The Topeka state journal., 1916-11-30
NO ONE IS MISSED
Every Needy Family in Topeka
Is Fed Today.
A Total of S94 Persons PrOvid-
ed With Necessities.
CHARITY MATCHES SUFFERING
Miss Mabel Adams EndearS
Herself to Topeka's Needy.
She Has Worked Untiringly in
Their Interest.
CHARITY MATCHES SUFFERING

For the first time in the memory of
the oldest charity worker, every poor
family in Topeka whose needs were
actual and pressing, was taken care
of today. The records of the Con-
fidential Exchange, the medium and
director of practically all of the
Thanksgiving giving in Topeka show
that se4 persons were provided with
a real Thanksgiving dinner. Two hum
dred and seven families were taught
that charity is something beside
word. For once in Topeka charity
has matched suffering and on the files
of the exchange remain only IL cases
reported, that have not been taken
care of. Analysis of these cases SHOW
ed that the absence of a Thanksgiving
board this noon. and their needs were
passed over in favor of those in more
immediate distress.
As usual eleventh hour charity
exceeded all the donations of two
weeks ahead Miss Adams, secretary
of the Exchange, assisted by a score
of friends has worked night and day
this week, with hardly time off for
meals. This morning at the exchange
twenty-five baskets remained and by
IL o'clock everything had been dis
tributed.
Basket From Nortonville.
This morning at 10 o'clock a big
automobile waited at the Santa Fe
station for the train from Nortonville,
which bore a huge basket from the
Campfire Girls of Nortonville high
school. A big clothes basket, filled
and vegetables, was whisked away to a
little home on the East side. Five ex-
peetant children filled the doorway OF
the little house and when the machine
came in sight they let loose a salvo of
cheers And the mother, just recover
ed from typhoid fever, and tired and
worn from the support of her brood,
wept unashamedIy. The basket helped
remove the sorrow of the absence of
the father, recently removed to the
tuberculosis sanitarium.
Miss Adams at the Exchange is a
tired but happy young woman. Happy
over the unprecedented richness of
Topeka's charity, and tired over the
work of connecting nearly one thou
sand persons with Topeka givers. Last
year her Thanksgiving dinner was
spoiled by the knowledge that on the
files of the exchange remained the
names of LAG families to whom the
holiday would be a mockery. Fewer
than one hundred families, com mposed
of some 400 persons, were helped last
year.
This year more than 200 persons
loosened heart strings and purse
strings The donations ranged in
nies in the bank of a little 5-year-old
philanthropist to a SIS check from one
of Topeka's least known and largest
givers- And the food donations
ranged all the way from the donation
by an Oakland widow of a glass of
jelly to that of the EIks. who gave
20 baskets and distributed them
Last year one shiftless family re-
ceived two turkeys. two chickens, a
duck and some beef and pork from
five different organizations, each of
whose gifts were unknown to the
others. The family lived in idleness
until Christmas. But one duplication
the case was so worthy that it was
allowed to stand.
One of the letters received by the
exchange reported an extreme need
and besought a big basket 4 mem
Der of Sunday school was given the
case to look up She arrived at a
pleasant little house with lace cur
tains in the window. She knocked
and was admitted into a well fur
nished parlor- Thru the door into the
dining room she espied five luscious
pies. The mother, described as in ex-
treme need, sat comfortably rocking
baby, while a negro maid put the
house to rights
She Wanted Turkey.
Why, you won't go hungry" the
indignant Samaritan told her. Look at
those pies
Well confessed the wouId-be re-
cipient. I'VE thought we'd like to have
little something extra, maybe tur-
key"
That was the nearest that graft, al
ways present when charity is doing
business, marred Topeka giving this
year
Il want to thank the individuals
and organizations, who have made the
day one of Thanksgiving for every
body" Miss Adams said today The
PrOvident association and the Saliva
tion Army were lavish of advice and
assistance. With everybody fed we
believe that modern charity methods
are vindicated in Topeka
No mention of the individual Civ
ers is made by the Exchange as the
Exchange believes that individual Civ
ers prefer to remain unknown. Many
responses came from out of town
Miss w W. Wiggin of Otega, and Mr.
and Mrs W. F. Miller of Oneida. were
among those whose checks counted in
the total cash subscription of 500
The value of the food given was MANY
times that of the money contributions
The organizations which gave are:
The Ladies Aid CT the Z P. church
tseven families: the Central Park
church c. E society the Harbauoh
Grocery company; the Volunteer class
of the Euclid M E CHURCH; Mr.
Smiths class of the Euclid NJ F.
church: Knights and Ladies of Sc
curity; Lowman III E. church E.pworth
League; Moose lodge, money for ten
families fifth grade of Potwin school;
the Alpha Assist club colored six
families City Federation of CoIore1
clubs, three families: Mrs. RutIedee's
class of the First Presbyterian church:
North Topeka NJ. E church. five fam
lilies: Walnut Grove NJ E church:
Good Fellows: Bethany kindergarten.
Of the 207 families helped. 153 fam
lilies composed of 706 individuals were
white. Fifty families. of 172 persons.
and three Mexican families, totalling
sixteen persons, were given help.
The first contributions to the Ex-
change were set aside for families in