Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-28
THE POOR ALWAYS WITH US
An Extract From q Letter by ID. n. Locke
(Nasby.)

A letter dated at New York and re-
ceived yesterday from DR. Locke, Rev
Petroleum V. Nasby,) contains among
other things the following in reference
to the poor OF that city. 1t was not
intended for publication, but all should
be acquainted with the facts and there
fore we publish them. In New York
city lives Samuel j. Tilden, worth six
or eight million dollars, ali drawn
from the industry of the country, not
by his industry, but by his sharp prac-
tice, and all around him are the thous-
ands of poor here described. Mr..
Locke says:
Careful statistics show $4,000 work
ing mechanics in this city out OF
work, representing abe at 100, 900 peo-
pie without the means of living. La
borers on the new streets are en-
ployed for $l.95 day, and citizens
grumble because they are not cut
down to go cents. Men hire out on
farms about New York for $500 a
month and board, and come to the
city for better wages, only to apply
to station houses for place to sleep.
! Thirty respectable mechanics applied
to be sent to the workhouse on Black
wells Island for the winter, rather
than starve, as they could get no work.
There is less work and less hope for
the poor this winter than last, and in
the end, work must be provided by
the city, or there will be bread riots.
No one can blame workingmen if they
take things iuto their own hands.
They are eager to work, and earn
enough to keep their families from
starving, but it is denied them.
Would you who read this see your
children starve in such case without
making some vigorous protest that
would strike right from the shoulder !?
The millions wasted in the last ten
years by corrupt officials would finish
the needed public works of the city,
and keep poor out of want for gen.
Grafton. Nay, more, % cents a week
from the fifty thousand and more in
he city who can afford it, would re-
lieve all the distress in the city for
the winter.
The appeals that are made to the
different charitable institutions are
pitiful. A woman and her daughter
for instance, in hall bedroom. with
out fire. light or clothing, sleeping on
the cold floor, with nothing over or
under them, and only such food as
they can pick up in the streets; fami-
lies destitute of fuel as we'll as food
and clothing families on the street
without even the shelter of roof
But why enumerate? There are SO :
900 men out of employment. There
are thousands of women in the same
fix, and the cold is intense 1t is pitt.
full. And the trouble is, the charita-
bly, inclined are puzzled to know what
to do. The honest poor suffer, die,
and make no sign, while the sturdy
professional mendicant fills the streets
with his howl. The benevolent dare
not give on the street for distress is
so artfully simulated that it takes a
very acute man to know what TO do.
1t is not pleasant to give charity and
feel that the chances are even that it
will be squandered in ginmill in
half an hour. A few organizations
have it reduced down to a system
and are doing good. If any of your
readers want to do good let them send
clothing. old or new, provision mon
ey or anything that can be used, to
st. Johns guild, New York, and they
may be sure some poor woman has
received benefit.