The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-11-22
OUR LETTER FROM eRoADeR.M,


Taken in by a Sinful sharper-The Char
fty of Gotham-Late Notes on the Close
of the Campaign-Fate of the Missing
Brooklyn Girl.
, nnorToR CHIEF: ~ 49, -''f'
A. tumble in the barometer is not an un-
mixed blessing in New York. It is true, it
may help to keep our political blood cooled
in the midst of this exceedingly exciting
canvass, but it brings sorrow to our poor
who are. not well provided at the best OF
times, and whose pressing wants in the
bitter winter days tar all of our charitable
resources.
We read much of the selfshness and
Observation-Disclosures of the world, but I often
think that the world does not get quite
credit enough for the good it does. Charity
has pretty hard road to travel. In its path
are all sorts of frauds, swindlers and dead
beats. am not easily taken in. I have
been afioat on the great world since early
childhood. ALI the great cities of my own
country and the principal capitals of the
old world have been no strangers to. nv
wandering feet. / thought was ND to all
the games by which the unwary are taken
IN, and yet an old dead beat laid me out as
nicely last week as if had been feeding on
vegetables and milk all my life and was as
green as the grass that grows under my
feet. 1t was late at night and was passing
Madison Square just above the Fifth Ave-
nue. Hotel. l saw a man leaning against
the railing that surrounds the Worth monu-
ments / had got close upon him when
heard deep groan and saw a man sink
upon the ground. rushed to his assistance
and sat him upon the curbstone and asked
what was the matter? In voice 80 weak
that could scarcely hear him, he faltered
out II have not tasted food for three days."
and he. dropped forward heavily in my
arms. My heart was touched. Where dc
you live, I asked2 Alas! alas! he replied in
a hollow sepulchral tone, I have no home;
every door is shut against me; I'm starving
slowly to death. A great big lump came
into my throat, as big as an Irish potato.
What country do you come from? England,
he said, with faint cry as he fell forward
in my arms again. The tears we're rolling
into my eyes. Here was fellow creature
perishing in the streets for food and had
just come out of the Brunswick full of good
things. had five dollars in my pocket
and it had been reserved to liquidate
small debt for which my creditor was anx-
iously waiting, but everything must give
way to a starving fellow creature so passed
over my greenback, telling the unfortunate
wanderer. to seek shelter at once and get
something to eat He fell upon my breast
imploring the blessings of Heaven on his
generous benefactor. My eyes were dim
and with difficulty helped him on pass
ing street car. The wanderer was gone
and I continued down Broadway as far as
Union Square, and there met a friend
who invited me to take cigar. He re-
marked that he had an engagement to keep
at J half past eleven and asked me the time.
! went for my Jules Jurgeson and it was
gone. I Immediately clasped my hand on
the bospm of my shirt and a valuable stud
was missing. Ny starving friend had
cleaned me like a shotgun.
Do you think am going to pick up any
more perishing ow-oreatures on the
sidewalk? Not much. The next fellow
find dying will call the police and treasure
forevermore admirable motto, 'sChari-
ty begins at home" cont wonder that
peoples hearts are hard. The only wonder
is, that anybody gives st all.
All over the city are homes for destitute
boys and asy1ums for friendless girls. A
lot of self-constituted sharks profess to be
the almoners of the public's charity. This
is one of the most despicable forms of hu-
man swindling. Case after case has been
exposed, some of them punished, but still
this mercenary mode of pl nder goes on.
The women who practice this piracy gen.
orally assume sanetimonious air and ex-