Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1866-02-01
Awful Picture Of Poverty I'm
EhlIndclphln.


For some days past we have cndcavored
TO lay before the readers of the hquir0' u
truthful idea of the sorrows and sullcrings
Of the poor of our city, and more especially
Of those dwelling in the memorable vicni
ties of Bedford, Spafford, and Baker SITS.
Dcsirous, however, of seeing for ourselves,
we joined an expedition fitted out on
Wednesday evening last.
Reaching Seventh and Bedford streets,
VIC proceeded to explore cellars garrets and
novels in search of the sick, the sorrowiul
and the destitute, though, in truth, from
the moment we entered the street. we were
literally surrounded by just such persons as
we sought "Knd sir, won't you please
give me some bread for my little children;
they have not had a mouthlul to-day, said
a wretchod looking woman II have three
little ones in that cellar, sir, and they're
cold and hungry" cried another half clad
mother. please to give me a piece of
bread, I'm so hungY,' cried dozen child
ish voices, the owners of which, barelooted
and barehcaded, crowded around us in that
icy street We gave all who applied, and
the cagerness with which those shoolcss
children, as they stood upon the ice, de-
voured the little pttance we were. able to
give them, attestcd the sincerity Of their ap-
peals.
Great God! is it not terrible to think that
scenes like this should be witnessed in Phil.
adelphia, the city noted above all Others for
its wealth and bcnevolence? Returning
home our bags and baskets were replen-
ished, and we once more entered Bedford
street.
Notwithstanding the n1imher which had
been supplied few minutes before, the
crowd had not lesscned, nor were the ap-
pcals for food any less earnest and touch
ing
We gave to all indiscrinately, not being
able in the darkness to tell who were deserv-
ing and who unworthy. The great fact
stared us in the face that men, women and
children were famishing for bread and VIC
gave them all we had. Leaving the street
for moment or two, the whole party would
Chamber down unsafe stairways into dismal
cellers, where grim poverty and fell disease
reigncd with undiSputed sway. Oh! the
scenes Of sorrow and suffering we witness
ed. Once strong men, lying in filth and
dcstitution, and seeing hunger slowly gnaw-
ing the vitals Of their wives and children;
mothers pleading for food and fire for their
perishing little oncs and little children pit
eously crying for bread and something to
protect them from the sharp, biting frost.
In one cellar we found three families, all
with children, all without beds, all without
food and all without fuel, save the handful
ofcoals which smoudered in the poor apol-
gy for stove. God daylight never visit
cd this abode of misery save through the
nprro,v and Glthv olln,, l. no,,rt oIo1ft Rotnr
street street @ wc fann1 ~ two. Slowed s6od tbc
rooms of which wore not MORO thon oigbt
fact eouoro This shod contained some 10
orio df those rooms I'll Of Which yvnro oc.
cupied.
We asccnled to the uppcy tier and knock
oil for odmission II waI first roT"scd bnt
whom we nttored tha maognr y.ord t.Lroad y
doors few oncn eaGar facos Welcomed I,s
ouJ o,,or barIS ,,ras,ioj 10 mroo;o,,s NOV
sci I l7b;ldrcn were wolcd from tbcircbncr-
) IIcss sIcnn and ronciroJ tba nro4Tarod brood
With oil itonira cvoy OH how tbnv seemed
70 nninv thn l;tilc we were ablo to divide
with fhcm. and with what cCm(orta}le feel
;ngs @ thnv G,thorci l III tbc f%w 70 rs with which
thoy wore covcrnd oround tbcm md smrht
slncn oncc mora Mothnrsin countless MIN
hers imnlored Gods BLESSINGS unon those
tbrounh I whose I;ndnr.s ',, we vera p able to
disnensc tho welcome f1od.
Every one of these eigbt-G,ot square
rooms with = singIc ovcnntion contained
from three to Eve inmates They cooked.
ate and slept there. Let us describe the
T last one we visited. The husband sat upon
a box, in front of what we supposed was n
u.
, over the furnace in such a manner as to
, hide it from view. The wife, fine, comely
looking woman, clad in thin summer
= dress, babe us enter. We did so, and will
} it be believed that in that desolate room,
Q the habitation of man and wife, the only
a furniture was the box upon which the hus-
= band sat, and the frame without the seoD
| of a hickory withe chair. No sirn of a
bed, table. cookinr utensils, food or clothing
| was visible. Bleak. grimmv walls, and that
chair frame and little box were those moor
, creatures ONLY possessions A child had
died in Stafford street, near SLnncn. Mr..
Q Segcnfrica badlcnrnedorit in the nftcrnoon,
. and infnrmcI rs th,t The mother had nnt
, only neither food nor fuel Int was utterly
\ dnstitutc Of cvervtbinn necessary for the
: child : buriol These vera nr9yded bv
= him We visited tbc bonse rdachinr il by
t dark allev and nm uncertain fiaht of stcns
Entnr;nr The room wr saw nt Glance where
the dead child lov
= Rrmovina thn ciot,irr from, its Iittlo G,oo
: if was niainIv and na;nfnIlv cvident that
= starvation, NOT disease, Ind done the work
We learned from The sister of; Of the child's
!