The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-13
HARVEST OFTHE POOR
POvERTY-STRICKEN PEOPLE WHO
HAUNT THE RAILWAY TRACKS.
aon8ry Women and Children Waitfna
1heir Chances 1t the MIX Wagons
The One Who Stands Nearest
Gathering the Fragments
lChicazo News.l

[Chicazo News.l
Inc railway tracks in every direction
roout Chicago are daily traverssi by many
set. Every inch OF them is scrutinizei by
satcnful eyes, from which not SO much a
DIT OF coal. q splinter OF pine, or a land
al OF corn can escape notice. There are
'niidren OF each sex and all ages from mere
'.'.s; girls, young women, and women SC
oil that they trsnble beneath the burden OF
small weight They all carry baskets,
and the girls and women also carry tin pals,
INTO which they put nothing that they picl,
~.
Many OF these psop,s who have b,en 50
.ortunats as to secure pieces Of timber too
long to be placed in their baskets are half
bent over with the loads on their backs
Some OF the girls whose baskets are filed
MAKE receptacle for whatever they find
by turning up the one skirt they wear
Ons small urchin has his basket nearly
filled with pieces OF show bills, which he has
torn off before coming to the tracks Hs
waves triumphantly over his bare heal a
long piscs OF tho thick paper from which
tas rain has washed nearly all the tayydry
red He talks q little to himself as he care
isssiy stumblss along. stopping mschani-
caiiy now AMI then to PICK up some bit of
coal he sometimes sings tuneless little
song so chserily that it is almost music.
SUFFERING AND PRIvATION.
v'ea' ksrchiefs on their heads. On their
feet are whatever Kind Of shoes they NAV
have CHANGED to find thrown out in the
alley ways and on ash-heapa There arc nc
dry -shod feet among them Not many of
Thorn know tho meaning Of good shoes and
stockings They arc spattered with mud to
the knees. This gives them no concsrn.
Never in their lives. perhaps, have they
known the blesssdness Of cleanliness
They dodge in and out between passing
trains. seemingly TO escape injury but by q
i.iracls. They talk but little together.
Their facss bear marks handed down to
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
nnt wander far from the milk dopots.
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 tho rest, will climb into q wagon
while tho driver is on the platform. to in. |
spect 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.
"rhey come here every morning of the |
week but Sunday, winter and summer
explained . man in charge Of one Of the |
dePotA II have never seen q woman or girl |
attempt to steal . drop Of milk They wait
around e - u some will not be given
them.
There are few milkmen who do not have
SONS milk left when Q route Is completed.
This mast be thrown out These poor souls
who would have mono il they did not get
1t hers-hold up their pals to receive it, in
stead OF allowing it to be spilled on the
ground Ih0 who |
milkmen who has milk to give away is the
one who gets it"
rs tho milk good that they get, or is it
ssttling,P
Il: is not settings It Il the milk from
tho bottom OF tho cana Sometimes some
body will have quantity Of skinned milk
On hand when there has been an extra
amount OF, cream sold This is generally
given to them
"Look at that old woman now" he ex-
claimed. pointing to q sturdy looking old
person with tan-colored facs. "See how
aetsrmiaedly she pushes that sickly looking
girl aside"
GATHERING THE FRAGMENTS.
The oil woman be indicated resolutely
made her way to the side Of a miIkman
who had opened . can, looked into it, and
glanced about for pail into which to turn
Is contents. Hers was the one outstretchsd
nearest Hs emptied the can and her pail
was filed quite full. Then the old woman
,iirnbsi on the viaduct and trudgsd away.
The sickiy girl she had thrust aside picked
, cabbage leaf out Of the mud, brushed the
iirs from it ~ well a. she could, and placed
c in her basket
"They never miss cabbage leaf or q !
tray potato" continued the depot man.
nan- They gather up every bit OF spilled
rain left by the sparrows along the tracks
IND use it to help thicken the soup. On {
Sundays they never como for milk. At the
;oars when they could obtain it they are in {
.hurch
rs tho milk good that you get hcres' was ,,
ssed littls blus-eyod girl ,
1t is sour sometimes, but then 1t makes 9
.'u2 with four" sho answered in broken I
English
"Do you ever give money for milki7
Give our money for milk!' replied the
hid in astonishment ave have, oh, a
.tio money, and We save-save it to get
sns Why should We buy milk when wa
20 get it hero Tor waitingf One hour, two,
ares Is not long for 3 cent, cent WORTH"
No Tropical Territory.