An Unusual Act of Honesty
A struggling immigrant who received public assistance returns every penny, plus a donation for others in need.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The county commissioners were pleasantly surprised yesterday at receiving $13.50 from a young man to whom it had been given from the county poor fund to relieve his pressing needs about a month previous. In October, a young man of foreign birth applied at the Bureau of Associated Charities for assistance. He was 20 years old and had a wife 28 years old and one child. Mr. Dooley, upon looking the matter up, discovered that he was most destitute, having only had work at odd jobs for a long time. County Commissioner Gasch gave him $13, of which $8 was for a stove and the rest for groceries. On Wednesday, the young man appeared in Mr. Dooley's office and handed him $13.50. Upon inquiring, he found this was in payment of the amount given him. 'But,' said Mr. Dooley, 'this is more than Mr. Gasch sent you.' 'Oh, that's all right, let that go as my contribution to the work,' was the reply. The young man had in the meantime got work wheeling bricks.
“Oh, that's all right, let that go as my contribution to the work.”
This story stands in stark contrast to the era's typical reporting on 'paupers.' It highlights the invisible daily labor and immense integrity of Seattle's immigrant workforce—a population that has always been central to the city's growth, despite being frequently marginalized in the press.
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