Trow, Ebenezer, is a man of refinement and education, nearly seventy years of age, a graduate of a college of the highest standing. Twelve years ago he first appeared, asking for employment, which was secured for him in the office of a safe deposit company. Nothing further was heard of him for nine years, when he again applied for work, but expressed anxiety to enter a home. His refer ences agreed in describing him as honest and respectable, but lacking in judgment, and sensitive. There were no relatives living, but private individuals, upon whom he had no special claim, provided for his board temporarily, pending his admission to a home for the aged. In a little less than two years an opening was found for him, his admission fee, with $76 additional, being raised by a col lege fraternity. Of the surplus, Mr. Trow draws a dollar a month for extras, and after two years' residence in the home seems reasonably content.
Wheeler, Charles, a railway conductor, deserted by his wife, has himself borne a good reputation, and gave evi dence of a clean personal history. His two children have been indentured to farmers in the West. For nine months, at the time of his application, he had been living on the earnings of former years, which were then ex hausted. Through a newspaper appeal a sum sufficient to pay his entrance fee in a home for the aged was provided; but after his admission he became ill, suffering with ner vous prostration and possibly tuberculosis, the latter being the diagnosis of the physician at the home. He was there upon transferred to a bed in a home for incurables at a special price, for which he shows the most grateful appreci ation. The repayment of the entrance fee, which in this case was $150, will be sufficient to pay his board in the home for incurables for about a year.
Burden, Caroline. On account of her husband's intem perance Mrs. Burden felt obliged to leave him thirty years ago. She then had some money, however, and her son re mained with her. For six years they lived very comfortably on her own income and her son's wages. At that time her son died, leaving her about $2500. The son's employers took charge of this sum, paying her six per cent interest and taking a kind interest in her business affairs. She opened a store, but on account of illness was forced to give it up. She then met with an accident which made treatment in a hospital for several weeks necessary, and from this accident she never fully recovered. With the occasional help of the sort's employer, however, she remained self-supporting, drawiug the last of her money about a year before her application for care. She was found to be of good reputation,
and to have no relatives in position to aid her. Temporary admission was secured to a country home for the aged, but while there she had several epileptic seizures, on one occa sion falling downstairs and dislocating her wrist. It was thought that she was mentally unbalanced, but on exami nation by experts was pronounced not to need attention and was returned to her friends. Application was made to various homes for the aged without result, and board was finally secured for her in a private family at an expense of ten dollars a month. The sum of $100 for ten months' board was contributed by the son's employer and an appli cation was left pending at a suitable home for admission whenever a vacancy occurred.
The five following cases are not unlike those which have been presented above, but are grouped together for the rea son that all of the histories began in the almshouse. As a result of investigation all were removed from the public institution, either to the care of their relatives, or to a private institution.
Brennan, Sophie, was committed to the almshouse, hav ing been found sleeping in doorways and halls and entirely destitute. For a year before this commitment, efforts had been made to induce her three sons, all of whom were rail way employees in receipt of good incomes, to support her. They made occasional contributions in this direction, which, however, amounted to little. As a result of correspond ence with the local authorities at Albany, where one of the sons lives, his wife appeared at the Department and took charge of her mother-in-law. An agreement was made by which this son should have the assistance of his two brothers in providing for his mother's care.
Rathgaber, Georgiana, had been a public charge for one year, when it was discovered that she was receiving a pension of eight dollars, had one married daughter who was a professional nurse, that a married son with no children had a sufficient income to provide for her, while a sec ond son who was blind, was, like the mother, a public charge.
The daughter, when visited, said that she had taken charge of the sum of $450, left by her father, and had taken two dollars a week from it, for her mother's board. When the amount was exhausted, she sent her mother to the almshouse. The intervention of the corporation counsel's office in this instance brought the children to a realizing sense of their legal obligations, and the mother was removed from the almshouse.