Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-16

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funeral she came to Ottumwa to stay
with her relatives. 1....@
ALater-The pension was allowed to
the full extent Of the law, and medi-
cal care in addition, but this would
,, not keep them and pay the rent, too,
so the secretary secured the cooper
alton Of the relatives who agreed to
assume the responsibility of the rent
every month.
Phones Principal.
The secretary phoned to the prin-
cipal of one of the grade schools in
the city to ask her cooperation in pro-
viding clothing for three of the build.
ings' pupils. The family was being
supported in part through the county
relief department while the father
was serving sentence in the county
jail for Bookkeeping. The school prin-
cipal took up the matter with the re-
suit that she provided everything for
the youngsters except shoes and the
secretary purchased these.
Boy Doing Nicely.
On the third mail of the day came
letter from the state industrial
school, reporting that a certain boy in
whose family the Charities Office Ia
greatly interested, had improved great.
lv and that he had been put out on
parole. The letter told of the great
strides the boy was making toward
being something in spite of the fact
that he was a degenerate and mental.
~ defective.
Want to Give Help.
Soon after we had read the letter,
a Sunday school teacher came in. She
had class OF lively youngsters, girls
anxious to help others, and they want
ed to do something along the charities
office line of endeavor. It was finally
decided that they should have the par
tial family care of small group.
The teacher was followed closely
, from her days duties at the various
buildings. She just dropped in the Of
flee to ask what could be done for a
was in such condition that it was alb
out Of school at once as a protection
to others. The parents refused to
| think Of the state Sanatarium.
Mother Is Thankful.
When the days work seemed to be
drawing to a close we were startled by
a widowed mother rushing in from her
days work to tell us that she had just
been to visit two of her children who
are in the state school at Glenwood.
! She wanted to thank the secretary for
| urging her to send the children there,
| for she is sure they are getting care
| there that she is unable to give them
and they are being protected from evil
| influences which they are unable to re-
sist at home.
Don't Want to Work.
| Our last callers that day were a
man, his wife and two children. They
were of the professional beggar type
That was plain to be seen even to the
uninitiated. They were transients and
they wanted transportation to the next
county They were victims of that
! bugbear in the life of a charity work
er, the passing system. Somebody had
passed them on all the way from a
point in South Dakota to Ottumwa.
The man and woman were both
healthy looking, able bodied persons
The secretary offered them work, but
that was the straw that broke the
camels back. No indeed, they did not
! have to work and what was more they
would not work. They left in quick
time, highly insulted because honest
labor had been offered them. Later
! they were ordered out of town by the
police officers Correspondence with
! the town in South Dakota from which
they claimed to have started, proved
that they were professional tourists
! for eight years.
! Many Phone Calls.
! So went our last callers for that day.
There were dozens of phone calls and
! much clerical work done during the
t day in addition to the high spots which
! have been picked out as a representa-
tive day in the Wapello County Asso-
ciated Charities Office.
NEEDS 10000 BUSHELS POTATOES.
! Des Moines, Sept 15-The state
board of control, owing to shortage
in the potato crop at state institu-
n 4. y =