New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-11

POVERTY AND sQUALOR IN NORFOLKST.
SIXTY cENTs DAY FOR GIVING YoU SHINE
THE MISERY THAT AN OLD MAN HAS SEEM
FOND RIcoLLEcTfoNs OF OLD IRELAnp.
Shine, sir; shine y
And the little fellow dropped his knees, gave
his brush o preparatory wipe across his grmy
palms and rubbed away till the big drops slowly
channolled their way through the layers OF art
upon his face.
WHAT'S the state of trade ~
HIS tattered hat dropped INTO the gutter as he
looked up in astoDishment hen ms wlue mouth
expanded in grin That showed his tooacco-stained
teeth He rolled his quid over TO the other side OF
ms mouth and said nothing.
How much do you make dayY"
well sir. good days. l makes go cents some
days don't get more nor 80 cents stays round
the Court House and gets jobs mere"
That's what you live on. IS itf"
81 takes what / makes home. sir"
"Who is there at home 7"
" Ne old grandfather an graninother"
amt your father and mother hvlngf"
The brush Piled with angry energy, and ne
was silent for a moment. At last he spoke snienly
aud reluctantly, and there was the ring or Ditter
shame In his tone.
Il dunno, Sir" - -.
Would you like to make 60 cents without work
"You bet would"
Take ME around TO your home with YOU. then"
The look of eager expectancy faded from his face.
20. lives good enough" he sald haii de-
family. There amt nothing to see"
"Weu, Just as you like. Only remember you
can't money any easier.
Take HIM up, JIM whispered an interested
comrade who had been eagerly listening.
Come on then, if you want TO-"
Along sidewalks crowded WIN f women rrd dnr
meath hoop skirts and secondhand Clothes dang
ling from above and Suggesting helpless sniciu.s,
aud collapsed pies seemed appealingto be put cut OF
sigh, elbOwed by Italians. Hebrews ana Chinanen,
until Norfolk-st. was reached; Turning down Nor
folk st, two or three blocks from Grand-St'
Jimmie" stopped m
!" Here we are" he said "they calls this Pig
Alley" ,,,
A dark foul-smelling alleyway led into little
dark courtyard, surrounded by lofty tenement
houses that were literally overlooking with human
beings A network of clOthes-lines was stretched
across above, and Tapping tattered garments cut on
all view Of the sky Biear-eyed, halt-dIeSsed
women were collected IN groups on the broken paw
ngStones of the yard, or were gathered around tue
dIlapidated pump. In one corner was narrow
lane across which the houses leaned until they
seemed almost to touch. Little iron BALCONIES con;
tanned barrels of refuse, among winch here and
tnere could be seen pot of struggling nOWerS or
few sickiy green leaves.
Jimmie went straight across the COURTYARD, and
entering an open door began to climb hight oil
crazy stairs. One instinctiVely shTank from con
tact with tho begrmed walls Ponderous locks
on the doors that were passed showed that the III
mates were not without suspicious OF their neigh
bOrs. Three flights were climbed, aud Jimmie
stopped. .4.,
An Old man was slowly making his way through
piles OF bedding, broken chairs and hrewood that
were heaped together in an inner room. his long
white hair and face scanned with thousand
wrinkles gave him the appearance OF extreme age
His clothing In tatters and his open SHIRT
showed his shrunken neck and chest
This gentleman wants to see whether we lives
healthy" said jimmie.
bow - It's sorry am the place isn't natter, point
ing 10 some greasy bones on the table and the ashes
heaped underneath the broken stove Place to SIT
"Oh. we gets along pretty WELL" he said, in
answer to question. - er see, we pays 81 %
month for these rooms, and 1t costs lis about four or
five dollars week to live uset to he co6bler,
sur. but Pm gittn' old, and can't get 10 work TO
do now. Me an me woman llyes here. ana Jimmie
gets about $4 a week each OF them. ana they've
good boys
Jimmie hung his head and chewed his guild with
redOubed vigor at this praise.
Then jimmie has an aunt that works in store
an brings something. Yis lbs pretty hot here.
an there aln't much air. We sleeps inside there,
an Jimmie an his brother makes up bed on the
floor. It's hard gettin' any money ahead. for we
out much for things to ate, though Fm told the
gentleman as OWLS this house ilyes III an elegant
place out in the country. lie nivcr comes here"
looking around at the broken windows anC black
encd crazy walls.
''Weli, you are better off than the people have
been ia ireland"
"Yis, we are; but over there they've moi had the
time chat | reminder, was there at the great
famine in 81 There's lots Of good land over there,
but the people don't get the chance to work it, an
sometimes they won't An their landlords niver
comes near 'em nor does for ZEN. When was there,
there was food as well famine Pve seen the
very dogs drowned in the streets an pigs dead in
their sites an Eve seen hungry people ate thin
droundd pigs I've seen little children starving
at their mothers breast, an the mothers powers to
help 'em. An l've seen men sitting without movin'
for hours in the of their huts strong min an
all they could do was to look an see their wives
an children die. 1t terrible TO see the little
craythurs beggin' their parents for some thin to
ate an the people dyn' by the dozen. No, they've
not known the times IN Ireland that they had thin.
But Pd like to go back to the ould country.
though me irinds are dead. Pm very old man
now but Pd like to see Ireland once more; an
whin die Pa like my bones laid beside me relatives
in he ould parishu