The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-19
Heart-MoVing Scenes in Their
Humble Homes.
SAVING THE CHILDREN
Nhere the Charitable Could BsStOW Help
with Profit.

pund in this district, although there we're also con-
siderable number OF houses comparatively we'll kept
rne district is bounded by Chatham and Division
streets the west, ana by James, Cherry and Mar
ket the other SIDES thus taking in various
biasses Of buildings among which are the overgrown
modern tenement house, tho tumble down old man
zion degraded 10. tho basest use, sailors boarding
houses rcketty two story houses, hardly better
han sh,nIics The boiling heat OF the day, almost
uncomfortable in tho broader and cooler streets OF
HE city, seemed deadly, and as the sun mounted
higher, until at midday ,here were lew shadows
10 DO found the sidewalk, tho air seemed lie
less and tho stewing nlIh in The streets ana cutters
rave forth noisome doors that seemed Ike whins oil
perdon. And all through tho district tho children
played around the cutters and sidewalks IN merry
yroups shouting with slee treasures OF rotten
fruit and careless OF the heat, while their mothers
we're busy over 5roiling hot Hres IN little rooms,
through which breeze ever blow. Here and
there group OF and men could be seen, tagged
put with the heat, sitting on some shady doorstep
doing nothing but they seemed 10 suffer no less than
those work. Two OF the happiest children 10 BIO
found any where In tho city were just aividing an
enormous green picked cucumber and preparing to
enjoy IL. Another child, six years old was eating
large piece OF cocoanut, ard dozen or more were seen
with hali-decayed peaches and bananas.
HELPING.
Yesterday IS tour was through Oak street from
James 10 Chatham and finished at No. 80 Catherine
street. Oak street, on the part named is filed with
all sorts oil houses most OF them very DID, some OF
them apparently very handsome when built. and
few OF them ave story tenement houses OF the cheap
est kind, built on the usual plan, but containing
..apartmsntsn OF only two rooms as rule. "a room
ana bedr Dom" is much most OF the families OF
this eighborhood afford to occupy. The first
room entered seemed 10 be full OF children, but
closer look and careful count showed that shere
we're only eight. Seven OF these were the OFFSPRING
Of the ono who lives there, and whose husband
dtca few months leaving her 10 care fer the
little ones. Her oldest is boy not yet thin
socn ,ears old her youngest Was four
months old when she was left widow She
tcld in very few words how she worked for
food for tho onss. and che had managed TO
provide for her rent by taking child TO nurse This
babe was at her breast she talked, and her own
not yet weaned, was umbirg about the floor in play
With It's brothers and sisters. Two rooms composed
sbe home and from appearances tho mother could
ind no clean anything or ever 10 put things
70 rights. Yet she made no complaint, nor did she
ask any aid but she said ws,fully thai she would
like 10 hud some work tor her oldest boy 20 do
In a smaller and cleaner houso q little further along
the street found room continuing large bed
stead, with poor thin bed upon It, acookiug stove
burning nercoiy, a Table and a few chairs, while
through an open door could DO seen innor room
mother and four children the youngest OF which was
sick baby The grand moth was sowing, the mother
washing and a four-y ear-old girl was scrubbing
inc door Things were disordcriy, but clean as
sbcy could he kept, ana the mother who had no
when shc the strangers, formaIity that lew
OF her ncghbors complied with. Careful directions
gwen to the diet OF the chiid aud from the
mothers eager listening, well as from what she
told the OF ,he enid. II was evident that moth
band is out OF work, and / cant got much TO my
SELF 80 don't know whether can get tho medicine
said. when the Doctor gave Dor prescription. at
viii only be few pennits" said he, handing her np
excursion ticket and s,ppinga lHtle silver on tho
table, and icrvcnt "God bless you Doctor" was his
oBsrnucrrNG WORK.
