The different kinds of employment given to the beggars upon their
being assembled in the house of industry.
Their great awkwardness at first.
Their docility, and their progress in useful industry.
The manner in which they were treated.
The manner in which they were fed.
The Precautions used to prevent Abuses in the Public Kitchen from
which they were fed.
As by far the greater part of these poor creatures were totally
unacquainted with every kind of useful labour, it was necessary
to give them such work, at first, as was very easy to be
performed, and in which the raw materials were of little value;
and then, by degrees, as they became more adroit, to employ them
in manufacturing more valuable articles.
As hemp is a very cheap commodity, and as the spinning of hemp is
easily learned, particularly when it is designed for very coarse
and ordinary manufactures, 15,000 pounds of that article were
purchased in the palatinate, and transported to Munich;
and several hundred spinning wheels, proper for spinning it,
were provided; and several good spinners, as instructors,
were engaged, and in readiness, when this house of industry was
opened for the reception of the poor.
Flax and wool were likewise provided, and some few good spinners
of those articles were engaged as instructors; but by far the
greater number of the poor began with spinning of hemp; and so
great was their awkwardness at first, that they absolutely ruined
almost all the raw materials that were put into their hands.
By an exact calculation of profit and loss, it was found that the
manufactory actually lost more than 3000 florins upon the
articles of hemp and flax, during the first three months; but we
were not discouraged by these unfavourable beginnings; they were
indeed easy to be foreseen, considering the sort of people we had
to deal with, and how necessary it was to pay them at a very high
rate for the little work they were able to perform, in order to
persevere with cheerfulness in acquiring more skill and address
in their labour. If the establishment was supported at some
little expence in the beginning, it afterwards richly repaid
these advances, as will be seen in the sequel of this account.
As the clothing of the army was the market upon which I
principally depended, in disposing of the manufactures which
should be made in the house, the woollen manufactory was an
object most necessary to be attended to, and from which I
expected to derive most advantage to the establishment; but still
it was necessary to begin with the manufacture of hemp and flax,
not only because those articles are less valuable than wool,
and the loss arising from their being spoiled by the awkwardness
of beginners is of less consequence, but also for another reason,
which appears to me to be of so much more importance as to require
a particular explanation.
It was hinted above that it was found necessary, in order to
encourage beginners in these industrious pursuits, to pay them at
a very high rate for the little work they were able to perform;
but every body knows that no manufacture can possibly subsist
long, where exorbitant prices are paid for labour; and it is easy
to conceive what discontent and disgust would be occasioned among
the workmen upon lowering the prices which had for a length of
time been given for labour, By employing the poor people in
question at first in the manufactures of hemp and flax,
manufactures which were not intended to be carried on to any
extent, it was easy afterwards, when they had acquired a certain
degree of address in their work, to take them from these
manufactures, and put them to spinning of wool, worsted, or
cotton; care having been taken to fix the price of labour in
these last-mentioned manufactures at a reasonable rate.
The dropping the manufacture of any particular article altogether,
or pursuing it less extensively, could produce no bad effect upon
the general establishment; but the lowering of the price of labour,
in any instance, could not fail to produce many.
It is necessary, in an undertaking like this, cautiously to avoid
every thing that could produce discouragement and discontent
among those upon whose industry alone success must depend.
It is easy to conceive that so great a number of unfortunate
beings, of all ages and sexes, taken as it were out of their very
element, and placed in a situation so perfectly new to them,
could not fail to be productive of very interesting situations.
Would to God I were able to do justice to this subject! but no
language can describe the affecting scenes to which I was a
witness upon this occasion.
The exquisite delight which a sensible mind must feel, upon
seeing many hundreds of wretched being awaking from a state of
misery and inactivity, as from a dream; and applying themselves
with cheerfulness to the employments of useful industry;--upon
seeing the first dawn of placid content break upon a countenance
covered with habitual gloom, and furrowed and distorted by misery;--
this is easier to be conceived than described.
During the first three or four days that these poor people were
assembled, it was not possible entirely to prevent confusion:
there was nothing like mutinous resistance among them; but their
situation was so new to them, and they were so very awkward in it,
that it was difficult to bring them into any tolerable order.
At length, however, by distributing them in the different halls,
and assigning to each his particular place, (the places being all
distinguished by numbers,) they were brought into such order as
to enable the inspectors, and instructors, to begin their
operations.
