The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-12
Presented by the
Schoharie County Bible Society.
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
81 suppose when the good people Of your county
gave this Bible they thought they had done quite
enough?" remarked. 'Are there charitable
ladies in tho county who could organize society
mates OF this house? DO they mover make up boxes
OF books Tor the benefit of these poor peope!'
"Ihere may be such kind hearted persons, but
they mover do that"
Are there no boxes at the railway station for the
collection Of such materialT'
.IIow large proportion of your people can
read?"
~ don't wonder, then, that they lose such faith
in God and man that they decline to read even the
Bible. How long has Mister Farrell been hereY'
"About three years. He docs all the tailor work
for the institution and is very useful man."
Meanwhile "Mr" Farrell had risen, and with his
eyes on tho floor walked to and fro across the room.
He regarded the visitor with some suspicion. and
would not answer single question put to him. In
only poorhouse in all New York where saw o sew.
ing mac hine. owned by the county.
ALL WAITING TO DIE.
In tho next room which was destitute Of even o
table, four beds-mero board affairs, the top
OF which was thrown straw tick. In it were found
four women three OF them quite old, and one,
cured up in bed, just vergng into middle aye. The
air in the sitting. and Ill sorts OF Nth sat
establishment were reasonably clean. but the beds
and the clothes upon them were enough to produce
yellow fever in the frigid zone.
at room No. 8 tho sumo state of affairs was discov.
cred. Eight men were expected to occupy four OF
m poee ist
who is only tenant by courtesy for few hours il
decidedly superior, Here. however. these old people
arc huddled together tor years-for nfe-not boz
cause they criminals debauchees. but because
they longer able to struggle for existence.
Therefore, IL appeared they were not here to live.
but to die; and while this thought was my mind
looked out through the window into the rear and.
noticing square white building. about the size OF
o smoke house. asked what it was used for.
'.Is LIFE WORTH LIvIN6r
''That Is tho dead house, !" was tho reply. when
hDdy ia tax and vnre nrad
And as tho keeper uttered these words the old men
looked OF tho window ut the dead house they
had seen so often. But heard sigh. and
ton Of tho most tGriisg kind As fingered for
brief interval behind my guide tho bowed and shaky
shadow Of man came close to me. and. as he nodded
his head in the direction of the mortuary. said,
slowly and with apparent effort:-
at is pity to live. but our excuse is that it's more
terrible 10 did,
RESPECT FOR AGE AND SEX.
In room No. 4 u strange group was found. Still
the same kind cots; still the horrible mat
tresses. There were Ave or six men in the room,
and seated in the only chair, was miserable old
woman. wasted away and blinf OF ono eye. She wore
and her only other garment appeared to be calico
dress. AS l entered she looked up eagerly and
said: s.
"Oh. sir. be you doctor? There il something the
matter with my poor old head
told her, as kindly as could. that knew naught
about medicine. and on inquiry learned that she was
in the imbccility OF second childhood.
SOCIAL STUDY.
Ascending to the second floor most interesting
found. The door divided like the ono
below. only that the corridor along the rear of
the building. There were only four rooms. but
their occupants worthy of careful study, pre-
sentng rs thoy did the bost and worst phases of
county. dcscendants Of the lower class of
the first settlers and the gypsies who thea
inhabited THE, the valley during the summer
until political incident gave them ono.
There was. ''oncc upon time Lieutenant Gov
|
fierce public speeches. in which he appealed to the
proetariat for thor votes. His public had
r me 50 that MS Were
Many fierce broils and lifelong feuds grow out of
that campaign. and before long not few of the
'Slaughters'' had earned legal and grammatical
title to their name. As time passed aud the rail
ways came. people in the other parts OF this
great State forgot their aninosies and with their
hatred the opprobrous opithet OF ''Slaughters dis
appeared. Not so, however in tho schoharie Valley.
The man In Pennsylvania who is still voting for
Andrew Jackson would feel Mt home in this region
Here are the best hatcrs In tho United States. Any
man belonging to the pure hoods VINO would so
far forget his pfous raising M to treat
equal would lose caste ut once
mo HOPE roR sLAuaHrEns."
Tho result has been that the s'Slauuhtors.' moor
and iltorate 10 begin with. have sunk lowor year
by year in the social scale until county has had
to provide for great many OF them at Mr. Spickcr-
mans. II has been long and bitter quarrel and IN
this last form OF revenge the people OF "the blue
Dsooa aro exercising their power even to the edge
coffee diet at the amshouse clearly In that II In good
enough Tor "slaughters;" tho trodden graveyard is
and pestiferous old building is good enough for
"saughters!' And for the sake Of their con-
sciences, VIC Will grant that they speak the truth.
FIGURE or FATE.
But We arc now standing by tho side of a woman
who belongs not to that class, but whose head was
once as high as any In tho county. The room she
occupies Ia at the left of the andingway at the top
of the stairs. Immediately the apartment is entered
II Is clear that wa have to doal with woman who
has once known homo and its comforts. Boxes
hlcd with earth aud placed at each OF the windows
contain plants which attempt to bloom
in this bleak place. Upon q chair over strip
OF carpet. noar one OF tho windows sits
woman of probably forty years. She IL piecina
aquilt sewing with only ono hand by pinning her
work to her lap. Sho wears neatly fitting dress OF
some dark wooen stun. Her manner Is frank and
ladylike No ono can help being struck with APP
pcaraice. In u few brief words, without any Ia
MEETINGS attempts at creating sympathy she tells
her story. by gradual stops, struggling to tho
last, fate has pushed her into tho aims
house and to tho verge OF pauper's grave I
intended to print her name. but conclude that
I, least, spare her this additional humiliation
Her case IL so well known that any man or woman
in the village of Schoharic tell tho tale and rive
more facts than have been abo to gather. ono
like this in county should put an end TO
public indifference. III any young artist is In want
OF model for u figure of Fate let him NO to scho-