In this con ucc, IL should be said That . certain
difficulty exists the way OF the work OF tho ply
scans appointed by the Board OF Health 10 v's. tho
poor chidrcD, and that this difficulty seems by no
means crediiable TO all concerned Tho poor people
mem be rcd, not Ueggars, but those who sought
put their homes ana helped because they deserve
and need help; ye. when they go as people OF Their
lain tho medicines ordered thoy arc tod that sucn
prescriptions arc not nied free OF charge. The req
son OF this DO certain iosiing OF jealousy
or rivalry, which does not amount 10 active oppos,-
lion, but which Induces the managers Of
the dispoosares To refuse TO cooperate with
sbc Board OF Health. 1t Is, however, pleasant
to DO able TO shy that some Of the drug
gis, knowing tho character OF the work and sympa-
in,s,ng WIN It. have volunteered 70 ri inc prescr,p.
price, and even for nothing II The patients
bring tbeir owl bottles "rhe coiored Doctor" no
"a called. whose store on Frankfort street Is VOL
Known when he learned OF she dncuty, sald "if The
c,ty can afford send doctors around can AFFORD
10 give the medlcIucu and he told DIR. Bruce send
his patients his store and TELL them 10 bring thor
In an upper room in No. 80 Cherry street were two
women, washing clothes, with as Tow garments on rs
oeoency would permit. ANY SICK ehnanet, Is IL
typed question. 'Yis, me lttle wan there 10 SICK"
pes~nce cofroeols,ea her woras. ..sa. she's good
dale bcner now Doetber, from the physc ye gave nor
the time before" Gould you take her excursion
Eed
bless yc, s,r" "And that your child, tooy" point-
log 10 a girl ABOUT nine ycars Old yes SIR; they
BEES both NINE but don't take no interest IN the
suder wan, along o. the little wan" And she bent
most extraordinary look on her Oldest child IL
seemed olcnt OF pIque and dislike But the little ono
only laughed ana pecpcd shyIy at tho strangers from
bcnind The next house was very Old ana The
walls were broken and scaling of, while tns'wood-
work looked " IL soake with grease and nth.
Sive families had two rooms e'cn IN tns house, and
feet acsp In which privy. Nobody here WINS
sieK, though seemed wonderful that any should be
alive, stencn from Nth garbage scattered
sround was frighttuI, ana there was no Ventilation
excepting through the lower hal wnen breeze blow
now THE POOR LIVE
No. 80 proved to be large tenement house, with .
liquor store on the ground moor here we're rooms
Tor eleven iamiies, aud only ,nrec rooms anu bed
rooms were vacant The house was soaked In nth,
ana smell ia the halls made even The writer SICK,
tbough he Is we'll to such places Yet the people
seemed we'll and tue children were p'ump aud hearty.
In No. as In an upper room, wbsre was not even a
bedroom, bu, two families lived together IN one room,
lncro SICK child. La the TWO ismiiics were one
three women and thfec children Tho man WIS
looking Tor work, and vile caring Tor the
nule ones we'll abe knew how, probably
rhe head other family, woman,
was working out whnc her little baby
sared for by her sister. "Sbe nurses the baby
night anu morning aud give II the bottle IN tue asy
said the sister. "ilow Old Is IL 7" 1.-TWO months"
There was terrible ignorapcs 10 encounter here but
inc Doctor made hts directions MS plain as possible
and gave ticket as tho pest med cine no
had The other woman begged hard Tor ticko' but
iss Doctor only had few aud had 20 keep them Tor
tho rlck cnildren. II took this little fellow year
gou she said, pointing 10 handsome, cbuo0y boy,
wbvse lace almost dirty ss the floor, waich had
svtueptly never been washcJ. ''Hs was sick then"
she continued 'and hadn't eaten anything Tor three
weeks aud after took him | couldn't keep tho hon.
ipy IRON mouth. Hos never been SICK
p,nce" me boys lace and chubby form boro witness
10 his good health, though II was one oil the many
marvellous OF children Keeping well and strong
Dr. iouI nepbc air that would XIII adult uscu TO n
ourer atmvsphcre In No So there no sick chill