The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-05-02

Our New York Correspondence.
NEW YORK, April q, 1872.
Whether men and women become hardened
by familiarity with scenes of misfortune, or
heartless by attrition with the world, is an
unsolved problem; but one may every day, see
in New York such exhibitions of utter soulless-
ness and selfshness as make him almost lose
faith in the human nature. Only yesterday l
was crossing to Brooklyn in ferry-boat. a
man entered the cabin, his face SCARED all
over with the marks of some terrible calamity,
and nothing remaining of his eyes save two
white balls from which sight had departed for
ever. He was gray-haired withal, and feebly
leaned on the arm of his old wife, as he totter-
ed along asking for dole of mercy at the
hands of the crowd. A little boy, too, dirty
and ragged, clung to the mothers dress, and
the trio moved sadly together, picture of
want in its most terrible guise. "a penny,
please sir, for papa-hes blind"-said the
childish voice. "Get out you pest"-exclaimed
the person appealed to-'you beggars ought to
be in the workhouse." He was man whom 1
judged from his age and dress to be million
aire and an influential member of some fash
ionable church. The face of the mother flush
ed, and she bit her lips to keep back the tears
As he turned away however, poor sewing wo-
man dropped into the outstretched hand some
of her own hard earned wages, and it was
pleasant to hear the grateful "God bless you
for your kindness to the old blind man" that
came from the heart of the helpless creature.
They passed on, and watched with some Gu
riosity, their progress. In crowd of two hum
dred people, perhaps dozen responded to the
mute appeal-not more, and singularly enough
nearly every giyer of charity on that occasion
was working man or woman.
The incident carries its own lesson, and to
my own mind at least, illustrated what may be
observed in every large community, to wit:
that the charity of the poorer classes, and their
sympathy for each other outweighs all the
boasted Christianity of the millions who wear
their religion as an outside label, and when
polished up for Sunday use, expect it will prove
free ticket into the dress circle of Paradise
One however finds unfortunates in New York
at every turn-crippled men, old women, little
children, all begging for bread. At night they
pack the Station and lodging-houses like sar-
dines-in layers, and by day they ply their vo-
cation. God help them, for where there is one
impuster there are dozen who deserve real
charity, and rarely get it, Recently I found a
waif asleep after midnight on the curb stone
around the monument of Washington in Union
square. 1t was bitter cold, and woke the lit
tie fellow up. "Why don't you go home ?''
"Hain't got none, sir" "Where is your father
and mother 2" "Hain't got none neither, sir p
"Why don't you go to the Station House,
thens "Whats the use of cove like ME
goin' to the perlice Office when can sleep in a
door way" That conundrum being one too
much for me, 1 started the little "cove" 10 q
neighboring shelter and left him.
"sorne men are born to good luck, and others
have it thrust Upon them." Four years ago, a
citizen of New York went South, with nothing
in the world but shirt and bottle of whiskey.
He turned politician, played the catpet-bagger
to perfection, secured fat Office, and has made
two hundred thousand dollars. The other day
he drove up the new Boulevard near Central
Park, and bought three building lots-price
thirteen thousand dollars. Before the transfer
deeds were executed, he sold two for twenty-one
thousand dollars. and then investing in "Erie, I"
made thirty thousand more.
Another young New Yorker, d year ago,
pledged the only bond he had in the world as
"Margin." 1t amounted to less than five hun
dred dollars. He went into q stock specula-
ton, was lucky, and in six months had to his
credit ninety y-three thousand dollars. His
friend persuaded him to abandon the "Street"
and be content. He did so and went to Europe,
but on his return could not resist the tempta.
ton to go into what he thought to be ia sure
thing" Yesterday, I saw him perambulating
Wall Street, seediest among the seedy, and I
reckon without money enoagh in his pocket to
buy a square meal of cold vituals. Such are
the ups and downs of life in New York:
Other MEN create circumstances, and have q
bold, brave grit and grip about them that will
win success in any station. 1 have in my minds
eye q young man, who ten years ago was poor
er than the most of us, but with sharp eye to
business, and keen knowledge of human ma
ture, he devoted himself to the one single, and
seemingly purposeless, idea of popularising
Bath brick. He borrowed hundred dollars
bought his material, pulverised it finely, and
sent it forth to the trade in sitting boxes. 1t
was new thought, it "took :" people who
used it once wanted mors and the consequence
is that the young man aforesaid-his name is
c. C. Sabin-is to-day the President of the
New York Bath Brick Company, employs no
less than twenty-seven travelling agents, at sal