The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-09
7 rs a safe estimate that FIVE thou

7 rs safe estimate that FIVE thou
i sand mon, women and children in
this city are in possession OF much
needed clothing to-day that they didn't
have yesterday as the result Of the first
days distribution BY the city's Bundle
Day Committee.
The crowd that came 20 2i0 Fifth
avenue TO I've clothed swamped the
place. The distribution was set for 2
O'clock but really began at IL 80 out
OF sheer compassion for the people in
line.
There were mon and women outside
the door at 4 In tho mornuS. The line
grew fast and noon saw % thousand
persons on both sides OF Fifth avenue.
| The police put the women at the head
OF the line early In the morning. Later
several hundred more women were
grouped at the base OF the Farragut
! statue opposite the entrance In the cor
ner Of Madison Square Park.
Most OF the women carried young
children and had one or more others
with them. Some of them stood for
six hours holding their babies The
| police said II was a blessing that the
! sun shone and the air was reasonably
mild and warm.
The sight of so many mothers pa
tisntly standing ~ long In line led 10
| the opening OF the doors at Nalf-past
IL Inside were a few odd chairs and
benches which we're filled in a jlffy.
At long counters stood men and women
ready TO write orders for bundles. Two
minutes after the drst dozen women
had been let In the fest emergency case
was dealt with.
showed Dispossess Notice.
a red checked Magyar woman carry
ing a baby boy and towing another a
little older came to the counter and
showed a letter soOblng the while. II
was addressed to her husband. Justin
Salla. At iO6 East sixteenth street. and
was from q Wall street law Arm. The
lawyer wrote that unless Selia paid
m at once four months rent they would
have to dispossesS him and his family
from "a room at the above address"
Mrs. Salia said that her husband.
who has done d!shwashing in restau-
rants, is out OF work and cant get any.
Asked what she needed most she broke
down for a minute
shoes" she walled. I'VE none OF
us have any"
1t was a pardonable exaggeration.
for certainly those she wore we're but
and the baby weren't much better off.
She got a hurry order for three pairs
and some underwear especially for the
smallest Magyar.
Some one came around with an enor-
nous paper bag and gave each child,
indoors and out n sugar bun.
The next two or three to the counter
said they could wait a day or two
II only a bundle would surely come
nj fhav 20
out and they were told to go to the
nearest police station in a couple Of
days for the whole outfit.
Their Home n Cellar.
\ flushed and tired looking woman
carrying a seven-months-old baby and
followed by a seven-year-old girl came
forward quietly, Her husband, Joseph
Robbins. has been out of work nine
months, she said. He used to work in
raincoat factory making 50. $40 or
even 81 a week. But at the next
question the mother lost her composure
where do you hve?''
in cellar" she said, when she got
control OF herself; 80 and So First
street. in the cellar"
But how do you keep warm
I'VE get some heat from the boiler
room--a little, But it's 20 damp I
don't know what TO do. I'm worried on
account of the baby"
Everything that might tend TO keep
a baby well In a cellar was put down.
Another woman's first request was for
food. There was none TO give her, but
some one fished out sugar bun for the
two youngsters she had with her.
over or tho bench for a long. long
while, obliv.ous to the turmoil about
him, huddled an incredibly old. bent and
sunny man, who said on his fingers that
he was 20, He knew no English and
was bent on entertaining small
grandson, who shifted In childish wearl-
ness from one foot to the other
woman no longer young, his daughter
and another grandCh'ld that she car
rled were beside him. They lost their
turn several times. Finally they were
herded to counter, whs.e n brisk
young woman after a swift smile
asked:
"Parlito Itallano?"
Isl, nj"
Grandfather explained in fluent
came from Palermo six years
ago. Well-heaven Is kind Here
came generous sgnori 10 provide
clothes when they all were In need
Their needs crowded several blank
/ sheets After an intCrminable wait-fo'
. the workers were already having more
than they could handle-the biggest
2 bundle of tho day came down for these
, fol-'. II was FIVE feet long. three feet
wide, two feet thick and heavy. But
Z not for nothing had grandfather car
Z red burdens all his life. with a faint
\ sigh he loaded the mass on his back
and rounded shoulders ana led the
Y way.
In the stress Of work there wer.