Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-02-10
BREAD FOR ALL WHO ASK.
DAILY EARLY-MoRNING SCENE
BEFORE A NEW YORK BAKERY.
Human Wrecks Stunning Past a Big
Bakery Door In Lock Step for
Stale Loaves-A Weird Spectacle.

Bakery Door In Lock Step for
Stale Loaves-A Weird Spectacle.
|HHERE is weird scene every
morning, while the tired city
is fast asleep, at Broadway and
Tenth street, which tells in
eloquent silence Of the depth of human
woe and misery. It is probably known,
but not always remembered by persons
who have loving families, cheerful
homes, downy beds and well.stocked
larders, and who live in an air of luxury,
that there is half-starved army in this
city against which the doors of organ.
lied charity are closed. 1t lives-no one
knows where, aud it comes out on the
streets, like rats from hole, after dark,
seeking food and everything that it can
devour. 1t is only the night workers
who see the big city when the lights are
turned low who catch glimpse of the
starving army, and the sight is not
pleasant.
1t was between and o'clock in the
morning the other day. The wind came
piping with North Dakota chill
through East Tenth street, and nearly
ripped the tattered clothing from an old
man who came stumping along Fourth
avenue with feeble step. He stopped
at the Tenth street corner. The lamp.
light showed the skin peeping through
his clothes in many places. He sank
little deeper into his rags after quick
glance up the street and moved slowly
toward Broadway.
"Just wait for little while," said
Policeman Mcconnell TO O reporter who
was on his way home after his nights
work, ''and you will see the strangest
gathering that you ever looked at in
this town"
The old man kept moving until he
reached the bright light which shown
cheerfully from the windows of the
Vienna Bakery, midway on the block.
He looked wistfully at the scene of good
cheer within, then leaned against lamp
post with head bowed low, violently
trembling from cold and hunger.
"He's the first on the fine" said Nc.
Connell, sand he's not missed the honor
for over year."
The policeman's remark was vague,
but in a little while the explanation
came. The solitary tramp soon had
plenty of company. Men with want and
poverty stamped on every feature of
their gaunt faces and every shred of
their eloquent rags turned into East
Tenth street from Fourth avenue and
Broadway. They came singly and in
groups, and fell in behind the first ar
rival.
At 8 o'clock the line extended around
in fsont Of Grace Church, and there
were over 200 men standing closely
together, waiting, apparently, for some
signal to march. 1t was silent crowd.
There was not word spoken above
whisper. Some of the men were drunk
and hardly ably to stand, but they were
held in place by their comrades in
misery. One fellow dropped on the
walk and rolled into the gutter. No
one disturbed him. Not even the po-
liceman.
There was a flutter of excitement
along the line as the doors of the bakery
were thrown open with loud bang and
several bakers in white caps and aprons
rolled half dozen big boxes filled with
bread on the sidewalk. The bakers
handed out the bread to the men, and
the line moved slowly along with the
shuttle OF the lock step, we'll known,
apparently, to many of the gang. To
every man was given loaf of bread
day old. There was more than enough
to 90 around aud some got two loaves.
The long wait in the open air seemed
to have added an extra pang to the
hunger of the men, and almost every
one took revenods bite from the loaf
as soon as it reached his hand. They
acted like hungry wolves in sight of
prey, and to many of them the dry
bread appeared fit for a kingly feast.
Some sat down on the curb, broke off
large chunks of the loaf and fairly
crammed it into their mouths until every
morsel of it was gone. Others, after a
few bites, slowed the bread away among
the rags which covered their bodies, and
a few hurried away without to ichlug it
at all. In fifteen minutes the street was
deserted and no sound was heard save
the merry song of the bakers as they
piled up big stacks of bread for their
customers with the feeling that steals
into the human heart when good act
has been performed.
"That's the best object lesson" said
Policeman Mcconnell, as the last bundle
of rags moved away, "of what rum will
bring a man to if he sticks at it. Most
of these poor chaps come here night
after night, and many Of them
have told me it's the only food they
have had IN twenty-four hours. The
gang is made up of ex convicts who
have lost even the desire to steal, and
drunkards who have reached the bottom
of the ladder. Among the latter are
men who have been in good circum-
stances, and there is one who about ten
years ago owned large wholesale gro.
Gerry in Washington street. This charity
is godsend to them, and it's all the de-
cent treatment they get during the day.
They are kicked and Stunned by every
body, sheek shelter wherever it can be
found, and most of them will wind up
in Potter's Field. No questions are
asked hero If these men are worthy OBJ
jects of charity. They are all half
starved and drunkards without homes,
and thieves have to eat as well as any
one else. Although they are hardened
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