The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1908-10-02
OPEN HANDEDCHARITV
Chicago Man Takes Day OFF to
Aid the Unemployed.
THURSDAY HIS GIVING DAY.


Lending money upon promissOry
notes which would not be regarded as
good collateral By any bank and CIV
ing away money without asking the
recipient Of his bounty to tell either
why he needs II or what he intends to
DO with It are two elements in a plan
% relief recently put into effect in
New York city By J. w. GOssard Of
Chicago.
Mr.. Gossard is q manufacturer Of
corsets I'm Chicago. Being In New
York 70 attend to business, he Incl
dentaliy pat into practice his plan Of
giving each Of his Thursdays and q
large part OF his income to the poor.
Mr.. GOssard never works on Thurs
day. he says that be looks upon his
activities Of that day as play.
'Tn tell you what did today" he
said few days ago to a reporter of
the New York Herald. land you can
zee for yourself whether l didn't have
a good time. I rode from West Eight
18th street TO the Battery on a street
car. There wasn't anybody on the
car that looked as II he needed help.
~ there had been would have butted
right In and asked whether I couldn't
DO anything.
There's many a good chap who is
pretty close to the ropes, but who will
never whimper. Yet he needs help to
tide him over for a little while, and
it's part Of my plan when l see a man
i think is in this class to jump right
IN and announce myself.
Sitting on the benches at the Bat
terry looking out into the harbor were
more men than I could count I'll bet
that almost every one Of them was
broke. can tell that broke, down
and out look a long way OF. l didn't
have my sandwiches with me. hand
ed out money instead. In Chicago l
90 out into Grant park, on the lake
'front.' with sandwiches. and I always
md hungry men to give them to.
let the men at the Battery buy their
own food. One Of them told me he
meant to I'LL up on pie. hope he got
all he wanted. It's no cinch to be
broke and have your whole being
longing for pie and no way to get it.
A man can get lot hungrier for pie
than he can for bread.
II went down the line In Battery
park picking out the chaps that looked
more down on their luck than the 9th
ers. It's funny, but | didn't find any
boozers. Every man that drops be-
hind the procession doesn't lose out
through booze. You'll find plenty OF
reformers that will tell you that drink
drives almost everybody Off the track
A lot OF the men | talked to were
straight, clean. honest fellows that
either hadn't had the right Opportuni-
~ or that didn't have the ability to
take advantage of the opportunities
they had.
81 went right up to them and asked
them how things were going and If
couldn't do something for them.
asked them as II | meant what | said
too. A kind word and a smile do a lot
more good than half doilar-but
don't forget to give the half. One man
told me he had the promise of "A job
In a week. He told where he was
going To work, but he couldn't tell. he.
cause he didn't know. where he was
going to eat till he and that job got
together. So | staked him 10 enough
TO last him till his next pay day
"Will | get it back; | wish l. WAS
~ Of d:
as that am that that fellow will
make good. had him sign a pyoais-
sorry note-gUod ninety days after
date. | set the time myself. lie want
ed to promise To pay ne ont ~ his
first wages. He needed clothes more
than needed the money. so told him
I'd try 10 wait ninety days for my
MONEY. have loaned Thousands Of
dollars just this way. ami mos, 81 II
has come back Ia me. Some Of Il that
l haven't cot yet is ON it's way.
Il cleaned up Battery park Az vel
as | could, and then went over -
the Rowery. l know the Bowcry bet
ter than a lot OF New Workers know
II. know that plenty ~ their patrons
would have addresses on more fashion
able streets If they only had a slap OF
the back aGl a little money handed TO-
them at the right time. | spent four
hours on the Bowery, and cult Lr.
cause my money ran ont. I found one
man who said he hadn't seen whole
dollar in months. Hc had been LIVING
along Oh n!c!.cis am dimes What
kind OF real start in lie do YOU
think man can CO. on nlc;cl and
a dime? | gave him enough to helm
him get on his feet. didn't patronize
him CT any Of the other unlucky chaps
l met. COndeScensiOn takes all the |
sweetness out of what you do for