The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-03
UNDBsERvED POVERTY.
Well-to-@o People With Parents Put
Away IL the Almshouse.
ubantl The Philn}eli,hir PccsS

Away IL the Almshouse.
From the Philadelphia Press.
4 cold, biting wind swept across the Aims
house meadows from Off the Scauylkill. \
pair of iron gray horses, before crimson
lined carriage, impatiently paved the frozen
! pavement on Thirty-fourth street, below
| Pine The breath that came from their
frosted noStrils enveloped their heads in
! cloud of steam. They were gayly capari-
SOned and the coachmau ON the box of the
carriage and the footman who stamped up
and down the pavement beside it were in
! livery.
A woman, young, and with a face that
might be called handsome, had just alighted
from the carriage and was turning the
| corner of the AlulshouSe wall above. She
Shivered With the cold and drew her sealskiu
cloak closer. Her brasS-tipped boot-heel
clicked unsteady rs she climbed the high
stone steps leading Ia BlOckley's main en-
trance. When she stepped into the steam
heated hall grateful sigh escaped her she
removed her gloves, and the eyes of one of
the attendants for moment fell TO her
! hands, which were white, shapely and gilt
tering with rings The man came forward
with obsequious attention, and the visitor
handed him a little slip of paper partly
printed and partly written The attendant
| glanced hastily at the slip and then called
| loudly:
Nv omen's outward"
| The visitor bit her red lips and her bright
| eyes clOuded with modification. She was
| about to speak, but n runner" came for
ward and attracted her attention. Bowling
| her head and dropping her veil, hefollowed
her conductor down stairs. The old men
! who were crowded together for warmth on
the sunny side of the outward started
wonderingly at the richly dressed figure,
| "It's one av thin Christian workers wild
papers, said 1.-THE General
"Wish l had that cloak. My. but wouldn't
it be warm aud cozyY' chucllled his compan-
ion, and he Rugged his thin body with de-
light.
A STRANGE MEETING.
| The subject Of their remarks passed
| straight on through a narrow paSSageway
| into the yard of the womens wing, and was
| left presently by the runner at the door of
| the first outward An old woman, with
thin strings of gray hair hanging about her
wrinkled face, was shutting up and down
the corridor. She turned quickly when the
door opened. and, shading her faded eyes
with a brown claw-like hand, that trembed
with the palsy of age, she gazed inquiringly
| at the newcomer. Suddenly n new Lght--a
| light of Welcome-came into her watery
| eyes.
| BLESS me, its Polly she mumhled, and
| hurried forward with her skinny arm out
| stretched. The visitOc drew back, and a
! frown darkened her face She held out one
| of her jeweled hands though, and giugerly
! touched the old wonlan's outStFetChed palm.
! Tears filed the poor ere ature's eyes, but she
| brushed them aside and led the way into the
ward
Ii was visiting day at the almshouse,
and Polly had come to see her Old mother.
ITS none OF my business, said the runner
| to a chance visitor, ''hut think it's shame
Il hot all h, aud
able to keep fifty like these poor creatures
| shoulC@be allowed to send their old fathers
| and mothers over here to live on charity
A recent grand jury seems TO have been
of a similar opinion, for in its presentment
attention is called to this abuse of municipal
charity and an investigation is recommended
in the following language:
| I'VE Recommend that an inquiry be insti-
| tuted as to the number of paupers supported
at the Almshouse at the public expense who
| have relatives bound by law to contribute
! to their support"
A reporter who visited the Almshouse for
the purpose of investigating these charges
met with indifferent success. Few among
| the inmates would admit that any of their
fellows had relatives able to support them
outside, and the officers of the institution
We're deuSely ignorant of the existence of
| any such abuses. One man who was proud
of the fact that be had been an inmate
''since Phipps' time" was questioned. There
are men and women here in plenty who
! have sons and daughters or other near
relatives wel-to-do," said he. ''They ought
| to be made to take care of the poor old
| people. / can't exactly call to mind par
ticular case just now, but there are people
| here whose friends visit them in carriages.
| They don't come very often, for they're
ashamed to, but they do come and I've seen
EN-
UNGRATEFUL AND sToNY-HEATED.
An attendant in one of the out-wards adj
mitted that there We're inmates whose
relatives were financially able to support
them. The old people get childish and
trubleSome, y said he, land they send them