The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-03-19
Our New York Letter.
Hard Fimes-ldiers and the Cause Of
Them-Taking to the woods-The Ways
OF New York Charity.
NEW YORK, March N. 1879

Is concomitant of the season OF Lent. Bot the
dullness just now seems moro dense, more all per-
vading than it ever was before there is no life,
no animation anywhere. There are plenty of
people moving too and fro all the while; Il is
natural there should be in a populous city; but
they saunter along In q listless and incouse-
queHt sort of way, quite in contrast with. the
| brisk, eager fashion in which they hurry on,
| when they have work In hand that their hearty
l are set upon.
Then there is the procession Of idlers, always
large, bat at present greatly in excess Of its or.
dinary proportions. There is no mistakiue the
look of hopelessness that repeated disappoint-
| ments have fixed 10 liGes upon their faces.
Tney have been bred to city life, know moth
Ing OF any harder occupation, and are hindered
by omestic ties or lacx of means or happiness
from searching for homes, where nature pours
forth abundant treasures. to all who seek them
from her generous and exhaustless store. They
subsist as long as they can on the odds aud ends
remaining from the earnings Of more prosper
GUS days; then they levy contributions upon
their kinfolk and acquaintsnces, till that
source OF supply fails and after that they dis
appear and are neither seen nor heard Of any
more.
That was an admirable recommendation OF
Horace Greeley's: "Go West, young man, 90
Westl" At the time he uttered it be was In his
best estate; the cauker of political aspiration
had not eaten the heart ont of him; be was
rough, unconth and not in the slightest degree
considerate of the feelings Of those he aesoc ated
With, but be bad good deal of humanity and
There was sincerity and honesty about his
downright manner of expressing himself that
made his sharp sayings rather acceptable than
otherwise. always like to remember the
great editor as he was in his moral prime before
the frenzy of. ambition took absolute DOS
session OF him and changed him so completely
that be lost all semblance of his former SELF
linen he was power and his newspaper was
an educator of the psople, that did q great
deal 10 preparing the way for the political re-
generation of the Republic which began With
Lincoln and was consummated BY Grant.
But this is an unprsmeditated depression.
Inc advice to young men to migrate from
crowded cities to fertile plains has always been
sound; to day it is more opposite than ever; IL
may be wisely followed by men who have pro-
gresssed considerable distance beyond the
period OF adolescence. Such as have good
health and whom the vicsstudss of commerce.
have jostled out of the line of m arch, have a
much better chance Of recruiting their fortunes
by the spade and plough than by the yard stick
and scissors. The business they have been
thrown out Of has been so hogely overdone,
that it is often merely question of whether
the loss OF the further prosecution of il shall
fall upon themselves or upon their creditors:
the business they will dud on the prairies will
thrive so long as the human race endures
have an idea that the best investment a
benevolent person of wealth could make would
be the endowment Of an Institution for the
promotion OF the migration Of unemployed
dwelers In cities to eligible agricultural points;
there is room enough in Texas alone for ten
times as many as need to be sent off. Their
remaining where they can ind nothing to do is
not only hardship to themselves but 1t isa
serious burden on their freads. They have to
be supported by somebody aud the aggregate
tax levied for their maintenance Is extremely
onerous. 1t may be said to be voluntary. but
it is so in name far more than in reality.
When one encounters an old friend who has
been in circumstances OF Independence, possi-
bly, sfiuence-wnose hospitalities he may per-
chance some time have partaken Oft Is not
merely difficult, it is impossible to refuse him
the assistance he asks. You respect his feel
ings sufficiently to acquiescs t,citly In the
little fiction to which he resorts to cover the
humiliation you know he feels at having to
appeal to your bounty, aud let him call IL
loan, and even name q day on which he pro-
poses to repay it, If it is any relief to his pride
to go that far, although you are aware all the
while, and he is perfectly conscious that you are
aware that he has no expectation Of being able
to return you your money. These things are
occurring constantly and to an extent that con.
stitntes an embarrassing drain upou the msans
OF those who are merely comfortably off aud
do not much mora than m AXE 9TH ends inset.
tits this class that Invariably undergo the great
est exactions for all benevolent and charitable
objects. Whenever subscription paper is go
ing the rounds the man worth q million will
subscribe hundred dollars-that is il anythiny
can bs wrung out Of him by urgent importu-
nity-generally, when man gets to that point
OF wealth what he calls his heart has become
so shriveled by avarice that he wouli rather
endure the reproach Of being niggardly than to
part with dollar-but at any.rate q hundred
is all that is ever expected Of him His neigh
Dor worth hundred thousand will be more
likely to give the same amount than less; at
any rate he will put dowa fifty dollars which
is five times as much in proportion. That is
the history of nine tenths Of the voluntary
charity of New York. 1t bears hardest upon
citizsns whose fortunes ara moderate, whose
style of living is simple, aud who spsnd great
deal more relatively for others than they do
for themselves.
do not wish to be understood as represent
ing that all the very rich inhabitants Of New
York are inordinately penurous. Neither do
assert or assume the right of anybody to die
tate how aud in what measure bounties of any
sort shall bs conferred. 1 am merely citing q
Fact which will be patent to the observer who
accords the matter moments reflection, to
wit. that those who give out OF moderate store
are much larger givers pro rata than those
whose sffiaence deprives them of any opportu-
uity to practice the virtue Of self-denial. Its
fitting that word should be said in compli-
ment to this very large number Of our fellow
citizens at this juncture, for 1t is upon them
mainly that the expense OF maintaining the
unemployed devolves.
What makes penury in New York so pecu.
liary distressing to witness Is its close juxtapo-
sition with opuleDce. The contrasts appear
everywhere and in every way. The millionaire
and the pepniless man meet each other day by
day. 1t has not infrequently happened that
the whirligig of time has led to their changing
places. There are thousands of men iu New
York who have been extremely poor and are
superabundantlg rich; there are quite as
mauy-I fear me far more-who were, or
thought they were the possessors of ample for
tunes aud to-day are on the verge of destitution
if not act ually over the lire.
There are many noteworthy examples of mu.
nifcence among the af1 aent residents Of the
metropolis. Recently a widow lady quietly be-
slowed the sum Of 100000 for the enlarge
ment and Improvement of the New York
Hospital. She i, the possessor of several
millions, has NO children, her husband died q
short time ago and this donation will be apt to
be construed as an indication Of the purpose
of diverting considerable part of her great
possessions 10 objects of Ike nature. The