St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-07-30
Public Service
Bureau
THE MINNEAPOLIS SPOKES-
MAN AND THE ST. PAUL RE-
CORDER PUBLIC SERVICE
BUREAU
From the Nurses Notebook

40 q ANO SbS4y 4A4ONCAA
brick building at 204 North 2nC
Street, Minneapolis, known as the
Mems Bureau. Men of many diff.
ferent nationalities and creeds FIND
their way to this building wher
life becomes too great a problem
for them to solve without assist
ance from those trained to guide
others in this ever-changing world
The majority of the men are
well up in years, past the employ
able age, and many of them are
physically unfit as well.
The Salvation Army contributes
much in maintaining this institu-
ton for men of broken dreams.
In 1888 the old quarters, at 81 So.
Third Street, had to be abandoned
for the present larger quarters.
There are now seventeen investi-
gators, whereas there had been
four. Three of the seventeen are
our men. The assistant supervisor
is our own Mr.. Leo Bohanon, who
came to Minneapolis with a good
record and has kept it so. Mr..
William E. Cratic and Mr.. Sam
Harris, our two investigators,
seem to have the interest and un-
derstanding necessary to make
their work successful.
The detectives and aims of the
Public Service Bureau were ex-
planned to Mr.. Hughes, Superinten-
dent. The consideration and time
given US was appreciated. The
whole place was a beehive of &C
tiviy.
Mr.. Bohanon and Mr.. Cratic es-
corted US on a tour of the five
floors. We took the elevator to
the fifth floor where the meals
are served. Three hundred men
can be served in the dining room.
One hundred thirty-six had just
finished eating when we visited.
There is an all male kitchen crew
hired by the Salvation Army. The
large kitchen was clean and or
derby. The meals are we'll bal
anced and the food plentiful.
There are sturdy looking iron
cots which give the third and
fourth floors the appearance of
army quarters. Each man has a
locker for clothing and so forth.
There are several shower rooms
and baths. The second floor is for
recreation. A sound picture was
to be shown in the evening. The
Salvation Army sponsors most of
the entertainment. We left a
large supply of magazines. So
glad that we have found a place
where even old reading material
will be welcome. Call the Saliva
ton Army when you have collec-
ton of old magazines to give. We
are still hoping to get more maya
zines of Negro publications to put
in the libraries of the hospitals.
The ground floor is occupied by
the Relief Workers and investi-
gators. Here we see the men
registering for employment or
applying for relief. There seems
to be a fine spirit of fellowship
there and throughout the place.
We understand now why the
men who have known this place as
their home are not reluctant to re-
turn to it after being released
from hospitals. Any necessary
medical attention is given by our
city clinics. 1t was through our
contacts in the hospitals that we
learned of the activities of the
Mems Bureau.
AS we go from place to place
seeing and learning of the good
work being done for mankind we
sometimes feel we are living in a
civilized world and should pay our
taxes. We hope to get Mr.. Sam
Harris to tell US all about the
special work he has volunteered
to undertake. Sounds most COM
mendable and interesting.
Definite plans have been made
by the Public Service Bureau for
a nights entertainment for Glen
Lakes kddies.
We want to thank Mrs. Sadie
Paul for her contribution of maya
zines which was a very welcome
present to the Mems Bureau.
Dorothy W. Wilson,