Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-09-08
miscellaneous.
From the New York Tribune.
"H0t COrH."--ln incident of Real Life.


the pot Z" Hour after hour last evening
as We sat over the desk, this cry came up
in soft plaintive voice under our win
dow, which told US of one of the WAYS of
the poor to exc out means of subsistence
IN this over -burdened, i'll fed and worse
lodged home of misery-of so many with
out means, who are constantly crowding
into the dirtiest purlieus of this notori-
ously dirty City, where they are exposed
to the daily chance of death from some
sudden outbreaking epidemic like that
now desolatlng the same kind of streets.
In New Orleans, and swallowing up its
thousands of victims from tie same class
Of poverty stricken, uncomforta bly-provid
ed for human beings, who know not how
or have not the power, to fee to the
healthy hills and green fields of the coun-
try Here they ive-barely live-in
holes almost as hot as the hot corn, the cry
of which rung in our ears from dark till
midnight
Hot corn hot corn here's your nice
hot corn" rose up 10. a faint, child-lke
voice, which seemed to have been aroused
by the sound Of our step as we were
about entering the Park, while the City
clock told the hour when ghosts 90 forth
upon their midnight rambIes. We start
ed, as though a spirit had given us a rap,
for the sound seemed to come out of one
of the iron posts which stand as sentinels
over the main entrance, forbidding all We
hlcles to enter, unless the 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
If not always is out of its place, giving
free lngress to the court yard, or livery
stable grounds of the City Hall, which,
in consideration of the growth of few
miserable dusty brown trees and doubt
full colored patches, we call "the
Park"
Looking over the post we discovered
the owner Of the hot corn cry, in the per
son of an emaciated little girl about Il
years old, whose dirty frock was nearly
the color of the rusty iron, and whose
face, hands and feet, white and delicate,
were grimmed with dirt until nearly of
the same color. There were two white
streaks running down from the soft blue
eyes, that told of the hot scalding tears
/ that were coursing their way over that
naturally beautiful face
Some corn sir" lisped the little suf-
ferer, as she saw we had stopped to look
! at her, hardly daring to speak to one who
did not address her in rough tones Of
command, such as give me some corn.
you little VOLTS whelp," or a name still
more opprObrious both to herself and
mother. Seeing we had no look of con
tempt for her, she said, piteously, please
buy some corn, sir"
No, my dear, we do not wish any it
is past midnight, and such little girls as
you ought not to be in the streets of this
bad City at this time of night"
" cant 90 homeland | am so tired
and sleepy. Oh dear"
Cannot 90 home Why not ?"
Oh, Sir, my mother will whip me if I
90 home without selling all my corn. Oh
/ sir, do buy one ear. and then [ shall have
/ only two left, and [ am'sure she might let
/ little sis and me eat them, for | have not
had anything to eat since morning, only
one apple the man gave me, and one part
of one he threw away. | could have stole
a turnipt at the grocery when / went to
/ get-tO get something In the pitcher for
mother, but | dare not. | did use to
steal, but Mr.. Pease says it is naughty to
steal, and | don't want to be naughty, in
deed [ don't and | don't want to be a
bad girl, like Lizzy Smith, and she is on
/ ly two years older than me, if 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 a
man and | did not cry hot corn, what
shall | do ?"
"Do There, that is what you shall
do, as we dashed the corn in the gutter.
E"Go home; tell your mother you have
sold it all, and here IS the money"
Wont that be a lie, Sir Mr. Pease
SAYS we must not tell lies"
" No, my dear. that wont be a lie, be-
cause l have bought it and thrown it away,
instead of eating 1t"
But, Sir, may 1 eat it then if you
don't want 1t 2"
" No, it is not good for you good bread
is better, and here is a sixpence to buy
loaf, and here is another to buy some
nice cakes for you Now that Is your
money don't give it to your mother, and
don't stay out so late again. Go home
earlier aud tell your mother you cannot
keep awake, and if she is a good mother
she won't whip you"
"Oh, Sir, she is good mother some
! times. Bnt | am sure the grocery man
at the corner is not good man, or ne
would not sell my mother rum, when he
knows-for Mr.. Pease told him so-that
we poor children were starving Oh, l
wish all the men were good men like him,
and then my mother would not beat and
starve US because there would be no.
body 10 sell her any-and then we should
have plenty to eat
Away she ran down the street toward
that reeking center of filth, poverty and
misery, the noted Five Points of New
York
I As we plodded up Broadway, looking
in here and there upon the palatial splen-
dors Of metropolitan saloons we think
that is the word for fashionable upper class
grogshops-we almost involuntarily cried
"hot corn, as We saw the hot spirit OF
that grain, under the various guises OF
pure gin'-''old rum'-.pale brandy ~