POOR WEAVERS OF SPITALFIELDS

_From the Times of February 21._

“SIR--Having lately been introduced by several gentlemen of distinction to the Reverend Joseph Brown, the benevolent pastor of Saint Matthias, Spitalfields, with the view of relieving, if possible, at a trifling expense, the sufferings of that industrious but distressed class of society, the Weavers of Spitalfields; and having, with that gentleman, visited several of their abodes, we found, in many of the houses, five or six in a small room, entirely deprived of the common necessaries of life--no food, no fire, and hardly any garment to cover their persons, and that during the late severe frost. In one of the attics we visited we inquired of a woman how they subsisted. Her husband, she said, had no employment during the last four months, and that they merely lived on what he could get by begging in the streets; she added, that she and her children had not tasted a bit of food for twenty-four hours, the last of which consisted of apples partly decayed, and bits of bread given to her husband, which food we may consider, if even plentiful, to be pernicious to health. The only piece of furniture in that gloomy abode of misery was the weaving machine, now at rest, and which, in time of prosperity, was used to provide food, and made, if not a wealthy, at least a happy home for those now wretched and destitute families, and the scientific production of which has often, and even now, adorns the persons of thousands of the aristocracy and gentry of the country.

“I am quite convinced, Sir, that the wearers of those luxuries possess at all times the most charitable feelings towards their fellow-creatures in distress; and when they are made aware, through the medium of your powerful journal, of the facts of the present lamentable position of those who have by their industry so often gratified their sights and wishes, none of them will, I am certain, refuse a small token of charity towards the relief of those unfortunate martyrs of industry, whose poverty no one can blame, but whom everybody must pity. After having witnessed such distressing scenes, I immediately proposed that my Subscription Kitchen for the Poor, which was being made at Messrs. Bramah and Prestige’s factory, should be erected, without any loss of time, in the most populous district of Spitalfields, where there are no less than 10,000 poor people in one parish, and hardly any wealthy families among them to give them relief.

“I am happy to inform you, Sir, that my first experiment, made last Saturday, has been most successful, having been able to make a most excellent peas panada and meat soup in less than one hour and a half, and that at a very moderate expense--the quickness and saving of which are partly owing to the contrivance of my new steam apparatus, and which food was distributed, without any confusion, in less than twenty minutes, to about THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY children, who were selected for the occasion from the different schools, the remainder of the food, with bread, being given away to many poor families in the neighbourhood.

“The kitchen will remain open daily, and nothing will be given away except to those who are proved to be quite destitute; a quart of food or soup, and a quarter of a pound of bread, will be given for one penny.

“All information respecting the issuing of tickets and receiving of subscriptions will be made known by advertisements.

“I am aware that every nobleman, gentleman, and tradesman have to support their own poor, and therefore propose that not more than a guinea should be received from any one as a subscription; but from 6_d._ to the above sum will be most thankfully received, and disposed of with the greatest economy.

“I beg to observe, that any of the subscribers who should wish to keep their names private, will be pleased to make a private mark, that they may see it correctly entered in a catalogue, which will be published monthly, with an account of all the subscriptions received, expenses incurred, the quantity of ingredients consumed, with a correct list of the poor relieved.

“I trust, under all these circumstances, you will be good enough to give a place to this letter in your journal.

“With the highest consideration,

“I am, Sir, your most obliged,

“A. SOYER.

“REFORM CLUB, _Feb. 17_.”

* * * * *

SOYER’S CULINARY INNOVATION.