New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-19
4 PTPiL INCIDENT.

Two aged women starved to death at their
home in the town of Rush. in Western New-fork
the other day. They were paupers They were
on the official list OF persons entitled to the
towns charities and it was the duty OF the town
poormaster TO look after their wants. One OF
them was eighty-four years old. and for long
time they both had been unable to support them
selves and had bad to subsist on charity. II now
appears that the charity was OF an extremely
official sort. not at all the hearty friendship FOR
unfortunate neiShbors characteristic of the coun-
try districts but rather like that formal machine
philanthropy supposed TO belong TO the selfish
ness Of cities.
Rush as may be learned from the gazettccrs.
Is a township in the county of Monroe on the
east side Of the Genesec River, containing some
what moro than 1000 inhabitants. There are
some small villages in 1t, but most OF the people
are prosperous farmers. Their lands are rich
and rolling their barns are well built ana We'll
filed The visitor there would gain the impress
sion that lie was in a land where the burden OF
life rested lightly on those who dwclt there.
Rush appears TO be blessed with rich store OF
this worlds goods 1t has not many churches in
comparison with other towns OF the same size.
and those it has are not surprisingly furnishing.
II did have additional services for n time In n
schoohouse. until the State authorities decided
It was illegal to use the building for religious
purposes 1t also has few-very few-poor
people. who. since cleaning Is not in fashion in
the rich wheat fields which slope toward the
Gcnesee have to be supported out of the money
returns from the sale Of the gathered grain The
farmers OF Rush pay taxes for that purpose, AMI
have poormas,cr to distribute their gifts They
are too busy raising wheat ard making butter
TO do il themselves. Sometimes the poormaster
has wheat and butter of his own to attend 10,
and can't bother with old women. They are
nuisance in the town, anyway There are not
enough Of them to pay for running workholse
and If they are too poor 10 take care OF them
selves they ought to go 10 Rochester and I've
in the county institution That IS the sensible
view that the Rush pOormastcr doubtless took
He will have two less charges hereafter. In
deed II Is more than likely that with the two old
women gone there is nobody left in Rush whose
support is a drag upon the general prosperity
Old Hannah RoScnbush and her sister. 50 the
neighbors saw died in house containing no
furniture no fire and no food When somebody
happened TO find Hannah dead and Sarah I'M
conscious his sympathy warmed and revived
Sarah long enough for her To tell how they had
been without food after they had on Thursday
eaten the last morsc sent them 10y the town,
how they had waited in vain for somebody 10
come. how they had burned all their furniture
how on Friday night they had gone TO bed with
ont having tasted food for forty-cight hours how
Hannah had died in the night. and how Sarah
had waited beside her in bed for death. And
death came after she had told the story. Then
the Coroner granted certificate ~ death from
natural causes" And all this happened not In
a city aforementioned. where man knows not
his ncighbor and organized charities have hard
work to cover their fields but In It'll" country
community where everybody knows everybody
else and the land is literally flowing with
milk and honey But, no doubt, the people II
Rush can point with pride 10 he virtue and good
order Of their town. and its freedom from s,s-
picous characters, and view with alarm the ma
teralistic tendencies Of the time and the wicked
ness of the great cities.