The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
FIFTH AVENUE'S OLD CLOTHES
MAY SERVE no BOOST THE NEAR
POOR INTO PROSPERITY.

Jobs That Have Depended on Discarded
DFess Suits, Riding Toys and Bali
GOwus-Good Clothes as o Help In
Getting Employment At Good Wages,
What becomes Of Fifth avenues discarded
clothing tho evening gowns that 90 soon
pass out Of style. the dress coats that will
do only for one seasons wearing. the riding
brooches, the top hats. the frock coats that
have ono button too many2
One of the largest distributors OF the cast
Oh garments Of ther rich La the Association
for Improving the Condition of the Poor, to
which among thousands OF ordinary gar.
ments are sent to be passed on to the poor
not few OF the fine feathers from the fne
birds. A whole room at the associations
headquarters, los East Twenty second
street. is jammed from door to ceiling with
all sorts Of useful garments in all sizes, and
with fine clothing as well.
"A pair OF patched but servioeable shoes
may be crowding q dainty pink silk slipper
with an atrociously fashionable heel; a suit
Of overalls may be in juxtaposition to a dress
suit bearing the. name OF a London tailor,
and 30 through the range Of things wearable
clothes that never rode in q street car and
clothes that never saw the inside OF an auto
or private carriage or even a cab.
TIE dress suit took the visitors eye.
that's the best joke in a year. he said 10
Mrs. Helene Ingram. superintendent Of the
relief department. Dress suits for tbe
poorl 1t Ia to laugh , ~
"Or to weep" interrupted Mrs. Ingram.
DO you know where that dress suit may GOT,
1t will probably 60 to let some poor family,
dress the father decently for his funeral
Inc so take some Of the sting away from the
fact that the coffin Is cheap. And II
they can bury their father In a se~lf-respecting
sort Of way the chances are that they viii
keep up that self-respeot after the funeral.
Yes, lots Of dress suits go In this way-dinner
coats too.
an the way Of contrasts some Of the baby
dresses Of the rich &C to make the christen1
ing robes Of the infants Of the poor The
have been the means Of frequently pro-
viding employment for men who sought
work as coachmen OF cab drivers. II 10 not
quite clear why Q top hat is cesentisl to
proper control Of 2 horse. but the horse
will have no respect for any one who Re not
provided with automobile goggles and q
properly peaked cap.
Another common use to which the dis
carded dress suits are put is tho fitting out
Of aspirants for employment as walters or
buffers. ! dare say we have been able to
equip more than a SCORE Of applicants.
4 I'VE have not quite the same facility In
disposing Of the ball gowns sent us. Now
and then we are enabled with them to help
some poor music student to secure o concert
engagement. Fol- to a pianist. singer or
elocutionist an evening gown 10 often az
essential as q hammer to carpenter. T
-In one case three short dresses and some
beautiful fowersfrom q hat which an actress
had sent to us enabled the bureau to At out
a woman who had been a dancer. When
she applied to us she and her husband and
their child were starving With these three
dresses she got an engagement which sup
ported the family for q summer, ,
that was too rich to be given 30 some one.
This 10 a magnificent lace gown. The lace.
which Is in one piece. was made to order for :
q wealthy woman. and the finished garment
cost $1,000. Its owner wore 1t once and
found 1t too heavy for comfort. W.
I'VE shal sell the garment. the lace on
which experts say Is worth q large sum-, and
devote this money to h poor. 1t 10
rare for us to get anything. however queer.
that we cannot put 70 practical uses
suits for those who sought employment as
walters we we're able to do with a pair Of
riding breechee. for q. young fellow >whos
had applied for employment az stable boy
Central Park. The next day he came in 70
tell US that the riding ftogs had definitely
olinohed the Job for him. -
-There Is n point which those with
clothes to give away lose sight Of. The
salary Of SIS or sis a week and finds him
self suddenly out of employment cannot
devote anything OF what he may have laid
aside to the purchase Of a new suit of
olothes-the suit OF clothes upon which
largely may depend his next employment.
He must look out for the bread and butter
and the rent first. ,-r.r ...
twenty dollars for clothes is a large sum
TO a man who after paying the household
expenses has % q week left for spending
money. 1t is this class Of the near poor,
the hard working. self-respecting class,
which discarded garments department
aims to help. We have clothes, Of course,
for the totally destitute also. not silks and
satins. to be sure, but good, serviceable
also use for the dress suits and the evening
gowns and the silk hats. There are many
degrees Of poverty. and all deserve to DO
.'BHt.. there is a deeper significance 70
supplying mon and women with good
looking garments. There is an important
man in the business world of New York ,
who 80 firmly believes in the relation be-
tween outward appearance n success
that II for any reason he 10 at all despondent
over the financial situation. he; goes out
and buys q new suit OF clothes. The mo
ment he has them on he feels prosperous
and is ready to compel success.
sHe also says that II fortune frowned on
him and he had to look for q position he
would 'either spend his last cent or borrow
the money to get new clothes. He be-
lieves that nothing succeeds like the appear
ance Of success and firmly holds that he
has 100 per cent. better chance Of getting
a good fob II he looks as II he didn't need
1t than he would II he applied In garments
indicating he had to have work. - .
80 with the near poor. The first thing .
they save on IL clothing. and by the time
there Is q chance to-get q Job they either
do not win the place or else get 1t for far =
less salary. than should be paid. II they 4
have good looking clothing the decent gar /.
ments make them feel like winners and act
like winners, and their chances Of winning
are increased by-a larger percentage.
THAT Ia why our bureau can use to ad- I
vantage clothing other than that which
is merely serviceable to keep out the cold.
A'number Of fashionable people are learn
ing OF this. and instead, Of giving their
clothing as q tip to servants, or allowing 1t :
to be sold for a 10 to second hand dealers,
are sending 1t to Va to be used In boosting
and women into prosperity"
HELPS CAR CJJSTOMERS T6O.