Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-02-20

since the publication of the existence of our As--
sociation one week ago. Then we announced =
fact that astonished the city; that we had upon
our books the names Of over one hundred wid-
ows, nearly all with small children, and some Of
them sadly in want Of immediate bclp. Now We
| announce that one single member Of the Associa-
tion, during week, investigated oyer fifty ca
ses, many of which, if the details were given,
would harrow up the souls Of the most callous.
We give the following as the facts of q single
case: rN 5r..g .ols1 sF1 10 3..o =.
A family, composed of mother, born and
reared amid all the comforts of life, in one of
the best New England families-marriedtO a man
with name that thrills through every Ameri-
can heart-who. in the practice of his proft ssion,
gave his family all the comforts and many of the
luxuries of life, but died early, leaving his wife
and six children unprovided for-the youngest,
girl now ] |; the next two boys, 10 and u three
girls, IA, Ii and l0-who ali lived well, and were
in prosperous business until few months ago,
when the wholesale employer and furnisher sud-
denly broke up and went of to California, leay-
ing them with great rent and nothing to do. - /
In vain they tried to get work, and, as the ne
cessity grew stronger, they were, perhaps, more
impoi tunate, and were answered NO at every shop,
and rudely repulsed by those who tend rich mems
doors, when they sought work at private houses.
Despair now seized upon them. Their money
was oil gone, and yet they must live-still hoping
that their troubles would be only for little time
To that greatest of all curses to the Loor, they
went for relcf-to the sign of the three golden
balls. s -~t- - I.-...,o 1ans i r0{5nisr,rIs eia,
First, they p?,wned the treasured gifts of rings
and Jewelry; then the silver spoons ; then, as the
cold weather came on, the summer dresses, shawls,
capes, collars, laccs, bonnets and still inexora-
BILE hunger and cold visited their door. Then
went winter dresses every thing fit for the street,;
every little article that could be spared. The
landlord had forced the mother to mortgage her
furniture for rent, and they had to carry out the
knives and forks. and plates, and cooking uten-.
slls by stealth. Everything was now wreck
They could get only now and then loaf of bread,
and tear it apart and divide it between them. -
From the condition of we'll dressed, honest, in
dustrious American women eight months ago,
they were reduced to condition that beggars de-
scription, yet they would not beg. They were
Americans. Hope now had forsaken them, and
for two days they sat covering without fire in a
cold room, STARVING. a-s ai glgl.a
Yes, Americans it is true. On the 18th day
of January, 1855, in the rich Eighth Ward of
the City Of New York, an American family, able
and willing to work, were starving-would have
starved, but for this one circu,nstance-they read
our advertisement.
"s l lay said the lady-she is lady-son
Thur d.y night upon the poor old lounge, for our
beds and bedding have been long gone-here in
this cold room, without food or fire. would
have gone out and begged for my children, but
my daughter said 'No, we are tired of life, why
as beggars-we had rather die.' And they all
huddled together in their miserable nest to keep
each other warm. l could not sleep. / could
pray, and did most sincerely sOh, God, give us
our daily bread forgive us if we have been led
into the temptation of preferring death to life !,
this City to learn and pity ourdestituton, or save
my children from this sore famine then felt
easy almost felt sure my prayer was heard.
In the morning, as usual, We borrowed paper
to look for advertisements for work. The first,
thing that struck my eye was an advertisement
but my heart almost sank back again in despair
when saw that one hundred already preceded
me. But had hope, and fixed up this little girl
well as could, and sent her trembling, to your
house. 1t is the first time that one of my chill
dren went QUITO beg" ~ .r-',. -.
"She was so long away that had almost lost
hope again; yet still trusted that my prayer
would be answered. Heaven knows it was. iaJz
"No mother s heart leaped with joy as mine
did when i heard her foot upon the stairs.
and looked down and saw her bundle-saw her
heavenly smile-heard her joyous cry Of @Oh,
mother-oh, sister-oh, brothrr--see here--see
here:' They saw ive-dollar gold CON. They
laughcd-they wcpt-they danced-they were
crazy-and, must say it, never shed such holy
tears, or uttered such Thanksgiving before.' ~
81 Oh, gentlemen am thankful. How shall /
thank you enoughY Who shall thank % =,
Thank Heaven"
81 have-I dol ever will was proudL
am humbled.'' 1a hni sga ,ss9n iai1o-119T I'm
1t is impossible to depict tho scene witnessed
by two of the Association who went to visit this
family. The little girl had told her artless tale,
but without giving them any idea Of the extent
of destitution. The mother excused herself from
rising before her visitors-what lady would not,
II only wrapped in ragged morning gown, and
without shoes and stockings. ~4ie nan ,;geu
l. The young ladies, who had been 9 mired in
silks and laces in the parlor, hid themselves and
their wretched apparel in q dark closet. They
could not be seen until furnished with decent
clothes by kind lady. ag 81, ai -iraie2 sdT
The misery witnessed-the livid lips and pale
checks of the suferers-the pitiful tale of the
sealthy approach of s'the WOLFF to their door, un
til he gained possession, and could not be driven
out,-the undeniable record of one hundred and
thirty pawn tickets; some of the latest Of which
marked the last things that misery parts with for
food--all together were too much to bear. 1t
melted the hearts of strong men, Injured to scenes
of misery; but who never before had seen the
parallel of this, though they had seen some very
sad scenes-almost as bad-the same: day. Such
misery must be relieved. To do it We must hayc
money. t'is S."i - 2'FR'4o CHI -fsH9 %6' 10
,a We have on our books $50 names Of worthy
American widows, with families Of children, who
are are n n dreadfuf % destitution Df'oN Inc aDose'
They cry to us-s'For mercy'r sake, do not let
us perish !; and above all, do not let those who
know US, know our destitution. We never asked
for help before-would not nov If we had work
it is the name of American Widows Relief
Associations that has drawn us to yeu. We ore
not beggars, but we are s<in want.''1 u o3ai 1oTTa
They want money to pay rcnt-they want pro-
visions, coal, clothing, beddng-for much Of their
own is at the pawnbrokers. The poor want
friends. sasi cas- isJI .3g4 8i's T. sr-nntog na,
80 .Americansl We want you to hear our appeal.
We want you to know that honest, inlustr1ous
women and children ARE perishing in this City;
and then zoe leno0 that you will save them from
starvation, and from disease and death, engender-
cd BY such pinchipg want 10 We have Witnessed.
= We can give the names Of Fifty cases almost as
terrible a. the one related. sassl .,yad ~ ~
Americans! Shall American women and chi,-
drcn starve? What is your response? - 4as q;
j. K. TREADWEIL., PScs't.
GEO. W. BROWN, 4
THOMAS McELRATH,, Trustees Of
toe JAMES B. COLGATE, American Wild
sd;o WIN. H. BURROUGHS, ows' Relief As
, CHARLES L. FROST, sociatiop.
SOLON ROBINSON. Sec'y.
eT The editor Of the Mirror, Ms. Parmentcr,
OF Providence, has received intelligsnce ofalega-
cy Of over $4,000 left him BY brosher-in=lAy,
lately deceased in Cslifornis. He had been
IL Avss tkn,k