The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-11-19
A MEAN HOAX.

THE FREE BREAD AND MEAT FOR TnE PooR or NEW
YORK Nor foRrHCoMfNG-THE PROMISED BiSrRf-
BvrIoS IN UNION SQUARE A Hoax-rHE rooR oF
NEw YORK WAITING IN THE C0LD-TIE opERA
GOERe DITrO-R,Gs AND FrRs--BIG BASKETS
ExrEDrESTs TO KEEP WARM M-DIsarrorSTaESr or
THE cRowp-soME or THEN WAIT ALL THE Az
TERSooS-~wuO rs THE MfScHEaNTI
II would seem ii the announcement OF Free Bread
for the Poor would bring together OF the largest
mass meetings ever seen in cty-for the poor New
York "tber pamo l. legion" when the politicians want
a meeting Union square, they stands, get a band
OF music, and collect a crowd nj short notice. Why
should the OF bread ,hc poor
Of New York bring together overflow os human
wretchedness9 They have music but the snawnss
hunger, no light but the smiles Of dying htc
ai homc but why should the promise free bread
bring them all together tan-ousys Thus argued the
HERALD reporter TO policeman No. ,.lt la Uuon square
yesterday morning, while waiting for the promised dsri
button and viewing the crowd collected answer the
announcement But No. o97 was practical man, and
replied, "They dom know IT. they have not been pro
.'ilut can't they read the papcrsY''
''No they can't Afford TO buy them. There ought to
have been posters pasted up about the streets"
Perhaps No ~ was right, for whether the poor Of
tho story, or had been provided with good dinners by
other benevolent hands they not ihcfe class.
There none Of that squad misery and wrctchcdncss
which walk IN the by streets ot the city viii reveal
OF thorc sunkcn checks and pad aces which de.
mote disease aud approaching death, which daily b.
seen in some localities. There were but n few hundred
persons collected about tho statue oungng park
fence the corners the steps bg
houses Most u them looked healthy aud hearty. and
indeed happy. AboIt ono quarter biacks-~xhom
the Kansas fund has not bcncGttcl. There were
many warm shawls and cioaks 30 be seen,
sisted Of middle aged daughters Of Erin, and they
seemed to enjoy their gossip with much gusto very
remarkable thing was the capacousncss OF the baskets
most cf them being capable of holding half bdsllolas
II the poor Of New York going 10 lay stock for
winter Thcrc was much hiariiy, especially among the
younger portion Of the crowd who put their over
their heads and skipped about with a rosy checked
freedom which II allowed IN the Ffih avenue would mate
rally decrease the doctors profits 10 that region Here
Knot wns gathered listening one ~ their number read
the announcement Of the approaching cast from
parer and getting over the hard words very wcl Ten
O'Clock to eleven tho time announced fOr the distr
button, and half past ten had passed without sign Of
bread or meat Here comes cartload o. kladlngwood;
4 looks much like cut loavcs of bread, and there IL
genera stir among the baskets and murmur cf disap
poinment people began 10 gather for curiosity 70 sec
Young snohs aungcd by smoking ard thinking tho whole
affair very good joke But the piercing cold began 10
get through the shaws and the greatest i'm.
patience was manifcsted-ccriainy not without cause.
Anxious questions were asked whether the bread was
really coming; and many declared ''the bread was not
worth Standing long for IN the cold" Presently an
alarm Of nrc brought the engines the SPOT and
amused the boys; then Die Of policemen took possession
y the patk about II A. NJ, and hoped that now
the bread would But the policemen got cold aud
tired and hungry and to the station house. with
the exception Of No RAJ who kept his post and declared
wv Dad W http the poor people long IN
the cold The time ut which the Opera cotnmence
was now fast approaching and furs, silks and
rusied against he baskets But the Opera people hal to
wait the steps, and they cold too Tor fashion
wears thinner shoes than poverty even and Jack Frost
deals out his favcrs most inipartally sll the
poor people waited, stamped their feet eyed butch.
ers' carts suspiciousy, but got no bread or meat.
AZ twelve o'clcck-onc hour after the time set for the
close Of The distrbuton-thc crowd seemed greatest
There were number Of new comers who seemed of the
poorer class and the geaor expectation was now al s
highest pitch But another hour the biting cold passed.
and there we're signs Of food and one appeared to
explain sc unwarrantabc delay The Opera doors opcned
and tho frozen crowd rushed in but still there were
signs Of food. One hcarcss man amused himself by
throwing pennies among the crowd for the purpose Of wit
Messing the scramhling.
From one o'clock the crowd began 10 thin out Though
each seemed 10 60 reluctantly by they dropped
on until ~ THREE O'Clock but dozen were lcn stl fondy
rlnging ~ the hope tina, The fcod was coming
nurinG the afternoon several gentlemen whose names
bad been pubshcd donors appeared the ground
denied that their had been used with their consent
The hoax weud scen therefore, 10 be the work of
niissrcan, with hendsh taste 20 grasy regardless of
the sunernga of hundreds Of starving poor lIaugng
would fceQ toe good for sicb DaD.