New-York tribune., 1907-12-26
IN BREAD LINES WAKE,
Hundreds of the City's Flotsanr Fed
at the Bozcery Mission.

The poor of the lower East Side, the itnerans
transient. as well those whom misfortune has
not deprived of their humble ONES. observed and
enjoyed Christmas the guests of the BoEery
Mission, No. So Bowery. The usual bread line OF
early morning contained nearly two thousand per-
sons each receiving cup OF hot coffee and oreao
Later in the morning one hundred BASKETS eaen
containing a substantial dinner for family vera
distributed and In the afternoon there was meet
ing and entertainment. while at night. following re-
Iigious services. twelve hundred dinners in boxes
were distributed.
The Bowery Mission is at the point Of gravitation
for those who constitute the lower five" OF Man
hattan's population. Every phase or that element
was represented in the great crowd that received
spiritual comfort and material cheer yesterday at
the mission. There was the hard featured wan
derer much of whose life has been spent in prison
stripes-the doxoIogy of a misspent life; also the
gray haired unfortunate. whose bushy whiskers did
not disguise his good features and whose speech
and demeanor told plainly that he was not born
TO the life he is leading Also in evidence was
the young wanderer. fresh from comfortable
home, accepting the philanthropy Of others for the
first time in his life. perhaps. because OF some
slight difference with those at home, but VINO
surely whatever were the circumstances that were
responsible for his being in line yesterday. would
have welcomed him back on that OF all days
Many were drawn that part of Manhattan be-
cause in those environments there exists COM
munity OF interest between themselves and those
who dwell in the poor tenenents- Others seek that
OF pride would not permit of their being seen
in the other parts of the city where they en-
joyed comfortable homes and warm friendships.
But at the Bowery Mission there distinc-
ton between these different types. except perhaps
that OF breeding. There they all came an equal
ity to receive the message OF good will to all. and
all enjoyed 1t alike. There nothing unusual
about the bread line at 1 o'clock in the morning
except that IL longer than at other times The
other parts OF the days programme, however. fur-
s4~4-F ~
the baskets. Most of these were called for by
women II providentfal that the day was not
cold. for in some cases surely the lightly clad.
emaciated forms that stood in line could not have
endured IT,
All of those hundred women who called FOR the
baskets married. and nearly all had children
three four. five and six of them. In many cases
the husbands sick. in they were without
employment; but, whatever was the cause OF those
women calling at the mission the reason clear
ly apparent any who knows anything about
mother love-and who does not? The presence OF
some of the children with their mothers told the
pathetic story And il would take an indeed facils
pen to tell adequately the expression on the faces
of those LEFT the line when the baskets had be-
come exhausted: brush could better describe IL
In the afternoon the members of the Brotherhood
met at the mission, exchanged stories. sang. re-
cited and ate. The Brotherhood is feature
of the missions work II is composed OF men.
young and old. who have gone the pace. but ara
those present was young man who up to few
weeks tramp known "Connecticuf
Red" He was of those helped to a better lie
by DR. Benjamin L. Reitnan. the tramp reforner
who was recently in this city He obtained Joo
and Is again self-respecting citizen. Superin-
tendent ]. G. Hallirnond pointed out another man
who had coufded to him that It the first sober
Christmas he had spent in twenty years
The chairs arranged in orderly rows
yesterday afternoon as they usually are. They
We're placed IN groups that the men could ges
together, make another's acquaintance anu
discuss things though they at club Fol-
lowing the music recitations and songs there was
distributed TO each some warm clothing and then
dinner.
The largest crowd came at night to the religious
services at which Mr.. Hallimond of1ciated MIS-.
Sarah Jane Bird. enthusiastic supporter OF the
mission who is known Mother Bird. was aiso
on the platform and spoke some words of cheer ta
the wanderers who occupied every seat While the
latter were praying and singing carols several nun
dred more who could not obtain admission were
being fed in the basement. They went in by one
stairway. received their boxes containing a SUP"
stantial dinner and of coffee. and after eat
ing and drinking, left the place by another stair
way So it went until LOO men, Including tnoss
at service upstairs had been fed