The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21
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There are many nhandlers-especially among the printers-who have genuine union cards They have learned the trade and have gone on the bum" later. There is no question that they are genuine union men, but they are as little deserving of sympathy as the fakers.
 Religion is fertile field for the pau per-professional and otherwise. Many in dividuals, and even families, join various churches In different localities and get all the help they can before leaving for newer and greener fields. The slum mis- sion is great graft for certain branch of this ilk. The bum visits one of the re- vival meetings and gets religion. Great tears course down his cheeks and his whole body sobs with suppressed emotion. The minister notices him and asks him to come forward After several unsuccessful efforts kind brother finally aids him. and he joins the throng of those who have found salvation After the service he tells his story. He has been a tramp and drinker all his life, but from now on he will follow narrower and better path He Is broke and hungry and really came into the mission to get warm; but he has taken his last drop of liquor. He will walk the streets all night and look for work In the morning. The kind brother Is touched and offers him half dollar. He refuses The other insists and he ac- cepts. The next night he is there in a front seat and enters heartily into the service.
 Well, my man, did you get work?" asks the minister kindly.
 l.,l-~ Lt- o1a hoe are too poor" he says Nobody would give bum looking like me work" And again the tears.
 There is a conference between the min ister and few of the brothers. He gets quarter and a slip of paper with an address on 1t and is told that if hes calls at the number he will get clothes. Assur- ances that he will get work are also given him.
 He wants the clothes, but not the work, and so he goes the next day, gets them and then disappears only to bob up se- renely at some other mission and work the game again.
 The pauper In the almshouse is not as picturesque as the beggar in the street. Nor as interesting. There are in a cer- tain almshouse in an Eastern state how ever, two brothers-John and Mike-who have been inmates for 30 years. They are twins, 94 years old, and the paternal airs that John assumes because he beat Mike into the world by 15 minutes are laughable. visit to any almshouse will reveal a wealth of human interest that would stir the sluggish blood of almost anybody. The stories that could be told by the inmates could well be woven into the fabric of many a drama and made the plot of many story. The Bureau of Census sometime ago completed figures that show that during the year covered by the report 163, ,176 persons were ad- mitted to the almshouses of the United States. Of this total Ill, SIT were males and 51,359 females. The figures just quoted relate only to the poor in the almshouse and not at all to the great floating population of dependent poor and the vast army of beggars who live in the shady ruts of life. existing by money gained in questionable methods. There seems no reliable way of taking census of this great body of the under world, and 1t is not likely that one will ever be devised. great student of the poor in tecent article said that for every nine men who lived by the sweat of their brows there was one who lived by begging If these figures hold good, 1t means that in addition to all the resi- dents of a city one-tenth of the popu- lation must be added for the uncounted beggars who seldom see the light of day, plying their trade at night and sleeping when the sun Is up.
 The number of paupers enumerated in the almshouses in 1880 was 6,203 and in 1900 73045. It is Interesting in this connection to note that though the aims house population has kept on increasing right along the increase has not kept pace with the growth of the population of the country. and consequently the ratio of almshouse pauperism is decreasing. h