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Page 14
The Southern Israelite
(Continued from Page 13)
device, so that the poorest family could
manufacture it. He refused to patent
it. In the distribution of pasteurized milk
the milk was disposed of at a very nomi
nal price, but was given away only in
exceptional cases. The motto, "No loss of
self-respect,” prevailed.
During the coal strike of 1802-93 Na
than Straus conceived the idea of provid
ing the poor of New York with coal at
cost price. He immediately established
and maintained coal distributing stations
throughout the city, where twenty pounds
of coal were sold for five cents and given
Tour
Old Kentucky H ome
in
LOUISVILLE
The World Famous
ijntel j^rriharit
On the Leading Corner of Louisville
• where everybody meets everybody -
DEFLECTING an old
fashioned Southern Hos
pitality that is as refreshing as
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table rooms and lobbies, bos
pitable employes to serOe you,
and most important, hospitable
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Enjoy, too, the
MANUFACTURED WEATHER
in the beautiful
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Only Louisville restaurant offering you
ip ring-time comfort the year around.
Att
free to the poorest families. Here his
business genius and knowledge of human
nature were factors in realizing this gi
gantic relief project. He secured the co
operation of J. Pierpont Morgan and ob
tained ten thousand tons from him at a
reduced rate, securing from the Dock De
partment the free use of piers for coal
depots. The cost and overhead having
thus been brought down to a minimum,
Nathan Straus was able to distribute over
a million and a half buckets of coal at
the price of five cents for twenty pounds.
During the same crisis, in January, 1894,
with the help of a generous gift of
$5(),00() from Mr. Morgan (which is con
spicuous as the only instance in which
Nathan Straus ever accepted financial
aid for his work),'Mr. Straus opened
a store in Grand Street, where for five
cents, or upon presentation of a Nathan
Straus depot ticket, issued free through
the charity societies, he supplied twenty
pounds of coal or foodstuff. At the same
time Mr. Straus opened four lodging
houses, at which he supplied bed and
breakfast for five cents or on presenta
tion of one of the tickets. Those who
did not have the five cents were given
some work to do around the lodging
house, and thus earned their bed and
breakfast.
This chapter of Nathan Straus’ work
is characteristic. It brought to the fore
all the human qualities which made him
the outstanding philanthropist of his time.
First, his vision: lie was among the first
to see the true dimensions of the acute
ness of the panic which left 39,000 fam
ilies without means of sustenance. Sec
ond, his amazing organizing abilities,
which immediately set into motion a tre
mendous relief machine. Third, his keen
ness, which had recognized that assistance
must he of a fundamental character, and
reach the largest possible number in the
shortest possible time. And while his mind
worked out the scheme to the smallest
detail he visualized the individual trage
dies and refused to pauperize the vic
tims, creating the illusion that the needy
were helping themselves and buying the
relief, not receiving it. All by himself
he had successfully combated and coped
with a mass emergency and given to New
York a unique example of true and wise
philanthropy.
It is not surprising that in 1894 the
Democratic party of the city of New
York nominated him for mayor. The news
created great satisfaction among the gen
eral public; but two days after the nomi
nation Mr. Straus withdrew his candi
dacy. In a city of less than a million
Jews a Jew had been selected for the
highest office—the greatest tribute a Jew
ish citizen of the metropolis had ever
received.
It is impossible, within the confines
of a magazine article, to review or even
merely tabulate the many philanthropic
activities of so tireless a helper of hu
manity as was Nathan Straus. He hur
ried from one constructive task to an
other. In 1895 he, the Jew, gave a strik
ing example of good-will by cooperating
with Mrs. Grover Cleveland and Lady #
McDonald, wife of the Governor-General
of Canada, in building a Roman Catholic
church at Lakewood, N. J. In the mean
time he was constantly extending his pas
teurization work to other cities in the
United States and abroad, personally vis
iting many of the laboratories he estab
lished. His milk depots increased from
one in 1892 to 297, distributed through
thirty-six cities, in 1920.
The last political post he held was that
of president of the Board of Health of
New York City, where he established a
splendid record. In the same year—it was
during our war with Spain—he sent an
ice plant and a watcr-distelling plant to
Santiago, Cuba, for the use of United
States troops.
The year 1899 was one of'relaxation.
He kept up his various activities, but
gave more time to his hobby of horse
racing—or, rather, trotting. He himself
drove in most of the races, and soon
established a reputation as "King of the
Speedway”, his most famous horse being
the champion racer “Cobwebs”.
