
teners some times it is one thlng anu
some times another that has reduced
them from the ranks Of gentlemen anu
gentlevomen TO those of the poor OF
the underworld who regard theh poN-
erty as a matter Of course.
Mr. Hale has learned 70 PICK these
people from the ranks Of the appI-
cants at glance, but most any onS
do the same for the contrast IS as be-
tween day and night. Year after year
the old familiar faces appear at the Ut
tie window with the same story o.
" face is missed and it is known
that death has claimed one OF the I'M
fortunates.
There are perhaps 100 professional
poor in Shawnee county, and the ma
iority Of them are from the city, VINO
make a practice of visiting the poor
commissioners office with the nrst colu
spell, or snow of winter. To them
Dittance barely sufficient to keep soul
and body together is doled out while
more liberality is used In helping the
more worthy of the county's poor.
Corn meal. rice, beans, matches, soap,
and cereal foods is the major portion
OF stock carried in the store room N
the basement Of the court house, Whlle
orders for coal are given on the dealers
in the city There are some who come
to Commissioner Hale for assistance
only in extreme instances, perhaps
once or twice in a year when spell
some kind has made it impossible for
them to supply themselves with the ne
cessities Of life.
Sometimes little children scarcely
strong enough to trudge home with the
basket laden with provisions stand on
tiptoe before the little window In the
office and tell how their father or moth
er or both of them are sick at nom.
with no food in the house. These cases
are usually investigated, for while
sometimes the stories are correct more
often they are not, and the children
have been sent on begging exposl-
ton by parents who are too indOlent to
work and who hope to gain from the
charity of the county
At this season of the year appeals
for coal are more numerous than
those for victuals. in fact nearly all Of
the year there is a demand for coal. In
the summer most of 1t is given to wo-
men who attempt to earn livelihood
by taking in washing and who rely on
the county TO furnish them with coal
The board of county cOmmf ssioners
and Mr. Hale have decided that 1t IS
better to assist in keeping these fam
flies than to have them taken to the
county poor farm where they earn but
little towards their board.
Many Of the women who apply for
charity are widows who have been
robbed Of their husbands by death or
deserted by them and left with a fam
ily of children to support Following
this class very closely in number are
the old men and women. some OF them
almost disabled by their infirmities,
as LONG as the weather remains warm
but who are compelled to seek aid
from the county at the first approach
of winter.
charity are white, there are number
of Chronic poor" among the negroes
who rely on the poor commissioner
Office for help. But few of the petty
criminals of the city apply at the Of
zee for aid as they are either confined
in one OF the jails or are afraid to
ask for help for fear that their record
Will be too closely investigated
AS long as the snow remains on the
ground there will be a well worn path
leading to the poor commissioners Of
fee, and as soon as it disappears there
will he a lulI in the activities and
Poor Commissioner Hale will have an
to take an inventory of his
stock and prepare for the next drop in
the mercury, or fall OF snow
HID a caose Can.