The Labor enquirer., 1883-06-23

| GU W hCOp 'UllO Gu0 room IN
which the sick babe and the other little
ones were, closed, that the horrible
: scent might not enter the other rooms
of the house. She said the scent was so
terrible that she could not eat, or if she
forced down little food in order to live,
the stomach would not retain it. She
said that the children's heads and bodies
were covered with vermin, and that
this was so bad that the vermin would
fall off from them if their bodies were
exercised in any manner. Finally, that
the terrible suffering and neglect which
4 she was obliged to witness, and had not
the means to remove or hinder, she
could no longer endure, and so left the
Home. She was then asked about the
food. She said it would have been all
right if it had been properly prepared,
, but the oat meal was so poorly cooked
that it was not fit to eat that she could
not swallow it, although very fond of it
when properly prepared. And what
was true Of the oat meal was largely SO
, of other eatables. When asked about
-. the clothing of the children and their
education, she said, during the cold and
0 rainy weather of last week the little
boys and girls went with their feet bare,
and while the matron attended church
: and her Sunday school class, the child
ren over whom she should have held
=. tender and careful attention were run
ming in the street, and using language
fearful to hear. When she asked the
+ matron why she did not oversee the care
of those poor, helpless children, she re-
piled that she would not touch them or
have the care of them if they all rotted.
Mrs. Sellwood then asked her why she
took such a position if she would not
oversee their care and education. She
replied that she was selected to fill that
position because she was lady by edu-
cation and practice. Mrs. Sellwood then
told her, with several of the ladies who
assist in the management of the Home,
that she would let the people of Denver
know the horrors of their so-called
charitable institution. She then went
home with Mrs. Koppin, who got her
something to eat, and Mrs Koppin and
her husband heard what the ladies said.
Two ladies followed her there and
said if she told one word to reflect on
the Home and its management, that she
, would not get one cent of pay and that
they would publish in the papers that
she was discharged for unwomanly con-
duct, and that her reputation would be
destroyed, so that she could not get any
work. But that if she would keep still
they would pay her the money due her.
although, perhaps, they had no right to
do So
We then called on two ladies who live
on either side of the Home. Mrs.
Swift told us the same story so far as she
knew, of the house; said the same of
s the filth, of the slops thrown out and
e left standing; the same of the vermin,
2 with the addition that vermin were
r crawling on the beds put out in the
yard; the same story of the neglect of
| the children. She also said she thought
e the former matron did what she could,
! but had no help, and could not give the
| little ones the care they needed
/ The lady living on the other side was
: very much effected by the filthy con-
t dition of the yard, the standing slops
e and the poisonous air which came from
: the children's room; and she believed
e it had been the means of killing her
little girl, and while she talked, her eyes
filed with tears and her mother-love