Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-11-19
Letter from Boston.
Prom our Boston Correspondent
BOsToN. NOV. lG.
ruE HARD TINES .

BOSTON. Nov 10.
TuE HARD TINES
Everybody i complaining OF hard times
We have been enjoying beautiful Autumn
Some have called the lovely season ju.t pas sed,
I the Indian summer" but whatever it may
have been to others, 10 the children Of poverty
ii must have seemed Goi-send indeed. aud
now that the wintry weather Ia. come in COOL
earnest. the poor can more fully appreciate the
warm sunshiney days Of the past. and those
who have enough and 10 spare Of ihi, worlds
goods. are called upon 10 give literally. and the
calls upon charity will probably increase
throughout the winter in consequence Of so
many being thrown out of employment.
There are always many who know not even
what the comforts OF this life are, TO say moth
ing Of luXurie.. and il i. predicted by all. thit
the coming winter will provide les for our
poor than ever before. Work has been very
dull here all Summer and is growing more and
more dull each week. Many large establish
ments where sewing girls are employed, are
liable any month TO discharge the greater por-
ton Of their help, thus throwing out OF employ
nent thousands Of young women, who will.
many Of them. have no way of support what
ever. The Industrial Aid Society i. a grand
Institution, but in these times it cannot find
work for even a third who apply. In employ
ment Offices, some days, ffty applicants. will
at almost from morning until night, watching
with pale anxious faces, for a situation Of some
sort, which will yield them even a small
Enumeration. Many Of our rich men are in
reality poor, because they can not turn what
Z . s..,,
I few. if any, of our business houses which are
at the present time making enough profit TO
even pay their help.
VISIT 10 THE STATE PRISON.
! Having always had Il strong desire TO visit
the State Prison which is located in Charles
town. ! gladly accepted last Wednesday, the
Kind invitation extended by the worthy Chap
lain of that Institution to be present that even
ing at a lecture which was 10 be delivered by
1 Is. W. Williams, Esq, of Boston, on the Daily
Press" / arrived there at little before seven,
that being the hour for the beginning of the
lecture. / was seated with other friends,
directly facing the long rows Of seats which
were 30 soon to be filed with seven hundred
eonvicts. In few moments the bell struck
and they came slowly in. Nearly every seat
was filled aud all around the hall on high seats.
above all, sat the guard officers, ready TO quell
| any disturbance which might occur. The lee
/ ture was very interesting but their sad faces
were more So / could OILY sit and watch
their different countenances and expressions.
/ There were few who seemed bold, and would
j gaze at one with defiance in their eyes, but
the majority wore a sad pitiful look and would
only put on a more cheerful face when the
lecturer would relate some funny anecdote or
state some interesting fact pertaining to the
present mode Of obtaining or printing news of
the day, and few were there who did not
once raise their eyes from the floor, except
perhaps, few times, to look at the speaker OF
the evening. Young boys sat by the side Of
gray-haired men, many of them with faces
denoting much culture and refinement, mixed
with q detected look of sadness which can
never forget. In other faces one could almost
read the crimes which brought them there, so
sullen and forbdding was their appearance,
but on the whole it was q very interesting
though sad looking crowd and a more stten-
tive audience ] never saw gathered together.
As much as they seemed to enjoy the humorous
points in the lecture, noticed that the words
which contained information of the outside
world were listened to with more than COM
mon interest. Twas told that the average age