Those who understood any kind of work, were placed in the
apartments where the work they understood was carried on; and the
others, being classed according to their sexes, and as much as
possible according to their ages, were placed under the immediate
care of the different instructors. By much the larger number were
put to spinning of hemp;--others, and particularly the young
children from four to seven years of age, were taught to knit,
and to sew; and the most awkward among the men, and particularly
the old, the lame, and the infirm, were put to the carding of wool.
Old women, whose sight was too weak to spin, or whose hands
trembled with palsy, were made to spool yarn for the weavers;
and young children, who were too weak to labour, were placed upon
seats erected for that purpose round the rooms where other
children worked.
As it was winter, fires were kept in every part of the building,
from morning till night; and all the rooms were lighted up till
nine o'clock in the evening. Every room and every stair-case was
neatly swept and cleaned twice a day; one early in the morning,
before the people were assembled, and once while they were at
dinner.--Care was taken, by placing ventilators, and occasionally
opening the windows, to keep the air of the rooms perfectly
sweet, and free from all disagreeable smells; and the rooms
themselves were not only neatly white-washed and fitted up, and
arranged in every respect with elegance, but care was taken to
clean the windows very often;--to clean the courtyard every day;--
and even to clear away the rubbish from the street in front of
the building, to a considerable distance on every side.
Those who frequented this establishment were expected to arrive
at the fixed hour in the morning, which hour varied according to
the season of the year; if they came too late, they were gently
reprimanded; and if they persisted in being tardy, without being
able to give a sufficient excuse for not coming sooner, they were
punished by being deprived of their dinner, which otherwise they
received every day gratis.
At the hour of dinner, a large bell was rung in the court, when
those at work in the different parts of the building repaired to
the dining-hall; where they found a wholesome and nourishing
repast; consisting of about A POUND AND A QUARTER, Avoirdupois
weight, of a very rich soup of peas and barley, mixed with
cuttings of fine white bread; and a piece of excellent rye bread,
weighing SEVERN OUNCES; which last they commonly put in their
pockets, and carried home for their supper. Children were allowed
the same portion as grown persons; and a mother, who had one or
more young children, was allowed a portion for each of them.
Those who, from sickness, or other bodily infirmities, were not
able to come to the work-house;--as also those who, on account of
young children they had to nurse, or sick persons to take care
of, found it more convenient to work at their own lodgings,
(and of these there were many,) were not on that account deprived
of their dinners. Upon representing their cases to the committee,
tickets were granted them, upon which they were authorized to
receive from the public kitchen, daily, the number of portions
specified in the ticket; and these they might send for by a child,
or by any other person they thought proper to employ; it was
necessary, however that the ticket should always be produced,
otherwise the portions were not delivered. This precaution was
necessary, to prevent abuses on the part of the poor.
Many other precautions were taken to prevent frauds on the part
of those employed in the kitchen, and in the various other
offices and departments concerned in feeding the poor.
The bread-corn, peas, barley, etc. were purchased in the public
market in large quantities, and at times when those articles were
to be had at reasonable prices, and were laid up in store-rooms
provided for that purpose, under the care of the store-keeper of
the Military Work-house.
The baker received his flour by weight from the store-keeper,
and in return delivered a certain fixed quantity of bread.
Each loaf, when well baked, and afterwards dried, during four days,
in a bread-room through which the air had a free passage, weighed
two pounds ten ounces Avoirdupois. Such a loaf was divided into
six portions; and large baskets filled with these pieces being
placed in the passage leading to the dining-hall, the portions
were delivered out to the poor as they passed to go into the hall,
each person who passed giving a medal of tin to the person who
gave him the bread, in return for each portion received.
These medals, which were given out to the poor each day in the
halls where they worked, by the steward, or by the inspectors of
the hall, served to prevent frauds in the distribution of the
bread; the person who distributed it being obliged to produce
them as vouchers of the quantity given out each day.
Those who had received these portions of bread, held them up in
their hands upon their coming into the dining-hall, as a sign
that they had a right to seat themselves at the tables; and as
many portions of bread as they produced, so many portions of soup
they were entitled to receive; and those portions which they did
not eat they were allowed to carry away; so that the delivery of
bread was a check upon the delivery of soup, and VICE VERSA.
The kitchen was fitted up with all possible attention, as well to
conveniences, as to the economy of fuel. This will readily be
believed by those who are informed, that the whole work of the
kitchen is performed, with great ease, by three cook-maids; and
that the daily expence for fire-wood amounts to no more than
twelve creutzers, or FOUR-PENCE HALFPENNY sterling, when dinner
is provided for 1000 people. The number of persons who are fed
DAILY from this kitchen is, at a medium, in summer, about
ONE THOUSAND, (rather more than less,) and in winter, about 1200.
