The Opelousas courier., 1893-03-04
BREAD FOR ALL WHO ASK.
A DAILY DARLY-MoRNING SCENE
BEFORE A NEW YORK BAKERY.
Human Wrecks Stunning Past q Big
Bakery Door in Lock Step for
Stale Loayes-a Weird Spectacle.

Human Wrecks shufling Past a Big
Bakery Door in Lock Step for
Stale Loayes-a Weird Spectacle.
TTHERE is a 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. 1t is probably known,
but not always remembered by persons
who have loving families, cheerful
homes, downy beds and we'll stocked
larders, and who live in an air of luxury,
that there is a half-starved army in this
CITY against which the doors of organ
lied charity are closed. It lives-no n
knows where, and it comes out on the
streets, like rats from a 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 a glimpse of the
starving army, and the sight is not
pleasant,
It was between 2 and 8 o'clock in the
morning the other day. The wind came
piping with a North Dakota chill
through East Tenth street, and nearly
ripped the tattered clothing from an old
man who came stamping along Fourth
avenue with a feeble step. He stopped
at the Tenth street corner. The lamp
light showed the skin peeping through
his clothes in many places. He sank a
little deeper into his rags after a quick
glance up the street and moved slowly
toward Broadway.
ssJust wait for a little while" said
Policeman Mcconnell to a reporter who
was on his way home after his nights
work, ssand you will see the straugest
gathering that you ever looked at in
this town."
The old man kept moving until he
reached the bright light which shown
c~heerfully from the windows of the
Vienna Bakery, midway on the block.
He looked wistfully at the scene Of good
cheer within, then leaned against a lamp
post with head bowed low, violently
trembling from cold and hunger.
"He's the first on the line" said Nc.
Cornell, sand he's not missed the honor
for over a year."
The poiiceman'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 front of Grace Church, AID there
were over 200 men standing closely
together, waiting, apparently, TO. some
signal to march. It was a silent crowd.
There was not a 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. Nc
one disturbed him. Not ven the po'
liceman.
There was a futter of excitement
along the line as the doors of the bakery
were thrown open with a loud bang ane
several bakers in white caps and aprons
rolled a 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 look step, well known,
apparently, to raany of the gang. Tt
every man was given a loaf Of bread .
day old. There was more than enough
to go around and 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 a rsvenous 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 Oh
large chunks of the loaf and fairly
crammed it into their mouths until every
morsel of 1t was gone. Others after
few bites, slowed the bread away among
the rags which covered their bodies, and
a few hurried away without tolching II
at oil. 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 tire feeling that steals
into the human heart when a good aci
has been performed.
sThat's the best object lesson," said
Policeman Mcconnell, as the last bundle
OF rags moved away, ssof what rum viii
bring q man to if he sticks al it. Mos
of these poor chaps come here night
after night, and many of them
have told me its the only food they
have had in tw~enty-four hours. Thu
gang is made up of ex~-convicts wht
have lost even the desire to steal, and
drunkards who have reached the bottom
of the ladder. Among the latter ara
men who have been in good cIrcum'
stances, and there is one who about ten
years ago owned a large wholesale gro
Gerry in Washington street. This Chart!
is q godsend to them, end its all the de
cent treatment they get during the day.
They are kicked and summed by every
body, sheek shelter wherever it can b.
found, and most of them will wind VI
in Potter's Field. No questions ars
asked here if these men are worthy OBJ
jects of charity. They are all hal
starved and drunkards without homes.
and thieves have to eat AZ vel as an