The San Francisco call., 1907-01-17
LIFE IS NO JOKE
To THIS BABY

Life isn't all milk bottles and rat
ties 10 q baby refugee. That would be
the opinion-could he express it-of
Baby Fred Reimke, youngest Of the
house OF Reimke, refugees. He first
saw the light OF dsy three months
ago in a tent in Golden Gate Park,
where his mother was without any aid
except that given by neighbors almost
as badly of as herself. It might have
been case for the powers that ad-
minister relief TO take action, but
these powers have q tendency to be
conspicuous by their absence when
they arc most needed. Ever since the
day when he opened his eyes and Ut
tered wall as a signal 10 the world
that he was coming into, Baby Reimke
has been the victim Of scientific char
ity He has been nourished by a
mother herself fed on the bounty OF
the relief, said bounty usually taking
the form Of soap. candles, matches and
other equally indigestible things deliv-
cred by the grocer as per orders from
the relief. and on tainted meat deliv-
cred by the butcher by the same or
ders.
Baby is living with his parents and
seven sisters and brothers in cottage
405 Of Camp 25, in the Richmond Dis
trict. There are cracks in the cottage
walls and roof wide enough TO see the
sun and moon and all the stars through
them, and in these cold days, when
there is a coating Of ice on the roof
in the morning. the airy construction
Of relief cottages has its disadvan-
tages. Sometimes baby wakes UP in
the night and finds his crib fun OF
water, and his mother does not have
10 fetch water for her washing, for
her tubs. standing on the kitchen floor,
rain full in = night.
II is not because his mother has not
tried to get aid that baby has 10 come
up" under these distressing condi-
tions. In fact, he has spent q good
many hours sucking his rattle in tho
house Of some helpful neighbOr, while
his mother has been besieging the re-
lief. When he was six weeks old
he went with his mother TO the Relief
Society and had TO wait five hours
in her arms before she got the encOur-
aging information that she might call
again. Mrs. Reimke explained that
she had eight small children. that her
husband was Ill and could not work
and that she herself was i'll. but there
was nothing doing at the relief.
After waiting Tour weeks. writing
various letters and making calls innu-
merable, she was provided with some
furniture. which was very wen, but
was scarcely Of any use in feeding
eight hungry little mouths or in keep
ing the Icy winds OF the refugee camps
from eight little bodies When she
asked for food and clothing she re-
ceiVed the answer that SIS had already
been spent on her and that nothing
more was coming TO her. IT was q case
OF asking for bread and getting chairs
Continual dripping weareth out 4
stone, but apparently il does not wear
out the Relief Corporation. for Mrs
Reiuke has tried IT, She has written Il
al the heads of the relief administra-
ton, but has received no answer. She
has been investigated within an Incl
Of her life, no less than four womer
being sent to look into her case. but
nothing has come Of il except The
Aforesaid furniture, candles, soap and
tainted meat.
Meanwhile. baby is sobbing in hi:
crib. drenched by the rain which come.
through the roof Of his humble home
and indistinctly he knows what i
means 70 be al the tender mercy o-
the Relief Corporation.