The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-06
THE POOR OF NEW YORK..

stimulated labor and enhanced values the product OF
tho war; beginning 10 show their legitimate result
q reaction in business carrying with Il suspension OF
many branches Of industry and thereby throwing many
out Of employment who have never known what u Ia
10 want for work before and entaing poverty desttu
ton and suffering upon individuals and households TO
an extent aItoge her unusual Although there nothing
excite panic In business circles and ground for
apprehension Of those terrible days Of the French
revolution. when tho popular cry was for bread;
and although there Is abundance Of everything to
eupply the wants OF the needy, and q disposition
clearly manifest TO afford the hep needed and prevent
the extremes OF desttuton in our midst this fact pal
pably evident that for the poor OF the city, what
their previous Glass and condition. the present win
ter th0s far has been unwon'ediy severe In ADDITION
the phanthropc labors OF the New York Association
for Improving the Condition OF the Poor, whose very
thorough and sematc efforts during the past twenty
five years In this direction have deservedy won the
thanks or all knowing anything Of their operations,
special relief associations have been started in almost
every ward. Most Of the Christian churches have put
forth extra endeayors on behalf OF the suffer-
Ing poor within tho limits OF their respective
parishes. The city authorities, not wishing TO be
behind in philanthropic dong, have taken their
shoulders good deal OF the needed benevolent work,
last and not least private charity Is dfusing It's
bounty with unprecedented lberay. And yet for all
that has been done and is doag there very many
al about lar greater number than IL imagined
whose cheeks, TO psraphase Shakespeare, famine
shows Itself; through whose eyes stareth need and
whose backs hang RACED nm MISERY We give Ss,ow 10
tho extent II might be-there would be no end 10 it,
the opening chapter Of proposed tour OF observation
through the various wards Of the city 70 get at the
exact facts poor OF New York, who they are,
how they came to be poor and what is being done and
wpal should be done for their relief.
Through the snow storm OF yesterday afternoon and
last cvenns-athough this was vastly preferable 10 the
wards OF the city was anything but agreeable
The slippery pavements which the snow rendered in
visible but made so much the more dangerous and the
general tanning OF vehicles and particular canning Of
drivers suggestive OF things celestial
trial. About Castle Garden, beginning at tho extreme
lower end the island all the faderands imaginable
and SURPRISING the limits OF the farihest imag
nation, brought 10 historical memory Emigration
may be great blessing 10 speak after the manner Of po
wealth and recources but the blessing the hand
and development the other not exactly observable
by the naked eye In the crowd OF stout and women
70 be seen yesterday notwthstandn the falling snow
lowering about the precincts OF this great depot Of those
isphere On inquiry the fact elected that Of
these hangers about persons who their arrival
here sent into the country by the Commits
OF Emigration, who either being discharged IRON
work 1ndug none TO do have come back 10 tbs city
and lounge about Castle Garden laboring under tho de-
usve idea that the Commissioners arc bound 10 take
care OF them. Right here Is the nucleus Of good
deal OF enronlc pauperism, and they rapidly
reach the chronic stage. To-day The city Is
largely taxed to support Them. They beg
less help TO ill the station houses night aud
wind up with becomng Tor an indsrnte tia 9, charge
10 toe county recipients OF tho charities Of the Aims
house and our other island INSTRUCTIONS Meantime
Others come to oil their places at Castle Garden on
wease Il never caught
Along the docks The lack OF employment is further
visible in the hosts OF men to be doing nothing
Most OF them are Iongshorcmsp, who nnd nov very
little to do We're 1t not for the arrival OF steamers
from Southern ports, loaded With cotton Il would be
difficult Tor them 10 earn enough TO keep body aud
soul together. The desuuon for want Of employ ment
OF tins class and porers and carmen who mako up
present bulk OF the resident population OF The ward
SHOWS Itself I'm the few tenement houses and other
places occupied for dwelling purposes still existing in
The ward No cases OF extreme destution have, now.
haau vat or
tsves Of charitable societies visiting Ibis section Of the
city.
given up to dodgers ed every night, and two
thTes times The number they can accommodate which Is
about thirty comfortably nightly turned away These
lodging rooms arc each about twelve BY eghtcsn feet
In SIZE, built up with solid walls, aud the ony
place for the air 70 enter or escape Is through
bars over tho door look into them In
day s nearly sitting, and Is difficult TO
ceive how maintenance OF vitality possible In them At
nighl wnen crowded. The seepers lay on board plat
form, . slightly rased bench, on one side and. OF
course, bed clothes are luxury foreign 10 tho insttu
ton Each room Q stove, which from the nature OF
the Al The station house 10 Liberty street the same
state Of Affairs exis- The lodging foors are small and
poorly ventilated aud crowded at night, with like
turning away OF large number for whom accommoda-
tons cannot be furn!shed.
resident population probably not over three hundred
all told, and these made up principally Of servants
Tue hotels and store porse AZ Jar - Known there 70
however, never fans TO DO filcd with dodgers every
night. They como principally from the upper
wards OF the city Instead OF destiluton, an instance
occurred yesterday showing abundance where dcstiu.
ton would rather be looked for An apple womsa
named Bridget Aslcpey, aged eehtysix, who kept tue
apple stand tue OF Futon and William streets
io thc past twenty years was foand yesterday morning
dead IN her bed On searching the place over 5000 10
god and silver and about twice that amount In postal
currency we're found Several heirs turned np In in
describably short space OF time
lbe past Tow years has wrought about the same
change 10 the Third ward In The Second Most OF the
ware - now covered with largo stores and warehouses;
hhu te ouy tenementa remains g Ia Robinson street
acc The lower Tart Of Rcado street These manly
occupieo ny porers in the stores most Of whom s
empoyment Owing TO toe dilapidsted condition Of
tnS ouiloins Nl used a. station house, formerly q
dHehng whose walls gro cracked and the windows al
arry on account OF the deep excavation for stores on
either side no lodgers are accommodated here
Ths seeker after wreehodness In damp basem ens and
10 nnemeGt houses OF four, I've and nx stories high
can mod plenty OF IL In The Fourth ward. 0pe can
hardly fail 10 ut on street whore this wrstchednoss s
not almost universally visible Drty ragged men
women even more dirty Aud ragged and children pale
faced and miserable are 10 be everywhexs Enter
tbe apartments and The slightest casual look calls 70
mind Dean esifps inventory Of his bousenoId soods.
battered shattered old bsdstsad
A boy OF deal without lid,
pair Of tonga. but cut Of Joint
back sword POKER without point
POI that's cracked across, srsupd
With an old knottsd garter bound.
Here the Association for improving the Condition Of
the Poor ends iis hands full aud private charity N
puzzled whore and how 10 spend its money There arc
good many deserving poor here out or poy msn and
suffering poverty IN consequence but by far most OF
the ~rschsdness e the result of dsposs
aud iD1rovdsnt and dissoiute habts The station
house 10 saayp full Of ludgcTs Averaging abot fortv