Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-04
REAL SUMMER BRINGS
DEMANDS ON ICE MISSION
Poor. Sweltering in Hl-Ventilated
Rooms, Helped by This
Distribution.
PREFERENCE GIVEN BABIES
Funs A"c Short, and Many Deserving
Gases Cannot Be Supplied-Con.
tributions for This Work May Be
Sent to The Times-Dispatch.


have I" consult the weather man to
End II out. Those fortunate individuals
at whose back door the ice man calls
with chilling punctuality, may. how
ever. with his aid. do much to keep
out those unwilling visitors-heat,
sickness. prostration, death. Their
food may be kept at temperature
cool enough to prevent spelling, and
the possibility OF heat exhaustion is
lessened by frequent cooling drinks.
But, best OF all, the ice man brings
life itself to the little baby. Ice in
hot weather Is as necessary TO the baby
as food itself. for without il food is
poison.
The ice man, however, is not an
indtscriminate caller. His visiting list
is made up OF the financially elect. and
here Is many a house in the city whose
doors he never enters. These homes
on Oregon HILL penitentiary Bottom.
Jail Alley. Fulton, are. of course, the
homes that need him most
Rooms OF room ARE
HOT AND CROWDED.
When several people sleep and cook
and eat in the same room. no one
expects that room TO be cool and
breezy. on the contrary, il is sitting
and close and unutterably depressing,
almost staggering in its oppressive
heat. even when homes in other parts
Of the city are cool and comfortable.
Ten 10 there are one or more
babies in it, probably under four
weeks old. poor. wrinkled. helpless
scraps OF humanity, too busy carrying
On a feeble struggle to keep alive ever
to utter q cry. These little souls
a surprising number OF them--will
struggle through the first weeks OF
life some how, II the time he winter.
Rut when the summer heat comes, the
little candles are smothercd out be-
lore they are fairly lit.
1t is day fun of promise for the
Frustrated jewellers in this home"
when they are discovered and visited
by n worker for the City Mission, or
the Visiting Nurses Association, or one
OF a dozen others. If there are babies.
or sick people or old people, they
are sure TO receive a strip OF ice tick
cts, which 60 a great deal farther to-
ward comfort than the traditional cup
of water in the desert land. No, that
The we'll people do not need the ice
they need 1t desperately, but the need
is great, the supply is small. and the
weak must have tho first relief.
NEED Is GREATEST WHERE
THERE ARE YOUNG BABIES
1t begins to look as II they were
the only ones who were going To he
relieved, too. unless those who are
better of than they quickly open their
hearts and their pockethooks. IT Is
human nature TO pity the starving
when we are hungry, the freezing when
are chilly.
During the bitter cold days of last
winter. many persons who had given
scant thought To the BelGians before,
went into their closets and brought
forth clothes that they really needed
themselves. and sent them 10 the frce2-
q CT tad ND oil
ei themselves for SO doing. But when
the weather moderated they thought no
more OF the unfortunates across the
water. though perhaps the temperature
II the time was ton degrees colder
mere than here. When summer comes
ound. IL is exactly the same way.
When the heat pcnctratcs into our cool
homes. wc hurricdly send money to Tie
',e Mission, forgetting that, while We
delayed. not one, bus many babies nave
died FOR lack of IL.
This has been the coolest June we
have had for some time. Conseoncn,l;.
the Ice Fund. supported entirely by
unsolicited voluntary contributions, has
shown a terrible shr!nkage. Only halt
as much money was given this June as
last June for ice: and that in the face
of evon greater need
ONE OF THE CIT'Y'S
-. OLDEST CHARITIES
charities in the city, and one OF the
Oldest ice missions In the country The
Ice Mission is, at present. Mrs G. L.
Boiling. working in cooperation with
number of other charities in the city.
First Mrs. Eolling's mother. who found
ed the mission. and now Mrs. Boiling
herself. has charge OF the distribution
OF the Zoe tickets. purchased by her
from money voluntarily contributed
from day TO day by the public. Visit
ing nurses, City Mission district visit
ors and number of other authorized
homes where the people are suffering
for ice, yet unable TO pay for It, Ten
cents a day seems little enough. until
you see that 81 adds up to three dollars
month, and three dollars n month will
keep off starvation.
These visitors have in their posses
sion numhcr Of Ice tickets. which
they give TO the family If the case is
worthy one. The ice man is then
notified and leaves ice every day az
that address, just as he would at any
other house, accepting the tickets in
payment, This system does away with
the necessity OF a distributing station
such as they have In New York. and
eliminates also the degrading exhibi-
, ton of poverty and distress which is
\ made BY n long. patient ice line" on
the sidewalk
YELLOW TICKETS OFTEN
HIRING LIFE ITSELF
To many these yellow tickets bring
life itself To a plucky little woman
living III a dark basement opposite the
pcnitentiary they brought two lives las
month. During the hard times las
winter, when her husband could find 10
work TO support his wife and two -h
Gren. he stole some -four, was caurh,
and is now serving his time in tn,
rcnitcntiarY His wife, although sh,
was expecting a third baby, manage,
10 get place ia the tobacco factor,
ana keep the family together In ne
desperation she worked too long. an,
was taken violently i'll In this star,
mission worker found her and heiDe,
her out with orders for milk. food an,
clothes. Everything she ate made n.
sick except iced milk With tho hell
OF the yellow tickets this was pottc,
for her. and those same yellow ticket
keep the lttle two-weeks'- old han,