Ponderous leaders about our
"duty toward the poor" appeared at intervals. The Grand Jury on its
tours saw and protested. The City Hall felt the sting and squirmed.
I remember when we went to argue with the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment under Mayor Grant. It was my first meeting with Mrs.
Josephine Shaw Lowell and John Finley, but not the last by a good
many, thank God for that! I had gone to Boston to see the humane
way in which they were dealing with their homeless there. They gave
them a clean shirt and a decent bed and a bath--good way, that, to
limit the supply of tramps--and something to eat in the morning,
so they did not have to go out and beg the first thing. It seemed
good to me, and it was good. But the Mayor did not think so.
"Boston! Boston!" he cried, impatiently, and waved us and the subject
aside. "I am tired of hearing always how they do in Boston, and of
the whole matter."
So were we, tired enough to keep it up. We came back next time,
though it didn't do any good, and meanwhile the newspaper broadsides
continued.
Pages:
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288