Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-06-22
DAILY SENTINEL
uOaRoRs Oy NEW YORK TENE-
MENT HOUSES.


brief visit 10 the over-crovded aud Dotsoue
''ienensn, houses" Of Fishers Alley Oak
street. Cherry street. and other crowded quar-
tiers Of The poor 10 tia, city The article reveals
some shameful facts. the worst Of which We will
no, publish. bat here ia enough lor missionary
work Of the true kind
Its an astonishing fact. based upon actual
count. that there are 4g5 500 persons residing
hsre in tenement houses. to which should pro
perly be added a. least 100. 600 others Who live
in attics Stable lofts, and smaller buildings. IN
nests Of two. three aud five families each
These nultitndes are packed upon the house
lots and streets az the rate OF 23O,OOO To the
square mile: and !. "a only because this rate OF
packing IL someshat diminished BY intervening
warehouses, factories, private dwellings, aud
other classes Of buildings, that the entire tenant
house population 10 not devastated by the domes-
tic pessiIence and infcctions. epidencs that arise
from over.crowding and uncleanliness
The landlord. for instance.
Who rented tho
DIRTY CELLAR.
which We are about describing. 20 the wrstehed
family who occupy IL. told IA tha, be rented il
-ith the understanding that they we're quite
decent people, aud tut four 10 the family. Turn
ing away from Oak street. We went into Cherry
cd with men, women, children, cats dogs, YER
min and dirt, until we halted 10 front CT rum
mill. Down the damp stone steps. sagged from
their places By wet and years OF abuse. We vent,
60 be confronted by utter darkness. The smell
was siekening and the prospect gloomy. but the
tmid touch Of tiny hand decided our entrance
The little child whose pallid fingers elutched ur
garments nervousy, was perhaps four years old
Ia life but, oh il look ed as il century OF trou-
IA bad aaaIH ~ kaI for ar hQr
and she pointed towards 4 corner On bed
snoring and with mouth vide open. lay man in
the dress Of q soldier. Over his stupid face fell
his thick and uncombed hair lie lay on his
stomach, and sprawled from end to end of the
couch. while at his side graceful figure. a
pretty face. well moulded arm. dainty foot
we'll clad-a halfintoxicsted woman. whose
dishevlled hair dropped delicately upon her
barred bosom "A she half rose TO see Us Above
the bed was n print Of Christ and his apostles. at
its side stood a s0rrowing child. girl not twelve
years old. whose eyes were red with weeping. on
whose agile form there clothes worth
mentioning, and who, though hungry. had no
means Of cooking the small ish which lay I'M
cleaned upon the little table. oh. the
INSERT or THAT GROUP
With the picture of the Saviour before her
EYES, with her scottish plramour on one side an1
her sobbing. hungry babes on the other. this
vretched woman attempted to lie herself with
decent report. But too evident was the who'e
affair. Passing her, leaving the children hun
cry and desolate. we went from the dark damp,
unwhole.ome cellar into an apartment beyond,
where the dodgers Of this woman slept a night.
Two straw beds. partially filed With nasty rotten
straw. sirewn with filthy rags and offensive be-
yond description filled up the place. Unable to
stand the stencil. We left the room and returned
70 the front cellar. There by our accustomed
eyes able 10 more than at fret ap-
pearsd. Not far from the bedsiead or which
lay the drunken couple, WAS a dirty pale, mus.
sed up the floor, and it. with small table
constituted the furniture Of the room. AZ night
from fifteen 20 twenty persons use these
two cellars There they indulge in she vilest or
gies; there they drink and smoke and hold high
carnival Of hell. disturbing even the foul neigh
borhood OF Cherry street, and causing frequent in
roads By The police. Grant that men are bIute,
and the women fends. bu; tell-us. III the
of Him who said Suffer little children TO come
unto me and forbid them not" what can be
DONE FoR THE LITTLE oNEs.
A man of steel must he be who can look on
such scenes unmoyed: a man without heart. a
soul. conscience. must he be who will not strain
every nerve IN the cause Of humanity when
taught his lesson by such lips as theirs As they
grow older they become bad. ther worse. then
wicked. then devils like their mother. with other
little ones who in turn will do the same Is
there is responsibility nowherel Cannot some
thing be done by the people. which will compel
our authorities 10 root out such denominations,
remove such nuisances Rsd thus do much to-
ward redeeming the children from lives of in
fanny misery aud pollutionS
In the three houses which form this tenement
there are twenty -four rooms, all small all dirty
all lily ventilated. and ia each OF them 1.-Two not
alone the family which rents il. but friends of
the family. lodgers and boarders, aud the child
rem likewise OF the aforesaid Three families in
room l3xl5: why that's srstocrAtic in com
parison to some others of which We will pre-
sently write The three fathers. the three
mothers. the three gangs OF children-childrcn,
animals sovn in corruption and reared in cor
ruption. propsgsting in time. and. alas in kind
can easily be accommodated on the beds-not
bsdsteads-and on the floor They may be q
little crowded. but it's cheap. varying from 50 to
81 SO per month, and the rest IL wanted for rum
Bot despite the crowding. and the discomfort
and the unceanliness. we were struck painfully
. struck by the
KNTIRK eArI.FAcrIoN,
the redundant cheerfulns with which these
poor people regard their lot in life aud their lot
in Fishers alev In the upper story we found
an old lady. full sixty years of age. widow,
ceived us cordially, and welsomed us 10 her
moist and somewhat smelli6ed apartment Front
ing the door was double bedstead; BY It's side
q little table covered with dishes. over whose
greasy contents five little yoangketts were pleas
antly fighting: beyond. in the corner, was a sim
gle bedstead. on which were piled three straw
beds Tor use al night, then came the stove. hot
as necessary. aud at the side of the door again
vas a third bedstead. with extra strSw bed
piled on The old woman was facetiouslV in.
elined. She said that she occasionally, say
cry night. had few folks there TO keep com
psny and help 20 pay the rent She and youn 2
gentleman of immature summerings occupied
the first bed. another couple the second bed-tead
three additional couples the three straw beds
piled aforesaid. sixth happy pair the third
bedstead. and seventh the extra straw bed.
The children belonged around generally. end
she being kind hearted woman. and fond OF
company, didn'E object 10 lie, them enter and
occupy and fght il her premises Just much as
they chose.
Comment being entirely unnecessary. we te-
hected the thrifty lsdy's good nature and left her
IN haste. while she, standing with cooked frllled
cap. well kuue kled elbows. and partially con
cesled person At the head OF the rickety ard
70" stsirNay, babe Us good morning and invited
us to call sgsin.
Retraeng our steps. followed bv tie curious