Page:Life of Isaiah V Williamson.djvu/98

80 as possible regarding his gifts. Information had to be gathered from one source and another after his death. To many of these causes the contributions were fixed annual subscriptions, which were later found to have been permanently provided for in his will of 1874, according to certain definite percentages, thus revealing his accurate knowledge of the details and relative needs of certain benevolent organizations at that time. As an illustration of this, the Mercantile Beneficial Association received annually not less than $600 by the provisions of the will.

It is possible that Williamson came across the saying a member of Parliament once shrewdly uttered, out of personal observation as one of the laboring class, that "charity creates much of the misery it relieves, but does not relieve all the misery it creates." It is evident he held a similar opinion; and tried to avoid unwise, careless, thoughtless methods that have often done more harm than good. He seems to have preferred, usually, to contribute to the organized city charities rather than to the special local work of the churches. One of his chief reasons, according to Mr.