The New York herald., 1876-12-26
POVERTY IN THE COAL FIELDS.

A cHEE7LEss CHRISTMAS EVE FOR THE POOR
MINERS AND MECHANICs-THE FESTIVE SEASON
A HOLLOW MocKERY OF THEIR MISERY.
SCRANTON, Pa, Dec. %, 1876
when the very air should be meodious with tho
hosaunas OF a happy Christian people 1t is a sad
thing to see want and sorrow widespread and so
wou as they are the coal fields of Pennsylvania
day on the eve Of Christmas In the miserable huts
along the mountain sides and valleys Of the great an.
hracite be dcstiution and despair the twin terrors
poverty stricken people, skuk IN grim and ghastly
proportions, while the signs and sounds OF iestivty
,ha, fall from favored places come like a hollow
mockcry 10 intensity the mseries OF the detected
poor.
The snow lies ueep and is falling fast The atmos-
phere cold and piercing, and to aud TO the panrs OF
hunger, those who in want wretchedly clad in
such an inccment season this In the suburps Of
the Rcmbrandt effect OF the gloomy picture
is shown to all its sad advantage. There is wealth
within the city, but is crced by sorrow so intense
to melt the hardest heart in pity
Hundreds, nay thousands of instances OF wrctchcd
people might be enumerated were there space and
time for such task. cannot, however, refrain from
citing the OF poor mother, Who, with her family
OF six small children has been struggling in wrctchcd
ness in place called Mud row. among others equally
poor
The other day the poor mother, maddcned by the
hunger OF herself and little ones went out with the
of procuring something to eat for them.
She went the store OF tho Lackawauna Iron and
iron works more prosperous times; but now the In
dustries idle, and her husband being away-God
knows where, looking In vain tor something 10 do
the poor woman's sorrowful condition was scarcely
noticed
An opportunity at length prese itself to her, and
seizng she snatched piece OF dress goods, and,
conceang under her ragged shawl, escaped, intend
ing sell for food ior herself and children The goods
were missed immediately alter she lett, and consta-
BILE after her with search warrant AS soon as
the officer to her house the woman surrendered
the stolen article, and confessed that II the first
time in her lite that she had been tempted TO steal.
She was taken before Alderman, but owing TO
her sad condition Mr.. Henry kingsbury, the
storckeeper for the company, declined 10 prose-
cute. In the row OF houses In which this woman
lives nm old found dying OF hunger on
wretched apology Tor bed HIS was rc-
ported 10 tho Guardians OF the Poor, but
not soon enough, as he cannot possibly recover.
The poor is about seventy years of age To show
that the misery IL not entirely confined 10 Scranton
reliable paper published at wilkcsbsrre, the county
seat some twenty mnes distant II says:-"Wthn
sight of city Court House and church steepcs
aud within the sound OF the bells within them which
call people TO prayers and TO justice hundreds OF
men, women and children are thus early IN the long
and pinchng winter destitute oil the comforts OF life
without employment without means, without credit,
they confronted by the hungry wolf at their doors
The article proceeds To show startling state OF AFFAIRS
and gives n viyu portion of the thrilling picture which
prcyails all tie coal fields, making this gloomy
Christmas indeed.