The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-01-04
HORRIBLE, MOST HORRIBLE!


The news from New York grows
worse and worse. lhe damnable finan>
cial policy Of the money-sLarks is work
ing out results Of the most horrible kind
We quote q recent letter:
NEW YORK, December 26. Your
readers who pick up your paper to-day
little know the misery that is widely
spreading throughout the length and
breadth Of this great city. THERE ARE
ABSOLUTELY SCORES OF MEN,
WOMEN AND CHILDREN DYING
DAILY FROM STARVATION. The
business depression. Of course, is gene
raj; not one in twenty firms that are now
settling up their books will show that
expenses are paid but, such mistortunes
are magnifed into brilliant successes
when c1ntrasted with the abject poverty
Of the lower classes. There are $4,000
working people in New York to-day who
lie down Tonight in station houses, in
tenement houses, in cutters even, who
without crast to eat, saw the morn
dawn which brought the Christ child
into the world, but cannot tell where
the food for the day will como. from.
am not overetating this horrible truth
Tho great metropolis is one vast starving
pen.
Only to-nightin going among TIM poor
saw two wretched beggars fighting
like dogs, over what? Christmas toy?
No, muddy crust Of bread, and the
victor devoured il with the appetite Of q
famished animal. Further on mot an
old woman with hair streaming in the
wind and = ragged shawl tied around
her scanty shoulders, who begged. fol
Gods sake tor ten cents. to give four
children some bread for the first time
during the day. On getting it from 8
baker shop, with the speed Of q deer she
darted away without word Of thanks
Alas! the faces Of dying children were
in her eye. Again, an old man reeled
against me, catching himself against {
railing with q hoarse apology. / took
him BY the arm and looked him close II
in the face. There was no rum on hi
breath he was weak from starvation
it YOU could have seen him over q plate o
cakes and cup of coffee. you would no
have doubted that he had not eaten sine,
yesterday morning.
Again, before daylight this morning
two firemen brought senseless form
into one Of the drug stores and laid
upon the marble tiling. Face and hand
were Soot black. 1t was only poo
devil who had no home last night SO b.
crept into cellar to sleep. It took FIRE
and before the daylight had come wit
its hopelessness the sun Of the mex
world had slanted through the smok
which had suffocated him before he coal
be dragged ont. could not help bu
say ''thank God" when, iafter an hour
effort to resuscitate him, the doctor sal
it IS no use. Then went into numbe
OF the many coffee and cake saloon
peculiar 10 this city. There were il II
Iof them men vino drew up their Goa
collars to hide faces OF refinement, an,
who sneaked out for fear that their poy
erty might be recognized.
Many man Of education is to~da
counting the scantv dollars that ~
slowly dissipatiDg in this humble wa1
ten cents At . tune. and shuddering I
the gaunt spectre Of want that is shapin
itself 80 close to them Found browne
name unknown. $50 often gazetted in ii
Herald. means not unfrequently til
plunge of proud men who would nt
stoop to the degradation Of solicitIn
aims. Yes. good readers, as you dane
YOUR little ones around your gree
Christmas trees. as. your eyes spark
with the happiness of the natal day
; Christ, the black wing Of suffering
sweeping over thousands Of men her
and the bony little arms Of many, man
children are stretched out il vain /,
bread.
II There Is growing ont Of this almo
! phere : form that has not taken defini
Il shape. Il i more horrible ID conteu
! plate than any devil summoned by u
power of necromannv. Tne look n
; comes into many Wild eye porfeu,
J danger. Did you ever hsar of brc,