The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-04-27
RAVENNA. WEDNESDAY APRIL 81. 1853.

gathered in clusters. bundle of straw for bed |
would be luxury of the first class in comparison
with the utter destitution exhibited in these
Foreign writers, in describing similar scenes in
Europe, usually speak of mean furniture of some
description with which their dens are furnished.
From this fact we infer that the denizens of the
wretched locality we are attempting to picture.
are even worse off than the same class in Europe,
for here there is absolutely nothing sfforded them
except barely sufficient to prevent their perishng.
When we visited the squalid neighborhood, the
weather was intensely cold, and had the wretches
been deprived of almost any article they possess
ell, to single shred of their filthy rags, they
must inevitably have frozento death. so near were
they to that p,nt of utter destitution at which ma
ture gives up in despair, and the creature dies
We will essay to describe hovel we visited
which was kept by a hideous looking Irishman
known as Jenny Quinn. The house is a tavern
and lodging house. and is located in Small street
above Fifth. 1t is two story frame Of quite
small size. but it is nevertheless divided into num-
Der of rooms which about ten by twelve feet in
dimensions. The bar room is in front on the
ground floor. With the exception of this apart
menf, other part of the house contained single
article of furniture, except some damaged furna-
ces and miserable stoves. The walls were discol-
ored by smoke and filth, the glass was broken from
the windows. chinks in the frame work let in the
cold air, and everything was as wretchedly uncom-
Portable it is possible to conceive. Yet in every
one of these apartments, including the cellar and
the loft, men and women-blacks and whites by
dozens-were huddled together promiscuously,
squatting or lying upon the bare floors. and keep
ing themselves from freezing by covering their
bodies with such filthy rags as chance threw in
their way
| In the bar room a somewhat different scene
presented itself there were several casks of vile
rum a few bottles and glasses small bucket of
water tin cup secured by chain; bench or
two and red hot stove, around which and
women of both coors clustered to warm their shiv-
ering frames. Those of the wretched beings who
could procure tobacco were enjoying the luxury
of pipes aud assisting to make the foul atmosphere
of the room more dense and unwholesome. A
solitary candle, stuck the end of long stick
to prevent its being capsized in sudden fight,
furnished the only means by which the rugged
wretches could be distinguished in the murky gloom,
and enabled the unearthly looking creature, who
presided over the orgies, to ply his unholy traffic
One cent was the price charged for a full glass of
i'm, and those of his squaid customers, whose
means would enable them to purchase the coveted
lurury. we. eagerly swallowing the villianous
compound.
The cellar of this den is nightly filled with lodg
ers who lie upon the bare floor. We descended
into it, determined 10 and judge for ourselves
1t contained cluster of male and females whites
and negroes. The steps leading to this under
ground abode were SO broken that but single step
was left in a space of about six feet yet down this
dilapidated passage the debased occupants were
compelled to pass to reach their quarters.
f The description We have given of this " crib y
will answer for all the others nearly every house
; is lodging house, and about one half of them are
f groggeries. All conducted upon the same
principle, and are of the same standard 10 respect
y to character. Many of the proprietors of these
places own the novels they occupy, and it is not
q unfrequenily the case that they possess other
property in the same quarter. Their plan Of rent
y ing is somewhat peculiar. A capitalist will rent a
, small room for 121 cents day, payable invariably
! in advance. This operation is a speculation he
looks about for dodgers to whom he underets sleep
s ing room upon the floor: such ledger pays two
for the privilege; this enables the sPecua-
tor start fire in the stove and furnish him be-
sides with little rum money! after paying The irs
s cost of the investment.
3, Some of the lodging houses are conducted on
,s more extensive plan than the we have describ
10 ed. The Astor House, Duffy's Arcade, kept
l. by fellow named Patrick Duffy, is of the
ss most extensive it was built purposey for the
If made of it, and seems to be experiment as tt
ir how much misery human being can bear with
out yielding up the ghost. In this den the rooms
le are not than seven feet square; there
7e fire places, no windows, not even pipe hole il
ID left for ventilation; all the light obtained in the
IS sleeping cells is from single pane of by 10 gas
at set in the door, This place has been the scene
IS much ihfamy and vice.
b. In our explorations witnessed many shocking
It. seenes We saw men and women lying thu
bare ground in cellars suffering with fevers,
of destitute of fire food, drink. medicines. Tn
On poor wreches covered with any bit of carpe
of or they could procure. One man who ap
yn peared to be dying with the prison fever, had n
ne bed but the bare floor, no covering but Manill
r- coffee bag, and fire, food attendance whatev
nj er! We saw little children. pale sickly and emu
re ciated, crouching in rags around smoulGerng fire
he while their parents lay drunk upon the ground
ITS We descended into filthy cellar in Baker stree
ng where eight or ten wretches were huddled togeh
of er around stove, filed with glowing anthracite
ng no article of furniture, except the stove,
he the cellar; the occupants, of both and colo
of as usual, were making themselves as comfortabl
= as they could for the night. One man had take
I'm the s.ovepipe for pillow, and the poisonous ga
om was pouring out of the stove and filling the de
all with its sitting fumes. We made our visit ther
ity very short. Stoves and furnaces without pipe
est are very usual. We saw in several places fire
burning which were fed with wood. coal. cinder
in old Shoes any other trash that could be be gath
viii cred from the Streets The smoke and gas had
,e- way to escape except by crammes in the walls
lie. and fha Wretches who nccnnu the hnuala ruar