Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-04-17

The following pltlable description OF the
state of certain poor people in Philadelphia,
is copied from the Ledger of March Sd:
"THe De~stitufiOn in 1Loyamen,ing, Phiia-
dclphid.--An opportunity was afforded us
yesterday Of visiting some Of the wretched
novels in Moyamensing, and seeing their des-
titute inmates enduring all the miseries con-
sequent upon the lack of food, fuel, and the
other necossaries, not to say comforts Of life.
The soup house was in full operation yester-
day morning, and at least 1900 persons re-
ceived, from the bounty of those who con-
tributed to its support, a supply of bread and
soup, in greater or less quantities, according
to the number Of the family. After gazing
upon the shivering groups of women and
children flocking to and from the soup house,
we next visited an establishment back of
South street, above Seventh, fitted up as a
house Of industry, principally through the
eXertions of Wm. J. Mullin. In this place,
about forty or fifty colorcd persons are daily
engaged at manufacturing door mats and 9TH
er articles, by which they make enough to
procure lodging during the night, and in the
day they are provided with food from the
soup house. The men and women here en-
ployed, i'll less rigorous weather than the pre-
sent, are generally engaged in gathering rags
and bones, and in this way gain a scanty
subsistence but the ground being now CO.
vered with snow, they cannot earn anything
in that way.
The next sight presented TO our view, was
four persons. two white men and two women,
huddled around a small portable furnace, con-
tanning stone coal but half kindled, in the
midst of "A wretched cellar, in Seventh street,
below Shipper. The door was shut down to
keep out the cold, leaving, of course, the in
mates below in the dark, and the sitting
fumes from the coal had no means of escape
but through the numerous c~reviccs in the
Stacking covering over the hole leading to
this subterranean howell. The bare floor was
the only sleepir g accommodations it boosted |;
a couple of stools and IA narrow bench, the
only modes Of sitting down, and when these
articles are mentioned, it completes the cata-
logue of furniture for four human beings
They were all scantily provided with cloth
ing-had no shoes or stockings on-and ha-
wing nothing to protect them from the wintry
blast. A female acquaintance, but little bet
Ter provided herself, had been to the soup
house TO procure a share in the articles OF
food distributed there, and entered with the
supply as we did.
Mr.. Mullin rehearsed to us many distress
ing cases of destitution, encountered by him
III his visits to this vicinity. A fow days
since, in one Of its novels, he found a colored
child actually ina dying state from the want
of sustenance and budding close TO its al
most inanimaie body, for the purpose of OBJ
tanning some warmth, was another boy, who
being older was not SO far gone. Medical
assistance was called and sustenance pro-
cured, bu: before some broth could be made
for it. the child expired. The pressing wants
of the remainder Of the family have since
been allevIated. AT another time, on going
into a wretched cellar, a colored family was
found consisting Of a man, woman, and seven
children, all in a state of the greatest desti-
tuition. The only heat was obtained from a
furnace Of charcoal, and how they existed,
amid the deleterious fumes emitted from it, is
extraordinary. The children were almost
destitute Of clothing, and one child in a state
Of nudity, had been placed beneath a heap Of
Qshes TO keep him wum! The family was
removed to a more comfortable apartment,
and the most pressing of their wants provi-
ded for"