Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-06

many otner persons OF lnnuence. Inc report
says: "By these labors the viest dens of Lon
don have been reformed to neatness and morali-
ty, by the personal influence of the individuals
engaged in the matter, while at the same time
the relations Of landlord and tenant have been
rgidly enforced, all money-giving charity has
been virtually abolished, and with all this there
has been an ample return for capital invested
In Boston, too, experience shows that vast
number of the apparently worst class of the
population are bad not because they prefer to
be so, but because they are impossible and not
strong enough to stand against temptation; in
ducements to respectable living are quite as
etfectual as the reverse. The model-lodging
houses on Osborn place, and on Eliot
street, are always filed and hosts of
applicants for tenements are turned
away; these houses are clean, light and
pleasant. Even the dark, forlorn house in
Bates place is much sought for, for although it
has no sun and little air. there is good drainage,
abundance of water, and all sorts of conven-
fences for cleanliness and for doing work easily.
One or two ladies in this city have invested
large sums of money in model houses, and look
is always found profitable, not only to the own
er, but to the whole city, in the increase of
health, order and intelligence which results.
Several ladies and gentlemen have Just formed
the Boston cooperative building company, with
a capital not to exceed 100000, to be taken in
shares at $25 each thus like the Jarrow
company, enabling the tenants to become in
oc tla
will begin its work at once. One of the gentle
men here, who is very wise and very kind in
everything that concerns work for the poor, and
and who is largely interested in model houses,
has had here almost the same experience that
Miss Hill has had in London. A poor tene-
ment house, crowded with inmates, came into
his possession, or rather under his au-
thority. He was told all sorts of bad
things about the tenants, and was assured
that it was impossible to collect the
rents, that an agent would not be admitted, and
would be maltreated if he persisted in entering.
The gentleman, who believes in collecting his
own rents, went at once to the house, was re-
ceived as gentleman always would be, called
the tenants together, and told them quietly that
the house was now in his possession, and they
must all move in a week. They, filled with
CONSERVATION, asked the reason. He replied
that they did not pay their rent, and he must
have tenants who did pay. Whereupon they
all promised to be prompt in the future, and
were allowed to stay. Then this true philan-
thropist went over the house, and saw how
dirty and disgusting it was; he spoke very
kindly but firmly to the people, saying, "You
have not much encouragement to keep clean,
have you? and you need little whitewash,
which you shall have at once, and then I know
you will clean up your rooms. And so it was.
At the end of the first week the house had been
whitewashed thoroughly, the rooms had been
partly, at least, cleaned; the yard was in order,
and the rent was ready. Requests for repairs
were made, and, as they were all reasonable,
were granted. Week by week the house and its
inmates improved; whole clothes took the place
of rags; drunkenness decreased; the children
began to go to school, and at last the house was
an example in the neighb)rhoOd to which it
had formerly been a disgrace. To do work
like this is not easy, 1t requires constant
and regular attention; and rare combination
of firmness, courage, good temper and thorough
kindness of heart. Such treatment, some one
says, is an education for tenants, and am
sure there is no way in which greater or more
permanent good can be done. The morals and
the health of city are largely in the hands of
capitalists; and the Christian precept for to-day
is not "sell all thou hast and give TO the poor"
but, "invest part of what thou hast in com
Portable and attractive houses for the poor
know your tenants, teach them to help them
selves, and believe that philanthropy is all the
better for paying a fair per cent. on invest
ments."
l can not close this letter, long as it is with
out word about street music, which constantly
increases in quantity and variety. In addition
to the usual bands, hand-organs, and blind
mendcants, we have now two girls with
harp, and with strange, harsh, but pathetic
voices of great power, whom hear every even
ing, and who seem tireless; and small couple
of very young children, girls, one of whom
weakly twangs a guitar, and the other exerts
all her little strength to drag open an ACCORDION,
which walls in perfect independence of the
guitar. These mites appear only by daylight.
Then there is a span of bright looking boys, of
the same size, dressed alike in very buff linen,
and each with a large ACCORDION slung over his
shoulder by strap. These little fellows are
vigorous, and work bravely at their wretched
accordeons, but of course they make no music,
and what they earn is paid to their drollery
and energy.