San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23
Directors to Meet in No.
vember and Find New
Office-Winter Season
Will Bring More Calls
for Aid-Workers See
Pitiful Cases.


Well, l want to report case in the
alley behind my house. that l think
needs your attention. There is man
dying, his crazy wife, a daughter who
has been working but has lost her job,
and the daughters two little bits OF
children. They haven't anything to
eat, and l think something ought to
be done for them"
This is merely one Of the routine
list of telephone calls that besiege
the office of the Associated Chart
ties. 1t is a recent case, but by no
means out of the ordinary. Within
"a hours after every report is made,
visitor from the Charities calls at
the address given, and makes personal
investigation of conditions that exist.
When the want is imminent, temper
airy relief, in the form of small or
der for food on nearby grocery store
is given at once, before much inquiry
is possible, but a very thorough in
vestigation is made of the family's
resources, and the why's and where
fores of the imperative distress, be-
fore anything beyond a small supply
of food and fuel is given.
Had Lost Her Job.
In the case cited, the visitor found
the man dying. He had been slowly
dying six or seven weeks. His wife
was violently insane, and should have
been placed in an asylum, if there
had been anyone to make the ar
rangements, but the dying man begged
to keep her with him as long as he
lived. He was used to her and her
ways, he said, and didn't mind hav-
ing her see him like he was. He did
not mention that, in addition TO see
ing him, she had grabbed a piece of
wood and tried to brain him with il
the night before, but the daughter
added all the details of that attack,
and added that she herself thought it
was a pity that her mother wasn't a
little stronger so she could have fin
ished the job. "She is so crazy that
no one could hold her responsible,
and it would have saved him a lot
of pain. There ISN'T anything for any
of us TO eat, anyhow
The younger woman had been work
ing steadily and supporting her par
ents and her children after a fashion,
until she had lost her position a short
time before. She was so worn out
with her work all day and cooking
and nursing all the rest of the time
that she was dismissed for incompe-
tence. Her children were . and 4
years old, and she said their father
was dead. On investigation this was
found to be untrue-the father was a
chauffeur working right here in town
and steps were taken at once, by
the Charities, through the court to
make the man pay something toward
the support of his children.
In the meantime the entire family
would have starved except for the help
given them by the Charities. As soon
as the man is dead, the woman can
be placed in an insane asylum, and
the daughter can go back to work
and take care of her children herself,
with the help Miss Ferguson. secre-
tary of the Associated Charities, be-
lieves the court will make her hus-
band give her. In the meantime the
need is a dire one, and the only pos
| sible help is from the Charities. This
is listed on the records as temporary
case-as are many others.
Have Exhaustive Records.
The Associated Charities keep re.
markably comprehensive records of
every case they have ever handled
since 1914, when the Russell Sage
Foundation system Of recording was
adopted. Blanks are filled out with
every kind of nformation-personal
physical, social, legal, religious-that
| could have the slightest bearing on
the case, and it is all gathered into a
dated and registered folio that also
contains record of every visit made,
every cent expended, and every word
of correspondence that has ever
passed through the office about that
particular person or family. The his
tory of every case is as complete as
writing can make it, and is concluded
only with the death of the person as
! sisted, his removal TO another city,
or until the circumstances Of acute
distress are relieved. There are be-
tween seven and eight thousand com
plete cases on file in the Charities.
dating back from 1911. Older cases
than this which are recorded under a
different system go back TO about 1900,
but are not included in this list. Some
times folio containing the records OF
a case will assume bulky form when
the distress is prolonged, but some
| times one or two sheets will cover
| all the circumstances surrounding the
sordid or pathetic little tragedies.
One case that "hasn't any special
features" according to the visitor, but
that makes lengthy and rather mo-
| notOnOus reading. is Of an old blind
woman who lives on Rattlesnake Hill
with her 15-year-Old son. who is men
tally deficient. A record of the visiys
made to give provisions and supple,
to these two unfortuna'es stretch ovel
long time, hut one is much like an
other, and there is no possibility o
any unusual circumstances to maxi
exciting reading.
The boy has recently been emnloyet
in u4nber mil i'll some kind Of yer.
simple work. which. however, is enough
10 tax his limited mental capacity {,
the utmost. and his saalry is SO
week. THAT helps some" the oil,
lady says, "but his work is nearl
seven miles from here and he has T.
pay car fare. and he has to buy hi
lunch so q lot of it goes that way
He certainly eats a lot, too" TIL
visitor says the boy has been abou
half-starved all his life. and think
that is one reason WHY he has dc
veloped so little mentally. The old VIC
man. blind rs rhe is, manages to kee
her tiny house, that the Charities pre-