The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-13
HAIRY EST OF THE POOR.
pOvE 3TY-STRiCKeN PEOPLE WHO
HAUNT THE RAILWAY TRACKS.
Hungry Women and Children Waltz ng
Their Chances at TIL, Milk Wagons
1.-THE Ono Who Stands Nearest"
-Gathering the Fragments.
Il hicago News.l

Chicago News.l
The railway tracks in every direction
nbout Chicago are daily traverssl by many
feat. Every inch OF them is scrutnizsl by
watchful eyes, from which not SO much as
Il bit of coal, a splinter OF pine, or land.
full of corn can escape notice. There are
chil iren of each sex and all ages from mere
tots; girls, young women. and women SO
oil that they tremble beneath the burden OF
a small weight Tney all carry baskets
and the girls and women also carry tin pals,
into which they put nothing that they pick
up
Many OF these people who have been SO
fortunat, as to secure pieces of timber too
long to be place in their baskets ara half
bent over with the loads on their backs.
s me of the girls whose basket are filled
make a receptacle for whatever they find
oy turning up thu oae skirt they wear
Ons small urchin has his basket nearly
filed with pieces of show bills, which he has
torn on before coming to tho tracks. He
waves triumphantly over his bars heal a
long piece of the thick paper from which
the rain has washed nearly all the tawlry
rel He talks Il little to himself as he care
leSsly stumbles along. stopping mechani-
cally now AMI then to pick up some bit of
c-al He sometimes sings tunee's little
song so cheerily that it is almost mu dc.
SUFFERING AND pRIyAnoN.
Without exception the women AMI girls
wsar kerchiefs on their heads. On their
ieet are whatever KIM of shoes they may
have chancei to find thrown out in the
alleyways and on ash heaps There are no
fi'y shod feet among them Not many of
them know the meaning Of good shoes and
stockings. Thsy are spatterei with mul to
the knees. This gives than no concsrn
Never in their lives, perhaps, have they
known the blesseiness of cleanliness.
They dodge in and out between passing
arails, seemingly 10 escape injury but by a
miracle. They talk but little together.
Their faca, rear marks handed down to
them by generations of crueiest 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
u t wan Ter far from tho milk depots.
When milk wagons begin TO gather about
the trains for fresh SUPPLIES the women AMI
children leave the tracks and cluster around
the wagons. Sometimes one, mora venture
some than the rest, will climb into a wagon
while tho driver il on the platform, to in
-pect the cans AMI 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 the
week but Sunday, winter AMI summer,
explained "A man in charge of one of the
dopnts, Il have never seen woman or girl
attempt to steal a drop of milk. They wait
around to see if some will not bs given
them
"Iuere are fsw miikmsn who do not have
some milk left when route is completed.
Tlis must he thrown out These poor souls
| --who woult have mona if they did not get
it here-holl up their pals to receive it in
stead Of allowing 1t to I've spillsi on the
groual The one who stands nearest the
milk IN IN who has milk to give away is tn,
one who gets it."
As tie milk good that they get, or is il
settling p
1T is not settings It is the milk from
the bottom of the cans. Sometime, some
boiy will have quantity of skinned mill
on hand when there has been an extrs
amount of cream sold This is generally
given tt them.
81. Ok at that old woman now" he OK
claim,l. pointing t. a sturdy docking old
person with tan-colorad face. "Sse how
determine lily she pushes that sickly lookinl
girl asi lie.
GATHERING THE FRAGMENTS.
The oil woman he indicated resoiutel,
made her way TO the 81 le of a milk mai
WAC had opened can, looked into it, am
| glance about for pail into which to Lurl
| its contents. Hers was the one outstretche.
nearest lie emptieI tue can AMI her pal
was iiIiel quite tgll. Then the old womal
| cllmbei on the vialuct and trudg ei away
The sickly girl she had thrust aside pickeI
a cabbage leaf out of the mui brushed tn
| dirt from it "a wal as she could, and place
| it in her ba kat
"They never miss cabbage leaf or
stray po'ato' c'ntinued the depot man
man "rnoy gather up every bit of spills,
grain left by the sparrnws along the track
AMI use 1t to help thicken the soup Oh
Sundays they never como for milk. At tn
apars when they could obtain i. they are il
church
81 the milk good that you get horer wa
| asked littl blua-syel girl.
ait is sour sometimes, but then it make
So :, with -four" she an wered in broEsl
Engiish
"Do You ever give money for milkr
Give our money for milkr repiiel tn
| child IN establishment I'VE have oh,
little monny, and We save-save it to ge
land. Why should We buy milk when "
can get it here for waiting' One hour, twt
Tires Is not long for 3 cent 5 cant worth"