New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-11

PATHETIC SCENES IN A WATER-ST.
YARD-EAST SIDE OUTLOOK GRAVE.

| lARD-EAST SIDE OUTLOOK GRAVE
| Coal at 10 cents a pail was the motto Of the
| lower East Side yesterday. Thousands of women
and children. their faces showing the signs Of
| hunger and cold, crowded to the coal yards of
Alfred Barbers Son, al No. 80 Water-st Long
before the hour set for the beginning Of the dis
/ tributton the line stretched far down Water-st.
| There were scores Of old women, their heads
wrapped in shawls and little children tugging
| At the weight of thirty forty pounds of coal
on their shoulders. scrambled out ahead of the
| old women, calling down on their heads voIuble
denunciatiOn.
Inside the yard two policemen were hardly
able to restrain the crowd as il surged toward
the heaps Of precious coal At the entrance to
the yard yellow tickets were sold az 10 cents
apiece. each emitting the bearer TO one pail OF
coal No allowed to take more than
one pail, and watchers were put on the crowds
10 see that there was no repeating. Fifteen men
We're kept busy all day shoyelling coal into pals
and pouring it into the bags of the purchasers.
Superintendent Roberts. who directed the sale.
busy man. Not only was he extremely
active looking after the work. but there
continual rush Of people TO be restrained The
sight of so great a supply of coal acted strange
ly on the poor people who had been without any
for weeks. All the efforts Of the police and
watchmel barely sufficed 70 keep things running
smoothly.
Its my busy day" said Mr. Roberts weariIy
to a Tribune reporter. Ever since morning We
have been at it without let-up. During that
time we have sold about one hundred and
twenty-five tons. Now. there about sixty
fve pals To the ton. and that means that we
! have supplied over eight thousand people to-
day. The price We charge. about half the pre-
vaiIing rate means about SO ton Thirty dol
D.. il hat tha 10 hay tO DaV on +
side. We shall not continue this tomorrow, but
will start again on Monday. We have good
deal of difficulty in preventing people from re-
peating and have to keep close watch on
them Il Is pretty hard sight-ths exhibition
OF poverty See that woman for sample
Mr. Roberts pointed out old woman who was
totteringIy and feebly attempting to raise the
bag of coal she had Just obtained Several
times she failed 10 lift il to her shoulder, and
then a shoveller put il on her shoulder. and she
tottered of Did you notice the expression on
her face? She is one of the type we have served
to-day"
To the little boys the whole proceeding was
chiefly humorous. They shouldered their thirty
pounds of coal and trudged down the street man
fully Some Of the urchins turned their little
carts into coal wagons and half dozen VINO
had a considerable distance to go arranged
regular coal train of about ten carts IL re-
quired a close watch on the part Of the police TO
prevent the younger boys from being robbed OF
their precious burden. once in a while one
would see an instance Of robbery. one little boy
WAS sitting ON a doorstep sobbing loudly. When
asked what had happened he tearfuly decaimed
against the big fellers" that had held him up
and robbed him At last kindly passerby took
the boy back and bought him another bag and
then he scampered away as fast as ne could CO.
tugging his coal
The coming of moderately cold weather on the
East Side brought the first real Jouch or suIIer-
ing Yesterday The holiday season has so far
turned the attention of the Hebrews from the
coal situation. Not until sunday when the Day
of Atonement is passed will the pinch begin 10 be
felt Last night the streets were hIed win
children who started little bonfires of paper and
refuse The warmth of the blaze brought bursts
Of enthusiasm. the little chaps danced IN the
bIsza souatted over the embers and performed
a war dance round the burning heaps.
The ouestion of public baths continues 10 be
a serious one Robert Hunter, head worker Of
the University Settlement stld yesterday mat
as vet there had been action about closing
the Settlement baths. which are among the
largest on the East SIDE
we have only half a ton OF cod4 IN STOCK
said he hut we shall try 70 keep on as long as
a. an Yesterday particularly busy day
ar tba settlement baths. and hundreds Of people
,Ne u. cbdren of the East Side longer spend
+ba bo,rs after school in street games. Hun
Sra5s ~ them may be seen daily now. trudging
off no the waterfront. dragging their little carts,
IN a foraging expedition for wood The wood
hunt IS a regular game In fact, with the dan
o. ~ DoIice interference and even arrest as they
ttns essurne sufficiently piratical guise to fur
nish All the Joys of real raiding.
Even the most conservative residents express
-ra,,e anDrehension. When actual cold weather
SScTnas they declare the misery will be intense.
NIaddened by the sight of their wives and chill
dren's suffering, the more ignorant and unruly
sIsnents of the population are capable OF caus-
ing a great deal of disorder
Il won't tell you what fear said promi-
pant member of the Hebrew community to a
Tribune reporter yesterday, "fOr don't want To
give anv suggestion to the people fear. But L
Continued second page.
..rIIE RIIEEAIO LIMITED