Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-17
The DESTITUTE
N AARSHA|L|ONN
Some Cases of Poverty and Des-
titution Found By T.-R.
Reporter
NO FLOUR FOR FOUR DAYS


Cases of Actual Hunger Not Man,
But Such Exist-No General Condi
ton of Affect Want But Situation
That Needs Watching - Som
Pressing Instances.
Believing that Marshalltown ant
Marshall county is interested in the
citys Submerged TENTH" at least t.
the degree that If children are hungry
=, and naked. families destitute, lost ant
perishing. sick and uncared for II
wants to know and relieve their most
present pressing necessities the Times
Republican has interesteu@itse to par
/, TALLY investigate and tell some part OF
| the story OF the destitute 1t Is the
4 duty of the prosperous to know. The
T.-R. is glad to be able on short and
hurried investigation to report that
| there is not a great deal OF extreme
! restitution in the city of Marshall
town; that Is only few, comparative
~, of our population are in immediate
danger of starvation, utterly without
the imperative necessities of life and
wfthout. means Of procuring them. A
few families are in this condition and
should receive instant aid. A con
siderable number are faring fairly
which has permitted outdoor labor to
be carried on who, under severe
weather that would stop outside activ-
ity, would need help and simply have
to get it quick OF suffer. No doubt it
will surprise many good citizens to
learn that any family living within the
city is actually hungry without food
to satisfy it's ueend However linn
tied number OF such may be found.
Take the case that follows:
No Flour in the House.
In little stuffy house in the First
ward an old woman past 81 lives with
her son, himself an old man past Ga.
He is teamster and owns q pair Of
horsse with which he gains a liveli-
hood for his aged mother and him
self. House rent is Sc month cloth
ing doesn't cost much but they must
eat. It takes all the old man can earn
to keep the little home such as it is,
alive
The old woman Of 81 years, child
ish with her years. needs atten-
ton that the son seeking livelihood
can not afford her. Four months ago
she fell and broke the bones OF her
shoulder. She had gone out doors. ut
looked so goot." she explained In her
quaint way, II wanted a brss of air
and den I fell" She lay in bed seven
weeks and the son, perforce and by in
clination, stood at her bedside. There
was no money to pay a nurse and he
is and has been always a "goot SON."
II fell behind then" the old man ex-
planned. He did not say what others
do. that he is broken down, subject
to revere and painful attacks Of
lumbago or rheumatic trouble The
venerable mother is cripple since her
accident, unable to raise her right arm
and his cares have multiplied, but he
didn't say so. He said work is scarce,
have little certain work hauling away
ashes once month from Main street
building at Is cents a load 1t doesn't
go far and I must wait until the first
of every month to get the money"
There was neither flour nor money
in that house Tuesday evening.
The flour ran out Saturday. It
was then citizen relates, he
went to Mr.. Pemberton, overseer Of It1he
poor, and asked that sack of -four be
sent these people. He says Mr.. Penn
berton refused to send it, not because
the people were unworthy but because
he was 20 deliver over his books soon
to Mrs. Liebig and would 'open no new
accounts" The citizen says he asked
if the old man and his mother were TO
starve in the meantime In reply to a
telephone query by an editor of the
T.-R Mr.. Pemberton indorsed the suf-
fering family as fit objects for private
charity. Asked whether he had re-
fused and for the reasons above quoted
ne said he had and had given the ex-
cuse regarding opening new accounts.
1t is 1ust to Mr.. Pehberton to say. that
after the fr.-R. inquiry was made Tues
lay night, he went to the house We'd
lesday morning.
These are the plain facts of one case
If restitution as the T.-R. has been
lble to find them out Tuesday night
here was no flour in the little house on
Third avenue Private charity sup
olied enough to buy food for immediate
necessity. Will there be food tomor-
'ow? Tt is for the public and pri-
ate charity Of Marshall county and
to answer. Shall an old
of 81 and this son of more than
hree score, who have kept "off the
county" and have helped themselves
beyond the limit of years, suffer hum
Wer.
The Worst Case Of All.
Out in the Second ward almost be-
cath the shadows Of the splendid
esidences on West Main, family of
tx is huddled together literally in
poverty, hunger and dirt" Monday,
ccording to the mother, there was
not crust to eat in the house." There
,as fire in the heating stove for
grandpa" an old soldier from the
ONE had sent dollars worth of
team coal the day before, enough, the
oman said, to last two weeks. "You
ct SO much of that kind for dollar"
IL. u.