Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-08
OF TIE POOR
POVERTY STRICKEN People
WHO HAUNT Ii . ILWAY TRAC5l-
hungry Women and Children Vvai.,..
Their Chances at the MIX Wagon.
"The One who Stands Nearest,,-C-r,.
ering the Fragments

Their Chances at the MIX Wagon
''The One " no Stands Nearest,,- C..
ering the Fragments.
From tie Chicago Ne,cs.
The railway tracks in every dir.c,,o.
about Chicago are daily traverssi bv MANY
ieet Every inch OF them is scrutinized ~
"atchful eyes, from which not 50 much -.
bit of coal, splinter of pine, or a Land.
ful OF corn can escape notice. There ara
children of each sex and all ages from me-
tots; girls, young women, and women so
old that they tremole beneath the burden -
small weight. They all carry basEst,
and the girls and women also carry lin nail.
INTO which they put nothing that they Djc.;
up.
Many Of these people who have b.ar 81,
fortunate as to secure pieces of timber io,,
long to be placed in their baskets ara hal,
bent over with the loads on their bsc...
Some of the girls whose baskets are du-5
make a receptacle for whatever they 6nt
by turning up the one skirt they wear.
One small urchin has his basket uaar,,
! filled with pieces of show bills, which he ba,
torn Oft before coming to the tracks n.
waves triumphantly over his bare lead /.
long piece of the thick paper from wblcI
the rain has washed nearly all tue tav1-,
red He talks little TO himself as he cara.
lessly stumbles along, stopping mechau.
cally now and then to pick up some bit If
coal He sometimes sings a tuneless ltt.s
song SO cheerily that it is almost music
SUFFERING AND PRIvATION.
/ Without exception this women and girls
wear kerchiefs on their heads On tbai.
Feet are whatever kind of shoes they msv
have CHANGED to find thrown out in M,
alley w'Ys and on ash-heaps There are M
dry -sheG feet among them. Not many Of
them know the meaning Of good shoes and
stockings. They are spattered with mud to
the knees. This gives them no concern
Never in their lives perhaps, have they
known the blessedness of cleanliness.
They dodge in and out between passing
trains, seemingly to escape injury but by a
miracle. They talk but little together
Their faces bear marks handed down ia
them by generations of cruelest want and
ignorance. Those whose heritage is long
suffering and privation have but slow con.
vocational instincts.
During the early part of the day they do
not wander far from the milk depots
When milk wagons begin to gather about
the trains for fresh supplies, the women and
children leave the tracks and cluster around
the wagons. Sometimes one, more venture.
some than the rest, will climb into wagon
while the driver is on the platform, to in,
! pect the cans and report whether or not
any milk remains in them. The rest stand
patiently, stolidly, each watching her
chance.
BOTTOM OF THE CANS.
"They come here every morning of tho
week but Sunday, winter and SUMNER
explained a man in charge of one OF taa
depots. II have never seen a woman or girl
attempt to steal drop of milk They wait
around to see if some will not be given
them.
4 There are few milkmen who do not have
some milk left when route is completed.
This must be thrown out These poor souls
who would have non if they did not get
it here-hold up their pals to receive it. IN
stead of allowing it TO be spilled on tie
ground. The one who stands nearest the
milkman who has milk to give away is tie
one who gets it."
as the milk good that they get, or is il
settlingsp
at is not settings. 1t is the milk from
the bottom of the cans Sometimes soma-
body will have a quantity Of SKINNED milk
on hand when there has been an extra
amount of cream sold. This is generally
given to them
"L1ok at that old woman now" he ez.
claimed. poiAting to a dy-looking old
person with a tan-colored face "Ses how
detsrmnedly she pushes that sickly looking
girl aside"
GATHERING THE FRAGMENTS.
/ The OLD woman he indicated resolutely
made her way TO the side of a milkman
who had opened can, looked into it, AMI
glanced about for pail into which to turn
its contents. Hers was the one outstretchei
nearest He emptied the can and her pail
was filed quite full. Then the old women
climbed on the viaduct and trudged away.
/ The sickly girl she had thrust aside picked
a cabbage leaf out OF the mui, brushed tue
dirt from it as well as she could, and placei
/ it in her basket
"They never miss a cabbage leaf or
stray potato continued the depot man.
man. "They gather up every bit Of spilled
grain left by the sparrows along the TRACKS
and use il TO help thicken the soup. Oa
Sundays they never come for milk, AT the
hours when they could obtain it they are IN
church
rs the milk good that you get hcreP was
asked q little blue-eyed girl.
at is sour sometimes, but then it makes
soup with -four" she answered in broken
English
"Do you ever give money for milkP
"Give our money for milk" replied the
child in astonishment ave have, oh,
little money, and we save-save it to gs'
land. Why should we buy milk when We
can get it here for waitingl One hour two
three is not long for cent, cent worth
No Tropical Territory.
Whenever an impecunious general, judge
Or. l.. nnrnIngl