The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-03
PICTURES OF POVERTY.

wv LII
Three Thousand Hungry People ut the
Doors of st. Johns Guild Yesterday-
Eight Hundred and Twenty-One Gar
ments Given to the Poor in Six Hours
The Clothing Bureau Again Empty
scenes ut the Chapel-Old and Poor
A Fireman Of ISI9-ssOK For Merry Eng
land"
Each succeeding day seems to open up new
and hitherto unsupported depths or poverty
everywhere In our midst Children with
out clothes; babes without covering OF any
KIM; mothers without food aud yet ex-
pected to nourish their unfortunate Offspring
these are among the coTmonest facts which
crowd and iostle each other In every visitors
notebook. Old men, feeble from exhaustion, from
exposure and lack OF tood, and emaciated by the
disease these have bred, come and 60. 1t Is well
that the mask that covered all this misery and
wretchedness was torn away. 1t is well that New
York was prepared to keep its reputation as the
city Of charities. No one who has not witnessed
the appalling extent Of the restitution about US
can give credence to the stories its victims tell
but those who have passed days in Its atmosphere
feel how poweress Is the tongue or pen to even
outline its many horrors. Think OF the bare fact
Mat
THREE THOUSAND PERSONS
came TO st. johns Guild yesterday for food, and
q police oficer had to be stationed at the door to
prevent little children from being run over and to
see that the aged and feeble had an equal chance
In the struggle of the hungry crowd. No wonder
that when rich lady visitors saw these hali-clad
unfortunates, whose hungry eyes cried for bread
before their husky voices could be heard, their
hearts sckened and their eyes flied with tears.
1t was of those scenes that leave an impress
on the mind that time hardly dims. Feeble Old
men with their gray hair and wrinked
faces cutched the jurtng stones of the wall
for support in the general crush, and, once in the
vestlbule, sunk down on the benches and hid their
faces IN their wan hands. Little pare-legged and
barelooted girls peeped anxiously up the stair
case towards the clothing bureau and their thin
cotton gowns Rugged themselves to keep warm.
THE LAST GARMENT GONE.
At four O'Clock the writer went up to the cloth
ing department. One hundred or more women
and children were crowded together In the ante
room, and police ofhcer with some difficulty
kept q narrow passageway opened LOT exit
and entrance to the hall Inside all
was desolate, the tables so well stocked in the
morning, lying BARE and only the shreds and rag
bic. little girl stood in the centre OF the room
crying, and holding her empty basket with both
her hands. one OF the ladies' who volunteered to
sew for the Guild, and who comes early and works
till dark daily, patching up old coats and dresses
and making new wrappings, was sitting sad
then the lady in charge made known to
the anxious ones without that her supplies
were wholly exhausted. she had given out
81 garments during the day. Some still fingered
In the hall TILL the doors were closed, but most
many OF the children cried and s0bbed pitlully.
sEvEsTY-FoUR YEARS OLD AND HOMELESS
At noon there came an old man thIny clad and
Ing, not having eaten anything Tor many hours,
aud chilled through, not having been near stove
SI soSe de Oc ana T to to
When he came back he sat down on
bench and waited; HIS name is Alfred Tilotson,
and he has lived in New York all his life. He Is
now, az he was perhaps fifty years ago, a poor
journeyman shoemaker. Only fifty years ago the
city was not paved beyond Become street. aud in
Its narrow limits ne familiar with hundreds Of
people. Now. as he has been shrinking away, year
by year into the little shrIvelled old man, till 1t
sight As he has been lost from recollection the city
has grown beyond and away from him. He was In
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 1919.
Sitting on the bench he covered his face, his head
bent forward. Who can tell what scenes were pic
svo su on s me- mihas eye wnas memories We're
days when success courted and fortune smiled upon
him wnen men since grown millionnaires would
have been Riad to exchange places with him. And
this was the end OF all his imaglnngs and all his
labors; TO sit DID, sick and but lately starving on
little bench IA the entry OF the scnoOlroom Of st.
At five O'Clock messenger came In and an.
nounced that ne had secured temporary room
for the old man and thther he was conducted.
fire was built, coal and wood left him in abun-
dance, ana ne sat over the stove warming his poor
chilled and wasted body till the room gre W dark
and he Tell gently to sleep In his chair
WARN HEABTED ENGtIsHMES AND ENGLISH wo-
MEN
came in large numbers yesterday to inquire into
the OF Richard St0aks, VINO Will sail to-day for
England. He came to the Guild In the afternoon,
ana, accompanied by DR.. William r. Thoms, called
to see several ladies' and gentlemen who had left
cards and wished to aid him. DR.. Thoms made
up q small selection, with which he stocked .
chest tho nd a
gentleman Of Warren street made arrangements
to get him first class passage out at reduced
rates and to present him with Is note i0r use on
his arrival in England. lady presented MIN with
evening delegation OF printers from AppletOn's
publishing house visited him and gave him purse
ct WANT NY MONEY OR NY Roon.n
Is tne cry oitenest heard now, and It Is no great
improvement on that Of Shell Barry5, ~ only
wsht my money! Mr.. Denny reports "among the
twenty.three worthy families Visited to-day Igave
orders LOT peel amounting 10 55H pounds and Tor
a large amount OF groceries az the Guild ONCE"
lie found at No. 80 West Broadway room No. g.
tailor ana ms VIE who is a oressmaker), with
aud the landlord viii turn them out he saws II he
IS not paid by saturday. They are destitute OF
food, neither having had employ ment ior some
time.
In No. 143 Hudson street, In the rear basement
lives or rather survives Mrs. Donohue She has
swo children, one only thirteen months old and IA
ence,nte. Denny says .'she owes 81 with the ad-
ing IS month Tor that little mud holel She. too.
poor woman, was without bread.
An ACCIDENTAL REVELATION
OF poverty and the sufierings oil talented woman
YESTERDAY came TO one oil the visitors. fnis lady
VINO pegs tnat her name and address may not he
made puDic. has Tor the past two years
supported herself and two little daughters
maQ8Znes and weekly panera. hnt - 49,