The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-09
PROSPERITY AND PIE.
An Illustration Of How the One
Feeds on tho Other.
Statistics Which Tell Uncrrlngly tho Actual
Condition of the Masscs-How tho big
Bakers Dispense Charity to
Hungry Crowds.


passes is not likely to spend his last
nickel in the luxury of o triangular cut
OF juicy apple pic. Even that monarch
Of pies, the fascinating but unwhole-
some mince pie, sends up it's alluring
Odor in vain; the man with the aching
void passes by on the other side and
spends his nickel for doughnuts or q
ham sandwich with mustard on it.
The connection between poverty and
pie. says the Chicago News, is not a
subtle, indefnable abstraction which
requires metaphysical mind to unravcl
1t Is as plain as twicc-told tale and a
good deal more interesting.
When the sale of pies runs below zero,
hard, pinching poverty is abroad in the
land and want takes the best seat at the
poor mans table. AS times grow better
more pies are sold and want sncalxs out
into the alley. In some countries the
infalliblc test of poor mans prosper
ity comes with his ability to eat butter
with his bread. In the United States
pie is the sovereign test. The man who
can't afford to eat pie with his lunch is
poor indeed.
Each of the big pie factories of Chi
cago possesses Il barometer, which re-
encics of grim poverty with a nicely
that leaves the professional gathercr
of statistics away in the rear. Take
the statement of the sales of these
factories and you have the best
and most perfect register of the
prosperity of Chicago that is available.
In the summer months, when the work
ing-man has plenty of employment, the
ho,1rnQ Hifrl, b., 1,,n
approaches these same figures grow
less and less, marking perfect grad
alton until hardpan is reached, when
they begin to mount once more. Com
pare the figures of one year with an
statistics of the subject. This suggcs-
ton is thrown ont gratuitously to tho
students of economic questions.
Just now things are in bad way for
the poor man. Business is dull and the
labor market is overcrowded The
bakc-shops and confectionery stores
feel the pressure more perhaps than
any other class OF business Not alone
is it noticeable in decreased sales, but
also in the increasing number of appli-
cants for charity.
Any evening between six and seven
o'clock may be noticed n crowd of
twenty or thirty poorly dressed women
and children with their baskets in their
hands standing at the back door of q:
downtown bakery. They are Whiting
for tho evening distribution of broken
victuals. Most of them are foreigners,
with here and there person who
looks as if she had known better days
Not all of them are recipients OF
charity. Some bring money with them
and insist on paying for what they get
These make up the self-rcspccting elc-
mcnt who are making hard struggle
to rise out OF the slough of poverty
little group of swaithy Italians
stands short distance from the others
They are waiting to buy stale bread.
They are particular in what they cat, it
is said Not every kind of stale bread
will suit them. Rye bread they abhor
and are partial to Vienna bread and the
fancy kinds.
Certain clearinghouse keepers come
here to buy cake of an ancient make,
which they make fresh again by pc
'culiar process known only to the init
ated. The tramp occasionally minglcs
with the crowd, but his society is Ia
boocd and the dispenser of charity cold
1y warns him off the premises.
At a Washington street bakery char
ity begins to distribute her favors about
the time the business man has rot
through with his lunch. Three gcner-
ations can occasionally be found here.
There is the wrinlSlcd grandmother
who first saw the light somewhere in
Sicily. Her age Is uncertain, but it is
near seventy. Her daughter and her
granddaughter complete the trio. The
proprietor estimates that nearly fifty
persons are fed each day from the pro-
visions received in this way. Stale
bread is also sold here at from one
cent to one and half cent loaf. Tho
rule in this place is to help every one
who looks decent and who doesn't smell
Of whisky.
On the West side at the big bakeries
no aid Is given to individuals What
there is to be given away is bestowed
entirely on charitable institutions.
Ono firm sends out in this way about
fifteen barrels of biscuits a month,
making about seven hundred and fifty
pounds.
A favoritc method of many persons
with limited incomes is to purchase
broken biscuits and .'cripples" Grip
pies are biscuits twisted out of shape
by the heat while in the oven. Nearly
twenty barrels of ''cripplcs" are sold
every day.
1t is said to be not uncommon for
wealthy people to drive up in carriages
and purchase broken biscuits. Now
and then they are CURLY told that none
can be had; but they nrc persistent.
-x,1 rAk,.