The Story of the Great Fire in St. John, N.B., June 20th, 1877Stewart, George
History
The Story of the Great Fire in St. John, N.B., June 20th, 1877
Stewart, George
Saint John (N.B.) -- Fire, 1877
The sufferers by the fire, who had lived in the rink up to this time,
were housed in tents on the barrack green. The rink was thrown into
compartments. Fully two-thirds were placed at the service of the
store-keeper, who dealt out the provisions, the manager of the furniture
department, and the overseer of the space allotted to clothing. The
space directly in front of the door-way is occupied by the different
officers who perform the preliminary work. The gentlemen's dressing-room
is devoted to the use of the visitors, and the other dressing-room is
where the General Superintendent is to be found. No more admirable
system of giving out help to those whose wants require it, could be
formed. It is perfection itself, and though mistakes may occur
occasionally, on the whole it moves like a piece of well-appointed
machinery. The reader must understand that thousands of applications are
made daily, and all sorts of tricks are resorted to by those whose
necessities require no help, and every dollar given away to the
undeserving, is so much carried from the mouths of the honest and
honourable, for whom this magnificent donation was made. The greatest
care must be exercised, and it is the business of quite a staff of
officers to see that these impositions are checked, and no one is served
twice on the same order. No one has been refused aid, if he was
legitimately entitled to it.
The actual working of the system is an interesting study. Everything is
done regularly and methodically. There is a substantial reason for every
movement, and it is surprising how quickly the officers can detect an
informality, or notice any attempt at deception. A brief account of the
system as it works will be interesting to many. Upon entering through
the main entrance, the visitor will notice, in stepping down to the
floor of the rink, a number of benches. On these the applicants sit,
each awaiting his or her turn, as the case may be. Before them are the
interviewers, six or seven in number, seated at convenient desks. The
applicant steps up and answers the questions propounded on a sheet of
paper. This document is signed, and one of Mr. G. B. Hegan's (the chief
of the clerks' staff) clerks numbers it. It then goes before Mr. Peter
Campbell, the superintendent of visitors. He allots it to the visitor of
the district to which the applicant belongs, for his name and address
are on this paper. The next day this house is visited, and the wants of
the residents being made known are entered on the paper, if in the
opinion of the visitor, after thorough examination, they come under the
proper head for relief. The applicant is told to call at the rink, where
he receives orders for furniture, clothing or provisions, or all three
if he needs them. After that has been gone through, it is only the
question of a few minutes when he gets what he wants. He presents each
ticket to the department of the various supplies, and after receiving
his quota he passes out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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