Frequently, however, there have been more than 1500 at table.
As a particular account of this kitchen, with drawings; together
with an account of a number of new and very interesting
experiments relative to the economy of fuel, will be annexed to
this work, I shall add nothing more now upon the subject; except
it be the certificate, which may be seen in the Appendix, No. IV;
which I have thought prudent to publish, in order to prevent
my being suspected of exaggeration in displaying the advantages
of my economical arrangements.
The assertion, that a warm dinner may be cooked for 1000 persons,
at the trifling expence of four-pence halfpenny for fuel; and
that, too, where the cord, five feet eight inches and nine-tenths
long, five feet eight inches and nine-tenths high, and five feet
three inches and two-tenths wide, English measure, of pine-wood,
of the most indifferent quality, costs above seven shillings;
and where the cord of hard wood, such as beech and oak, of equal
dimensions, costs more than twice that sum, may appear incredible;
yet I will venture to assert, and I hereby pledge myself with the
public to prove, that in the kitchen of the Military Academy at
Munich, and especially in a kitchen lately built under my
direction at Verona, in the Hospital of la Pieta, I have carried
the economy of fuel still further.
To prevent frauds in the kitchen of the institution for the poor
at Munich, the ingredients are delivered each day by the
store-keeper, to the chief cook; and a person of confidence, not
belonging to the kitchen, attends at the proper hour to see that
they are actually used. Some one of the inspectors, or other
chief officer of the establishment, also attends at the hour of
dinner, to see that the victuals furnished to the poor are good;
well dressed; and properly served up.
As the dining-hall is not large enough to accommodate all the
poor at once, they dine in companies of as many as can be seated
together, (about 150); those who work in the house being served
first, and then those who come from the town.
Though most of those who work in their own lodgings send for
their dinners, yet there are many others, and particularly such
as from great age or other bodily infirmities are not able to
work, who come from the town every day to the public hall to
dine; and as these are frequently obliged to wait some time at
the door, before they can be admitted into the dining-hall;--that
is to say, till all the poor who work in the house have finished
their dinners;--for their more comfortable accommodation, a large
room, provided with a stove for heating it in winter, has been
constructed, adjoining to the building of the institution, but
not within the court, where these poor people assemble, and are
sheltered from the inclemency of the weather while they wait for
admittance into the dining-hall.
To preserve order and decorum at these public dinners, and to
prevent crowding and jostling at the door of the dining-hall,
the steward, or some other officer of the house of some authority,
is always present in the hall during dinner; and two privates of
the police guards, who know most of the poor personally, take post
at the door of the hall, one on each side of it; and between them
the poor are obliged to pass singly into the hall.
As soon as a company have taken places at the table, (the soup
being always served out and placed upon the tables before they
are admitted,) upon a signal given by the officer who presides at
the dinner, they all repeat a short prayer. Perhaps I ought to
ask pardon for mentioning so old-fashioned a custom; but I own I
am old-fashioned enough myself to like such things.
As an account in detail will be given in another place, of the
expence of feeding these poor people, I shall only observe here,
that this expense was considerably lessened by the voluntary
donations of bread, and offal meat, which were made by the bakers
and butchers of the town and suburbs. The beggars, not satisfied
with the money which they extorted from all ranks of people by
their unceasing importunity, had contrived to lay certain classes
of the inhabitants under regular periodical contributions of
certain commodities; and especially eatables; which they
collected in kind. Of this nature were the contributions which
were levied by them upon the bakers, butchers, keepers of
eating-houses, ale-house keepers, brewers, etc. all of whom were
obliged, at stated periods;--once a-week at least;--or oftener;--
to deliver to such of the beggars as presented themselves at the
hour appointed, very considerable quantities of bread, meat,
soup, and other eatables; and to such a length were these
shameful impositions carried, that a considerable traffic was
actually carried on with the articles so collected, between the
beggars, and a number of petty shop-keepers, or hucksters, who
purchased them of the beggars, and made a business of selling
them by retail to the indigent and industrious inhabitants.
And though these abuses were well known to the public, yet this
custom had so long existed, and so formidable were the beggars
became to the inhabitants, that it was no means safe, or advisable,
to refuse their demands.
