New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-27
HARTFORD PAUPERS.

Tho citv OF Hartford Conn, reports that she
hoe dome good in secret and been imposed upon
onorlv Hartford has population OF some 81, OO0
Tho amount of money which has been devoted
IN charity by the city and by charitaDle VI
carnations in the form OF outdoor aims VI
relief afforded outside of institutions. mas oeen
footing up lately at some Sl5OOOO year, :"
about SO for each inhabitant. or course theie
are large number of persons In Harcroru-in'
surance company officers and so fortn-hoC "o-
nondcnt on charity for support, so this makes
the amount expended on each person OF those acou'
aly helped many times SO. Rigid investigation
has been going on lately, and has disclosed moS'
remarkable state of affairs in Hartford.
II appears from the report of the investigating
committee that the enterprising pauper mas
aoclxed. and is still hocking, 10 Hartford from
all parts of the country, and is living In stale
of deness which would astonish even the lines
of the field Nor was Solomon in all his glory.
perhaps, arrayed and fed like Hartford pauper'
They arrive on every train. and both new'come
paupers and old-resfdent paupers gather round the
door of the Poor Commissioner at all hours. "heh
the over.worIed Poor Commissioner arises from
his couch at a. m. and looks out OF his
window, he sees paupers on his doorstep, ana Oh
his front fence, and on his woodplle, ana III HIS
hammock The weary Commissioner draws aslde
the curtain and, as he strains his heavy eyes
through the gray dawn, he sees moro pauperS
coming on the run. He hears the SOUND OF
laughter underneath the floor, and knows that
there are paupers in his cellar; and when ne
opens the door to begin the days distribution
paupers slide off the roof and drop out OF the
elm trees and greet him gayly, and ask for money
and new white bread with strawberry jam on
IT, For. as we intimated, the Hartford paupers
H.. Ia
that they are receiving on their orders such things
as cake and candy, canned fruits eggs, jelly,
canned lobster oranges, pineappes, sardines, to-
bacco etc.. as well, Of course, as the necesSarles
of life
But these things only go into the regular every
day family stores of the Hartford pauper bis
special weakness is said TO be pate de fole gras
This he aims to have at least three times
week, though there are old resident paupers VINO
insist on it every day. And that life, hard as IL
is for all persons, and especially for the poor and
needy, dependent cold public charity, that life
NAV be a little roster the Hartford pauper drinks
champagne with his dinner lie is fond of the
drier brands For his other meals he is well
satisfied with light white wine of the vintage OF
1865. lie affects an imported cigar, which sells
in the market at the rate of three for fifty cents,
though on Sundays and when entertaining other
pauperS he prefers dark-Wrapper cigar WIlcH
retails for forty cents straight. Nor are other
things besides food and drink forgotten by the
grateful city Of Hartford. The pauper's rent is
paid and mis- life and fire insurance policies are
kept up, and the piano lessons for his children
are not forgotten. And Hartford is not cold and
critical with her charity as are some
cities; she does not withhold her aid
and comfort because man has money in
the bank or because he is earning $50 week, nor
yet on account Of the fact that he is what is
known in pathological circles as iailbird The
feeling that there should be months vacation
each summer, with pay and ratiOns forwarded by
rail, is ginning ground in Hartford pauper circles
One woman named Klein is known to have used
money drawn from the Poor Commissioner to buy
lambrequin for her pet dog
So the poor paupers Of Hartford, Conn. con- |
tinue 10 live, the awful hand Of poverty upon |
them, eating their humble bcefstenI ltenderloin,
Chateaubriand, with trulles, and drinking their |
thin Lachrymae Christi vintage Of '5s), and not
knowing what still worse fate may oyertake them
tomorrow. Strange it is that some in this world |
should be surrounded by wealth and luxury and |
that Others deserving should be obliged to look |
to charity for their very food-municpal charity |
cold and hard at that. But in closing we ought |
to say 70 the other paupers Of the country |
that it behooves them TO get TO Hartford at once |
IL they intend to go at all, as there is no telling |
what the investigating committee may resolve |
upon