The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-03-31


house the field officers and the heads
of the city magistracy, and desired
their assistance in carrying into exc
cution the plan he had devised, All
promised help in effecting the arrest
Of every beggar and unemployed man
loafing in the streets, and in dis
tributing them-the strong and able
TO be sent to his workhouse, the help
less and really needy to be assisted
with aims. He then left with the
burgomaster, the field officers and a
magistrate,
He had not got half a dozen steps
along the street before he met a beg
gar, a sturdy fellow, whining for
charity. Thompson put his hand on
the mans shoulder and said: From
this hour there shall be no more beg
ging in Munich" He handed the beg
gar over TO a sergeant, and he was
marched off to the workhouse, This
went on throughout the city.
All were hustled together into the
Town Hall and there sorted out-who
were to go TO the workhouse and
who were TO receive assistance in
their homes. In the workhouse the
inmates had warm quarters and warm
food, and were promised pay for their
work. And to work they were set
Those who would not work were left
without their meals.
Thompson's scheme succeeded ad-
mirably. His workhouse provided the
clothing for the Bavarian army, and
in one year rendered a clear profit of
10000 gulden, of about $3.50.
In a comparatively short time he
had transformed a set of miserable
social parasites into industrious and
contented men. He himself was de-
void of sentiment, and did not notice,
what was observed by others, the
eyes full Of reverence and affection
that we're turned on him when he
visited the institution.
Once, and once only, was he stirred,
as far as could be perceived, at an
exhibition OF gratitude and recogni-
ton of his work. He was lying dan
gerously i'll in the city, when he heard
tramp of feet in measured tread go
by in the street, and he raised him
self in his bed to know what It meant.
He was told that all his workers from
the institution for the unemployed
we're going in procession to the Frau
enkirche, the present cathedral, to
pray for his recovery. His lip Quiv-
cred, and he turned his face hastily
to the wall.
The latter part of Thompson's, or
Rumford's, life was spent in France,
in failing health, and he died at his
residence at Auteuil on August 21,
1914.
His scientific discoveries have been
superseded, his inventions improved;
but his great achievement of finding
employment for the unemployed and
clearing Munich of beggars has lasted
to the present day. 1t is now city
without a beggar in it and where
scarce a man is to be found who has
not work ready to his hand, and a
hand ready to his work, for 1t is COM
pulsory for all boys who are passing
out of the seventh class Of the pri-
mary schools to spend three years at
one of the divisional continuation
schools or a trade school.
A man without employment goes
to an Office for the unemployed, and
employment is found for him. The
population of Munich is $4,000, and
is growing by leaps and bounds. so
that production is not in excess of
demand. 1t is a city without slums,
without beggary, and without the I'M
employed and the unemployable.-S.
Barring Gonld. in ChamhersI Innrnal