The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-11
MUNICIPAL CHARITY.

The Commissioners OF Charities and Correction
have large appropriation every year for outdoor
relief Or the technical term is the relief OF the
outdoor poor. Hundreds OF poor people, by far
the greater part OF them women, are In the build
ing OF the Commission, Eleventh street ana
Third avenue, every morning during the winter
months, and at six O'Clock the superintendent
Mr.. KeIlock, is busy taking their applications
They come from all parts Of the city, and their
statements are very much the same. The mems
plainfive words are 'No work. the women gen.
orally vent the burden Of their in giving the
number Of their children. which. as Mr. Kellock
marked yesterday to a HERALD reporter, is sure to
be all the larger the poorer the woman is. Enter
ing the building from Eleventh street the applicant
finds himself in a large hall At the iarthest end
Is the desk OF Mr. Kelock, who sits in q huge arm
chair behind the railing and surveys the applicant
through his specsacles. In front OF the railing
there is crowd Of so or 100 poor women, who
are constantly huddled together, waiting their
turn. They are
OF ALL GRADES OF POVERTY,
Of all ages OF all nationaities. The red-nosed
whiskey-lover; the SLIM pale woman, with sunken
cheeks; the white-haired old grandmother, who
totters fearfuly the slipshod girl, who comes to
invoke aid for her mother lying Ill at home; the
faded dress of former gentiity and the undiguised
rags or sheer restitution the cheerful and buOyant
the trembling and downcast-they are all there,
waiting to tell their sad tales and state their re-
spective cases TO the superintendent. AS each
scrambles eagerly forward and faces him the fol-
/ lowing scene frequently repeats ITSELF
| Poor Woman (handing Mr.. Kellock o letter Of
recommendation vouching Tor her worthiness)-
! This is my recommendation.
| Mr.. KELLOGG tafter perusing the letter and ind
! ing that some respectable lady recommends herr -
/ Ali right. What's your name2
! APPLIcANT-Murphy please.
| Mr.. KELLocK-What Mary or Bridget9
| APPLIcANT-Bridget.
| MIR. KELLocK-How many children have you
| APPLICANr-Six, seven Tor eight as the case may
! bs).
| Mr.. KELLoCK-Where is your husband
APPLIcANT-He Is dead, Sir these ten years, &C.,
&c.
| Mr.. Kelock enters the name and residence OF
the applicant IN his day book ana tells her that O
visitor VIII come soon to satisfy himself OF the
truth OF her statements. Perhaps she is in imme-
date want, and Will lmplore him to give her some
! thng then and there, but to most Of these de-
mands the superintendent
! MUST NEEDS TURN A DEAF EAR.
! The rule is that the visitor shall first 90 and see
her. II he finds her worthy OF charity, sober and
temperate ana IN actual need, he gives her a
ticket, which entities her to small stipend pay
able every two weeks Sometimes the visitor
! gives ticket for only one payment, sometimes for
! two, and but IN very few cases for more This
ticket she presents the next day at Mr.. Kellocks
desk, and he pays her the amount There are
three different tckets-s2, 81 SO and s1-the pay
ment being in every instance Tor two weeks. The
ticket is as iollows:-