The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-10-18

the guardians have power 10 treat blnRis
men only as tramps, but they occasionally
do illegallacts. The other day they refused
10 bury the child Of man who had been
out OF work for six months, aud he had u
Ibee the money from door 10 door. There
Iis one Intelligent old man, who quotes
freely from the standard authors,
who, when searched at the Hex.
ham yagrant ward, had penny
COPY OF The Merchant OF Venice In
his pocket, having bought 1t from COM
panion while trudging along from Work.
inston TO Hexh&m, where he hoped to
get work. This man has sold 100 volumes
OF books bought out OF his savings, In
order 10 get bread. He offered valuable
copy oil Homer few days ago, and last
week he sold TOR o shilling rare old
book, "Wotton on Learning" reply 10
Sir William Temple, who had written to
prove that the ancients were more learned
than the moderns. A year ago he was
offered El for this book; hunger com.
PEELED him to sell 1t for shilling, and
last night he slept In the Middlesbrough
tramp ward!
Altogether there are, should think,
about 5000 men, women, and Children
destitute In Middlesbrough. There is lit
tie or no furniture in the rooms In which
these poor creatures huddle. Poverty has
forced them to take the furniture 10 the
brokers, and also to part with every
available article OF wearing apparel. Daily
scores OF women and children wade about
In the slime in the river Tees in search oil
mussels and garbage. AS early as four
o'clock In the morning children, clad in
rags, are to be seen near the works, wait
ing for the men coming off the night
shift, in order TO beg any crust or other
scrap they may have left, which they
rayenously devour. To-day poor woman
with four children told the police magis.
trate she had had nothing to eat for three
days, and she knew not where to get any
thing; and one man assured me he had
forgotten the taste OF flesh food, and dared
not take any because he feared 1t would
make him III. Yesterday q man was found
in field near Middlesbrough dying OF
starvation. Food was given him, but he
yomited 1t and blood, and shortly after
died. A man has just informed me that
he has several times made broth Of second.
band bones for poor man who has been
i'll for long time. Some may urge that
intemperance has contributed 10 the ter.
rible state OF things existing. Perhaps it
has, but what working man, no matter
how careful he may have been, could
stand against being out Of work for one or
two yearsP The poor people who |
are destitute fed themselves as long
as they could, but now they have moth.
ing, and many OF them do not get meal
Of oatmeal a-day, There was considera.
BILE distress last winter before, and local
charity met II; but the distress Is now
more wide spread, all the people in town
are more or less poor, aud contributions
from all parts OF the country are needed.
The destitute have no wish to live on
charity; they do not even want 10 remain
in town, but ask to be sent out oil the
country-to America, where the iron trade
is prosperous and men are wanted, or to |
any OF the colonies where work can be
had. They express themselves willing %
adapt themselves to any kind Of work.
All they want is food, and that they can |
not get here. Yours respectfully,
AN EYE.wITSRss OF THE DISTRESS.
Middlesbrough, Sept. 10, 1879.
Commenting on the above, the american |
Iron end Steel Bulletin says:
The working men OF this country should |
consider that il British free trade were
established here wages would inevitably |
fall to the British level, and that, with the |
tierceness OF British compensation joined |
to home competition, employment would |
become so scarce that the distress OF one
year ago in the Eng ish iron town OF Mid
dlesbrongh would certainly be repeated
here. II our working men do not want TO
create this state OF affairs let them vote for
reliable protec,ionists Tor Congress.