Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-02-21
BREAD FOR ALL WHO ASK.
A DAILY EARLY-MoRNING SCENE
BEFORE a NEW YORK BAKERY.
Human Wrecks Shutting Past a Big
Bakery Door in Lock Step toI
Stale Loayes-A Weird Spectacle,

Human Wrecks Shutting Past Big
Bakery Door in Lock Step tol
| Stale Loayes-A Weird Spectacle
THERE is a weird scene every
morning, while the tired city
IS fast Us .eep, at Broadway and
Tenth street, which tells il
eloquent silence Of tine depth of human
woe and misery. 1t is probably known,
! but not always remembered by person:
who have loving families, c-eerfu
homes, downy beds and well.stocEed
! Iardcrs, and who live in an ar OF luxury
that there is 4 haif-stlrved army in this
city against vlich :hs doors Of organ.
| lied charity ara closed. It lives no enc
knows where. and it cones OUT on the
streets, like rats from hole, after dark,
seeking food and everything that it can
Geyour. 1. is only the night workers
who see the big city wnen tue lights arc
turned low who catch \ glimpse of the
starting army, and tue sight is no.
pleasant.
1t was between and O'Clock il the
morning the other day. The wind Caml
piping with a North Dakota chill
through East Tenth street, and nearly
ripped the tatterei clothing from an Old
man who came stunping along Fourth
avenue with . feeble step. lie stopped
at the Tenth street cornsr. The lamp
light showed the SKIN pecgiug through b
his clothes in many places. lie sank q
little deeper into his RAGS after / quick
glance up the street and novel slowly
toward Broadway.
Just wait foc little while" said
Policeman Mcconnell TO a reporter who
was on his way home after his nights
work, ''anI yoI viii see the strangess
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 a lamp
post with head bowed low, violently
trembling from cold and hunger.
lies the frat on the liGc," sail Nc.
Connell, "and he's not missed the honor
for over a YEAR
The poIicemln's remark was vague,
but in a little while the explanation
came. The solitary tramp soon had
plenty OF company. Men with want aad
poverty stamped on every feature of
their gaunt faces and every shred OF
their eloquent rags turned into Est
Tenth street from Fourth avenue and
Broadway. They came singly aud in
groups, and fell il behind the first ar
rival.
At ) O'CLOCK the line extended around
in front of Grace Church, and there
were over 2JO men standing closely
together, waiting, apparently, fo- some
signal to march. 1t was silent crowd.
There was not a word spoken above n
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. M
one disturbed him. Not even the po-
liceman.
There was a l4tter 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 a half dozen big boxes filed 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, well known,
to many of the gang. tt
every man was given a loaf of bread
day old. There was more than enough
to 20 around and some gos two lOaves.
The long wait in the open air seemed |
70 have added an extra palg TO the |
hunger of the men, and almost every |
one took raveuOds 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 q kingly feast.
Some sat down on the curb, broke of /
large chunks of the loaf and fairly |
it into their mouths until every |
uOrsel Of 1t was gone. Others, after
few bites, slowed the bread away among
the rags which covered their bodies, and
l few hurried away without touching it
1t all. In fifteen minutes the street was
deserted and no sound was heard save
he merry song Of the bakers as they
piled up big stacks of bread for theiI
customers with the feeling that steals
nto the human heart when q good &C!
las been performed.
''That's the best object lesson" said
Policeman Mcconnell, as the last bundli
If rags moved away, "of what rum will
bring man to if he sticks at it. Mos.
# these poor chaps come here nigh:
Ifter night, and many OF them
lavc told me it's the only food they
lave had IN twenty-four hours. ThJ
gang is made up Of ex-couvicts who
lave lost even the desire to steal, AMI
!ruukards who have reached the bottom
" the ladder. Among the latter are
zen who have been in good circum-
taaces, and there is one VINO about tea
ears ago owned a large wholesale gro.
cry in Washington street. This chariy
5 a godsend to them, end it's all the de-
ent treatment they get during the day.
they are kicked and stunned by every
,ody, sheek shelter wherever it can be
Ound, and most of them will wind ~
4 Potter's Field. No questions are
sked here If these men are worthy o.
acts of charity. They are all hall
,aryed and drunkards without home,
nd thieves have to cat as well Is an
ne else. Although they are hariene
't there has not been the slightest dis
rider on the blcck during the years taI.
neg have been coming here. .'-E-n
ok Recorder.