The times., 1898-07-19
MADRID IN WAR TIMES.
Distressing scenes of Poverty in
- the Spanish Capital.

Distressfng scenes of Poverty in
- the Spanish Capital.
New York. July 1s.-The aristocratic
capital of Madrid, where all the wealth
of Spain is accumulated. but where
there are neither industries nor manu-
factures, has yet a percentage of what
| MAY be termed proletarian inhabitants
who strikingly contrast with the stately
palaces, fine carriages, and well-dressed
promenaders who seem to form the ev-
eryday life of the capital. We are
quite aware of the numerous poor
houses, homes, and refugees, where the
helpless are slowed away in this un-
thrifty city writes a correspondent of
the London Graphic; of the goodly num-
Der of poor people who swarm the
streets by day and sleep ON the stone
benches or closed doorways and hooks
and corners at night; of the unfortu-
nate families formerly, perhaps. rich).
who cannot beg and are helped by the
Society of st. Vincent de Paul and other
charitable organizations formed by the
noble ladies of Madrid; of the boundless
private charities of the big-hearted
Queen Regert of Spain. and of the
equally kind Infanta Dona Isabel; of
the numerous poorhouseS founded and
supported by the present civil governor,
Don Alberto de Aguilera-who has often
to instruct his police to pick up and
send back to their native places the
swarms of surplus poor from the prov
inces which infest Madrid-yet we
never expected to witness such scene
of misery as that of today on the
grounds and at the premises of one of
the poorhouses, lately founded by Senior
Aguilera. by the help of the Queen Re
gent, and called "Asilo de Santa Girls
tina
From time to time the civil governor,
when he has collected from voluntary
contributions and from the fines i'm
posed on gambling clubs, sum suffi-
ciently 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 residence.
For a long time these tickets amounted
to some hundreds in each case. A cou-
pie of months ago IL was proved that as
many as 5000 had applied for such
meal, and that all of them could not be
ScINS0 HE SiNlI
that there was some exaggeratIon, de-
termined, on the present occasion. TO
attend the distribution in person. The
place for the gathering was at El As 10
de Santa Cr.stina, recently built to the
northwest of Madrid on a Slopng hill
above the fine park Of Moncloa. wei
planted with trees, and shrubs, and
flowers. whose rich hueS. under lovely
evenings sun. formed a strange con-
-. 4
of human beings huddled up like starv-
ing animals. pressing and crushing for
ward toward the tables, and baskets
from which a small roll Of bread and a
little parcel containing a piece of pork
some potatoes. and bread beans, were
given to each bearer of a ticket. The
number of people present was certainly
over double the number OF tickets dis
tributed. The poor. starving wretches
had been taking up their places in turn
since early morning. through burning
sun. down to p. m. when the distribu-
ton took place. The civil governor in ]
person. accompanied by some sisters of
charity and servants of the institution
of Santa Cristina," began the distribu-
ton at one of the tables, while his
daughter and other charitable persons
served out the rations at other tables
in rows at the bottom of the sloping
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 mass
of men. women. and children all strug-
Cling 10 be first, became so unruly that
1t was found necessary for the mounted
civic Guards to use their kind persua-
sions. and even the bodies, of their quiet
horses. to prevent the tables, sisters of
charity and the civil governor himself
from being crushed by the noisy. strug-
CLING masses.