Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-06-29
New York Misefies.

&c. L. B." whom we presume to be &. l..
Brace is writing series of letters to.the New
York Times, giving an account of his travels
through the miserable districts of New York
on benevolent agency. In visit to Rot.
ten Row, he gives an account of boys that he
finds there, from which we make the following
extract:
You are provoked at first at the petty crimes
and the vicious habits of these lads. But soon
when you see their houses and the influences
around them, you loose all surprise-you only
wonder they are not worse, Drunken mothers
dirty, foul-smclling rooms, narrow allies
where scores are crowded in places fit only fol
single persons. drinking fighting, idleness, all
around them-the only kind influence or good
word reaching them through the week perhaps
in the short hour at the Street Boys Meeting
who wonders that they become thieves an ! va
grants? Society carelessly passes by, while
they are growing up like brutes-and then
when in an uDguarded momen. they have givel
play to passions, long left wild in the heart
people turn in horror, and with infexibl
means of the State to punish the ruffiau.
As an instance of the education of our poor
er brethren, take this: While looking through
the Row" a ragged boy whom We are abou
to take into the workshop meets me dragging
after him little fellow about nine years old
"Please, Sir, he wants place, Sir-anything
Sir" why, where does he live!" He don
live nowhere he sleeps in loft behind Dutcl
Charley's!'
But where's his mother?'
She's in the courtry now Sir Well, tn
fatherv He lives at NJ why dosn't h
live with himT No answer. Wont his ia
ther let hint! No Sir Why? No answe
again. What's the reason-tell us?
He thinks so,' the boy whispered, and tn
little boy sobbed, and the other said, pointing
to him. He lies on the floor, will, his head OIL
the harness, and then does errands for Char
ley, and Charley sometimes gives him bit t.
eat, and sometimes he gives him brandy 70
pay, and it's SO hard on him.
This Charley keeps grog cellar, and th
boys say. pays up his scores with them in pen
ny worth's Of brandy. Indeed We know O
boys in our meeting. not twelve years old
who are often drunk in his shop.
well. my boy, can.you read?'
A whispered No-and of course he canno
write, and of course he knows nothing of com
mon morals, any further than his employer ant
comrades had taught him; nor of God his Fa
ther, any more than his own father represent
him. Yet, he is growing up to be an American
citizen!
Still, through all his dirty cheeks and in hi
rags, covered with vernon, there is something
looking out very hopeful His eye is clear ant
there is boyss heaIthful intelligent look to
that pleasantest Of all expressions to thos
who knows 1.-THE promise Of manhood. ant
Of something higher than manhood.
We tell him what we will do for him, and h
is probably to be sent out in the country, to
kind. busy people, who will bring him up.
But to our visits. In the top of one of tn
houses, we find low narrow attic room, jus
large enough for one to be comfortable. Ther
are two widows in it; one has three childre
and the other two. They pay twelve shilling
a month each for rent. One woman has a so
in our meeting She lost her husband in
street fight. We want to get the boy into tn
country. No, niver; shure and isn't he all
have in the wurldv She would be very gla
though to get him work. We promise to try
but the boy looks weak, and, as We happen I
know. is being ruined very fast in that neigi
borhood. She says she knows how bad it
there-'but cannot part with him, God bles
him!'
The people in this house live crowded an
pent in together as no human beings ought
live. The air is close and poisonous; every
thing cirty and cheerless, and the pale thi
faces Of the children tell plainly enough Of II
effect. In the house opposite. we come in upo
tailor have noticed before that the boy
avoid his door. He sits on his boards near Il
dull window; his wife on the other side with
babe. and a thin consumptive looking boy
work near him.
His looks under his tangled hair are very il
tense and he hardly stops his cutting morne'
to attend to us. He must work-and it is
desperate case with him Five children and
wife tugging at his skirt-and 62a cents da
for wages! He works often, as he has told IL
till IL o'clock at night He is thinker ev