The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-09-30
From the New York Daily Tribune.
HOT CORN FOR LIFE In THE
CITY.

Hour afer hour, last evening, as we sa
over the desk, this cry came up in a soft
plantiye voice under our window, whicl
told us Of one of the Ways of the poor tt
exc oul the means of subsistence in ihls
.overburdened, i.l-ftd and worse lodgeC
home If misery--.of so many withou
hleaEs, who are constantly crowding into
the dslesl pulIieus Of this notorious dirty
city, where they are exposed 10 the dali,
chance Of death from some sudden out
breaking epidemic like thai now desoa
ting tho sam@Ak:nd of streets in New Or
leans aud swallowing up lis thousands o
victims from the same class of poverty
stricken, uncomfur'ably> >provide for hui
man beings, who know not how, or hnve
not the power 10 flee to The healthy hills
and green fields of the country. Hero
they liVe-barcly live--in holes almost
as hot as tho hot corn, the cry Of which
rung in our ears from dark until midnip pht.
"IIot corn, no, com! Here's your
nice hot corn" rose up in lnn, child>
like voice, which seemed TO Lave been
aroused by the sound Of our step As We
we're abou, entering the P,rk, while the
City Hall clock, told the hour when
ghosts go forth upon their midnight
ramblcs. We started, as though spirit
had given us rap, for The sound seemed
10 Gene out Of one Of the iron posts which
stand as senlinels over the main en-
,rA,cc, forbdding all vehicles to enter,
unless tho driver takes the trouble to pull
up and tumble out Of the way one of the
aforesaid posts, which is not often done,
because one Of them often, ifnot always,
is ou, Of i's place, giving free Ineress to
tie cour, yard, or livery stable grounds
of the City Hall, which, in consideration
of the growth of few miserable dusty
brown trees and doubtful colored grass
patches, we call ",he Park"
Looking over the post we discovered
the owner Of the ho, corn cry, in the per
son of an emacialed little girl about
twelve years old, whose dirty frock vas
nearly the color Of the rusty iron' and
whose face, hands aud feet, naturally
white and delicate, wcie gri,nmed with
dirt until nearly of tho same color.-
There were two white streaks running
d, wn from the soft blue eyes, that told
of the no, acalting tears that were couts-
ing their way over lha, naturally beautiful
face.
"Some corn, Sir," lispcd the little
anfferer, as she saw We had stopped to
look a, her, hardly dnrlngto speak to one
who did no, address her in rough tones
of command, such as "give me some
corn, you little VOLTS whe!p," or name
sill more opprobrious both 10 hc'self and
mother Seeing we had no lock of con
tempt for her, abe SAID, pi.eously "pleaso
buy some corn sir"
"No, my dear, wo do not wish any it
is no, very healthy in such warm wenlheT
as this, and especially SO i; te atnipht."
On dear, then, wha, shall do"
"Why, 60 home. It's past midnight,
and such little gi,ls as you ought not TO
be in the streets of this bad city at this
time OF the night
81 can, go homc--and | am SO tired
and sleepy, Oh dear"
"Capno, go homo. Why no!"
ooh, Sir, my mother will whip me # !
20 hcme without selling all my corn:
oh, Dir, do buy one ear, md then shall
have only Two left, and nm sure she
might let little Sis and me eat them, f"r
have no, had anything TO eat since
morning, only one apple the man gave
me, and one par, Of one he threw away.
could have stole turnip at the grocery
when I went to get--io get something in
the pitcher for mother, but dare not
did use to steal, but Mr.. Pease says
that i. is naughty to steal, and | don'l
wan, to be naughty, indeed don't: and
don't wan, 10 bo bad girl, like Llzzy
Smith, ard rhe is only Two years older
than me, il she does dress fine; cause
Mr.. Pease says she will be just like old
drunken Kate, one Of these days. Oh,
dear, now there goes man md did not
cry hot corn, wlla. shall | do"
.sDo! There, that is what you shall do
as we dashed the corn in the gutter.
"Go home; tell your mother you have
sold i, all, and here is the money"
"Won't that be lie, Sil! Mr. Pease
sars we must not tell lies"
"No, my dear, that WON'T be lie, be-
cauae have bought 1t and thrown il
away, instead Of eating it,"
"But, Sir, moy eat il then if you
don. want III"
"No, i. is no. good for yon; good
bread is better, and here is sixpence to
buy loaf; and here is another TO buy
some nice cakes for you and Sis. Now
tha, is your money; dom, give it 10 your
mother, and don. stay out SO late again.
Go home earlier, and tell your mother
you cannot keep awake, and it she is
good mother she won't whip you"
"Oh, Sir, she is good mother some>
times. But um sure the grocery man
at the corner is no'a good man, or he
would no, sell my mother rum, when he
knows--for Mr.. Pease told him so--thal
we poor children were starving. Oh, l