The sun., 1896-12-16
rHE room AVID THE aIoH.
The Observations or - CIergyn,an OF E.enn
Experience Asong the Poor.

The Observations or Ciergyaap OF Ions
Experienes A,song the Poor.
To the EDITOR OF The SUN-Str: I have
just laid down TIE SUN of this morning con-
taininR the extract from the sermon OF DR..
walpole Warren and your editorial thereon.
/ have often felt when reading articles OF like
character in the current literature OF the day
that would like to have opportunity TO say
how widely the experience of such writer's diff.
fers from my own, and II am to measure and
contrast their observations with my own II may
be well, with your permission. to state just what
my opportunities for studying this problem Of
antagonism between rich and poor have been.
For more than twenty years lived in or near
that part of the city bounded by Ninth ave-
nue. on the east, Forty-second street on the
south, Sixty-seventh street on tho north, and
the Hudson River on the west This is 70 .
great extent the section Of tho city that has
been so thoroughly oanvassed. and of which
such an exhaustive study has been made and
reported in available pamphlet recently pub.
lished by gentleman in some way connected
with the Amity Baptist Church in Fifty-fourth
street, l believe.
For part of that time. viz: from 1888 to
1892, had the pastoral charge of a chapel
situated within the limits of this district whose
resident congregation lived within the bounds
before given, and my duties brought me in
daily contact not only with the poor. but also
some Of the very poorest of that part of the city.
NottakinR q summer vacation. was on duty
when many Of the resident pastors were having
their much. needed rest, and SOL was often, very
often, called into the parishes of other
duties led me not only among those who at
tended church. but far moro frequently to
those whose feet had never crossed tho thresh-
Whom state one or two facts Il will. think.
on &c not toT
funerals of children at between o and 12
o'clock at night; because they had to be buried
cofiin lay on the dinner table pushed mp against
table. the remaining children were eating their
dinner before starting for the cemetery:
the opportunity to know something of the
subject | am talking about; that saw want,
Now. as to the results of my observation as
concerning the alleged antaeonism between
many times i heard bitter complaints about
the want OF work; the inability to provide be-
small wages earned there was also much iament-
Ing; that the husband or mother or children, 10
the @ case en- might be- did no, receive more for their
seldom. there was heard Rrnmbling, fault
eral way But never, except in single
instance, did hear the charge made that the
rich we're directly or indirectly the cause of
their SUFFERING; and never in any instance did
hear harsh criticisms of the rich because they
were rich and they poor On tho ether hand I
have been many times surprised to see the
cuses made for them while complaining Of their
low wages They were often attributed to the
hard times or tho keen competition with which
their bosses had to contend.
| found another factor In this problem, Of
which have seldom heard mention. That is
individual cases of great kindness on the part
OF the rich to the poor. often so quietly shown
/ stood to them would know Of them. work.
man taken suddenly sick. the boss or the fore
man comes to see him. and one or two weeks, in
Bome scarcer instances q months, full pay Is
continued to him: present is sent to a SICK
child. and In countless instances help from rich
example OF young lady in Fifty-seventh street,
the only daughter Of rich parents living In ele-
gance. She never forgot tho poor girls in her
class In the chapel, and not only climbed tho
long stairs to visit them in their tenement
homes, but frequently gathered them in her
II would not have been the most wholesome
thing In the world in any OF these homes to
undertake to rail against the rich. A hard
handed father or o stalwart brother might have
shown the phiianthropists the nearest way of
exit from the apartments.
Finally. ! would like to say q word upon n
point frequently EN- phasized by you. know Of
re,footed. are-legged little girls that arc
now happy wives in comfortable circume tances
their husbands owning their own houses; Of
coatiess boys from that Sunday school. who,
hnding places as errand or cash boys. are now
In the receipt OF large salaries
do not intend to dispute the conclusions Of
DR.. Warren or any one else. have only to say
that there are two sides TO this question, and in
trying to look upon both am unable to make
the results of my observations agree with theirs
NEW YORK, Dec. IA. CHAPEL.