Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-09-02
Hot Corn.--.Or life in the CITY.
CHAPTER I.
TIE first sptervieW tctM little Katv.

voice under our window, which told us Of one
! of the ways of the poor to exc out the means
OF subsistence in this oyerburdened, i-fed
and worse lodged home Of misery-of so
many without means, who are constantly
crowding into the dirtiest purleus of this no.
torious dirty City, where they are exposed to
the daily chance Of death from some sudden
outbrcaking epidemic like that now desolatine
the same kind of streets in New Orleans and
swallowing up its thousands of victims from
tho same class of poverty STRICKEN uncom-
fortably -provided-for human beings who
know not how, or have not the power to flee
to the healthy hills and green fields of the
country. Here they liye-barely liye-in
holes almost as hot as the hotcorn, the cry of
which rung in our ears from dark until mid
night
riot corn hot corn here's yournice hot corn
rose in faint chid-like voice, which seemed
to have been aroused by the sound Of our step
as we were about entering the Park, while
the City Hall clock told the hour when ghosts
60 forth upon their midnight rambles. We
started, as though a spirit had given us rap,
for the sound seemed to come out of one of
THERON posts which stand as scntincls over the
main entrance, forbiding all vehicles to enter
unless the driver takes the trouble to pull up
and tumble out Of the way one of the afore-
said posts which is not often done, because
one of them often, if not always is out of its
place, giving free ingrcsS to the court yard,
or livery stable grounds at the City Hall,
which, i'll consideration of the growth of a
few miserable dusty brown trees and doubt
tul colored grass patches, we call ''the Park"
Looking over the post we discovered the
owner Of the hot corn cry, in the person Of
an emaciated little girl about twelve years old,
whose dirty frock was nearly the color of the
rusty iron, and whose face, hands and feet,
naturally white and delicate, We're grimmed
with dirt until nearly ofthe same color. There
were two white strcak5 running down from
tie soft bluc eyes, that told of the hot scad-
I ing tears that were coursing their way over
that naturally beautiful face
'Some corn, Sir" lsped the little sufferer,
as she saw we had stopt to look at her, hard
ly daring to speak to one who did not address
her in rough tones of command, such as give
me some corn, YOU little VOLTS whcIp," or
name still more opprobrious both to herself
and mother. Scoing we had no look Of con-
tempt for her, she said, piteously, please buy
: some corn, sir,
"Why, 90 home. Iii past midnight, and
such little girls as YOU ought not to be in the
streets of this bad City at this time of night"
Il can't 90 home--vand | am 50 tired and
sleepy. Oh dear"
"Gmnot 90 home. Why not?'
"Oh Sir, my mother will whip ne if l 90
home without selling my corn. Oh, Sir, do
buy one car, and then | shall have only two
left, and am sure she might let me and lit
lie Sis eat them for | have not had
ANYTHING to eat since morning, only one ap-
pie the man gave me, and one part of Of one
he threw away. | could have stole 4 turnip
at the grocery when | went to gct--to get
something in the pitcher for mother but
dare not ] did use to steal, but Dir. PeaSe
SAYS it is naughthy TO steal, and don't want
to be naughty, indeed | don't; and | don't
want to be bad girl, like Lizzy Smith, and
she is only two Years older than me, if she
does dress fine; cause Mr.. Pease saysshe will
he Just like old drunken Kate, one of these
DAYS. Oh, dear now there goes q man and
did not cry hot corn, what shall | dor
"Do, There that is what YOU shall do.
as we dashed the corn in the gutter. Go
home; tell your mother you have sold 1t al,
and there is the money"
"Wont that be lie. Sir? Mr.. Pease say
we must not tell lies"
mo, my dear, that wont be a lie, because
have bought it and thrown it away, instead
of eating it,
But, Sir may eat it then if You don't
want it,"
mo, it is not good for you: good bread is
better, and here is Il siypencc to buy loaf,
and hc,e is another to buy some nice cakes
for Won and Sis. Now that is your money;
don't give it to your mother, and don't stay
so late again. Go home earlier, and tell your
mother YOU cannot keep awake, and if she is
good mother she won't whip YOU
"Oh, Sir, she is good mother sometimes.
But am sure that grocery man at the corner
is not good man, OF he would not sell my
mother rum. hen he knoWs--tor Mr.. Pease
told him so-that we poor children were star
vino Oh, wish afthe men were good men
like him. and then my mother would not drink
that nasty liquor and beat and strave US,
cause there would be nobody to sell her any
and then we should have plenty to eat.
Away she ran down the street toward that
! rocking center Of filth, poverty and misery,
i the noted Five Points Of New York.
As we rlodded up Broadway, looking Ia
here and there upon the paatial splendors OF
: metropolitan. "saloons"- think that is the
word for fashionable upper class grog-shops
We almost involuntarily cried "hot corn
as we saw the hot spirit OF that grain, under
: the various gui~e~ Of pure gin'-"old rum
-.pale hrluly"-s,pure port''-"It eidSick