The Union and journal., 1869-10-01
yutsceiiasse0sss.
Station-House Lodgers.


In the moro recently constructed sta-
tion-houses. especial provision mas s',, pesn
made for this class. The cells mere oeou-
py the ground-hoor Of rear buiiding,
and the second.foor Is divided into TWO
room, of about twenty feet square each.
Senarate apartments are thus obtained Tor
the accommodation of male and female
Iojgers. In equipment these rooms are
essentially primitive. Not chair, or
,tool. or bench, or other appliance Of civ
ilized life adorns them, except they con-
tain an immense stove standing in the
centre, and large bunk placed slightly
inclined against one Of the walls. The
stove gives the coveted warmth to all.
and the bunk will accommodate about twen-
ty; and the laggard dodgers coming In
late must be content with an exactly nor
izontal bed upon the stone floor. But J,
Is not much Of worm that the early bird
manages to secure. He can merely as,
scrt his choice between the inclined ana
horizontal. and decide upon tho relative
softness of stone and wood. There are no
mattresses to quarrel over. and no bed
clothing 10 be n yexation. In one respect
the rooms are luxuriously accoutred. by
dint of constant attention they are kept
scrupulously clean. The floors and bunk
are daily washed out with hose, and the
walls are kept fresh and glaring by fire.
quent whitewashing. Any thing less pa
latial than the New York lodgings for va
grants can not be imagined; but there Is
not cold night but men and women are
turned away from nearly every station
house. because the accommodations are
already overtasked.
Every such night, rs soon rs darkness
sets in. the dodgers begin to arrive. They
come singly, in pairs, and sometimes IN
groups. They are of both sexes, all ages,
nationalities. and. ii might almost be said,
Of all conditions. Very few are actually
and obtrusiyely ragged. but are dressed
In clothes that evidently had seen long
service before they reached the last wear.
ers. The men generally are devoid OF
shirts and socks. with the glazed anu
thrcadbare coat fastened tightly across the
breast. and the nude ankles. blue with
cold. showing above the dilapidated shoes.
The women have the faded remnant OF
cheap shawl wrapped about the shoulders
and n single skirt and n thin calico dress
the only projections Of the lower limbs.
The children arc the saddest sights OF all.
They have not learned the art of securing
the cast-off vestments oftheir betters and
little girls sometimes enter the station
houses with no apparel save the remnant
Of summer dress, and so nearly frozen
that they can not express their request for
lodgings in words. But all Of the comers
are not of the abject class. Dccayed gen
tility very frequently pushes back the
swinging doors; and during the past win
ter il often happens that gentility very
frequently pushes back the swinging door;
and during the past winter 1t often hap
pcned that gentility itself was an appli-
cant for relief Scores and scores ofmen
then walked Broadway with the outward
semblancc of prosperity, but maintaining
n ghastly conflict with obsolute destitution
and sleeping in the station-houses. Very
often. too, among the applicants are per-
sons from the country who have fallen
among the thieves and been robbed OF
their all; and it not unfrequently hap
pens that men hobble In on crutches or
dangling an empty sleeve who have CIV
en- their country an arm or leg, and have
received in return the cold charity OF the
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