The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-07
COOLEST OF COLD CHARITY.
MTsFRTTS or 7HE INMATES OF a
MN JERsLY ALMSHOUSE.
As,d Pnupcrs Chiidrrn. and Luuntics Frccy-
4 iII..d hy iian mid Ia criX

About two aud Il half miles from the lit
tie town Of Ilraucnvllle, among the hills, In the
hgnest and ueakcst plrt Of the State. lies TIVE
shnshousc Of Sussex county, NJ j., where ~
PERSONS, old and young, paupers, idiots, ana
iunatics hlvo for the pist fortnight been
through the NEGLECT of the supefintendents OF
tina, institution freezing and starving. Before
st1nrg the condition IN which they were found
on Thursl v night by suN reporter. It may be
wen to remark that the inmates Of that aims
house are not tramps and Migrants, the will
fully mcndicant class, but are OF those who de-
scrve to be deemed the legitimate charges Of
the communi y. Those who are not inc paci-
ta;ed for earning u livelihood by reason Of
idotcy, INSANITY. infancy, or seniliy have until
this season been honest, hard working. self
supporting persons. Now. however. there IA no
work for them to do. within three miles Of tho
almshouse, In sussex county, ANYBODY can hire
afty laborcrs, men with families to main tain, for
Gfy cents per diem each, SO scarce IL employ
ment a. ere. Whole families have succumbed TO
the terrible pressure OF hard times indicated
ny this fact, and are now inmates Of the institu-
ton under consideration. II has been their only
resource from starvation, and very poor one u
proves to bc.
on or about Christmas DAY the boiler which
had previously supplied steam for all the heat
Ing, cooking. and washing done In the aims
h0u-',g sc out entirely. IL WAS sixteen wears
old. had long ago been condemned, ana should
have tecn replaced Nv new one; bur the SUI
pcuntcudcuts ,ositivelv refused to take any ac-
ton concerning II until II should actually 70 to
pieces. when 1t had got to lie King So b div
int 1t could no longer he used. and. M a matter
of fey. thc IRE had 40 be drawn from under
II. they we've ~ unltci AIRED to meet the emcr-
gcncy "a they hld teen NJ any time before
lhey had been elected on faction cry OF econ
ouy, nd delay In newt BILE expenditure seemed
10 ITEM rotfcnchment. To the miserable IN
mates 81 the almshOuse. however It meant in
Ten Sc uderin and o. one little hairless being IL
81 nc AZ a 10 ut
upon the steam pines Tor warmth. me ener
geu steward, Nj. Edwin lieVan'. a rye hearted
and thoroughly capaul' man. VINO has been m
charge bore for fuurte n Years made every ex-
orton IN bis power. Ly begging and borrowing
st. yes from people In all the country round
anlu1, 10 IN some me 'sure replace the steam
rad iatOrs; nut an he could do WIS sadly ino III
t.h,. me or pcuih" unucr MS care are very
thinly clad. ana their bedding has been barely
suMuent to keep them comfortable when their
rooms were hehcd. / m oe imagined. then,
how they suffered, both by day aud nigut, when
the Temperature in watch they had ~ live fell
suddenly g. avery little above zero.
Back Of the stew ru's looms. on one side Of
the main hall, Is a small clapel plainly nut neat.
ly furnished and ordinarily comfortable, but at
the time OF tie repor ers VISIT the snow " ich
h. d drilted between tie sashes, Law pied upon
the window stills. Beyond this re number OF
rooms occupied by women. some Of whom are
invaiids Others insane. and others fecbls through
age several being from % to % years old. In
tue hrst VI tn Sc optr.ments lay q woman
WHO Dec me mother on saturday night. The
onb heat here was hnOrded by an iron pot full
Of emoers ana ashes IN tue middle OF the floor
s..
camp ana emu as IN tomb. That poor
wuman's child froZa to death on the night VI is
hrtn-a sacrifice to the econonv OF Sussex
cnunty-aud ITS wretched mother bids fair to
fulow IL 70 the grave II some improvement; be
not speedily Effected IN her surroundings. Iu
The next room very old woman, Partially in
"n., ciouched over tin pan fun u ashes and
Goals, striving to warm her wrnkl, =, trem bling
hands. and moaning feeby to hers-u Three
other women. muEi ii IN rags, sat near her--sI-
lent. stohd. with despair in their hAegard faces
Slnli'r scenes were presented In other rooms,
f.All \ ftakk tIl .r.r.
wn,re hunters II women we're gathered to.
reh,r had chimneys in them; ana mere the
tuntl EFFORTS Oeen able to OBTAIN. were put w.
In the story above. where about forty Insane anu
ldiuuc men are kept, oil TIE windows were coat
rl 'nlohy Win zee; drops OF water thit mad
fallen uIou tue nOor were fro zen the beds were
u"inu' ana the uniortunAte men were tramping
10 anu fro like via beasts In their cages. en-
ueavorIng mechanically to Keep from freezing.
