The sun., 1888-02-12
FREEZING AND STARVING.

thEELlNU AND OlAhfLNU.
HOW TIE SLAVES or WANT FARE
WHILE THE COLD IS WITH Us
Tks Church sf the City's Peer asa IT'S Vast
csnsresatisn-A Half Hour Ia Priest
Rlske's fa,pit-The City's Dele 81 Cesl
ssd the Good u Dses-Hnrd Facts from
n Charities sseiety Onicer-sevea are
Hungry asd Geld Now fer Every Five
Haitherte-Fate OF the Homeless Stranger.
There was more suffering in New York
during the cold snap that lately ended than In
the same time In any previous winter in the
history OF the city. The resources OF the
charitable societies and the public institutions
have been not only strained to tho utmost but
in many cases have been absolutely exhausted
In the vain attempts to meet the demand made
upon them. SUN reporter learned this when
no went about the city trying to find out Just
how cold cold spell II had been for the poor.
The ofIlco OF the Board Of Charities and Cor
rsction is at Third avenue and Eleventh street,
and on the street side tho entrance is into a
large, square high-ceiled room. with tall win
dows all around. 1t might do for q church for
. congregation that could afford no better. It
IL all the church that thousands Of poor souls
In this city know. mores the pity, and although,
compared with the marvsls Of the architects
and builders skill whose lofty spires punctuate
the upper air from old Trinity to far beyond the
Harlem. and whose vaulted arches weekly ring
with prayer and praise the Eleventh street
structure is small and mean, yet 1t has con-
gregation larger than ever was gathered In
half tho citys churches put together and one
the sincerity of whose devotion Is as absolute
% ever was martyrs. No bell Is needed to
summon tho congregation Of this church OF tho
city's poor, nor any marvellous art In stained
glass pictures or organ music to hold them, Tor
poverty, their god. does not coax. but drives.
and hunger is preacher who needs no aids to
hold his audience.
Obedience and not worship is tho ordinance
Of the religion OF poverty. 80 there is no altar
in the church on Eleventh street but there is
Q pulpit ON the side near one end as there
might be In Catholic church. The floor Of tho
Eleventh street part Of the building Is several
feet below tho floor OF the part Of the building
that Is entered from Third avenue. The Offices
are all in the Third avenue part; In the Elev-
snth street part the congregation assemblies.
Through the wall Of one Of the offices hole
six feet square has been cut, opening into the
Eleventh street hall. The bottom Of this hole
II broad desk-the pulpit-and from the hall
below steps, ss before a real pulpit. go UP on
one side and down on the other to a little mar
row platform built for persons to stand upon
In front OF the desk.
In his office behind the pulpit desk sits Su-
perintendsnt Blake. the priest OF tho city's
poor, q pair OF broad shoulders. solid. dark
face, iron gray hair back Of a bald forehead,
black whiskers, short and turning iron gray,
too. and pair OF swapping but kindly eyes be-
hind glasses that psrpetually culver appear
above the top Of the desk.
6upsrintendent Blake has sat there Just 30
for eighteen years, and has come to be to the
city's poor what the priest is to the parish or
the pastor to the church. To him two genera
tions Of paupers-pauperg generations are short
uved-have made their confessions and be-
sought aid, and he has given to each OF tho
hundreds OF thousands who have passed along
the narrow platform whatever . minister Of
poverty has to give to the slaves Of want-ad
aa q iHs Tho
There are services every day except Sunday
sRpesss il t$s palpit: : saS lasts until T. IL
with the season. from the straeeling hundred
S.s: e & sSs ZIG Is5Spsspds NV % s!oyS IL haI! e
lcrs opsnna sne ekess so!d Mornings, mo- and
ss eabbns ea IN hands tR
warnth Of the room which. at any rate, they
saR enjoy, no natter II other aid Is refused. l.,
and down the other over tho littis platform bee
fore the pulpit. As fast as tho first crowd drib-
sSsin. others % come in. bringing little gusts Of
cold With them. warming. worshippinR, and
ps:sine out again. tho procession never ending
This is . Section Of it that passed along while
9 SqS rep1rter waited for an opportunity to
forlne than usual among the Door Of the city
xsaiaosd woman; with one ssgl babe in her
TT yyo1 please; La,s sir; IT, s9%e 81 coal"
....yspe Smith"
.Maem5fhlo Mulberry street. SIR"
Where's your husband r
GOD knows, sir, don't"
.Heseli, sir. and the childer."
.Fyc, Sir. beside the vans here"
LEFT :IIssist yGua yy did he ?" 'meanine the husbandA
DO you do anything?" -,
Yes. YOU CANT leave them. Which fioor9"
..fsoenStt Or reara"
visitor u H call n qn a you" % and :, little q slip Of
been noting down the Moman's name and resi-
dSnce 10 jabbed on q file at his side, that al
ready is piled iull OF similar memorandums OF
x big. red-facsd m an, with ragged and dirty
muffsr wrapped around his head:
II come to get sOme coal"
"What do you do for living"
got wifef"
Yea"
well. bring her here; want to see her."
The man sb on nG thin
In the warm room says huskily;,
Kin have lcough) some medicine2"
Such applicants q ways think 1t necessary to
have Q fit OF coughing whom they pass before
the pulpit. but they might save themselves the
but merely dives ono hand % into drawer at his
white paper. and passes 1t to the applicant.
giving meanwhile his attention to the next In
the line. q little old woman. with gray hair Just
appearing above the desk:
ITS about ii, the coal, sir; it amt como yet"
"Thank YOU sir;, God bless YOU, Sure II
was to meet you in Tipperary, sir. I'd trust you
to be giyin' a bit Of coal to q poor woman, God
bless You; there's no wan like MIR. Blake says
!. anTOch! where's, yere manners. 70 blag-
yard; lave me alone"
The latter clause was to an impatient man in
ohAbhy nttire who hustled her al0nu bAfnra