Upon the town being cleared of beggars, these impositions ceased
of course; and the worthy citizens, who were relieved from this
burthen, felt so sensibly the service that was rendered them,
that, to show their gratitude, and their desire to assist in
supporting so useful an establishment, they voluntarily offered,
in addition to their monthly subscriptions in money, to
contribute every day a certain quantity of bread, meat, soup, etc.
towards feeding the poor in the Military Work-house. And these
articles were collected every day by the servants of the
establishment; who went round the town with small carts, neatly
fitted up, and elegantly painted, and drawn by single small
horses, neatly harnessed.
As in these, as well as in all other collections of public
charity, it was necessary to arrange matters so that the public
might safely place the most perfect confidence in those who were
charged with these details; the collections were made in a manner
in which it was EVIDENTLY IMPOSSIBLE for those employed in making
them to defraud the poor of any part of that which their
charitable and more opulent fellow-citizens designed for their
relief.--And to this circumstance principally it may, I believe,
be attributed, that these donations have for such a length of
time (more than five years,) continued to be so considerable.
In the collection of the soup, and the offal meat at the butchers'
shops, as those articles were not very valuable and not easily
concealed or disposed of, no particular precautions were necessary,
other than sending round PUBLICLY and at a CERTAIN HOUR the carts
destined for those purposes. Upon that for collecting the soup,
which was upon four wheels, was a large cask neatly painted with
an inscription on each side in large letters, "for the "Poor."
That for the meat held a large tub with a cover, painted with the
same colours, and marked on both sides with the same inscription.
Beside this tub, other smaller tubs, painted in like manner,
and bearing the same inscription, "for the Poor," were provided
and hung up in conspicuous situations in all the butchers' shops in
the town. In doing this, two objects were had in view, first the
convenience of the butchers; that in cutting up their meat they
might have a convenient place to lay by that which they should
destine for the poor till it should be called for; and secondly,
to give an opportunity to those who bought meat in their shops to
throw in any odd scraps, or bones, they might receive, and which
they might not think worth the trouble of carrying home.
These odd pieces are more frequently to be met with in the lots
which are sold in the butchers' shops in Munich than in almost
any other town; for the price of meat is fixed by authority, the
butchers have a right to sell the whole carcase, the bad pieces
with the good, so that with each good lot there is what in this
country is called the zugewicht, that is to say, an indifferent
scrap of offal meat, or piece of bone, to make up the weight;--
and these refuse pieces were very often thrown into the poor's
tub; and after being properly cleaned and boiled, served to make
their soup much more savoury and nourishing.
In the collection of the daily donations of bread, as that
article is more valuable, and more easily concealed and disposed
of, more precautions were used to prevent frauds on the parts of
the servants who were sent round to make the collection.
The cart which was employed for this purpose was furnished with a
large wooden chest, firmly nailed down upon it, and provided with
a good lock and key; and this chest, which was neatly painted,
and embellished with a inscription, was so contrived, by means of
an opening in the top of a large vertical wooden tube fixed in
its lid, and made in the form of a mouse-trap, that when it was
locked, (as it always was when it was sent round for the
donations of bread,) a loaf of bread, or any thing of that size,
could be put into it; but nothing could be taken out of it by the
same opening. Upon the return of the cart, the bread-chest was
opened by the steward, who keeps the key of it; and its contents,
after being entered in a register kept for that purpose, were
delivered over to the care of the store-keeper.
The bread collected was commonly such as not having been sold in
time, had become too old, hard, and stale for the market;
but which, being cut fine, a handful of it put into a basin of
good pease-soup, was a great addition to it.
The amount of these charitable donations in kind, may be seen in
the transactions of the original returns, which are annexed in
the Appendix, No. III.
The collections of soup were not long continued, it being found
to be in general of much too inferior a quality to be mixed with
the soup made in the kitchen of the poor-house; but the
collections of bread, and of meat, continue to this time, and are
still very productive.
But the greatest resource in feeding the poor, is one which I am
but just beginning to avail myself of,--the use of potatoes[10].
Of this subject, however, I shall treat more largely hereafter.
The above-mentioned precautions used in making collections in kind,
may perhaps appear trifling, and superfluous; they were
nevertheless very necessary. It was also found necessary to
change all the poor's-boxes in the churches, to prevent their
being robbed; for though in those which were first put up, the
openings were not only small, but ended in a curved tube, so that
it appeared almost impossible to get any of the money out of the
box by the same opening by which it was put into it; yet means
were found, by introducing into the opening thin pieces of
elastic wood, covered with bird-lime, to rob the boxes. This was
prevented in the new boxes, by causing the money to descend
through a sort of bag, with a hold in the bottom of it, or rather
a flexible tube, made of chain-work, with iron wire, suspended in
the middle of the box.