Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-23
rinh Avemue.

zion which mAkh1 teah your SFhutge
TO suppd-e that there existed an
upper and lower arisiocracy on this
famous street. Did ] not say some
thing about beggar-. Aye, did;
and
EEGGAIs AND TgAMPs
we see from the rising Of the
win.ry sun,--which has not soft
ened an ieiele for week past
siiIl the going down OF the same"
"Oh the niggardiy, selfish, rich,
New York spendthrifts.n | hear my
readers exicsim, "uho will not
drop q penny or a crust OF bread
into the out-tretched palm Of ssary-
ing, freezing poverty"
Dear indignant public. What can
We do? Eighteen beggsrs rsng The
bell at the ground floor door 81 the
house where 1 now have my arm
chair. before nine O'Clock In the
morning Dec. Cd 1875. What wonid
you do dear reader, under like cir
cum-tances Fifty solicited charity
that day al this one door, for the
winter had come suddenly upon
them. Charitable Houses and
HOMES FOR THE NEEDY
are provided in all parts OF the city.
Millions Of dollars are expended for
the benefit Of the unfortunate.
Twelve thousand tramps and beg
garz. men and women, were lodged
y; the expense Of the city In the
police stations that night. IL In
hard for us who have Kind hearts
md generous impulses but little spare
capital who have our own bread TO
earn TO be compelled by dire neces.
sity Ia shake our heads In deiiini 10
this army Of biear.eyed, ragged, rest
less, filthy impiorers, who come
with baskets In hand, and are often
seen casting good breail and cold
meats upon the street because these
vi.fuals which have been given them
are not In shape tosuit them. These
worthless professional beggar-, who
spend every cent given them at the
grog shop round the corner, com
pei ~ to Withhold our hands and shut
our cnrs 10 the cries Of now and then
one who IL really destitute. These
also compel the really worthy and
needy 10 secretly suffer rather than
seek aid In company with such a
throug. Almost every wellio-do
family has It's own circle Of proteges
Ia whom It's aid Is extended and the
rich devote to the city supply tens
ofth0usnnds.
Never, perhaps, was there a more
liberal fund provided for tile poor
ihan that supplied by VIM. NJ.
Tweed In the days Of his prosperity.
lie filed their CRATES with coal and
their plates with soup, and thus
bought votes by the thousand To sup.
port the Ring Of which he stood the
head. Because he fed the poor with
such lavish bounty many humble
heart will doubtless rejoice that
Tweed has escaped from Ludlow
Street Jail. Alas! for city morals.
One day last week our Brxs door
neigbbor advertised FIR "a cook and
chanbermaid," and bade them
call Ut the brown stone front No,
between . and 4 y. m. AT o'clock
the pave began to show AN unusual
display Of smart bonnetts, cheap
fionnces and seejy male garments,
all vending their way up the broad
steps and soon coming down again.
At 2 O'Clock the. sidewalk was
tbrOnged for space 0f three fronts.
| am not mistaken In asserting that
i've hundred applicants offered at
that mansion to fill the places OF cook
and chambermnid aud do the bid
dug Of Mr.. Ben Wood, brother Of
The noted Fernandez and his lady.
II II fearful TO contemplate the signs
III the times. Five hundred people
asking To fill two such positions
Well each one knew that such
place insured a good home, luxuri-
GUS living and wages of from 50 10 so
per week. Two will Gil the places
and where will the remaining I9s 90
10 seek bread, fuel and shelter? Can
you answer, dear friends? You who
live on the broad prairies, amid the
fertile fields OF Iowa, surrounded by
The beauties Of nature, who through
all the days Of the year enjoy luxu-
rious independence, health and hap
piness such Ms these puDr people
never kuew--do you envy the rich
Ia New York? DO you feel one
pulse thr0b Of desire to sink TO the
depths of Fifth Avenue life, In either
It's upper or lower strata?