The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-01-21
n
Money Began to Come in
With First Mail To-
day.
some SPECIFIC CASES
Work Of the o Organization in
This City Covers Much
Ground.

Those whe prefer to do Il that
way may take contributions for
the Associated Charities into the
office Of the City Treasurer on the
first floor Of the city building.
Tins will make unnecessary the
walk up stairs to the office Of the
treasurer Of the fund. City Super.
lntendent Of Schools o. G. vii.
son to whom checks may be
mailed.
The work Of the Associated Chari-
ties in Fairmont covers large amount
Of ground and has its biggest prob:
lens this winter the unusual amount
Of sickness in the city. When man is
unable TO work through sickness, in
many cases his wages cease, and in
nearly all such cases there Is large
family besides for this man to pro-
vide Tor. Yesterday an appeal came to
Miss Margaret Mckinney from a fam
1ly who are quarantined with fever.
The father has been i'll for number
pfweeks and on top Of 1t all one of the
children has been taken i'll with this
dreaded disease. There was no food
IL the house and other things were
also needed 1t was first necessary to as
certain Just the condition OF things
and the knowledge was gained through
the doctor In charge. Food, Of course,
was sent Immediately and will have to
besgsent Until conditions there i'm.
pove.
Very often instead Of a husband, the
3 wife is III and there is no-one to look
after the children. In some cases help
is secured for her, which must By
paid for, and in many cases. when 1t Is
impossible to get help as it was this
winter during the epidemic, the hus-
band Is forced to remain at home and
play the part Of nurse and house.
keeper. In one family where father
was i'll, there was no wage Garner but
Q young girl who earned $4 a week
and there were seven to feed and
5clothe The Thanksgiving donations
from the schools in the city are an
immense help. From the canned goods,
potatoes, vegetables and clothes given
at that time, some Of the food and
clothing is provided. But with a de-
nand almost constantly made during
the year, these articles are soon ex-
;hausted.
There como to the Associated
Charities all sorts Of worthy appeals,
from the deserted wife with little chill
kEdren to the man who has been left
through death or otherwise with too
s many little ores to provide for. Some
times 1t is food which is needed and
often 1t is the service Of nurse or
money to leave the city to go to re-
3 latives. A cuse OF this last sort came
4 to the Associated Charities not long
ago. The man was a foreigner lin this
case there was no family. He had tn;
6 berculosis and wanted to go back to
n Italy to die Could anyone resist an
appealsof this nature? Money was OBJ
tained and his ticket bought. Warm
CLOTHES for him were provided for the
Journey and he was sent on his way
rejoicing even though the journey
was to be his last.
Charity workers in the city say that
4 the foreign people here are more ap-
preciatiye Of help given them than
4 the poor American element. Some Of
these people are so overcome With
feeling when a service has been done
Tor them that they break completely
down. "A nurse in the city tells Of a
family OF many little ones where she
was helping out. The mother had Q
little new baby and there were many
moe babies Just able to toddle about
the room. The father was kind and
good but could not earn enough to
Y care for them properly. Every time
the nurse passed the bed, she found
! her hand suddenly grasped and kissed.
These people could speak very little
Engiish and knew very little about
(. hfonerly caring for their children but
Continued on page eight.)