The Washington herald., 1911-09-24

that 50 per cent of the crippled beggars
she talked with were not injured while
at work.
Always after a panic in business, men
become insane because of their losses or
through worry ard the want of food
Some Of them escape, from their rela-
tives and friends others have no rela-
tives or friends. They go along with
the ever-exisung army of homeless
creatures until officers of the law and
charity workers learn Of their condition
and have them sent to infirmaries and
asylums. When small business men in
middle life fail 1t Is almost impossible
for them to start again. One man, by
the records OF the Foundation, broke his
hip. Inside Of a month he lost $4,000
which he had deposited in an unsafe
bank. A cripple for life. penniless. and
dIsheartened, he sought help at a chari-
table institution. Another man failed
during the panic OF 1893. Immediately
afterward he went blind. He had to
beg his bread.
There were 1a. homeless old men
among Mrs. Solenberger's thousand.
Half Of them, she says. had such en-
herself or her assistants: Little work
this winter. Have almost starved to
death. Cannot bear the thought OF go
ing to the poorhouse. Pennlless, friend
less, discouraged" Most OF the men
were Americans; a few of them had
been graduated from colleges. In
thirty-nine cases liquor, vice, or i'm
providence was the cause of their help
lessness and impoverishment. Eighty
five Of the men, however. were of good
character They had always supported
themselves, but their work and wages
had been irregular. or they had reared
large families, or they bad been poor
managers or ill-health or accidents had
cut down their earning ability. After
4 man reaches the age of sixty, mills
and factories do not want him. Work,
for the rest of his days, when he gets
1t, is only temporary. Even strong,
healthy men of fifty find 1t almost i'm
possible to obtain employment.
Tramp Lawyers and Latin Teachers
The lives Of a number of the old men
show that restlessness and mental in
stability are responsible for good many
human failures. A farmers son learned
TO be a harnessmaker. After getting re-
ligfon. he preached for six years. Then
he studied law and was a successful
lawyer. Next, he went into politics.
Finally he became a drunkard and a.
beggar. Another beggar had been Fl
banker and still another a teacher of
Greek and Latin. Summed up, the
studies of the Russell Sage Foundation
demonstrate. II any demonstration is
necessary. that right living, with econ
omy and good management, almost in
variably brings peace and independence
in old age.
Seasonal labor. so necessary on the
Great Lakes. in the Western grain fields, |
at the Northern lumber camps. and in the
construction OF railways has demOralized
thousands OF men. because it breaks up
the steady habit Of work. Sailors. lum-
berjacks and harvest hands return to
the cities after their seasons are over and
idle their time away in lodging houses
and saloons. Many of them drink up the
wages they have saved. Maybe they are
robbed II they are sailors or harvest
hands, they run out OF money long before
navigation IL open again or there is more
wheat to cut. AS n rule, they are un-
skilled men.
Once they try begging in the street.
certain proportion OF them never give II
up. Should they attempt to put coal away
for householders or shovel snow OF the
sidewalks. they are are called 'Mollies"
when they return to their miserable lodg
ing houses at night. II is disgraceful in
the opinion of n beggar or a swindler to
work. Beggardom has its etiquette and
its aristocracy. There are families of