New-York daily tribune., 1861-07-08

are tboSshds oflaborlng men ana women who feed at
the resau,ants On soup, at cost Of only two cents
daily Experiments made On men in prison, show that
they grow fat on eight Of oatmeal porridge for
breakfast with a pint OF buttermlk for dinner, and
five Of oatmeal poidge, with three pounds OF
potatoes and a pint of bu,termilk for supper. The
miracles Of health aud tDesS wroUghtby that old New
England standby. pork and beans, may rise on stom-
achs estranged fom their childhoods luxury, but tina:
glorious dish is yet green in the memory Of Millions
Statues, of bronze, but living forms of bone and
muscle rise in countless places to mToralze l5 great
inventor. Nothing appears TO be 30 little known or
heeded even in times of personal desution like these,
than that the volume of food required to support life
and health is exceedingly small aud that it is less
than that which, in this abounding country, We ordi
narily waste.
l have been dozen times to see the landing end
feeding Of the countless regiments which have passed
through this city. 1t has been study to me, and
hence these observations both opening and closing
When the troops began 10 come II was seen that they
came and went hungry, dusty and jaded by anights
travel for the night allotted TO them, because then
no passenger trains were on the road. Our women
living on Washington street, up which the railroad
runs from the Delaware to the Baltimore Station
quickly discovered these discomfors Of the soldiers
Twelve Of them combined TO afford relief, and were
aferward joined by fifteen gentlemen. These ladies
have now been on hand for wesks, day and night,
ready to feed a regiment they hear of its
being on the way. Nobody is paid but two women
employed TO wash dishes and towels all else Is done
by the ladies' They boil 100 gallons of coffee at time,
and have served out 500 gallons in one day, with end
less quantities of bread ham, cheese, butter and var
GUS other good things. Everything is in apple-pie
order When the signal gun is heard, dsnotng the ap-
proach of troops, the previously arranged kmdlng
wood is fred the coffee ground, and is ready hot aud
savory as the men file up in squads Of 25 TO eat Those
who desire it, wash themse, es in fine lavatory be-
fore eating. Every man gets all be wants Then the
ladies have provided tables and writing materials, at
which hundreds write letters to their friends the ladies'
having aso provided q leer-box into which they are
dropped when the Committee send them TO the Post
Office If man gets sick, he is Of course taken care
of. Indeed the whole thing though got up in great
hurry by parties who never saw any such work done,
Is most systematically carried They have thus fed
nearly TO- 900 men in ,inge week. All the provision
thus dspeued, all the money dsbursed has been vol
UNFAIRLY contributed by citizens Taking the whole
affair together do not think any city has come any
wayup to it, 1t would be impossible to give an idea Of
the grateful feelings inspired among the troops by this
spontaneous attention to their wants. II is
pected to them that thousands will long remember
Philadelphia and the day they breakfasted there.
But il unfortunately too evident that there viii be
other Thousands to feed this Winternot soldiers but
our own citizens, made destitute by want of work.
There unmistakable symptoms Of coming suffering
visible in all large cities to be certainly realized
unless the country sin the time restored TO peace
and industry provided with employment. Our numer-
ous unempoye ed have met together, and disclosed how
much they are suffering asking the authorities 10 find
somsthing for them do. II the authorities respond
they cannot employ all. Some are emirAting to the
country but all employmeBts and outlets combined are
insufficient 10 produce relief. These quiet meetings OF
men with famisLing families will be repeated, both
here and elsewhere until public attention reused to
the magnitude Of the desttulion when relief must be
afforded. Rely upon it, it is not too to begin
preparation for this inevitable result. Food is abund
ant in the nation but it is consumed and wasted with
reckless improvidence. France, always poor, 10
always economical We, always well provided, are
always wasteful. What we shall need is the
application of French cookery TO enrich and economic
the stores Of food which clearly foresee mus, be
ratuitousy cooked and prepared this WinOr for the
unemployed, probably larger scale than has
been witnessed in this country. Instead Of Offering
prizes for National Hymn, they should be offered for
National Soup, and it should be awarded 10 him who
NAV produce the most nutritious aud palatable
pound at the lowest per gallon. IL the abundant
food we have were skillfuy used the destitute Of
large city ought TO suffer- We understand the art Of
raising food, out not Of properly using it, We are
ruined by waste.