, 1860-11-30
A HOME QUESTION.
Letters from Rer:* Mr. -collyer aud Rev. 51r.
TuttIe,
MIR. COLLYER'B LETTER.

Letters from Rer:* Mr. GOLFER aud Res. Mr.
TuttIe.
MIR. CoLLYERs LETTER.
Editors Of Chicago Tribune:
GENTIEMES:-Wily you allow me room for
few tacts to follow your suggestive article,
IA hotne question" in the PAPER Of the eth !
My office lius brought io1hc to Inc, rs to others
in our different city missions, IL surer knowl-
edge Of these things tbatl eau be derived In
| any other way.
i. There bus been this fall greater demand
for hands, both In the city aud the country,
than itnvc ever KNOWN before since took
charge OF this Ministry; andNh have been
fewer applications in the same time for work
to do. When printed note In your paper
the other day. that had d man and lis wifi
to work together on farm, the number OF
applications for them was astonishing. be-
1icvc no man who can leave the city and 60 Oh
farm, Or into saw mill, need suffer Or let
bis family suffer. Ny experience Of suffering
has been more In those tn1niles where the man
lias donc something better than he can get to
do now; aud in whom even love for his chill
dren, has not tnuglt lin to give up and come
down until he eau do better, or who has lost
the power to do so. Our c4ty Is singular III
its vast population and its few factories uf
any Kind. Great numbers Of men cu, get
plenty to do, while the season lasts, but WHEN
that is over, all is over! Only yesterday,
said: "str, eau you lind me any work to do
" have to pluy some time every year. Last
year VIC had great misfortune; it las takcl,
" me all the summer to yet clear and save u
very little I tAlEo. work Inti lspring,
"aud must find something 1o do, or we viii
"starve." If such man as that Lad TO rot,gl,
1t In the country, he would die.
:. There has been. and is now, Il great de-
1nand for any girl big enough to wasli u dish or
mind baby, and for any boy over ten years Of
age. Some demand in the city, more In the
country. 1t is pitifnl ut the best to see those
children clothed in three coats Of rays and four
Of dirt, scudding witt, atlclr baskets from Que
door to another every day. Worse, when VIC
know 50 well what bright homes and school
houses ART waiting for them, Where they may
ST clothed and in their right mind. Worst of
AZ when We know that the thing which stands
like all iron door to stop their entrance and
Keep them in that growing degradation, is the
good but careless pity Of tie kind hearted
would say to the plying: Take tlc trouble
TO dnd out tue condition Of those you help
Not long ago, clean, hearty looking boy came
to me as stood reading the papers in our
reading room, and told a rad 1alc Of how
MS father had gone to Memphis, and died
there Of the fever; and Lis mother was left
with five children. lie consented IL SHOW me
hlS home. l found 10 it very stout, red faced
woman, s,en and some little children: tut found,
father had steady employment III lumber
yard in this city. Judge the boy WAS sent to
BIZ. to get rum for tho mother am eurr
any one Of my fellow workers in the CITY
MISSIONS, rs also myself. will be glad to LOOK
lhto any ono OF those ut once and report IL
tht'se interested as to their need of relief
!. But there is still field broad enough for
all lhat the generous can do: the sick, the
aged, the widow md thu unfortunate ar. tht.
poor We hare always with lis. Tic mute at,-
peal Of many Of these is far stronger than tile
most clamorous petitions ofthe bcggyar. THESE
VIII not 5e:s, and sometimes they will staryct
mol cared Tor. a woman came to mr. office Il
few days nSo and said, "sir, heard that yor
had wood to sell at cost price, and if you
.'have, can l get somc:" When | said, Vt W
have no wood either to Sell cheap or give, she
went away. called after her and getfin, her
address, went to ler rooms and rot her Iisto.
r.: Six years ago. she was lett i widow with
TWO children. one lame, She had some little
mcans-Witt hcrneed1c she made littlr more:
anu so she has kept the home together. What
she had at tirEt in almost done; the wood vii;
make fearful holy in it. She made 4 most
touching attempt to convince me that sue was
not in want; but, said she, II thought ]
would come to see about that wood; | want
ITO make things hold ont. III can keep thc
children at school q little longer, I Know
they will be able to lclpmc then hut can-
:. mot do as well rs did: When 1T close to
ndtsa my sewing, sr ... gst u Of tFemble" When
burden she lad borne, 10! these six years, :ud |
the mighty work she had done, / did not !
wonder that she should trcmb,c. Last week |
woman of foreign speech ca1ne to tell me how !
q nc!Ghbor WAS very sick and poor. found I
the place with some difficulty, and found |
woman OF middle age far gone in a fierce con
sumption; she had three chillrcn-oncd da1l.:h~
ter sadly crippled, and two boys. Tie |
room was Of most surpassin. clean
nesa. These people were only known as
suiierers to their church {Norwcgian), wAirI.
had generously given them such i collection
as IT could Eaisc. This woman; Had supported
her children ever since her husband died a.y
going out washing. suppose this brought
OIL consumption. When / found them Sic
was trying, in tho Intervals Of her cough, to do
sonc se"lnt; they lad taken in, and that wat
their dependence. 4 lady that told Of thcir
case, going to sec them, told 1ue she had thu
utmost difficulty In getting from them a1,y mar
t!cqlars Us to how SHE could help them. They
had the true shrinking Of 4 delicate mind 1ronl
my investigation into their poverty. 1 hayt.
4 general breaking up of the system. Ir1s ,.o,
twisted with rne1..:t,s,, fi.:c Ell tI 1Ie f.,
sent his wife to her folks, aud lives alone; has
[fled al methods Of cure that he can reach III.
:ascs full Of urgent need, That never clalnor
or help. The Chicago Ministry at Larcc il
not society for their relief. The manl:.ers
1eem 1t Of the last importance to turn all tier |
means into the channels Of usefulness hy
which it is now 50 well known-the yariou.
schools, the free intelligence office, the IN.
leavor to save the child by finding homo tor
t, and our other fields Of labor, absorb all VT
an raise. lam quite willing, however, 10 do
NJ best as steward, whenever fuel, clothing.
provisions or money may tc given me tol
hose who so sorcly need them, to see thai
hey 20 to right places, us near as eau, dur.
NJ the present winter. GoBERr Co11YEE.
Chicago, Nov. -, 1850.