The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-08
MADRID IN WARTIME.
Sights md scenes Among the Poor
of Spain's Capital

An article in the London Graphic gives a pic
t,Ire OF Madrid in time which almost rivals
the famine scenes in India, or the memories
which English manufacturing towns have OF the
DAYS OF the cotton famine. when mills were smut
down and operatives starved because cf the war IN
America. The peculiar organization OF Spanish
society creates large class OF beggars ana o'het
pensioners upon the public bounty, even IN the
hest of times The state Of things now Is almost
indescribable. The London correspondent says;
eve are quite aware Of the numerous poor
houses homes and refugees. where the helpless
are slowed away in this thrifty city, Oh the
goOdly number OF poo people who swarm Inc
streets by day and sleep On the stone benches
or closed docrways and hooks and corners at
night; of the unfortunate families ttornerly, per
haps rich), who cannot beg and are helped by
the Society of the Saint Vincent de Paul and
other charitable associations foImod by the noble
ladies of Madrid; OF the boundlesS private char
ties + the big heart Qseen Regent Of Spain, md
of the equally kind infsnta Bona Isabel; OF the
numerous poorhouses founded and supported Dy
the present civil governor, Don Alberto de Asu-
ilera-who has often 10 instruct his ponce 10
pick up and send back TO their native places the
swarms OF surplus poor from the provinces which
infest MadTid-yet we never expected to witness
such scene of misery that OF to-day on the
grounds and at the promises OF one Of the poor
houses, lately founded by Senor AguileTa, by the
help of the Queen Regent, and called Asilo de
Santa Cristina.
From time TO time the civil governor. when he
has collected from voluntary contributions and
from the fines imposed on gambling clubs. sum
sufficiently large TO enable him to give meal
or distribution of bread to the poor, announces
in the press that on such and such a day tickets
of relief can be obtained at his official resi-
dence. For long time these tickets amounted
to some hundreds in each case. couple OF
months ago il proved. that as MANY as s,OO3
had applied fer such a meal, and that all of them
could not be served. The civil governor think
ing that there exagge.ation, deter
mined, on the present occasion, TO attend TO the
distribution in person. The place for the gather
ing was at FL Asilo de Santa Caristina. recently
built to the northwest OF Madrid en- a Sloping
hill about the fns park of Moncloa, well planted
with trees and shrubs and flowers, whaaa rich
hCes. under lovely event gs SIN, formed strang
contrast the motley and hungry crowd of hu-
man beings buddled up like starving animals,
pressing and crushing forward toward the tables
and baskets from which small roll of bread and
little parcel containing q piece of pork, some
potatoes and bread beans given to each
bearer of ticket The number of people pres
ent was certainly over double the number of
tickets distributed The poor, starving wre sches
had been taking up their places IN turn since
early morning, through a burning sun, down to
p. M, when the distribution took place The
civil governor, in pc son, accompanied Ivy some
Sisters of Charity and servants of the institution
of Santa ~ris;ina. began the Distribution at
of the tables, while his daughter and other
charitable persons served out the Iations at otner
grounds. Both police and civic guards tried
to form and keep in order the straight lines
from the rising ground down toward each table,
but the OF men, women and children all
struggling to be first, became so lHlyuly that il
was found necessary for the mounted GIVE guard
bodies OF their quiet horses to prevent the tables
Sisters Of Charity and the civil governor himself
from being crushed by. the noisy, struggling
MASSES.