Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-26

PAUPERIsM IN New IoRK.-Whi'e its
paupersm is its shame, the charity OF New
York is its glory, aud covers multitude OF its
sins. The city has one hundred and five pri-
vate charities fully organized, and constantly
engaged in succoring the distressed Such in
stitutious as the Five Point Mission the Chill
drcn's Aid Society, the several orphan asylums,
homes for the INDECENT, and hospitals for the
sick. which are mainly supported by private
suffering instead of waiting for it to seek them,
as almoners of public funds must always do,
and they find vast deal more of it, While
they do not wait for the last extremity OF dis
tress before extending relief, they discover
cases of poverty as urgent as any which have
been stated and many only little less ablect,
which never come TO the knowledge OF the
,,ublic functioualies In the relief of such des
iitution as they find, these private charities
cxpend more money annually than is required
l,y the Commissioners Of Charities and Correc-
ton for all the sick, destitute, aud criminals
coming into their charge. 1t is therefore APP
parent that hardly half the paupersm OF the
city is matter of official knowledge, and the
g;llrt legion of 80. 80 starving people Is but Il
fraction of the army oI misery which the city
can muster.
Another and Perhaps more sorrowfuI phase
Of human clpieSSneSs is found IN the pu! !Ilc
hospitals: and II is equally convincing prout OF
the fact that New \ olk in her youth is aillict-
cd with the disease Of paupersm to IN extent
normal ouly to city in its decreplude Bell
evuc Hospital at the foot Of East Twen'y-siXth
street, and Charity Hospital on B!ackwel!'s
Island. which are the two great recepta-
ces for the sick and injured thrown upon
the public authorities, last year received H.
100 patients. Of this army Of the helpless,
.l,l~ .tn1ta
ing, but all with q few exceptions
among the victims of street accidents belonged
to The class that is constantly doing uncertain
battle with the wolf at the door, 80 that II dis
abled even for day they must receive charity:
In this sense they are paupers and to be added
to the public burdens. Besides these, the
hospitals tor contagious diseases received dur
ing the year 6, l65, and the Bureau for the
Relief Of Outdoor Sick prescribed for 1850
persons, who becme paupers for the hour by
SOME simple sickness tor which they could not
provide the means of relief Grouping now all
the poor for general view o! this metropolitan
misery, | must add to the list the 4,3lj perma-
neut Inmates Of the public almshouses, which
brings the startling total of G6,2S6 persons de-
penuent during the year upon the pubic char
tiles. To these must be added at least $4,000
>uccored by the private agencies making
grand total of $50 human beings who, in
the year 1870, in this city OF New York, were
the recipients of eleemosynary aid. This shows
the poverty of the city complete; but to see its
poverty, its improvidence, and its crime at
glance, add to the figures given the ~. 2O5 who
during the year applied for work at the Labor
Bureau of the Commissioners of Charities, and
the Il $40 who became inmates Of the various
prisons and refermatories of the city. Here
we are face to face with the fact that DDS, $50
out of population of 81, 2292 or only a small
fraction less than one quarter Of the whole pop
ulation of the city, were dependent during the
year, in whole or in part, upon the other three
quarters. Tile Galaxy for March.