San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-06
Boys Sleep on Bare Floor
With Two Sheets to Cover
Them-0ne Family Sick
and Nobody to Prepare
ood-Waiting Line at
Headquarters Ask for
Clothing.

When the cold wave SWOopcd down
Saturday night it was the signal for
most Of the families Of the city to turn
up the gas in the radiator and to dig
into -the closet for extra bed cover.
However, there were many homes in
which a charcoal pot, nc mT .cr how
anuc,i il was stirred. failed 10 combat
the cold and in which such thing as
an extra blanket had never been known.
Associated Charity workers answer
jng the calls for help Monday found
many cases almost UnocHeyaDlY pItlui.
One Of the workers returning TO the
office os the charities told OF two ut
lie boys, the oldest 10 and the other ).
who had slept during the cold spell on
bare boards without a mattress, and
with only two thin sheets TO cover
them. They lived with their mother
and one sister. their father being gone,
and had insisted that the women folks
of the family have the one mattress and
blanket. In the little twO-room mouse
in which they lived. the worker Sald;
there was not 4 sign of heat; they dld
the cooking in the backyard with STICKS
gathered along the creeks and the river
Another worker told of finding a
widow with four children. all in bed
WIKI AllAAt ND L At NUS Nc
the beds were scantily covered. and
there was no one TO prepare them one
bit of food.
Waiting Line Long.
These are only examples of the cases
they found and, in addition to this,
the waiting line at the charity head
uuarters in the Chandler building re-
manned throughout the entire day. In
il there were shveripg old men with
out coats. their clothes in, tatterS, their
bare feet showing through shoes full
of holes: old women in the same con-
lifion, and yOuu. women with babies,
all Of them asking for wood or cloth
ing. ,..-.-,
During the slack season officials OF
the charities prepare for emergencies
such as these by gathering all OF Inc
.oId clothes thai they can find. Those
that are worth il they make over and
stow away. those that are not are cut
nm and made INTO blankets. However
The DrsSanr cold snap Is drained their
sunny the first day, and they are send
ing out an urgent plea 70 the people
~ the CITY for more Old clothes, bedding
and mattresses.
Gives a Cord Of Wood.
Monday there were only two otIers OF
bsin received at the charities headquar'
-erS. One woman came in and gave 81
SIC would not tell her name. saying
5+bat she was warm AMI well fed and
thar She knew there were many VINO
vere not. Another man telephoned II
and offered TO have a cord of wood de,
Tverpd 10 any place the secretary .o'
tho charities said. Only a few min
ufes before the report had come in ina
one of the families of the city whlc!
the charities helps regularly was en-
tirely out Of wood, and so the cord wa
However" Miss Mable Ferguson
secretary of the Associated Charlie
said. "that is only one family provide
with warmth. and So will not cloth
the many shivering backs in MI the city =
Though the present cold spell is n ?,
adnubt over. in all probability there WI
he another one this month and unIes
they are prepared to meet 1t now the
viii have to go through the same SUI
ferinr again. 1t is too late 10 CIV
After the suffering is past" -.