Of far-reaching significance for his
later life was the winter of 1904, when
Nathan Straus and his wife visited Pal
estine. This marked the beginning of an
activity uninterrupted until his death for
the establishment of hospitals and sani
tary stations with his own funds in Pal
estine. At the time of the earthquake
disaster in Italy in 1909 he sent food,
clothing, and medical supplies for thou
sands of stricken families in Naples and
Messina. That same year he established
a "Tuberculosis Preventorium for Chil
dren” on a farm donated by Arthur Bris
bane at Farmingdale, N. J.
In 1912 his innumerable philanthropies
grew to such proportions that he contem
plated retiring from all business activities
to devote himeslf to his life work. He
carried out this intention soon after the
tragic death of Isidor Straus and his wife
in the sinking of the “Titanic". During
the business depression of 1914-15, fol
lowing the outbreak of the World War,
he furnished over eleven hundred thou
sand penny-apiece meals to the poor in
New York. Gradually he divested him
self of all superfluous luxuries and de
voted the proceeds to various charities.
His home in the Thousand Islands, his
private yacht, “Sisilina”, his famous New
York residence in Seventy-second Street
—everything was sold. He had given up
his expensive stables long before. He
concentrated on enlarging his philan
thropic institutions here and in Palestine,
frequently originating new ways to help,
living on an extremely modest scale.
He spent more than a million and a
half for Palestine health and relief work.
He donated over half a million dollars
to war sufferers. These short, incom
plete references to his philanthropic ac
tivities, taken out of a "Who’s Who”,
scarcely scratch the surface of his monu
mental work.
At the age of 27 Nathan Straus mar
ried Lina Gutherz, of Mannheim, Ger
many. During fifty-five years of con-
STEAMSHIP TICKETS TO EVERYWHERE
▼ AIRPLANE ▼
HOTEL AND STEAMSHIP RESERVATIONS
Healey Bldg. FOR A I- L LINES ATLANTA, GA.
Ground Floor JOHN M. BORN WAL. 4884
tinuous humanitarian labor she was oik
with him, inspiring and sharing his life
work. When, eight months ago, she \ ed
away it was merely a question o{ > w
long he would be able to survive her.
His death closes a glorious and rich
chapter in American Jewish history.
(Copyright, 1931, by S.F.S.)
On The Ocean Front
The Breakers
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.
EXTRAORDINARY REDUCTION
IN RATES
AS LOW AS
Without Meals—$2.50 Daily per Person
and $6.00 Daily per Person.
With Meals—$35.00 Weekly for 2 and
$70.00 Weekly for 2.
American or European Plan
Hot and Cold Sea Water in
All Baths
Complete Garage Facilities
The World’s
Tallest Hotel
— 46 Stories
High
Chicago’s
MORRISON
HOTEL
Corner Madison and Clark Sts.
Every room in the Morrison Hotel
is outside, with bath, circulat
ing ice water, bed-head reading
lamp, telephone and Servidor. A
new 500 room section, soon to be
opened, was made necessary by
the demand for Morrison service.
2500 ROOMS
1930-1931
Rosh Hashonah
Tues.,
Fast of Gedaliah
Yom Kippur — -
Thurs.,
Thurs.
Tues.
Shemini Azereth
Weds.
Tues.
JEWISH CALENDAR 5691
Sept. 23
Sept. 25
, Oct. 2
, Oct. 7
, Oct. 8
, Oct. 14
, Oct. 15
, Oct. 23
Nov. 21
Dec. 15
, Dec. 21
Dec. 30
, J an - 19
Feb. 2
, Feb. 2
Mar. 2
Mar. 3
Mar. 19
Apr. 2
Apr. 9
Apr. 18
May 5
May 17
, May 2
Simchas Torah
•Rosh Chodesh Chesvan
Rosh Chodesh Kislev .
1st Day Chanukkah
*Rosh Chodesh Tebeth
Fast of Tebeth
1931
Rosh Chodesh Shevat
Thurs.
Fri.,
Mon.
... Sun.
Tues.
Chaniisha O’ser B’Shevat
•Rosh Chodesh Adar
Fast of Esther
Purini
Rosh Chodesh Nissan
1st Day of Pessach
8th Day of Pessach
•Rosh Chodesh Iyar
Lag B’Omer
Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Shavuoth
Mon.
Mon.,
Weds.
Mon.,
_ Tues.,
.Thurs.,
„Thurs.
_Thurs.
Sat.
Tues.,
Sun.
Fri.
Sat.,
NOTE: Holidays begin in the evenm?
preceding the dates designated.
•Rosh Chodesh also observed the previov—
day.