Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 22, 1912, NEWS SECTION, Image 16
'it The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page m t..J How6000 Ffeo nip riPQQ I'HW aW 'WfTICJ Harriman for 267000,000 ! The Remarkable Efforts of the Financier's Widow to Discover the Worthy Among Those Who Asked Her For Three Times Her Entire Fortune And the Surprising Things She Found Out Tov wtl1 never miss It," la f the favorite argument of tlie begging letter writer. Tho fallacy of this argument Is apparent In the authorlted state ment that within two years after the death of E. II. Harriman, the railway magnate, his widow re ceived 6,000 begging letter asking for an .aggrcgato of $267,000,000. What Is the conscientious, phllan Ihroplcnlly Inclined master or mis tress of millions to do in such a situation? Laboriously examine In to the merits of each application for mnterlal aid, submit to being im poverished, or throw all the begging letters Into, the waste baskett Mrs. Harriman chose the course first named. First, to the limit of her time and strength, she read and analyzed each of those 6,000 beg ging letters. Then, convinced that L..f lteP5"l?A"d ic,t!3 requests, sho submitted the whole correspondence for expert analysis to William H. Allen, Director of tho Bureau of Municipal Research and Nntlonal Training School for Pub lic Service. The extremely Inter esting, and often surprising, result is Mr. Allen's book, lately lssoud by Dodo, Mead & Co., N. Y., and called "Modern Philanthropy; n Study of Efficient Appealing and Giving" In a foreword Mrs. Harriman writes: "Gifts spiritual, gifts mental, and gifts material are the three greatest means of expressing human Inter est. They have been unequnlly be stowed upon men and unequally ob tained by men." "Man's Individual gifts must be used systematically as well as sym pathetically to be successful In their mission of benefiting himself, his country and his race." With the aid of a card Index sys tem, Mr. Allen classified und anal yzed those 6,000 begging letters sent to Mrs. Harriman. Two of his in teresting conclusions are: "Tun. those who give 'without missing It arc sure to miss it in their giving." "That there Is need for a corre spondence school in the art ot ap pealing and the art of giving." For example ns to the former, tho emotionally metaphorical woman who wrote nsklng Mrs. narriman for "Just one drop from your over flowing bucket for a sister in deep waters." "Please do sit down and write n check for one million dollars," wrote another woman. "It will look so small that you will see you'll never miss the sum and make me famous and fortunate." A man writing from California , was so tactless as to convey a hint about the Biblical camel and needle's eye: "You could never miss $1,700, and when a man goe to tho home beyond ho cannot take bis riches with him." Three thousand of these letters were from men, women and chll dren in the United States, asking J22.0OO.C;0 for themselves; 1,400 personal letters from Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia asked for $32,000,000 1,100 benevolent agen cies In the United States wauted k inMawi't y 'MansaejUHataH life... f""o S o tl h'J y. Ai. I O 1 3 $207,000,000, while various Institu tions In foreign countries naked for $6,000,000. Yet, writes tho expert: "With few exceptions requests are prefaced with the assurance that writers want ouly what Mrs. Harriman would never miss." Two out' of threo of theso begging letters were from women; less than ten per cent asked aid for others tho majority of these personal beg gars had "troubles of their own." One letter In twenty-five. only, was from a minor; but these were near ly nlwnys. altruistic, often In tho Interest of' "mamma, who Is sick and worrying for the debts." Only about one in ten of tho personal letters were from Illiterate persons, while 338 were apparently from persons of far moro than averago education. fit 13 not merely the slum-dweller," writes Mr. Allen, "or the slum- worker in a great city who writes -to tho rich men and women adver- used in tho press. On tbo con trary, 3.500 different locnllUes are represented by these 6.000 appeals. For Mrs. JIarriman's office and out own we prepared two pin maps in dicating the localities In the United States after the first 3,000 lotters had come. Littlo black pins mean individuals asking for themselves and families. Largo red pins are used for colleges and universities, little red ones for industrial schools, etc.; white for churches, green