Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-31

OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
HOW THE LITTLE ONES LIVE AND
DIE IN GOTHAM.
A Pis-ure of the Tenement District In
New York-How the Heat Tells on the
for
Especial Correspondence.J


the most favorable conditions babies which
arrive on this planet and locate in the crowded
tenement districts are apt to have a severe
struggle for existence Particularly is this
true with regard 20 infants under year Ole.
The mortality among the babies during one
week in July amounted to the alarming figure
of 594. This is 80 in excess of those which
persisted during the previous week. This
alarming death rate is due, Of course, chiefly
TO the heat, which engenders diseases which
are almost necessarily fatal under existing
sanitary conditions.
To those persons fortunate enough to live
in the country, where pure air, spring water
and green grass abound, this condition of af-
fairs can hardly be realized. But glimpse
into the canyons of brick and mortar on the
east side, where the pavemeuts are as hot as
the sands Of Sahara, and where the vertical
rays of the sun are reflected from the brick
walls upon the cobble stones below until they
fairly glow with fervent heat. will cure any
reasonable mother Of whatever lurking de-
sire she may have to pack up her household
goods and remove them to New York city.
The sun is the deadly enemy Of little chill
dren in the metropolis. During July and
August it is only after the sun has gone down
behind New Jersey, and the moon and stars
come out, that the little children can escape
from the sitting air of the tenement houses
and find relief in the open street. Then it Is
that the weary mothers come down upon the
door steps and sit upon the curbstones with
their feeble, wailing offspring in their arms
So frail, so white, 50 enaciated are these that
they resemble lilies whiting their stem.
Large numbers OF these tired mothers,
through the courtesy of the various ferry
companies are permitted TO sit on the for
ward decks OF the ferryboats as they ply
back and forth in the East and North rivers.
But those who are enabled to take advantage
of this slight relief from the consuming fire
in the air are very few. Indeed, those chill
dren who really need these inspiring breezes
the most are unable to profit by them from
the fact that their homes are at too great a
distance from the rivers and the mothers can
not spare the time nor money TO enjoy these
advantages. Consequently, thousands of little
souls are fated to simply be born, TO wall out
a few unavaihng protests against the ineIor-
able laws Of nature, to raise their fading
eyes TO sorrow stricken mothers faces and
then to pass away and be buried seven deep
in Calvary cemetery and In Potter's field
1t is indeed a question of the survival OF
the physically fittest. Those who by reason
OF hereditary strength, or of unusual care,
or of a residence near to one of the city
parks live 10 be two years cid, are the excep-
tions to the rule of almost inevitable death
which prevails during July and August.
Let US take a peep into Cherry street on
the evening of a day in August when the
thermometer has reached 80 in the shade
One block is sufficient for our purpose. 1t is
that portion OF the street which runs from
Dover to Roosevelt street. This is locally
known as Cherry bill. 1t is s o'clock. The
electric lamps on the Brooklyn bridge are
shining with white insistence upon the rush
ing river below.
The moon and stars are out. A cool breeze
has sprung up and is driving away the heat
which has been stored in the pavements dur
ing the day. The sidewalk is lined with
empty trucks, and the air is filled with the
laughter and shouts of little children at play.
There are at least 800 Of them and they seem
TO be everywhere, inside and under the trucks,
filling the roadway, swarming Ike ants over
the sidewalks and romping in and out OF the
doorways. They seem utterly free from care.
The SIM has been very angry during the dav,
bat the children have already forgotten his
exhibition of temper and are dimly conscious
in a big city than is the fiery autocrat of the
skies
A country visitor would be surprised to see
that these children are at play even when
the midnight hour arrives. But at | o'clock
he would find that most of the childish voices
are stilled aud that many of the little ones
are asleep in the trucks. Others have de-
parted into the Land Of Nod, lying in the
al. 4 Al
escapes
Perhaps the most pathetic and interesting
phase of child life IN New York city lis the
care taken of children by their brothers and
sisters of a little older growth. The sacrifice
of personal enjoyment sometimes made by
these poor children is at once heroic and
amusing The luxury of baby carriage is
unknown to the little waits stranded in a
tenement district, but this loss is made up in
g measure by the clumsy expedient Of d soap
box upon wabblng wooden wheels.
Occasionally goat is used TO propel the
humble vehicles, and runaways are not in
frequent. Bat a rule even this temporary
expodient is denied the children 1t is not
uncommon for 4 boy of 5 years to be left all
day in charge of a child of : years The air
of faJherly protection assumed by the elder
as he leads his handy legged little brother
along the sidewalk, sometimes straying half
n mile away from home, crossing crowded
streets and narrowly escaping the hoofs Of
frurk horses, Is a phase of human life well
worth study. The little fellow never leaves
his charge, VIII fight for his protection
Ii necessary and lands him safe upon the
doorstep every night, just before it is time
for his mother to return from her work
A very amusing scene was witnessed ST the
rcr Ser Of Fifty seventh street aud Broadway
dur inc the past week. The earth had been
car tad away from large plot of ground,
pre paratorv TO the erection of a row of
bro rn stone front houses, leaving an excava-
lion some five feet below the level of the
roadway. Successive rains had filed this
hole. with water to the depth of three feet
Some sixty bows and girls had stolen boards
and pieces OF jcisJ from nearby buildings
and had built six clumsy RATS. With in
finite pains and with the help OF the RATS the
little fellows had taken dirt enough 10 the
center OF the pond 10 make an island. When
the island WAS completed one OF the boys
procured pink paraSol, and sailing out to
the island in the middle of the waste of
waters, seated himself barelegged upon it.
Holding up the {arasol he announced 10 his
adnairing comrades that he was Robinson
Crusoe For several days the boys padded
the girls around upon the RATS and afforded
amusement for several thousand New York
ers, who remembered respectfully the time
when they enjoyed themselves in similar
wars.
The children Of more fortunate pareutage
have no IDEA OF Tie straits 70 which the pow