The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-07-29
Our New York Letter.


Our New York Letter.
Regular correspondence of ADVOCATE.
NEw YoRW, July rs, 1882.
SIDEWALK swARMs.
l had occasion on the evening of one
of the scorching days of last week to take
a business trip to the East Not as far
to "the East" as Asia Minor, although l
found myself surrounded by "Greeks," :"
nor yet to the banks of the Nile, although
there were plenty of fstreet Arabs. 1t was
only over on the east side of town, which
is as much of an unknown land to the
resiUents along the central ridge of th 2
city, as the head-waters of the Amazon.
l was first amazed, then amused, then
annoyed, and then interested in the side
walk population which l encountered
Everybody seemed to be on the side
walks, or at open doors and windows. and
so many children TO the block, never
saw before. Children of all ages, colors
aud sexes (for there were some who SEEM
ed to be neither wholly boys or girls but
a compound of both) children dirty, rag
ged and vile, children decent and clean,
children weak, and children lusty, chill
dren of ten carrying other children of two.
children playing hop-scotch, tag, soldier
and prize-fghting, children paving over
the cutters for bits of decayed lemon,
thrown out of the saloons, and children
smoking stumps of cigars, likewise found
in the refuse heap, and every mothers
son & daughter of the crowd talking sing
ing, screaming, crying or quarreling at
the top of his or her infantile voice. The
sidewalks were almost impossible, and
the din was terrific. Babies. clothed in
innocence and a single garment, sprawled
and rolled on the hot pavements, and
scautily-clad mothers famed themselves
on the door steps, Looking into the dark
narrow hall ways Of the houses, whence
the horde had swarmed, l wondered, not
that so many should die in the tenement
house districts, but that so many should
live. Considering the sitting rooms in
which families are packed like sardines
in a box, was no longer impatient with
the screaming children who blocked my
way. Poor things. their only salvation
lies in getting out into the air, even
though that air is quivering with mid
summer heat.
THE DEATH RATE
for the past two weeks has been alarming
In the week ending on the 18th the deaths
in the city numbered 1884, and in the
following week 1926. OF the first 629,
and of the last CID were in houses con.
tanning four or more families. In each
week 371 children under years of age
died from causes generally classed at
summer complaints" caused or aggra
waited by want of proper food, attention
and air. Now, think of the hot, sitting
wretched rooms in which most of those
37l children fought for time, agaips
pain, sickness and death; think of tn,
thousands of poor, half-starved waits, who
never saw the beauty of field of waving
corn or golden grain, never saw an applt
on tree, or berry on bush, or flow
er springing from the ground, and thel
in the name of common humanity thanl
God for the
TRIBUNE FRESH AIR FUND
which is doing one of the kindest ant
best works ever conceived and put int
execution. Inaugurated by the Editor O
the TRIBUNE, and supported by volun
tary subscriptions, the object of the fun
is to gather up selected parties of thes
poor children and, through previous al
rangements with good friends in tn
country, take them for two weeks at
time, away from the city, to the heart {
the fields, woods aud mountains, or dow
by the sea for glorious frolic, in sue
healthful air as they never breathed b.
fore. As it would be msnifestly impoi
sible to take all the poor children OF Ne
York, the aim is to gather up those wh
are weak aud puny, but yet, able to /
moved. Careful men and women 90 wit
, them to take care of them and to distril
ute them among the farmers families, WI
have agreed to receive and care for thel
Inrino, tba fuo Ua.Go
! A party of 465 of these boys and girl
who, two weeks before, were sent up
' the villages and farms lying betwet
Lake Champluin and the Adirondack
, returned to the city on Saturday las
chartered for the purpose. The chanl
which the two weeks had made was wo
n derful. In place of the weary worn, ha
a gered forms vino set out fortnight ag
. there were keen, brown-skinned, ros
8 checked youngsters, full of spirit and
: wonderful stories of their experience
and almost every boy or girl with che
# ished souveniers OF the happy vacatio
l. One had a squirrel, another pair of pi
~ cons, third, two chickens. while bal
of pop. com, bundles of new clothes, pi
ture books and boxes of toothsome cou
n try delicacits S, attested the heartiness wi
A which the kind entertainers had bid the
4 goodbye and God-speed. More than 6t
a children have already been thus sent Of
: of New York this summer for two weel
fun, frolic and freedom, and the averal
cost is only So per child. There is 1
:. charity more beautiful than the TribuI
A Fresh Air Fund, as there are no salari
e to pay, every dollar contributed to it go,
n to swell the number of bene6ciaries of /
4 admirable work.
] AMERICANS ABROAD.
d There is another and a slightly diffe
+ ent class of departures from the city, tina
I that above noted. 1t is estimated tht