The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-20
Sad Sights That Are New Frequently
Witnessed in The City,
DISTRESS AMONG THE POOR.
< y cnance fer tho charitabiy inclined to
Open sheir rurss strings eontribu-
lions of Any Sort win Bs. Crate
st fuiiy Received.

The Comparatively lew thus Nh'''
oeople who have permitted their attention
10 be turned from all foreign movements
that they NAV devote their time in at
fernntinc TO aneliornte the condition OF
the poverty-stricken in this city are now
willing TO admit that one half the world
does not know how the other half lives.
Their labor OF love has taken them among
the people. They have seen them IL their
\ homes. They have entered the cold,
cheerless rooms where the people "live,"
and they can tell many tales OF woe that
ought to melt the heart Of the most
hardened coupon-clippcr. AS some
OF these stories had reached
the ears of THE NEWS, a re-
porter went out into the snow ard sleet
one day last week TO investigate the mat
ter from an unbiased standpoint. While
in some places the people were in fairy
decent circumstances be found as many
rooms where the gaunt wolf OF poverty
was waging continual battle for the
blood of its victims.
While it would be impossible TO relate
all that he saw during this sad excursion
few facts will not be out Of place and
they may lead men and women OF means
to contribute from their plenty for the
relief OF the suffering thousands.
Awful Dcsti.ution seen.
In a single room on Dodge street the re-
porter found woman lying Ill upon a
mattress that had been placed in the cor
ner OF the room. She had six children,
ranging in age from few months to
about nine years. Her husband, who had
been dissipated man, was serving term
in the workhouse for non-support OF fami-
ly. During the months that he had been
behind the bars, nearly every article OF
furniture in the house had been pawned
TO buy food. Then the youngest child
was born, and, as one misfortune ire
qaertly follows another, the family was
ordered out of the tenement for uon-pny-
ment OF rent. A kindly neighbor offered
the woman the use of an unoccupied attic,
and here the family was found.
There was one table in the room and
Just one chair. On the table sat a two
wick oil stove, but it was empty The
room was absolutely without heat. The
children had huddled under the one
blanket beside their sick mother,
they had of keeping warm. The
woman snid that she received small
amount from the city, but il was not
nearly enough to keep her little ones
supplied with food, to say nothing of
keeping them warm. The neighbors
&C q, stimes invited them down to sit be-
side their stoves, but at other times they
were compelled to keep closely together
under the ragged blanket.
A similar Case on rranch Avenue.
A similar case was discovered in the vi
cinity Of Branch avenue. Here there
were four children, and when the re-
Dorter entered the room little
ones were scrambling for a few old
crusts that one Of the children
had found on the street. When
thepieces of bread were distributed among
the hungry waits they were SO hard that
the youngest child could not eat his
share, and he returned to his mothers
arms to weep with hunger. The story
that was told at this house was somewhat
similar. The woman's husband had
worked in the mill as long as there was
any work for him to do and he had
then gone to his former home in
Massachusetts, to look for work. Since
that time she had heard from him once or
twice, but the story was always the same.
He had earned no money, could not OBJ
tain employment, and he knew Of no one
who could assist him.
These two were but specimen cases, for
the grim wolf seemed to reign supreme in
every section of the city. Never before
has Mr.. Cummings been called upon by so
many people, and, almost without ex-
ception, these people have been worthy
pf the charity for which they have ap-
Piled.
There is no one in Providence who is so
well acquainted with the present condi-
tion of affairs as the overseer of the poor.
Whenever 1t is possible he
visits the people personally, and
in these calls he has witness
ed more silent suffering than any one
could imagine. People have been found
who had gone without food for days be-
fore they applied 10 the city for aid and IL
Is not at all unusual to find whole family
huddied under single blanket for the
purpose OF keeping warm.
Applicants Not of Tramp Order.
For the first time in years the men who
apply for meals at the Charity building
are not members OF the genus tramp.
Many Of them are well dressed, honest APP
pearing men, and all OF them tell the same
story. The burden of the tale is "work.n ,t
II tsworkthat they want, not charity,and as
general thing they very glad to avail
themselves OF the opportunity to pay for
their meals by working in the wood yard
Some OF them come again and again aud
they never seem TO tire OF the rather prim-
itivc menu that IS served-haked beans
brown bread, white bread and coffee.
On Christmas day, however, q different
menu il presented, while large baskets oi
provisions are given 10 every orc who will
visit the oyerseer. On previous years q
large amount OF clothing has been dis.
tributed In the same manner, but Mr.
Cummings Is afraid that nc Will be com
PEELED TO coniino his efforts 10 tho prcvi-
sions this season.
~ Personal subscriptfon.
AS the city makes no provision for suci
aceiebration the oversecr IS compelled e
rely almost entirely upon personal sub.
scriplions, but as he Is unwilling that hi
poor should be hungry ON tho annivcrsar,
4 - -. ....I. 1.