The Washington herald., 1908-04-26


delivered from chair. so small was she
al the time Step by step she has worked
up the Salvation Army ladder. until to-
day she holds the second most important
divisional post in the organization.
Good Samaritan from the sIums.
Among all the Good sama .ftans here
mentioned Jacob Riis has the distinction
Of having actually lived the life of the
slums. not from choice. but Of necessity
He has told better than any one else
could of his coming to America and the
lheartbreaking experience that befeli him
before he could find himself in the land
Of new hope. And when he did find him
self he had ever with him the desire some
day to annihilate the conditions which
had oppressed him and were enslaving
their tens Of thousands in New York
| City.
Because OF this ambition he has con-
tributed more than any other man 70 the
wonderful ameloration of conditions Of
the East Side poor that has taken place
of late years. He literally has changed
/ the map of that teeming region. Null
berry Bend Park is one monument TO bis
/ ceaseless activity in behalf of the poor.
1 The new style of tenement house is an
other, In large measure, He reformed the
system OF municipal lodging Every
movement for civic betterment In the me
tropolis gets a part Of his time and ener-
gies. For these and other reasons he has
/ been called New YOrk's most useful
citizen" by President Roosevelt The we'll
known friendship OF the two men dates
back 10 the day when Riis was q police
/ reporter and Theodore Roosevelt commits
sioner Of police. In those days, as IN this,
each man was the others ardent admirer
and supporter.
/ DIR. Edward T. Devine is the eountry's
great charity investigator and organizer
He has done more. probably, than any
other Good Samaritan Of to-day to make
Of charity a science in the broadest sense
He is the chief exponent Of the doctrine
that the giving of aims without investiga-
ton. and hence recklessly. only. tends to
increase poverty. not TO relieve it. This
view is receiving wider currency con-
stantIy AS general secretary Of the
Charity Organization Society, ne has
made that important organization one not
only TO relieve distress. but also to act as
an intermediary and clearing house for
investigating and obtaining relief So
great is the confidence of many wealthy
New Workers in the society's ability TO
distribute charity 20 the best interests OF
all concerned that they never give dol
lar to charity except through 1t or on its
advice.
Goes Quietly About work.
Though Dr. DeYine conducts all his inn
lportant investigations personally. yet
strange as it may seem, nothing very ex-
citing has happened TO him in his goings
about in all sorts Of places where one
would naturally look for adventure to be-
fall an outsider This is one Of his minor
distinctions among our Good Samaritans.
Before he took up charity work TO the
exclusion OF other things DR.. Devine was
a teacher and then lecturer on econom-
les He was one Of the first men TO lee
ture for the American Academy Of PO-
litieal and Social Science when * was or
ganized in 1891. Five years later he be-
came secretary Of the Charity Organiza-
tion Society. His choice as dispenser OF
. Red Cross aid TO San Francisco resulted
from President ROOseveits personal
knowledge Of bic work and methods. Ex.
pert charity workers are pretty generally
agreed that DR.. Devine can make a dol.
lars worth of relief go further than al
most any other man engaged In the mod
/. ern business of ameliorating distress.
Like most Of the Good Samaritans o
! the day. he is comparatively young. H'
will be forty-one next month Gen. BOoti
: is the dean in age. he was seYenty-nin'
p April 10 Robert c. Ogden. friend o.
! Hampton Institute and Southern educa
! ton generally, who began his mercantli,
, career as an errand boy In a hardware
, store. comes next, with seventy-one year.
. 70 his credit Riis will be ffty-nine mex
= month All of the women here mentioned
= and now active in charitable work ex
cept one are in their forties. and most o
. the men whose ages have not been givel
: are in their forties or fifties.
. All OF which is but another way Of say
/ ing that Good Samaritan work OF to-da,
= needs generally the service Of the youni
q and strong. for 1t is work that Is not onl,
exacting. but also frequently strenuous
as the lives Of most of our prominen
Good Samaritans show.
Copyright 1875. By Dexter MaTshalll