The New York herald., 1869-01-31
MECHANICS HOMES.

MECdANSCS' f1OMESs
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The Greas Need Of Oar City-Henes for the
Homcless-A Chasce for Profitable Invest.
aent sf Capital-Hlsts % Railway Gem
psnics.
Il is with just pride that New Workers view the
increasing growth OF their already great metr0p0i
tan city. In point OF wealth, commercial and indus
trial enterprise, In all the arts OF civilization New
York stands pre-eminent on this Continent. and
ranks the equal OF the great cities OF the world with
fair chance to outrun them all ia the race for pre-
dominance IN the near future. But while We expand
IN everything-in the trade which we gather In the
manufacture OF merchandise which we send out, and
the wealth we accumulate we are remss In an i'm
portant particular-we fail to provide comfortable
homes for the great mass OF our population. In re-
viewing this subject we take into consideration not
atone the political and geographical subdivision OF
New York city confined to the limits Of Manhattan
island. AL the suburbs and environs on Long Island
and in Jersey In westchester county, may justly be
reckoned as being part and parcel OF New York;
connected with 1t in interest, rising with Its growth
and gaining with its strength. This district OF
country contains population OF about 100000
people, half OF whom are compelled to live on an
annual income not exceeding from ST. 600 to ST. 500
and onc-fourth on yearly earnings below $1,000.
There less than 100 900 mechanics or oil trades
In New York proper, whose average wages do not
exceed $50 per week. These, with their families.
comprise . population OF from 3O0,0 900 TO $4,000
souls being among the most thrifty Industrious and
respectable class OF our inhabitants. 1t is safe to
assume that outside OF New York. but dependent
upon Its industry and living in the suburbs, within
few miles OF our shores there are from 10000 to
$4,000 more. numbering, with their families, from
10000 TO $4,000 people, similarly circumstanced II
these estimates correct and there is evidence
to show that they are not below che reality,
we have population OF from 100000 to
100000, with about 100000 heads OF families,
living on $1,000 year, out OF which TO
pay for rent for food, for clothing for medical aid
in case OF sickness and for purposes OF rational
amusement and recreation. Let any one who has
the necessary leisure and sufficient interest In the
matter spend the hours from five to seven OF an
evening in Chatham square and see the unbr0ken
stream OF humanity as 1t passes him from down town
workshops and business places, diverging into East
Broadway, Division street and the Bowery, or
watch during the same hours either in the morning
or evening the ferries ut Fulton street, Peck slip,
James slip, Catharine, Grand, Houston and Jackson
streets, or cross to the North river side and
have q look at the crowd OF workingmen on the
Jersey City and Hoboken ferries. The sight that
meets one's eye In these localities and at the desg
mated hours is proof demonstrative that the numbers
given are rather below than above the actual figures.
HOW THEY LIVE.
As stated above the vast majority OF these people
live IN this city and crowd the tenement houses from
cellar to garret. There are generally from two to
four families noor averaging from fifty to 100
persons under the same roof and In some cases one
roof shelters as many as 800 and 5O0 Probably two
thirds OF this class OF our population inhabt the
Tenth, Eleventh. Thirteenth, Seventeenth and
Eighteenth wards, where scarcely any other dwell
ings are seen than rows upon rows OF huge tene-
ment houses, reaching almost into the clouds and
peoped all with the s'bone and sinew, of the coun-
try. The rents vary from twenty-five to twelve
dollars, according 70 the number Of rooms aud
the distance OF the door fr0M the street. The
and BEDROOM. or sometimes @ two SeSrooms aOTm he
bedrooms being mostly dark, ill-ventiated closets
Oh very Limited dimensions. in the middle OF the
house, with an apology for a window, about foot
square In sze opening upon the hall, which receives
Its dim light from an opening In the roof covered
with besmcared glass. In this sr0om and bedroomn
live the tailor, the shoemaker, the porter
the carman clerks and even small trades.
men, MEN, VIII, & their families; and In some IN:
TWO bedrooms" the additional bedroom IL rented to
one or TWO boarders to tighten the expense. The
solitary 'room," with one or two windows opening
either on the street the In the yard serves
for parlor, dining hall, living room, Kitchen and
Sy Ie q dome Sy 3, ~ weh n wash
called ''puley ncs stretched across the yard from
wall TO wall, or. II the distance be too great. then
from wall To post. aud one line generally has to
serve all the families on the floor. The cupid
ny OF house owners was not satisfied with thus
herding people together and packing them as close
almost rs picked herrings In o keg Wherever the
yard" or rear part OF the lot, afforded space enough
,s to erect another building It was done, and IN the
houses can be found IN the middle or the blocks ac-
cessibe from the street only through wet and filthy
alleys and lanes. and shutting out sun and air from
all the tenementS.
THE EUROPEAN SYSTEM
The ''systemr of tenement houses-for such II
must be called, and in truth 1t Isis one peculiar TO
New York. IL first developed here and attain ed
rs present dimensions here only and nowhere else.
Europe. where each house affords living room for
several families and where the higher classes
OF the population do not disdain to occupy one noor
OF \ building and rent out the rest 10 other occu-
pants Inus In Paris, In Berlin IN Frankfort and In
Vienna bankers, hign officers OF the government,
generals III tue army, wealthy merchants and cap
Italsts even the nobility, are found 10 reside on the
first door, the belle eiage; while the second third
and fourth are inhabited by other families OF less
pretension and less means. There are even large
buildings where from thirty 10 fifty families live,
aud one IN Vienna, the Matsc'oherH HoC Ia cele-
brated FOR It's SIZE as 1t contains 800 families.
But the interior arrangement OF these Euro
pean ''tenements" is quite different. Each
noor, or each connected series OF apart
Incnis Is separate dwelling In itself, and
even In the buildings destined for mechanics
homes each family lives distinct and separate from
all others, with sufficient houseroom for comfort
aud tile TACT Is so common as 10 make IL the general
rule that people live IN the same house for years
without Knowing the occupants OF the apartments
below, above or beside them, and but seldom, II
ever seeing any or the other inmates OF the building
On THIS plan several buildings have lately been
erected In this city, with separate halls each noor
and IN few Instances even with separate stairs.
But the rent OF these floors Is too high for the
mechanic and the workmgman None Of these can
pay forty or hfty dollars month merely to have "a
shelter and roof over his head. Yet they quick
~ absorbed Ny small tradesmen, people with salaries
from 500 TO S2000-by, In fact the higher stratum
OF what are called the middle classes. These build
ings are therefore not tenement houses, and afford
no homes for the sturdy population which swings
the hammer or Plies the needle or the awl.
THE DISADVANTAGES or THE TENEMENT HOUSES.
The tenement house. though based, said,
on the European plan X deleterious ofrshoot from
II. While IN Europe the houses mentioned aftord
pleasant and healthy hsbltations our tenement