St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-01
Homes for the Poor.

Miss Octavia HilPs ''Organized work
among the poor" proves to be the one
lever by which order may he brought
ont of chaos. 1t is impossible to give a
full picture of her labors, but the main
features of her work will be understood,
we think, if we should suppose lady
of our acquaintance to buy one of the
worst dens at Five Points or in North
Street, and become the landlady of such
tenements, taking her chance of the
thieves and cut-throats who haunt these
localities. No gO-between is employed !;
the lady calls weekly for her own rents.
She gives no charity, but by her at
tempts to give the people work and to
further their welfare inspires confidence
in her sympathy.
This is Miss Hills plan, and the de-
tails of her success are worthy the pro-
found study of every man or woman
who desires to help the needy or I'M
fortunate.
Philadelphia is the paradise of work
ing men. That city seems to bear the
palm not only for comfortable tene-
ments, but for cooperative companies,
which work great advantage to the la
boring classes. Not one of the smallest
of the good ends achieved by the Cen
tennial Exhibition was more extended
knowledge of the humanity and wisdom
of Philadelphia in this particular. The
phrase "pOOr working man" is hardly
known in that favored city. Mr.. Josiah
Quincy, who has labored most earnestly
fol Il better condition OF the working
people, says he was long ignorant of
81, = Il, 4 III -
labOring men of Philadelphia, until he
discovered that there existed within its
limits five hundred loan and building
associations.
Apart from new tenement-houSes for
the poor, there was started in Boston,
as IL direct result of DR.. Bowditchs eff
forts, in April, 1872, the Boston Co
operative Building Company, in order
to ascertain, by some well-considered
experiments, by what methods, profit
able enough to be readily followed,
comfortable dwellings for working peo-
pie could be furnished in AMI near Bos-
ton. Three such experiments, namely,
the hiring, the buying, and the building
of tenement houses, have been entered
upon. Perhaps the most interesting act
the corpora alton has performed is the
hiring of place called the Crystal
Palace. This building was selected ''as
the abode of filth, robbery, drunken
ness, and prostitution. Under the rule
of the company the following excellent
results have been obtained The build
ing outside, instead of being disgrace
to the street 10y its filthy look, has
neat appearance. 1t has changed its
name, and now instead of the name of
contempt, Crystal Palace it is styled
the Lincoln Building. Before the cor
pOratiOn entered, riot, disorder, and ar
rests for drunkenness aud family brOils
were of constant occurrence. All is
now changed. The trade of the police
is virtually gone. The chief of the dis
trict reports that during two months he
heard of no complaints there. The
grOgshOp that had existed from the
time of the erection of the building was
swiftly swept away. A Hollytree Cof
fee House has taken its place. The
basement tenements were shut up i'm
mediately after the company took pos
session. Very large shafts have been
cut through all the floors, with ventila
tors above them, and rooms that have
never had light and air have now suf-
ticiency of both" -Hayper's Magasine
for February