Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-04-26
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Care of Great City's Found1ings
and Paupers - Awful Mortality
Rate-More Room For Art.
Especial Correspondence

A very luminous understanding Of
| York was furnished in recent meeting
| where Commissioner Faure and the
| Hon. Homer P. Folks took part. Unfor-
| tunately, until the present administra-
| ton of the city, for nearly 100 years the
| department. had com bined both charities
and correction, unconsciously giving the
| impression that poverty and crime might
| well be treated alike. Much though
there is remaining to improve in the
administration of the charities depart
ment, now standing by itself, yet vast
deal has been accomplished. Its range
of duties extends from the fretful found
lings on Randall's island to the feeble
pauper in the almshouse on B1ackwel1's
island It has been entirely relieved of
the care Of the insane, now under state
control, and also of the prisoners. AS a
consequence the department has been
compelled to hire help instead of using
prisoners for the purpose. 1t will sound
like an almost impossible condition of
things, but until recently large wards of
helpless insane and of honest old people
were, as far as actual control is concern
ed, at the tender mercies of convicted
thugs of both sexes. This condition is
largely passing. Where one feeble old
woman used to have charge of about 60
foundlings there are now employed four
trained nurses.
Frightfu1 Rate Of Mortality.
The startling statement was made by
both speakers that nearly 100 per cent
of the city's foundlings died. This the
writer has since confirmed by visit to
Randall's island. One little tot. Althea
Jones, about Is months old, is display
ed as wonder because she lives. The
poor thing was picked out of an ash bar
rel with half a newspaper wrapped
around her. The care given to the chill
dren is now the best that science can
give. Sterilized bottles and milk, cream
of the finest quality, sugar Of milk, ETC.,
the necessary ingredients for approx
mating mothers milk, are prepared by
a skilled nurse under definite prescrip-
tion for each child according to its age,
digestive strength, etc. Yet they nearly
all perish. The reason is deeper than
science can reach. 1t is in the exposure
to which their tender bodies have been
subjected.
Gotham's Markets and Street Pedd1ers.
Mrs. Oppenheimer recently gave the
women's section of the club an inform
ing talk upon markets and street ped
oilers. The market question i'll New Y ork
runs back to 1885, when the director
general made Saturday the legal market
day and assigned certain regions for
market purposes. The number of public
markets, notwithstanding the growth of
population, has declined from ID to in
the past 80 years. Agitation is strong
for an increase in the upper regions of
the city as Convenience to the poor ana
thrifty. Until the number is multiplied,
however, the peddlers with their push
carts will continue as q sort of necessary
evil. One difficulty in connection with
New York markets is the red tape that
is involved in their conduct For in
stance, the revenues go into the city's
sinking fund, the appropriations for sal
aries and cleaning are made by the
board of estimate and apportionment
the sanitary condition is looked after by
the board Of health, and the department
of public works looks after repairs. It is
hardly necessary to add that the build
ings are not i'll good condition.
More Room For Art.
By the favorable report of the assem-
bly, cities committee on the Austin bill,
authorizing this city to issue ST. 900, 900
in bonds for the extension of the Metro
pOlltan Art museum, it becomes prob
able that work may soon begin upon the
first of a number Of additions that are to
complete the general scheme for the
nj Mo in
clude series of buildings extending
along Fifth avenue from Seventy ninth
to Eighty fifth street and back as far as
the east drive in Central park
When, in April, 1895, bill was pass
ed appropriating 5000, 900 year for the
extension of the museum, plans had not
been completed, and the trustees waited,
thinking that the money could be allow
ed to accumulate until needed for use.
1t was found recently, according to the
opinion rendered by Corporation Coun-
sci Scott, that the wording of the act re-
quired that not more than 100000
should be drawn in q single year. The
moneys for 1895 and 1896 could there
fore be made available only by an
amendment to the law or an entirely
new act of the legislature.
Plans for the wing now proposed pro-
vide for a I shaped building extending
from the old building toward Fifth ave-
nue.. A plaza on the same side will lead
to the grand entrance of the museum
when comI@t ted
The cost cf the new wing is estimated
at 81 1000, 900.
Ice Cream on the Move.
Another sign of spring has come to
-perambulating ice cream. To
town has it come in truth, being a
strictly citified harbinger all unknown
70 i4-