The New York herald., 1878-11-11
THE ROAD TO RUIN.
From Iniquity to Bellevue HOspital---to
BlackwelrS ISland---tO He'll.
CRIMES RESERVE CORPS
God Pity the Regiments Of News
boys and Bootblacks.

preached the nItn OF MS series OF sermons on tiie
night side of city life. Among the listeners Gov
ernor Bishop, of Ohio. The usual programme of
hymns and solos was carried out. with Mr.. Morgan
at the organ and Arbuckle playing the cornet. The
hymn just before the sermon one which had been
sung at the opening of the House of Representatives
during President Lincolns administration and which
had excited the admiration Of Mr. Lincoln much
that he wrote note to of the gentlemen present.
saying:-"Try and have that sung again. but do not
say that asked you" After referring pleasantly to
this episode DR.. Talmage began his sermon, taking
the text from Proverbs K, 15-"The destruction of
the poor is their poverty"
PULprTs WHO FEAR THE PEW.
On island nine miles long by two and half wide,
said Mr.. Talmage. stands the largest city of the
United States. mghest for virtue and for sin. Be-
fore get through shall it's midnoon of mag
nihcent progress and philanthropy well its
midnight of sin and crime. Both stories must be
told. Before get through with these sermons shall
make you all smile at the things shall say about the
grandeur and beneSence Of this cluster of Cities but
my work now is excavation and exposure. have
much amusement as any man Of my profession
afford to indulge in at any one time in seeing some
of the clerical reformers of this day mount their
charger dig in their spurs and with gttering lance
dash down upon the iniquities of cities that have
been three four thousand years dead. They will
corner an old sinner of twenty thirty centuries
ago and scalp him, and hang him. and cut him to
pieces, and then say:-"Oh, what great things have
been done!" With amazing prowess they throw sui
phur at Sodom, and fire at Gomorrah, and worms at
Herod and pitch Jezabel off the wall but they wipe
OFF their gold spectaces, ana put their best kid
gloves. and unroll their morocco covered sermons
and look bashul when they begin to speak about the
sins Of day. as though it were shame to mention
them. The hypocrites! They afraid of the lib
eitines or those in their churches who drink too
much. Better. say. clear out all audiences,
from pulpit to storm door, until is left but
the sexton and he waiting merely to lock up laugh
teri than to have the pulpit afraid Of the pew. One
thing like about big church is that if dozen peo-
PIE get mad go out you don't know they are gone
till the next year. Haughter.)
THE POLICE LANTERN.
unroll the scroll of new revelations. With city
missionaries and the police have seen some things
that have not yet mentioned The night of which
spoke is darker than any other 1t Is the long, Deep
exhaustive night of city pauperism. I'VE will want
no carriage for tonight" said my police attendants
"a carriage would be hindrance where going"
So, at eight o'clock we started foot and walked
through the lanes Of poverty and crime. Everything
was revolving to eye and and nostril- UNIV ashed
uncombed the population, unventilated the
Three midnights overlapping the darkness of each
other midnight in the natural world. midnight of
crime, midnight of pauperism Streets oozing with
nlth inhabitants vermin covered They had gone
nne-tenths Of the way toward their final
DOOM They started in unhappy homes either
in city or country. They entered iniquity
far uptown in the shambles Of death within ten
minutes walk Of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and came
gradually on down to the Fourth ward. When they
move out of here they will go to Bellevue Hospital
J.1Ir
from Bellevue Hospital. they will n-oo-v-e to Black
wells Island. When they m-oo-ve from Blackwell's
Island they will m-oo-ve to the Potters Field And
when they m-o-o-ve from the Potter's Field, they
will m-o-o-ve into hell
EVILS OF THE TENEMENT HOUSE SYSTEM
Let the policeman go ahead and fash his lantern upon
The scene. Fourteen people asleep in this one rooni
Or trying to get asleep. some on a few handfuls Of
straw, but more the bare floor with neither ban-
pillow. You say this is exceptional 1t is not
Thus sleep night by night. with better comfort
10000 families who live in tenement houses of greater
Or less squalor No reformation of our cities until this
terrible tenement house system is broken up. The
city authorities must buy farms where these people
by force of law be placed and made to work. by
strong arm and police lanterns united with Christian
bcnefcence. these horrors must be exposed and
shen uprooted. These mcndicsnts must be made the
means of city wealth instead Of city putrefacton No
publication or reformation for the city until some-
thing like the privacy and sccluson of the home
.ircle be given to every family As long they herd
together like beasts they will be beasts.
AN OASIS CHRISTIAN HOPE.
Suddenly we heard loud Christian song rolling
out through the storm. We hastencd to window
pie. Of them weeping. some singing,
some standing some kneeling. some shaking
teir hands fV IN ef as sScnsh mourning % Wnste
life. What was It? Jerry McAulcys glorious Chris
tian mission: snatched himself arom the edges of
death there he stands III the strength Of God snatch
Ing others from ruin. That was scene worth all
the fatgues and nausea of the midnight exploration
How much paupcrism by the fash OF the
police lantern! How much more VIC did not see
How much more eye but Gods will ever take I'M
Think IT, 100000 dodgers every year in the station
housesl And what pathos in the thought that whole
families turned out of doors because they pay
their rent must tumble in here for shclter-the re-
for decency and good name Hung helpless Ia the
oathsome pool. innocent childhood and vicious old
age, Gods poor and Satans desperadoesl
At my basement door we have average of 100
-as day seeking aims In my reception room every
day have applications for help that an old style
silken purse gathered by ring in the middle aud
with vanderbilts wealth in ono side and William
u. Astors wealth in the other could not satisfy.
uaughter.) refer 70 these mems wealth while liv-
ing. We have more money than they have since
they have their shroud but even the shroud and
the grave we fnd are 70 be C. contested for; @ curse
Applause.) Out OF population OF 1,O00.oo0 people
Of New York 100000 people are helped by charity,
manic boards Iwoud to God that might throw
,cmbshel OF arousal into every City Hall. meeting
aouse and cathedral on this continent.
THE MILL GOES ON.
Tho factories at Fall River and Lowell have some
lines stopped for lack OF demand or lack of work
men, but the great factory OF sin
on by day and night year after year. without sacken
ny band or arresting spindle. Its great wheel IL
turned by Hood not like that of the Merrimac the
connecticut. but by a crimson food poured forth
rom the groggcrics and the drinking saloons and the
VINE win cellars OF the land and the faster these floods
roll the faster the wheel turns and the band OF the
wheel Is woven out OF broken hcartstrings, and at
every turn thereof there pours out az the mouth Of
the iron mill crushed fortunes, desolated homes,
squalor and mentcancy and crime. domestic and
municipal, and national woe. And the creakinp and
the runbling OF the wheels the shreks and groans
OF men and women lost for two worlds and the cry s
Bring on more regulations. more homes more for
tunes, more cities for the grst OF this stupendous
mill"
But you say Those mills Of death will after while
from lack of material" MOI sec Nv tbe roii,c
lantern into the iuture IN this cluster 81 cities are
i5.yJ0 barofootod homeless children OF tho streets
They the corps of those that are "a come