St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-02-15
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-
lation of London is about FIVE million, and
it is said to increase at the rate of one
hundred thousand year. Disraeli 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 it's beautiful parks and palaces
it's wealth and rank, it's pride, it's lavish
expenditure, and the London of the ''East
Eud," with its ugliness. and bad odors, its
poverty and wretchedness, it's vice and
irreligion. The east End" has been
called 'the largest heather city in the
world" and among it's one and a half mil
lions of poor, we find the refuse of many
nations. Its principal streets maintain a
show of responsibility, in spite of large
number of gin shops, but it 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 ssmade
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
this method has Slapped the energies of the
people, and has, unhappily, resulted in
the complete generalization of many whom
it has changed from "chance paupers into
profess onals" London is reported to
have 10000 paupers. Begging is pro-
hibited, but there are many ingenious
ways of evading this law. In 1887 Eng
land and Wales raised tax Of $75, 000-
900 for the relief of the poor, and 767, 922
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 to
form fresh relief fund, but to attack the
causes of want and pauperism in syste-
matte manner" and has among its sup
porters some of the great philanthropists
of the city. A most earnest effort is being
made for judicious work among the poor,
for it is evident that the poor of London
have been made poorer by indiscriminate
giving-a seeming paradox, but true
statement, nevertheless. Miss Octavia
Hill and others have for years most siren
uously urged the adoption of more enlight-
ened methods, and some progress has been
made in a reform of charity itself, for peo-
pie are beginning to comprehend that
charitable work among the poor requires
experience and wise thought as well as
sympathetic feeling. AS Miss Hill indi-
Gates, it Is better is teach the poor self con-
troll and foresight than to keep them on
the brink of pauperism by the continued
distribution of petty doles
London Christians feel the stimulus OF
numbers, and the greatest zeal is displayed
in all the varied forms of mission work.
The evangelization of 'tthe largest heather
city in the world is no mean problem,
but. as DR.. Cuyler puts it, Goods people
are wrestling with it bravely." Several
churches are doing noble work. employing
as aids orphanages mission schools, ragged
schools, Bands of Hope, etc. Numerous
societies and individuals attend to special
departments of mission effort.
The London City Mission, organized in
1885, exerts an immense influence through
it's nearly five hundred missionaries. The
total receipts of this society for the last
year were $512, 010.
These missionaries refer all cases Of tenn
poral distress to the care of friends, as it
is positive rule of the society that the
missionary shall be known only as reli-
gious teacher. Nearly four hundred OF
the missionaries have special districts as
signed them, preaching in the open air,
establishing Sunday schools, and seeking
in every way the spiritual benefit of those
committed to their care. One hundred
and one of the missionaries, instead OF
having districts assigned them, are ap-
pointed to sssome particular work. Some
assote their wholeaatime to visiting liquor
saloons and coffee houses others minister
to the needs of various foreigners, whom
they are able to address in seventeen dif-
ferent languages, and so the good work
goes on in all the hooks and corners of this
great city, an effort being made to give
every class an opportunity to hear the ges.
pei message. The work of these mission.
aries has been greatly blessed, and it is q
pleasure to know that through their min
istrations "whole districts have been
changed in their character, and whole
classes of persons have been Influenced fol
good. "-Miss E. e. BackuD,