The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-02
PICTURESQUE CHARITY.

embarrassment side. TO the student OF human ma
ture there are many phases OF practical philan-
thropy as exhibited in the charitable institutions Of
New York, which are very suggestive, peculiar and
striking; which contain in them all no element OF
the picturesque. A lew of these are pointed out
in this article.
THE CBLDREN's HOUR.
One OF the most picturesque and almost poetica
phases Of charity and OF poverty which can be seen
in the metropolis is to be witnessed In the rear
hal OF the Aston House from about three O'Clock
TILL half-past four every afternoon About this
time the loOd that has not been consumed at the
restaurant attached to the hotel Is given
away to the poor either to their rep
resentatlves, such the Sisters OF Charity, or
TO the poor personally. The Sisters come In
wagon, and tue best part OF the food 10 gwen to
them, to be applied to their many and excellent
charities When the Sisters have been served and
the wagon has driven away, then comes what
Longieow could indeed call 1.-The children's hourn
Then troop In with their baskets poor children
from all parts Of the ciy-some coming even from
Harlem, and one from Brooklyn, though the major
ity are OF course, from the poorer wards in the
vicinity. These children are Of respectable parents,
no merely professional Migrants or bummers being
attended to; and the spectacle presented by little
hungry, expectant, patient humanity waiting for
the io0d which, although unsOld and forgotten
by the rich, forms the all IN all OF many a poor
family is indeed an aspect OF picturesque charity
whl ch would gladden. a philanthropist.
Other hotels have fallen into the habit Of giving
their surplus provisions to the worthy poor. A
great deal OF good is done in this way 1t is fact
worth mentioning in this connection that very sell
dom indeed is negro child to he met with among
these .'charity children" And, in fact, the col
Ored people OF New York, like the Jews, seem to
thoir
themselves.
Another picturesque aspect OF charity is pre-
sented at the Carmel chapel No. 134 BOwery-con-
nected with the lodging house No. 1875 Spring
street-tbree times day, between the hours OF
seven and nine In the morning at noon and from
five to seven az night. At these three periods
meals are given at the nominal price OF five cents
to as many as have either the money or its rep
resentative ticket, and the crowd sometimes
amounts to hundreds, filing the sidewalks. ut Is
NOT FIRE-ONLY FREE LUNCn,n
said policeman to the writer, about one O'Clock,
as he watched the poor souls rushing for their
SOUP But the term was misnomer, as the
"lunch' is not strictly speaking Tree, though, of
cOul se the charge Is merely nominal, and as the
tickets are generally given away by the charitable,
who buy them in quar- titles, the 'lunch" Tree to
1t Is impossible for the English language fully to
do justice to the scenes presented at 1.-THE dinner"
gwen DAILY dI eSLdblSuueut To tue destitute.
breakfast is not SO well patrOnized. The unled
class has been scattered all about the city
all night and Is not able to concentrate.
supper, too, is not SO greatly in demand; for
by That time these poor people are dispersed
ABOUT the town begging or seeking refuge for the
night; but at dinner they all put in appearance,
"Besides," said poor patron OF this daily dinner
to the loafer. 1--WE don't care much for the coffee
# ot the soup tS we want th
e; 70 Saps1s II III Sdns is occupied as
chapel-where there are fire and seats--attrac
to night with men who have nowhere else on this
wide earth to rest. Between the hours Of twelve
and one a prayer meeting is he0, at which some
rea and, it Is feared much bogus plety is exnib-
tied. Then the basement is thrown open, and
down in line march the poor hungry men to their
dinner-the great event Of their miserable day.
Rough tables, large bowls, chairs and benches
here and there, succession OF rough, wretched
down, eating their soup without word (eat-
ing second oowl Of soup II they happen to have a
five cents extra with them, and then arising to
are the main features Of the scene
In the rooms up stairs there are library and labor
bureau, and TO their privileges certain number
OF the poor patrons OF this charity restaurant
admitted. But, unfortunately, it so happens that
those who have the most need OF these privi-
leges are just the class who cannot partake OF
them, for the more dilapidated and wretched OF
the poor are not allowed to go up stars at all.
The line must be drawn somewhere, and the
manager OF the place draws it by mans clothes.
The poor man, with coat and pair of SHOES, is
poorer one, with still shabbier coat and q still
more ragged pair OF shoes, is not thus permitted
to northumberland, certainly, for the still
poorer man.
The lodging house connected with Carmel chapel
has been controlled by rough and ready in
divldual named Churchill, who has had plentiful
experience with life, and who occasionally makes
1t lively for anybody who resists his will. He has
been known TO trounce q refractory ledger into
SUBMISSION and some OF his encounters with his
dodgers have been as ''picturesque' as the poetry
q motion can make them =; To- }e the truth, this
LAvArER AT A DISCOUNT.
To the physiOgnomist the Free Labor Bureau on
place in the metropolis for ii any student of faces
will only go there in the middle of the day and
watch the countenances he sees there he Will see
SO many hun0redS OF types that he will be utterly
unable to classify any, and Will soon be reduced TO
the verge OF physlognomlcal despair. One OF
our 10 ,aI novelsts visits this bureau or three
tunes week to study faces and anybody who
believes 10 Layater will find the place, especially
the female department., as good as college for
tastes were, never conceived the full idea Of the
variety of expression q Which the human face is
capable in the Free Labor Bureau.
THE SPORTS OF PAUPERS.
In several OF our charitable institutions some
provision has been made, not only for the feeding
and lodging of the poor, but even for their physl-
cal Improvement and recreation. In the News
Doys' Home, In Park place, there is large gym
nasum and in Brooklyn, in q similar institution,
which is patronized by men as well as boys there
is gymnasium which is supplied with dumb bells,
clubs, the trapeze horizontal bars, &c. This room
picturesque features OF our charities, Tor it pre-
sents the material OF suggestive thought to pen
niless, homeless wretches, to whom this place Is
a last asylum, for while forgetting their pow
erty and rags and misery, giving their muscles full
play and developing their Diceps-iust as though
they had a right to equal muscular health and
strength with their social betters.
THE POOR AT PEACE.
But there is one place for the poor in the city OF
New York which is picturesque IN the best sense
of that erm-picturesque In peaceful and COM
parauvely pure sense. We refer to the establish
ment known favorably, almost fondly, to all the
pQQr 81 NeW YORK by tpe appropriate title Qk "Ibe
Strangers Rest" THIS place Is located as 10. $40
Pearl street near Centre, and u 9ae 81 the best
words Of those who have experienced its merces
are to be trusteg Opening the swing door, w'plng
man, If only. he be a respectable man,
enters small, comfortably furnished room,
with books and pictures and Is received
kindly by clerk, who inquiries closely but decently
into the particulars OF his case. Having answered
all inquiries the applicant is sent to the bathroom
and washed. Then he Is given clean nghtgown
and put into clean bed, and at this stage OF the
game the poor, battered man, who has thus lar
been ut war with fortune. thanks God in his heart
at nd n tho irfv tree ia or or