Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-11

a fertile Virginia farm. where a
colored family, evicted Tuesday
from a condemned slum dwelling
in Southwest Washington, is be-
ginning a new and better life.
Santa Claus, a United States
Senator and a kindly Health De-
partment doctor joined forces to
resettle Israel Fox, 80; his wife,
Grace and their 10 children on
a 385-acre farm in Caroline
County, near Penola, Va.
The Fox family. whose for
tunes reached a pitiful low when
Deputy United States marshals
piled their meager belongings on
the sidewalk in front of three
room frame house in the 200 block
of F street NV, waved with
broad smiles to the friends who
must remain behind as they rode
away from the slums in an old
truck.
Lived Here Is Years.
Ever since Israel and Grace
came to Washington they have
been sinking deeper and deeper
into poverty each year, partially
because of economic forces but
largely because of their own in
eptitude.
Happy to be leaving, Israel con-
fessed he had been beaten by
city life because II just couldn't
figger out the way they does
things up here"
1t was 18 years ago that Israel
turned his back on the lush farm
lands of Caroline County. their
birthplace, and hurried to Wash
ington-city of promise, riches
and gayety.
Pappy Said Come.
"My pappy had come up two
years before. and he said to come
ahead-everything would be good
up here" Israel recalled ruefully.
That was my big mistake" said
"Pappy"-68-year-old Huston Fox.
"Mr. Hoover was President then,
and he kept saying that everything
was going to turn out good like it
started, but somehow it didn't turn
out that way"
Israel, the strong -muscled young
farmer with a first-grade educa-
ton, sought work as a laborer.
And the children began to come.
When the depression closed in
on the city. Israel found refuge
on work-relief jobs. The war
boom made it easier to find work,
the wages were higher. But Israel
never advanced above the status
of common laborer.
THE longest job I had the
whole time I've been up here was
1s months" Israel recalled. THAT
was three years ago, and I worked
for a contractor in Georgetown.
He paid me 80 cents an hour and
that was good. Then I had 10
months at the naval air station
for 80 cents an hour. The rest
of the time I made what could
and 1t seemed like when I got one
side up I was torn down on the
other. Nobody in the family had
muscle but me, and couldn't lay
nothin'' by"
Insanitary Quarters.
The Fox family was living in an
ancient. decaying three-room
wooden house in the 200 block of
F street S.W., when they came to
the attention of DR.. John R. Pate,
director of the Southwest Health
clinic a year ago.
We've helped pull the children
through attacks of pneumonia
and all sorts of respiratory in
fections," DR.. Pate said. We've
treated them for malnutrition,
scabies and lots of other things.
Il looked over the house. 1t
was rat-infested and full of ver-
min. The outside toilet was
clogged. 1t was a source of infec-
ton for every one. I saw the kids
rummaging through garbage cans.
And all this only a few blocks
from the Social Security Building.
home of the Children's Bureau,
mind you"
Israel told DR.. Pate he had al
ways longed to 60 back to farm
ing, but didn't know how to go
about 1t. DR.. Pate wrote the Viz
ginia State Employment Commits
sion in Richmond. He said that,
if farm jobs could be found in
Virginia for European refugees,
then certainly similar jobs and
other help should be extended to
displaced American citizens in the
big cities.
1t was just happenstance that
about this time l.. E. Collins of
Penola, Caroline County, stopped
in the employment office at Fred
ericksburg to report that he had
several vacant houses in good re-
pair on farms he owns. He said
he would be happy to turn the
houses over to willing workers
who would till the land on shares
-two-thirds for themselves and
one-third for the owner, who
would furnish tools and fertilizer
and seed. Until a crop was made.
cash wages could be earned at a
sawmill, and Mr.. Collins would adj
vance flour and farm produce
through the winter.
Santa Claus Enters.
Israel was eager to seize the
opportunity. but he had no money
to transport his family to Caroline
County. Then Santa Claus en-
tered the picture.
Santa Claus is a Los Angeles
philanthropist. He keeps a bank
account in the name of Santa
Claus and sends checks Endorsed
that way whenever he hears Of
!, uorthv charity Such a check