[African Americana]. [Louisiana]. [Hoffman, J.J.]

Compliments of Helping Hand Mission. 1044 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, La...[cover title]

[New Orleans: August, 1901. 32mo. 16pp. Original peach wrappers printed in black. Short tear to front wrapper along the spine, small ink stamp on front wrapper, top corner creased throughout, else a very handsome copy. Very good. Item #3586

A seemingly unrecorded pocket-sized pamphlet, created without a proper title, designed to solicit donations and donation subscriptions for the Helping Hand Mission in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century. The text of the pamphlet was authored by Rev. J.J. Hoffman, a Lutheran pastor who ran the mission, which was located at 1044 St. Charles Avenue. Reverend Hoffman writes about the proselytizing performed by the mission to the poor and hungry of New Orleans, without regard to nationality or creed, although he acknowledges that most of the people they help are Roman Catholic. Hoffman does, however, take a moment to explain the difference in care and attention given to the city's African American population: "While it remains a fact that no public institution in New Orleans can be kept at the same time for white and black, and the Mission is an institution for white people, still in exceptional cases colored people get temporarily the benefits of the Mission, excepting seats at our table - and we find that there are but very few colored people who do not understand that a line must be drawn somewhere, and they are thankful for the exceptional aid extended to them." Hoffman also discusses the people the Mission has helped to find work, the widows and orphans they've helped, the quality and arduousness of the work performed for the Mission by his wife, as well as examples of his own successful attempts at "Faith-Cures." No copies reported in OCLC.

Price: $375.00