for hospitals, yellow for boys' clubs; blue for homes and asylums, lav ender for scientific nnd civic bodies. In explaining why so much study was given to these letters, Mr. Al len, who seems to be speaklcg for Mrs. Harriman, says: "The first twenty or fifty times one reads: 'You will never miss such a trifle, while to mi. one thous and dollars would look like Heaven Itself,' the heart responso la Im mediate, It seems im perative to answer an appeal' to save a tuber culosis Ounce, rescue a paralyzed baby, rebuild a church that was struck by lightening, supply the last fifty thousand toward a col lege which will Il lumine a State,' or give an old couple the longed-for trip back home. "What right have I with an income of $50 or $500 a day to hesi tate when 1 pass dis tress, or when It comes to mo in my morning mall? "Is there any lesson in tlieso hundreds of appeals for me, for others who want to give wisely, for those who ask and for those who are trying to un derstand, interpret and direct social forcesV' So even porsonal let tors were carefully an alyzed that contained excuses llko these: Copyright. Ifll. by A fnw stmnln nrettv clothes for a girl of 22. "Do you blame mo for not wanting to marry him when he is wealthy unless I have them?" "Merely the gift of an auto mobile for my aged mother and myself, which would be nothing in your sight; $400 In the Lord's name, for a minister whoso present auto mobile Is worn out "A tombstone so expensive that I am unable to do much, still it is a sacred duty." Money to put an artificial leg on the market Twenty-fivo dollars to pay for copyright of a drama. Fifty dollars to carry out a plan to keep n family of twelve children from tormenting their neighbors. To pay debts contracted without her husband's knowledge. "This letter will reach you on Saturday. Will you have the kind noss to send me an answer by spe cial delivery, as on Sunday ordinary mall is not circulated. My time la limited in this hotel." "One of the freakiest letters." writes Mr. Allen, "fairly reeking with Insincerity, was from a man who clnlmed to have spent ten years demonstrating from first-hand con tact that 'It Is worth while to investigate tho horrors, disgraces, malevolent nnd ignorant outrages, procedures Intensely dangerous to health nnd life itself, now borne with equanimity nnd patience by nil the generous nnd trustful public among ordinary cheap restaurants where tho majority of our Americana are now getting their pot luck."' Tho tactlessness of many of these mendicant letter writers was araas ing. A wife whose husband was "In bad health and unable to work" ad the Star Company. Oreat rtrltmn ii.iittfln rr"""H Wj?B 1 Above Is Mary Harri man, Now Mrs. C. C. Rumseyt Below Mis Carol Harriman, Daugh ters Whdse Financial Welfare the Late Mr. Harriman Left in His Wife's Hands Together with His Whole Fortune. p' night tlsserved. "All the world seemed to Mrs. Harriman to be reaching out a begging hand to her. Behind the appealing hand she knew were real need, real merit, real oppor tunities for philanthropy but how to FIND THEM OUT?" What They Asked For 1800 Wanted 617 Wanted 216 Wanted 238 Wanted 330 Wanted 600 Wanted 206 Wanted Outright Gifts of $8,000,000. "Loans" of $5,000,000. to Sell Objects for $8,000,000. Employment and Investment Tips. Buolness Capital of $5,000,000. $1,500,000 to Buy Homes. $120,00D for Medical Care. n Benevolent Agencies Asked $207,000,000 100 America 100 Foreign Letters Aaked for $32,000,000. Institutions Asked for $6,000,000. 150 Foreign r. Harrlma n's Entire Fortune Is Scientific and Civic Bodies. Their Distribution Cn Ba. u ww r t st "P7, ins Kemarutblo Book Tht Dtl I th. H.,-,1 dressed Mrs. Harrlmnn us "Dear Sis In Christ." A business mnn in need of more capital t-tarted his letter to Mrs. Harriman with the inquiry, "Is your hniil saved?" A woman who admitt ed that she was only "the candlestick of Heaven's light" wanted ilie means of financing a scheme to revive "tho -ost art of letter writ ing." A man with a record of fifty-eight Jnll sen tences in one year de sires the means ot plac ing on the marJcot a o e wate" A chnSlon crank ended his letter thus: "Yours for the immedl. ate restoration of truth, gS0asa,,;e:oCu!1edSSb,a, principle of "11 things common in these -last' days." And signed, "Mlzpah." I Dread of the "waste basket" cropped out In many of the letters This Is a favorite expression of that dread: "lu the name of humanity do not throw this letter Into tho waste basket until you havo read It." Hundreds "do protest too much" at the start, as: "This Is not a begging letter." And, "If you knew how It hurts rah to writo." And, "I am not an Impostor," iand, "if you will ask my minisler," etc. Many of the requests from charity end other benevolent Institutions con tained phrases that were monuments of imbecility, bud taste and Insincer ity. Here aro a few examples: "I have M!t my alarm clock for 2 a. in. Each time it rings I will rise and ask God to ask you for $50,000." "God loveth n cheerful giver." "May the Holy Spirit do His work lu your heart und lead you to give $1,500,000" (to a Western uulver- Only $75,000,000. The Color, of Ih. Pin. Cannot The Illustration I. from Director That Details th slty). "Wo would appreciate a reply over your own signature." "It was n very great pleasure to see you onco moro and to kuow ot God's kindly dealings with you. P. 8., Section 3, nbove, Is not qulto true to fact, but I trust you nro to be a co laborer and bo 1 send this with a photograph or mysolf." It is recognized thnt begging let ters must bo exnmiuod carefully as a basis for discriminate and helpful giving. In somo cases u begging letter furnishes evldeneo that tho writer should have other attention at once that some one should "ring for nn ambulance." For in- Heat That Makes Iron Boil Like Water V U Bnie ynr8 paBt 8C,ent,flo jT IT' '" bCn 8tr'V,ng t0 pr duco "eat florcer than any tom- porature of which we have expert- enco In ordinary life. Tho greatest the agency ot man wns obtained by Sir And row Noble, who oxplodod cordite in closed vessols, so that a pressure ot fifty tons to tho square inch was registered, and a degree of heat never previously recorded. The highest temperaturo reached in fuel furnaces for practical pur poses is betwoon 1,700 and U.800 de grees centigrade, and at such a lieat fireclay and porcelain nro melted. Then wo come to tho flame fed with hydrogen and oxygon, or oxygen nda coal gas; by these means a temperature of 2,000 degroos centl grado may be obtained. A new industry solely dependent upon the employment of great heat Is that ot molting quartz. This min ora, fused by the oxy-bydrogon flame, is converted into tubes and flasks and other vessols for chemi cal purposes. These vessels are ab solutely inert, and may be heated hundreds of dogreos higher than is possible with glass; they may also bo plunged at such heat Into cold water without Injury, Mr. Miry W. Harriman, Widow of the Late Financier. Mrs. Harriman Beg ging Map th, Most Remarkable Map In th World, as Iho Begging Letter Came in the Places They Were Sent from Were Marked with Pins Little Black Pins for Individuals, Large Red Pins for Colleges and Universities, Little Red Pins for Industrial Schools, etc., White for Churches, Gre for Hospitals, Yellow for Boys' Clubs, Blue for Homes. Lavender tor Be Seen on This William H. Allen'. "Modern Phila. iiaill lie r-"- a Begging Letter Research. Btnce: ,. "A man who leaves his vrtro ana children in an Institution and bor rows money from hotel clerks with which to buy newspaper and Bible quotations to further 'ono of the greatest constructive Bchemea to make $80.000,000' should be exam ined for his sanity. Otherwise, In Htcad of becoming one of tho most 'helpful, progressive and useful men or my time,' he may enslly become a homicide." Accordingly with Mrs. Ilarrl man's encouragement Mr. Allen's book ends with n carefully thought out "Magna Chartn for Givers." It bus been discovered, that, by whlrllug a centrifugal wheel at high velocity In the combustion-chamber of a furnace tho nitrogen is oust to one sldo, wbllo tho oxygen Is con centrated, and In this' way a bright er flame and greater heat are ob tained. A similar appliance used during the combustion of cpal In a furnace enabled a firm of papor makers to save twenty-sovon per cent of thelt coal bill by the elimi nation of tho hydrogen gas formed in combustion. But most remarkable of all tho phases of the utilization of extreme heat is tho discovery of the welding material known aa thermit The inventor discovered that aluminium is very much attached to oxygon, and holds it closer than u brother. Therefore be mixed granulated alu minium with oxide ot iron, for the lighter metal wants oxygen, and the oxide of iron has It to give. A small quantity ot magnesium filings, waa placed on top ot the mixture and a storm-match applied, and Immedi ately a mass of molten Iron was seen boiling at a temperature of 3,000 degrees centigrade much higher than any temperature In or dinary use.