The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1910-03-03
Verbatim Copy of Letter Written
by One of the ''Bread Line.''

by One of the ''Bread Line.''
The following letter from a typical
member of the Down and Out" Club
at the Bowery Mission, recently visit
ed by President Taft, throws a flood
of light on the hard experiences of
the homeless in the great metropolis.
The letter was addressed to the FL
nancial Secretary of the Mission.
New York, Dec. 20, 1909.
Dear Sir:-The writer of these
lines, German Office clerk, is with
out employment since about August
l, 1909. Last Saturday night an
other poor man, who slept beside me
in the park, said that Mr.. John G.
Earl, of the Bowery Mission, would
help me, if I told him my wife was
sending me money from Germany to
come back home. I had eaten moth
ing that day, and the police put me
off the seat, SO l lost the other man
and walked about all night by my
self. | could get nothing on Sunday
to eat, and if you had not given me
that food on the Monday I think 1
would have died.
From about August 10 I have
been walking from Office to office,
from factory to factory, without re-
suit. My money, saved during the
time | had been working, is now al
ready about ten days gone, and only
with the greatest economy [ could
keep me so long. Since I am down
F!nd out" l only was eating ''free
lunch" At noon time I would ven
ture into a crowded saloon, where
the lunchman was too busy to see if
you had glass of beer or not, and
would take plate of soup and some
bread, and in the evening I eat cold
free lunch
The hardest thing for poor man
without home is how and where to
spend the night. After about $3.50
P. M, when the offices were closed, I
went to the reading room in Cooper
Union and stood there, usually till 10
O'Clock When there was any service
IN German Protestant church. I
went to church, sometimes l have
also been in Gospel meeting of the
Wesley Rescue Mission or the Bow
cry Mission When it was too cold
to walk the streets, or raining, I
would spend 5 cents for beer, if
had it, in a saloon on the Bowery,
where you can have free lunch and
sit the whole night for that 5 cents.
In those saloons you can see all class
es and characters of people-poor
men OF all ages, sitting sleeping on
chair, Or laying on a newspaper on
the floor, who I do know would pre-
fer bed to drink, and who were
anxious to obtain work of any kind.
l have been in the Bowery Mission
Bread Line several times. We would
stand about one hour or more out
side, until the doors opened, and me
and the other poor men were all so
glad when it was one o'clock; hun
cry and freezing men, all waiting for
cup of hot coffee and rolls. You
can believe me that it is not so
agreeable to stand one hour or long
er outside on the street in this win
ter time, without anthing in the
stomach, freezing and shaking on the
whole body. Some in this Bread
Line are well educated, and have
seen better times, like me. Most of
the men praised the Bread Line, and
a few were making fun about it,
PA say, for my part, that no poor
anan can be thankful enough for this
institution; and how different you
feel after having had a hot cup of
coffee, that makes you feel better
and warmer! Out of the conversa-
tons of some men / heard that, after
having had their cup of coffee and