Here, of eouise, stoves would have been danger
uus, and the ash pan device quite impraciicaole.
In another department, wnere children old
enough to attend school are kept. an inenectu
I'll ri TO warm the rooms by stoves was being
III de. There were thirty-oDe Of these children,
from to years Of age. Tue window OF the
room IN which they were ealing dinner was
coated with Ice. and some OF the poor little crea-
ture, ices were linched and blue with the
were thirty more shyerng. wretcheu little chit
c'en, cfOwdDg about pans OF ashes and half
expired cmoers upon the floors. some crying dis
Hdi, dnd Others hiding their chilled little hands
aud blue noses IN the laps II tue ragged women
having them In care. Against the windows on
a. to cover more than half the lower sashes, aud
the hefce, driving wind forced the fine ic crys-
lAls through The chinks aud crinnles into tne
Cheeilrs- rooms. Numbers Of these chi dren
have 70 sleep on the floor for lack Of bedsteads.
Nursr SIN than all these, 50 far as the rooms
themselves were concerned. was the condition
Of the y rtnrnts occ - ed 10y the able bodied
II ale paupers In the loft Of the old frame shaniy
a. ming the almshouse he lower story was
ourn TO the storm, ami IT. eattn floor covered
above through chunks In the W liz So vide ih,t
a N II a. un hon I...
clih- 10 the walls where wafer mad leaked
through the shattered roof above. The plaster
d lien from the p4rti Ions, giving free
ur-e To the gusts 81 Wind that swept through
Tie rhe trless place. Oae room Only, tue largest,
Lad ~ II a small stove, about which We're
un"dci four single beds, three dOgiie beds.
a. thr'e benches, upon which men from the
t'hrr rooms take turns IN tha"ing out when
AN Il it9z "a Ia tnelr beds. lac smaller rooms,
wnlch arc ulon one side. are Only about three
let hlgh, lave each window consisting Of
l.Fce ."nes Of Glass, aud some Of tHc-e ptues
ire urokrn. In these miserable ap rimcu's are
qiArteied tw,nty.seNen men, VINO have alw IS
until BOW been industriou, and s-lf-suppnr.inr
iut are now here with tneir families, who and
b,,ii described -silmpl, because wo.k /, uuon-
tin,Lle one of these men said to steward
li'vans, as he was passing through with the
RS f.poih- Can you n9t spnre me another
10 death these nights
NO" lelieae Mr;, Bevans; II could not to
save my soul. Mrs. Beytns has been at work all
HaN cutting up and making over everything we
have 10 kee? the children and Old people warm,
slv We nave HOt en- ihgh even 10 do that
II at il-ht any way, Keep hem warm. II YOU
%. We are men, ami can stand 1t, but they
"uld not be allowed 10 suffer. We WIN man
Arr ~uiLch1w. If II sets too cold TO stay IN b., d.
~ can sct ~ .nS walk about" Such was the
o. IS RESPONSE { the pONr fellow, VINO wls ut
90 ili 4ri,ei win rays, ana whose teeth chat
I't"l win the cold as he spoke.
lhe "a'cr p'rgs And clio cts throughout the
he establishment are frozen. The cooking
l4.' inluAtcf 30 Llch used a be done by steam,
J. SOW performed ulon I Ian when - without
tN'it lowed ia a. other similar Institution
lN Ihc world. Forty baras from tie house. ia "A
j. To- ID Iiluw q great iron Kettle has be n set
% % IL rIde cpl &c Of rousn stones. Some
N+- panty break tho force Of tie wind, but
L. fe Is 30 rJuL Here, IN tue opcn ar. If the
r "a VIII permit, things are boiled Tor the
ili Glhucr q tue .paGpers Other a Gals they
M when They are lucky enough to re.
- ing - eat.
pp Dscember 20, Mr Dovlnl notified Mr. IIez-
'h.4' Nmlth, the pHncipl. member Of the irlo
81 100" intendent-, that there was not in tbs
VI I'D NrW iesrs morning. Mr. Smith viewed
tnr ifo ustt with placid indifference. lie had,
A' Nl' hi1crei some hOIr, which mad not yet
"ir h.i, ne lli not see what he was going to do
al. mt o.. New Yer, morning came the hour
h"" Nf nltfru tnf r. " ss not pound Of that
I'."s 'il article about the place, ana Mr.. Smith,
- "e i"l SAID, l.ll not see what ne was going to
u" ".nnt A. Ia TINT emergency, Mr.. BeVaus
t."h i"r re- l'i UNITY Of going to Newton, and
hmnoiAteli Ordered Temporary supply OF
trNri hnrris OF II nIr, a proceeding witch Mr.
EilIAll VI wed At,