New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-23
CHICAGO.
RICH AND POOR SINCE THE FRI


or wgALrH-THE GROWTH AND PRESEk-
vAriON THAT Is NOT m BRICKS AND AOhLA"
lpaOn An OCCAnoNAL CORRESPONDENT o. THs TkiooN''
Chicago, Dec. 10.-Negative, like clrcum-
stantial evidence has sometimes moro WEIGHT tnah sS
positive testimony. The Thermometer here W''n'" N
pst few days. has fallen than once below zero' ""
the weather for two weeks has been steadily cod ana
often stormy look out Of the window ct which a".
sitting upon . Landscape Of snow, and the jungle I"
sleigh bells IL my 1t s deep wnter-tne winner
Of Christmas or the sullen GOLD that comes In February
- the "Trip OF theeason uGhtens ere II lets 80 aogethe'
II b such weather ~ have not seen hitherto In Sheaso
nor indeed anywhere outside Of Massachusetts I'D No
yember; and IL premature BY month at least. Bat
there has been suffering among the people OF this
city w hear Of nobody frozen in the houses of TIE
poor nobody found dead from exposure out OF docrr
and nobody gsuht and desperate with hunger When We
rehe how many thousands there were only eight weeks
EGO Who had nowhere 70 lay their heads how all these
Thousands were Withoa food or sufficient clothing and
tina not nom any improvdence on their part but
nom what 10 conveniently called the visitation
OF God, 1t IL notable that among them
Oil there 10 no other report than Of comfort and plenty
be dcult TO prove that each ndis dua IL fed here
at least, 10 toerabe evidence that nobody In hungry and
fhere not much difference In the practical result As
between the Relief Committee and those dependent
them, it shows small base for disagreement, and much
for gratitude and conEratuation. "By their fruits ye
shall know them IA rule that could have better
application than here. The Committee said to these
helpless and houseess thousands, will feed on and
cothe you and give You tsheer; and OF all that great
multitude to-day 10 hungry Or naked, or without
q homo The whole civilized world, which came With
such intense sympathy and huch generous gifts tO the
help Of this desoate people, has right to know. and
will be glad TO know that this fact which no man will
venture to controyert How this work has been done.
opd under what difficulties it Las been DONE sfii remains
to he told.
NO BEa;GARs PREVIOUS TO THE PIR;
Heretofore in tho worlds history, there have been
great calamcs, and pestlence tampes ah' mr. r.
brin suffering and poverty, starvation aud d"ath
upon mapy thousands of human creatures But never
before think did such sudden shock OF disaster as hs
Chicago fire come to people unprrpared to meet H.
and before the result in evil consequence 80
small. When bopeless5pOyerty II the normal CONDITION"
the very despair Of any better fate ~ preparation io
any new misfortune II it come It IL accepted with
sullen acgucscencr, and any long escape from IL Is
counted an unexpected exemption. BLESSED are
they who expect nothing" is paradoxieal Deattuue
bestowed as compensation for the hard lot III penm3
and the mere Instructive love Of LIE s often inc oh'y
incentive to the poor to struggle anew against new o
aster Happily there not many 80 utterly wretened
in Chicago. There were few poor who had not some
hope Of the future few who however dark to-day was
did not hope for u brighter topOrr0W There was al
ways work for those who were willing to Labor and rarely
a want OF sufficient wages. streetbeggar was an nm
usual sight, and when took 10 that vocation he wouid
resort to Ingenious cxpedicnt To hide his real r
pose like the man sometimes used to meet VINO never
asked for anything but threecent stainp for
which he had immediate use in mailing letter 10 Close
sometimes large transaction in real estate, sometimes
to communicate with his family in distant home Tue
miserable witnesses to nnthrft
and penury-whO appear daily at the bichen-dooiH
ia other cities 10 ask for the crumbs that fal
from rich mems tables we're not common here.
The poor provdent and could almost always lay
by something in money stores, for the Winter season
when labor and s reward were wanting The testimony
of the Aid ami Relief Society, for years past has hen
that Of the comparatively few poor here who needed
assistance at ALL much the larger proportion asked for
it only once long Winter and then merely that they
might be helped to tide hard place for day or
two when 1.-The purse was faccid wOuld not fling against
the wind and the rr"S"rhia sts~ Of '' 'No"' AMI "~
potatoes had to be wanting in ycgetabes IA
was III flesh 81 had made" SAID poor seanstress, in
telling me- Of her condition, my last payment Oh saur-
day on my supply " coal for the Winter; and the last
dollar had In the house had gone, Oh That Gay' u puy
my little store of coffee. and sugar, ami 1our, for the
Winters use. The firs took it all the next night" She
has husband to help her aud young sister anu eree
little children arc dependent npOn her for support; mt
like thousands OF Others she had made good living
and could lay by for the future not abundany but suf
1cient for frugal wants. Nor hers uncommon case
such providence II the habit OF the people; and this
very observation-disclosures. IL raised hem above the rnnd
ton OF absolute poverty 30 took away from them that
aense OF patience which comes Of despair Had the poor
poorer would have been easier to deal with fhem
THE LOsERs OF SMALL ArCrMUL\TIONs
4 part of the problem To reconcile 10 penury those
impatient al poverty, because of their former condition
to satisfy that all that cond be done was done, and
that even III the light OF contrast they were not alto
eether wrrhed. Not that suppose the Relief Society
stopped TO take any such moral Or philosophical view OF
Al fhrVl lnu nrap tieul
work be DONE and went at it with all their might aud
main The honest purpose covered the whole ground.
not however by excluding any part OF IT, hut because
simue obedience to duty Ia generally the highest wisdom.
and considerations of morality and philosophy may bc
safely lett to be solved by it, accomplishment.
But ney rrtbrlrss. the fact remains, " Thcr rocog
nzd or not that the work 10 he done here all the
more difficult because Tho poor We're not So very poor
bcraIisc their providence had in measure united
them accept painful poverty aticnty because their
frugiiy and iorthOught had accumulated all the more
Tor ion, and because new supply had 10 meet a
demand which that accumulation had once already an
swcrcd. Those who had had the least expected the
least Those Who had lived from hand to mouth
easily satisfied il they assured literally Of their
daily bread those accustomed to provide for tomorrow
and the next day. the next week, or the next month";
the under the sense Of daily prvat on
and among the rich only. who had lived on the income
OF accumulated capital. were found those who were
duccd to despair. An hahtal pauler, whose appealing
face had become familiar TO thar Of Intimate
friend for she up where there any
relief to be found. evidently looks upon the fire ns God
send for II charity abOuDding and she fat
and sleek regular ratiOns and Il clothed better than
her uhe CLEANS here and there from the overflow
Ing stores In private houses.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Loss AND RrIN.
Tho little woman I spoke Of just now, whose Winter
store Of provision Just paid for BY months Of saving
whose bits Of furniture and siply Winter clothing for
herself and children all burnt up, is not without
regrets but she Is not unhappy. Her voice has tremOr
in 1t when se tells how she her three children to
neighbours for safety when the fire broke out that she
might be roc try and something Of her house.
hold goods; how, when her house was gone she