The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-10-19

STATIOE-HOUSE LODGERs--ln the
more recently constructed station hous-
es, especial provision has been made for
this class: The cells here occupy the
ground floor of a rear building, and the
second-foor is divided into two rooms
Of about twenty feet square each. Sep
crate apartments are thus obtained for
the accommodation of male and female
dodgers. In equipment these rooms are
essentially primitive Not chair, stool.
bench, or other appliance of civilized
life adorns them. except that 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 warmpth to all,
and the bunk will accom- modate about
in late must be content with an exactly
horizontal bed on the stone floor. But
it is not much Of worm that the early
bird manages to get He can merely as
sert his choice between the inclined and
horizontal, and decide upon the relative
of stone and wood. There are no mat
tresses to quarrel over, and no bed
clothing to be 3 vexation. In one re-
spect the rooms are luxuriously accou-
tired. By dint of constant attention. the
rooms are kept scrupulously clean. The
floors and bunk are daily washed out
with a hose, and the walls are kept fresh
and glaring by frequent washing. Any
thing less palatial than the New York
lodgings for vagrants cannot be imagin-
ed; but there is not cold night but men
and woman are turned away from near
ly every station house, because the ac-
commodations are already Overtasked. q
Every such night, as soon as darkness
sets in, the. dodgers begin to arrive.
They come singly, in pairs, and some
times in groups. They are of all ages,
both sexes, all nationalities, and, it
might almost be said, of all conditions.
Very few are actually and obtrusively
ragged, but are dressed in clothes that
evidently had seen long service before
the reached the last wearers. The
mel generally are devoid of shirts and
socks, with the glazed end thread bare
coats fastened tightly across the chest.
and the nude ankles, blue with cold,
showing above the dilapidated shoes.
The women have the faded remnant of
cheap shawl wrapped about the shoul
ders, and single skirt and calico
dress the only protection of the lower
Limits. The children are the saddest
sights of all. They have not learned
the art of securing the cast off vestments
Of their betters; and little girls some
tines enter the station house with no s.p-
parel except the remnant of a summer
dress, and so nearly frozen that they can
not express their for lodging in words.
But ali Of the comers are not of the alb
ject class. Decayed gentility very fire.
quently pushes open the swinging doors,
and during the past winter it often hap
pened that gentility itself was an appli-
cant for relief. Scores and scores of
men then walked Broadway with out
ward semblance of prosperity, but main
tanning CHASTITY conflict with absolute
destitution, and sleeping in the station
house. Very often, too, among the ap-
plicants are persons from the country
who have fallen in with thieves and been
robbed Of their all; and it not unfre
Quently happsens men hobb1e in on
crutches or dragling an empty sleeve
who have given their country an arm or
leg, and have received in return the cold
charity of the streets.-Edward Crapsey,
in Harper's Magazine.