St. Landry democrat., 1890-03-01
The Largest City.

London, the great capital of the British
Empire is declared to be the most won
derful city in the world. We are early
taught that it is the largest city in the
universe, but when we are told it would
take our six largest cities to make Lon
don, we find it difficult to grasp the re-
markable fact of magnitude. The popu-
1ation of London is about five million, and
it is said to increase at the rate OF one
hundred thousand year. Disraeh des-
cribed the English people as made up OF
two nations" and socially there are two
distinct, London the London of the "West
End" with its beautiful parks and palaces
it's wealth and rank, it's pride, its lavish
expenditure, and the London of the "East
End" with it's ugliness, and bad odors, It's
poverty and wretchedness. its vice and
irreligion. The "East End" has been
called ''the largest heather city in the
world" and among its one and half mil
lions of poor, we find the refuse of many
nations. It's principal streets maintain a
show of responsibility, in spite of large
number of gin shops, but 1t is said that IN
few cities are the poor so degraded IN their
poverty. This sad state of affairs is not
chargeable to the indifference of the better
class of the community. Almost super
human efforts are constantly being made
to meet and destroy the forces of evil, and
all classes of society engage in mission
work, from the rich aristocrat to the hum
BILE mechanic.
The English people give freely in char
ity indeed, they are charged with an ex-
cess of benevolence, or rather, with being
unwise in their benefactions. Large num-
bers of poor are Systematically helped and
tn method has Slapped the energies of the
people, and has, unhappily, resulted IL
the complete generalization of many whom
it has changed from "chance paupers into
have 10000 paupers. Begging is pro-
ways of evading this law. In 1887 Eng.
land and Wales raised tax of $4,000
900 for the relief of the poor, and 767, 1922
persons were receiving relief January l.
1887. In addition to this public tax, an
enormous amount is yearly given in pri
vate charity
The Charity Organization Society Of
London was established in 1869, mot tt
form fresh relief fund, but to attack ths
causes of want and psuperism in syste-
matte manner" and has among its sup
porters some of the great philanthropist'
of the city. most earnest effort is being
made for judicious work among the poor
for it is evident that the poor OF Londo1
have been made poorer by inoiscrimlnat
giving-a seeming paradox, but tru'
statement, nevertheless. Miss Octave
Hill and others have for years most siren
uously urged the adoption of more enlight
ened methods, and some progress has beer
made in q reform of charity itself, for PEG
pie are beginning to comprehend tina
charitable work among the poor requires
experience and wise thought as well q
sympathetic feeling. AS Miss Hill indi
Gates, it is better is teach the poor self con
troll and foresight than to keep them o.
the brink of pauperism by the continue
distribution of petty doles
London Christians feel the stimulus 0
numbers, and the greatest zeal Is dlsplaye
in all the varied forms of mission work
The evangelization of ''the largest hesthe
city in the world" is no mean problem
but as DR.. Cuyler puts it, Goods peopl
are wrestling with it bravely." Sewers
churches are doing noble work, employin
as aids orphanages, mission schools, ragge
schools, Bands of Hope, etc. Numerou
societies and individuals attend to specis
departments of mission effort.
The London City Mission, organized
1886 exerts an immense influence throug
It's nearly five hundred missionaries. III
total receipts of this society for the la
year were $4,000.
, These missionaries refer all cases OF ten
poral distress to the care of friends, as
, is positive rule of the society that tt
, missionary shall be known only as rel
: gious teacher. Nearly four hundred (
; the missionaries have special districts a
J signed them, preaching in the open al
} establishing Sunday schools, and seeki1
, in every way the spiritual benefit of tho
committed to their care. One hundrt
= and one of the missionaries, instead i
; having districts assigned them, are q
3 pointed to ..some particular work. Son
asvose their wholestime to visiting liqu
s saloons and coffee houses others minist
:. to the needs of various foreigners, who
a they are able to address in seventeen di
: ferent languages, and so the good VOL
+ goes on in all the hooks and corners of tb
t great city, an effort being made to gil
q every class an opportunity to hear the g.
: pei message. The work of these missio
8 aries has been greatly blessed, and it is
a pleasure to know that through their mi
a istrations "whole districts have be-
n changed in their character, and who
4 classes OF persons have been Influenced I
O good Miss q. E. Backup,