Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-02-05
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

The Noes Of The P0or.-An hpcideM.-
Spring Fashi0ns.-MOney on Real
Property,-A Floral Wedding,-Busi-
ness.
THE WOES OF THE POOR.
Why do not the poor Of New York get
on bettcrp Why is It that man on u
salary of si5a week cannot support his
family decentlyp $l5 week would
be u very comfortable subsistence In n
country town. 1t would support him
: and leave him something over to lay up
for rainy day. True, it would, but in
New York 1t is the merest nothing-it
means starvation which is not even gem
tecl WHY'S itP The answer is easy
enough. The poor artisan or laborcr on
Sl5 week might live on it and save
money, If he could get what he lives on
, ut any decent price-but he don't. If
potatoes are worth, we will say, 81 90 II
bushel, by the bushel, what do you sup
pose the laborcr pays for themp lie can't
buy bushel at once, for his little $l5
i, won't go far enough. lie has to pay ~
for rent of his rooms, which is nearly
half of his income, for place for him
and his to live and sleep, leaving him
80 n week for food and clothing. This
would answer if he could only buy his
food in such quantities, and ut such
places rs food can be procured ut reason
able prices. But he cannot do this, for
he has not money enough. A barrel of
potatoes costs, we will say, $780,
should he buy barrel he would have
nothing left for other articles of food.
So he buys half peck of potatoes, for
which he pays forty cents or at the rate
of $500 bushel, instead of about n
dollar. His coal would cost him only
about Sc a ton, if he could buy ton. but
he can't; he can buy bushel, though just
enough to last him a day or two, and for
that the dealer makes him pay 40 or so
cts. and when he has to get peck instead
of bushel, the extortion is still more.
And us tits with his coal and potatoes.
so it is with everything. lie never has
money enough to buy anything in guam
tity-he lives from hand to mouth, and
is consequently, compelled to pay four
prices for everything. 1t is decent
fortune to have a retail store in poor
neighborhood, for the profits made from
poor people are immense. Andas there
is no credit given, the trade is sure.
There is no such thing as getting up in
the world for a laboring man in New
York, unless streak of luck comes.
This season has been exceptionally hard,
for labor has been scarce and wages
correspondingly low. How they live
at all is more than can understand.
AN INCIDENT.
The lives of the poor are hard enough,
but they are sometimes followed by so
miserable a death that it appears the
browning mockery of u relentless des-
tiny. Who realizes the pitifulness Of
he short and simple annals of the poor?
Short and simple Long and bitter rath-
er, for the hours of toll are thrice as
long rs those of ease, and life weighs
heavier as it drags its years along. One
of those sad cases which often happen
was told last night at happy tea table
by IL city physician. A poor woman
who had been servant, went to doc
tor for help when far gone in consump-
ton. He gave her medicine and told
her to come again the next day. She
came with the rest of his poor patients,
but while waiting was taken with hem
orrhage, and died in the hall. The doc
tor knew nothing Of her but her name,
not even her family or where she lived,
and the policeman sent forto take charge
of the remains decided, with the astute-
ness of his class, that it was case for
the coroner, and the body must be left
where it lay, untouched, till the next
day. There the poor CHASTITY blood-stain-
ed creature lay in the rigor of death,
one would think not the object for a
pleasant home. Think oft! The corpse
lost to recognition, the woman's friends.
if she had any, unconscious of her fate,
she lying an unwelcome and horrid
spectacle, the very spectre of poverty
II, ,,oo,, tho 1,;n1noSc oo1 ooofnrt
of a well-to-do household. One cannot
forbear sympathy for the housekeeper
whose dining-room will always be haun-
ted by so shocking a memory. And
yet one of the physicians called in to see
the poor creature, looking at the corpse,
said, with burst of genuine feeling,
''Poor woman, can't pity you; you are
better off than | am" He was happy
and successful-too happy to make snch
speech out ofidle feeling. Yet no one
who heard it could doubt he spoke the
sincere feeling of his soul.
SPRING FASHIONS.
WITH the mild days about the first OF
February, the counters show light Cam {
brics and wool goods. for prudent peo-
pie who take time by the forelock in
matters of dress. They must do so, for
in these days it takes, by moderate COM !.
putation, two weeks for woman work :
ing all the time to make dress. This f
is the allowance by the most skilful dress t.
makers, and it not seldom takes that
time to do the trimmings alone. For q
,he comfort of ladies who do their own o
work, l am happy to say that the old L
style of dress, with long plain skirt and "
waist attached to it, will be worn the =
coming spring. Such models are on p