The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-03
THE BIG UNDERWORLD
How the "Other Half" Lives and Often
Needs the Mental Physician.
Rare Views of Conditions
In Slums.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.


throng of visitors. Che righteousness of
the situation being relieved occasionally
by a glimpse of humor or an encouraging
report from some one helped in the past
Help" as defined by the Associated
Charity worker, never means mere bread
and butter or clothing, but rather the Gre
alton of that attitude of mind that Is nee
essary for self help This is the real ne
cessity of life, says the worker, the awak-
ening Of the divine energy that inspires
the soul to independence and the effort
toward higher things MEN shall not
live by bread alone" Is the motto of the
work and the giving of ideals its aim.
The Associated Charities does give tenn
poral relief for physical needs at times,
but its attitude is that of the physician,
who, when called to relieve an acute at
tack of Indigestion, gives a dose of med
icine, but prescribes for the patient as
his only means of health a sane and safe
manner of living.
Queer Characters Turn Up.
Let us watch the people as they come
into the private office for a confidential
talk and listen as they present their pleas
and state their troubles. Here is
mother who brings her boy OF 10 years
with the complaint that he won't stay at
home. She is a widow and he Is her only
child and distresses her by wandering
away and remaining for days at a time
81 have a nice, clean bed for him." she
says, and she is a neat and thrlfty-look-
ing woman, but he will not stay with
me-" 1t seems to be a clear case of wan
derlust, for the boy, bright-eyed, sturdy
little fellow when questioned as to the
reason of his wanderings hung his head
and did not reply. Next, a little. why,
black-eyed woman complains that her
husband will not work. He has been given
several jobs, but there is always some
excuse His doctor told him the work
was running his health and he must quit
at another place the factory closed down
a few days after he started to work, and
once he took money advanced him by the
head worker to pay his railroad fare to
another place, where he claimed work
could be secured and buying beer with 1t
gathered his friends about him In the lit
tie shanty he called home, and had a
rousing good time. The questions of the
worker revealed the fact that the wife
also had not filled engagements for days
work secured her by the Associated Char
| tiles. When reminded of this she looked
! embarrassed but maintained that 1t was
| her husbands place to support his fam
| tly There are two small children who
are suffering for food and clothing, and
whether to take them away or give them
relief at home, while at the same time
| trying to put into the parents some ambi-
ton to support them, is the problem be-
fore the Associated Charities.
| The next case Is one where the worker
does not hesitate to give immediate relief
In the form of clothes and q grocery or
der. This is woman left with 10 chill
dren, most of them small, by her hus-
band, who had grown disheartened trying
to support them. Talk with this woman
| leads to discussion of what are the bare
| necessities of life, and reveals the fact
that the organization finds 1t possible to
keep family of three-a woman and two
children-in food for a week for 81. This
is done by buying three loaves of bread
at cents each, 10 cents worth of beef.
10 cents worth of ham, and spending ~
cents for vegetables, leaving cents over
which was expended on the esthetic side
of life, being spent for starch.
Talkfest for Diversion.
Then there Is the woman who has sent
In party to the Fresh Air home for an
outing and got into an alteration with
one of the nurses because she took two
children who had scarlet fever. This
woman has just come home in a state of
great anger bring with her II other MEM
ed in convincing that they, as well as she,
had been unjustly treated. This woman
insists on telling her side of the story
while the worker wonders how she will
ever get the managers of the Fresh Air
home TO entertain another party of hers
This is but a sample of the cases con-
sidered during the morning, and of which
a record is kept that they may be present.
ed to the weekly conference of workers
and discussed from various points of
view. To be just to be firm when the
sympathies are prompting to harmful
softness; to be charitable when anger at
some glazing outrage of kindness Genes
to knowledge, and to be patient when
patience seems worn threadbare-these are
few of the tasks for the man or woman
who seeks to do successful work for the
Associated Charities
In the afternoon the social worker starts
on a round of visits. hunting I'D new
cases brought to his knowledge and visit
Ing old ones, to note their Progress and
their needs. There is the family of the
man who is tuberculosis patient. and
for whom there has been fitted Up a bed
on the little porch of his residence He
has not been able to work for year. b,t
is better now, and the doctor saws is
able to take a light job that will not re-
quire lifting. But while the job to suit
the man is not found the family of four
is wholly dependent on the work of a IA
year-old boyl who earns "a a week in a
hinge factory.
Pathetic and Amusing.
The next family visited is also that of
a tuberculosis patient Pole, whose looks
and manners are worthy of the most aris-
tocratic breeding. This man was skilled
worker and made good wages until two
years ago. when the dread disease seized
him. Since then he has spent all of his
savings, $500 going for doctor bills. He
has a thrifty little wife and two small
children, both little beauties. The man is
eager and anxious to work, but his ema-
ciated looks plainly state that he is un
able to do so. and his wife cannot leave
him and the children. This Is one of the
not hesitate to give material aid and the
support of the family is borne by several
different organizations There are other
cases where aid is given Immediately.
without question, when new babv
comes to the mother of many little ones
whose father has deserted them There |
are many cases and several women,c
clubs. instead of spending the afternoon |
at fancy work, make tiny garments for /
these babies and have them ready when /
called upon by the women visitors of tina /
Associated Charities.
There are amusing as well as pathetic !
cases. for instance, that of the thrifty |
Italian woman who appeals for help and !
on Investigation was found to own prom |
erty worth several thousand dollars: ana |
that of old Granny Thompson, who comes |
with a grewsome tale of being bewitched |
and wants an Injunction against her |
using her black art on her. |