The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-02
Old Darkies Are in Need
 At Their Old Folks Home
Survivors of Bygone days Lack Most of the Bare Necess ties of Lfe-City Grants Tag Day Solicitation
 for Next Saturday
pv CARoLYN E. ELLIOTT

Tag day next Saturday has been grant
 ed by the city commission to the City
 Federation of Colored Women's Clubs for
 the benefit of the Old Folks and Orphans
 Home for Negroes.
 According to information received rom
 Dr. N. A. Barrett, president of the board
 of commissioners, the women of the fed- eration will have the privilege of selling tags in the downtown section west or
 Eighteenth street
 There are many who, hearing of this opportunity, will be happy to contribute a little share of comfort to the few days left the old black mammy whose par alyzed arms were once strong enough to enfold somebody's mother while she crooned her white charge to sleep. Surely there are those who will be glad of the privilege of adding a bit of cheer to the 1 skort time left old Uncle" Lorenzo whose jints are so stiff he ain't much l mo fitten'' to tend the vegetable garden
 nor help the~spring roses to bloom. Nom, Missy he said to me severa days ago, "dey ain't so much lef' o me, and whut dey is, I ain't able tc | drag 'roun to no satisfaction sence my | lag bin broke. But I'm sho thankful
 my Maker ain't forgotten to bring me l in outen de cold. Pm proud He's a-givin
 me a warm fire to stay by Just little 1 WnlIe longer OHCle IJOItHAO VIII otdy i l the bare dining room of the nome, where he sits with other old men tc l save the expense of fires in the beo l rooms A few seasons and he will so- I iourn, for This head is bending low but l there will always be others who must needs take his place, because they are oio and helpless hopeless, mayhap, excep, to be "sho' proud of a warm fire to stay by.'
 SHELTER AND FOOD At present there are IS aged colored peo- pie from 65 to so years, and five little orphaned negro girls who have found shelter under the roof of the Old Folks and Orphans home, located at 625 Weaver street. not far from the Owenton-Ensley car line
 I found them there several days ago this humble remnant of the darkies ol l the old south one of them blind. some of l them crippled, some of them paralyzed all of them poverty-stricken and helpless and all of them grateful for food and I shelter. That is, shelter where it doesn | leak It is dry in spots on rainy days ! but if careful discrimination is used 1T 1 the selection of the Small corner re- quired for Nanny James chair, she Will probably have a fair chance to keep out | of the rain without an umbrella. Bu' even chairs are not plentiful in the oid fOlkS' nome. fOr everything iS Aoouo' | to make the place livable, whether the donation is stove for the hall single 1 iron beds. linen or kitchen utensils. 1 On Christmas Day, when the old people were to have a special dinner of three or I four dishes. it must have been a Chinese puzzle to decide whether the rice should be polite enough to, wait for the soup tc simmer, or whether the soup should defer to the rice: "You first, my dear Alphonse I am simply impossible cold" Perhax such choice often awaits the decision oi the matron, Lula Har6wick, who Is chief cook and bottle washer, housekeeper and nurse in one. busy every moment of the day helping the halt and the blind. SAD NEED The fact is that the old folks home 1 from roof to cellar, from the bleak, cold hall into which the front door opens to 1 the poorly furnished bedrooms. is sadl'