The New York herald., 1874-11-30
Horrible Scenes of Destitution and
Wretchedness.
WOMEN UNSEXED BY MISERY.
Bread to Starving Thousands or
Riot and Murder. ..
ATTENTION! PHILANTHROPISTS.

Wituiu stone's tnroW OI TINS proud ana Dcautl-
ful city, Just over there across the ravtnenay, SO
close tnat can see Its CrCmbltng huts and rO0k-
cries as gaze from the windows OF my hotels
strange and wild locality, which, from Its earliest
existence, has known no other name than Shanty
Hill. 1t Is here that the miner has his miserable
ab0de-here only that we can ind him at home.
The hillside upon which stand the cabins Is so
precipitous that, as all the seats OF theatre can
be seen from the stage, so can all the huts OF
Shanty Hill be viewed IRON the opposite side OF
the gorge. This gorge is the dividing line or two
classes Of society, which present the strangest and
at the same time most melancholy contrasts. on
the one side see wealth. luxury, comfort aud
ease, on the other poverty, hunger death and de.
spar. On the one side all the blessings Of Chris
tianity and education on the other all the curses
OF ignorance and woe. On the one side
capital, on the other side labor; not labor, noble,
enterprlsing, digniaed; not labor that delyes
down into the mines and with its tawny, muscular
hands drags forth the iuel for million cracking
fires; not labor that turns the IRON hot and brist.
ling from the mills to grd our country with rail-
ways; but labor In anguish ana In tears; labor
driven in despair from mill ana mine; discharged,
indolent and ridculed: baflied bounded and pur.
sued until turned from every other quarter 1t
grOvels into the huts OF Snanty Hill, where 1t riots
hunHers and finally expires. or late the readers
murder. They have learned how men have been
wayald, mutllated, crucifed. Scarcely day has
marked the past few weeks but some blood -curd-
ling tale OF horror has flashed over the wires from
This point that has startled every brain and sent
pang OF anguish TO every heart; nay, that has so
aroused their bitter indignation, that were they
TO meet one Of these dusky, dirt-begrmmed
denizens Of the mines their nrst impulse
would be to shoot MIN In MS tracks.
But ask these readers, before they pass judgment
upon these miserable aw-breaklng men, to view the
terrible condition IN which they are compelled to
live; to appreciate If they can the piercing agony
Of those who, Idle upon the verge OF winter, and
with their wives and vanishing children cutching
at their knees, stand shivering without a loaf l
would have them listen to the cries that well
up from thousands OF crushed or breaking hearts,
not Tor comfort not Tor raiment not for fire, but
iOr bread. Few who are not compelled ever visit
Shanty Hill. 1t is right over there across the
frozen stream, but yet as little known to these
good Scranton folk as some unexpored Wild Of
Africa
VISIT TO sHANTY HILL
In order to thoroughly familarize myself with
she locality ! engaged miner for guide-one
who lives in the neighborhood, and 10 whom many
OF its inhabitants are companions To have gone
there alone at night would have been dangerous
and foolhardy, Tor some have journeyed thither
and never returned. Following the entire length Of
she main avenue OF this city and descending q
deep rayine flied with blast furnaces and rolling
mills. l climbed the rugged sleeps or the
hillside beyond, and IN about one hour after the
time OF my departure found myself in the heart OF
Shanty Hill. 1t was the eve OF Thanksgiving; the
air was cold and biting, but the skies were clear
and bright, with their moon and stars. Upon
looking around me discovered that l was standing
In . broad thoroughare, running mountainwards,
rugged and filed with stones, upon either side Of
which were crowded hundreds OF crumbhng
cabins. To the right to the lett, above and below,
rs lar as the eye could reach, saw nothing but
huts for the population OF Shanty H all told, is
10000. In and out OF these lowy places. and nit.
ting like shadows here and there, men, women
and children were moving, while the nelghborhood
resounded with many unpleasant SOUNDS. In some
instances the people were decenty clad. but the
clothes upon most OF them were simply wilder.
ness of tatters. The faces that lifted their eyes
upon me as they passed were dark and sullen,
while ndss ieT eore .nta traces o. distress and
and regard me savagely, while few who
hurried along with Uowed heads and aching hearts
seemed utterly Inundated ana broken down. |
saw nowhere around me- among tue many thou
sand homes that crowded the sleeps, q single one
that was decent or Respectable, or Que IN which
could consider 1t possible for q human being 10
live; yet around me, and groveLng IN these
dreary, unhealthy huts were 10, 600 souls to wnom
W
SELL
LIFE IN A RoOKERY.
The first place to which my guide directed me
was q cabin, literally ialllng pieces, the entrance
TO which was guarded by hungry, snaring dog.
we two passed in Tne apartment was small and
IL was cold. IL was lighted partly by dim lutter-
~ pa p ny ~ e "
shln and leaKy roof The embers OF poverty's last
nre lay pure anu white, ike corps upon the
Sullen, defiant lace and disheveed hair,
and l saw also four young cnildren; two
were nestled shlvering at her leet, ana the other
two were asleep upon the ioor. rhe woman was
shoeless and stocklngless while the only garment
cou and o
line Of ner FORM The clothes OF the children we're
IKE those OF the mother wnlle her youngest-her
baby-nad nothing but o shawl to Keep 1T warm.
As we entered the " oman sprang to her feet and
steadily regarded US. Her two children that were
woman was rude, rough, ignorant, defiant. Hun
ger ragged In her breast and hate and madness
ike one who views some ruined mansion. in which
comfort and peace once dweed, Dut which at last
f @ 70 a sne oves SS EEsy spark
trait was aosent from her countenance. Courage,
hope, pity-nay, even shame had deserted
was one-hke the many about her-who
mad been once woman, put whom
Sne broke forth In q torrent OF pent-up grew.
ances, which our coming had served to unoose-a
sSo had drs
erty and distress, and that our presence seemed
only TO intensity. she not on.y raved, she threat
ened. She went to the broken window, and,
throwing up the sash. pointed to the turrets and
room Of the rich that cleaned in the moonlight on
upon them.
l have read how, during the reign OF the Com.
mune, women, brandishing the ncendary torch,
rap shrieking through the streets OF Paris; but
felt that had this creature been there she would
have disdaned the torch and caught up the live
Goals in her rude and naked hands. The cries OF
the woman aroused her two sleeping children, and
one OF them upon arising stood before me almost
as naked as at the hour OF Its birth. 'Look at
them," shouted the iniurIated creature,
"Look at them. They are cold they are
Starving, while the children OF them
over there have had their supper, and are now
sleeping In their nice warm buus. IL is not be.
cause thoy are better OF than ns but because
tney have been abusing ana cheating us lor
vears.u Then followed another
OuTBURST OF RAGE AND DESPAIR
that would terribly any listener and cause him TO
hia hQnds hia last na ma