The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-05

| to feed and God knows that's hard Job Two Of my
daughters engaged at kind Of needework but 1t
pays poorly and the other employed at home but
she goes out whenever she get days washing to do
Ny grandchildren are too young to do anything yet"
Your daughters would be able support you out
| or their earnings" suggested
"No, sir; they are trying to get along well they
and they have to work hard to support themselves
and the rest of the family Anything that make though
| it is SO little, helps us along"
What do you pay month for your rent p,
| "Five dollars lor two rooms, which we have to
pay in advance always, for fear of being turned
out, for our landlord is very strict. When there
| Isn't flush of work for my daughters we find
it very hard to raise enough to pay the rent
When arrived in this country, about three years ago.
one my daughters engaged as nurse in family,
and got twelve dollars month"; while the other
| TO service and earned five six dollars month. We
found it easier to manage them for things not
DEAR and then there not SO many oil us at home to
support Now they all at home, and of there
| mouths to fill,
sWhat induced you to take to rag picking for ving
II saw some at it, and thought that they
must be making than If they picking up sticks
Besides heard that paid better from one OF the rag
pickers and concluded it better to go at it The
of what pick up is paper but take all that can
get except bones If come across old iron, ropes, or
anything Of that sort, always put it in my bag"
s'What time in the morning do you begin your workT
| 81 generally awake about three four O'Clock,
! but that is too early to 90 to wo.k a.
lie awake in bed till five six when daylight begin
10 break and then start If did not lie awake till that
time but fell asleep would be afraid you see OF sleep
| ing too late and losing the whole morning"
Besides the rags and papers that pick up in the
Streets he continued 81 get good deal of paper from
among the sweepngs Of stores which generally kept
for me by persons who sweep out and who know
Sometimes when happen to be too Late don't get the
paper because they can't keep them for me till come
around again, though some of them do And then you
ace if was late would lose my chance at the pickings
in the streets besides for they taken at by
other ragpickers The only streets travel through is
the Bowery Chatham from Hester down 70 the Park,
where my journey ends"
About what time do you get through your mornings
work ~
'Nne ten O'Clock, when sell all the papers have
gathered get breakfast which generally piece
| OF bread and some milk. Whom havo done that 60
| down to the docks about Washington Market whore
pick up rags and paper and anything else may End ~
| ing about the streets"
$40 you ever happen to find any money when you
engaged at this workr'
Sometime, but it is very seldom. Now, yesterday
found three cent piece and one day was lucky enough
10 find two sixpences But it is not often that happens
Another day found lot Of knives wrapped up in pa.
per parcel which picked among the sweepngs Of store
! knew from the weight that it could not be paper
only and right for when opened it found a lot
Of knives then took them into the store and gave them
to the boy himself and not the owner because knew
gave them to him that the boy would be blamed for his
careessness and should not like that he always
| very good to me, and kept the paper for me when
couldn't get around and indeed the Of the store
very good to me himself and often gave me some
thing to help along"
'Wlat time do you go home in the EVENING""
81 stop picking up about four Ave O'Clock in tho af
ternoon and when have sold all that's in my bag 20
home. Between what pick up in the morning and in
the afternoon sometimes make three four shngs
day; but there are some days, you soc, when can't
make than half of that"
:" How do you manage to get along in the wnterg7
Indeed, very poorly; for you SEQ am so old, and
can't the cold weather well other rag pickers
and then is dark early in the morning that cant
well; besides if fell upon the ice might brea.
.tme Of my limbs
BESIDES what you pick up in the streets don't you
something else to assist you charitable peope
mot very often. The other day poor woman who
was begging cold victuas in the streets stopped and
gave some and there is woman down at the market
keeps apple stand and she called me over to her
wo or three times and asked me if wasn't hungry and
when told her that was she some cakes There
3 another apple the same place, who
very good to too; and as passing dewn Chatham
street morning, some time ago. woman came to
me out Of house and gave some bread and meat"
Here the poor old creature proceeded to enumcrats
various acts Of charity which he had received from differ
ent persons the majority of whom, it is particularly
deserving of mention, were poor struggling like himself
for subsistence Verifying the words of the poet THAT
"The poor man alone
When he hears the poor groan,
lie had also been subject to 4 great deal Of
noyance from the rowdies about the market, and on
occasion he thrown into the gutter, where he
lay unable to help himself till he picked up, by
young boy who cleaned the dirt OF his clothes and gave
him ten cents. OF this Kind act he seemed to have
proper appreciation.
Gle was fine boy" said he "and think he could
badly afford TO give much money, for am sure, by
his appearance he had to work hard for it,"
How are you paid for the paper and rags which you
find in the streets 7"
DWELL, that depends upon the kind Of rags and paper.
They give two cents pound for coored ones and five
cents for all get that is clean and white Sometimes
wa-h the and hang them in the basement of the
house whore live to dry and then take them to the rag
store. ! only get cent and quarter pouad for the
paper find in the streets, because it is generally dirty
and il made up Of every kind The woolen rags Of
me- for you they cannot make paper Of them
but of the other agpckers get woolen rags; but
could find out whore they sold them"
''What do you get FIR the old rons
In some places get tarfn others. Some shops
give o cent pound but others don't give
than half cent would rather have the paper although
take everything can get y
DO you expect to make fortune by ragpckingSr
"a fortune !" said the old smiling; If can
only make any kind Of living 1t il all want We
try and keep the life in bodies and that just about
al we can do Tho winter will soon be US and will
nd it pretty hard TO make out =
Here conversation with the oil ragpicker ended
1t opened phase OF human life to view and
have doubt will startle the humane feelings many
Of readers We glad TO say, however, that his is
isolated and that perhaps not than
Of every nine ten is reduced to such desuton Com
with moor MANY otbors