National Republican., 1873-05-28
A TOUR WITH DR.. BLISS.
THR MYSTERIES OF THE ALLEYS.
How aud where the Poor Live-A Horrible
Pic,urc Of Misery, squalor and Wretch
edue.s-The Piague spots Of the City
Work Of the Hoard OF Health.

edae.s-Thc Piaguo spots OF the Chy-
Work Of the Board Of Health.
Never until yesterday did we fully realize the
truth Of that old and musty proverb that one |
half OF the world does not know how the other |
half lives. In washington, - In other large |
toyns, the ordinary citizen sees only the outside
glitter and tinsei, tue well-paved streets, the
pretentious avenues aud the attractive ware
houses; but here, a. elsewhere, there is darker
side to the plcture-a picture Of poverty and
squalor and wrctchedness and suffering. In
which thousands Of our population have their
life and being. short time ago, In the course
Of conversation with DR.. Bliss, our excellent and
effiolent health oficer, alluslon was made TO this
subject, and we accepted his Invitation 70 60
with him upon one OF his Inspection tours.
We knew, In the Language Of OVID, that TO
tenance, magnificent Visage and the power 20
raiss his eyes TO heaven" and we yainly th0ught
he had also given him the olfactorJ power 10
Withstand tho
DREADFUL srINE OF no0 ALLEY,
but alack and alas for human calculations. The
delightful and fragrant locality Of Hog alley,
whittier the Doctor took us for an initiation, Is
situated between II and and sixth and Seventh
Streets Farther than this adequate description
cannot 70. Within II are compounded, most
scientifically and artlstlcally, all the rank and
vlllainous smells Of hell Itself
feet prtvy.r The delectable outhouse was gwen
one lOok, and then with banched cheek and sti-
ned breath, we exclaimed; "By all the gods at
SSs Men Sere STe hy o,g
Hog alley, all reeking with the most damnable
of the efiiuvla Of fecal matter, and combined
Tn M, Se S e ssss ISa aS e.sSs
tons OF garbage In the corners Of the yards and
In the private and public alleys. Concentrated In
and around and over these thlckly-settled acres
~ rhn -hraadinU
inent houses, rented from . TO $40 per month TO
poor wretches who Imagine that that ls the only
place on Gods green earth where they can i've.
Within 1yc feet Of the sinking nsh, sinking on
their sinking tables, were situated such sinking
pnyes aud sinking gar6age as falls % the lot Of
Christians seldom TO encounter. Sklrtlng Hog
alley all around Ia thickly and well-to-do
population. But that population Is In the very
embrace Of death-of the 'pcstilence that
wasteth at noOn-day." The heat is now drawing
out Of Hog alley the rank and dreadful polsons
concentratedln In its nth.
speedily, the smallpox and the cholera and the
plague will hug It's Inhabitants TO their loathsome
bOsoms and TeaCh out after the self-1eluded resi-
to bury wives and children than to properly sec
ond the well-deyised plans and purposes OF the
health oIicer OF this District IL Is not for US TO
complain, but having made personal inspec-
ton of this death dealing locality, we thing our
selves only justified In advising the residents on
II and !, between sixth and seventh streets, TO
TO rise up and demand thai the wishes OF the
Board of Health shall be carried out.
IL seems that most OF the houses arc rented
from Dr. y. NJ. Chaplin OF Chapman. Possibly
his collector gets the rentals and that he does
not know how his tenants live. For his sake
Heaven grant It Is no; but his tenements are not
nt for human habltatlons, and the people who
live In the yiclnage Of Hog alley arc issuing very
bold cat home" cards 70 the grim reaper.
It Is the object OF the Board Of Health TO pre-
serve the health Of the city, TO put up an enec-
supply prcreHiirc rather than remedial curative
agents.
GOAT ALLEY.
We had seen enough, but the sanitary tour
was not ended here. Getting into our carriages,
DR.. Bliss led the way to Goat alley, between
sixth and Seventh and L and NJ streets. Con-
gregated In this alley there are about two hun
dred and nifty souls. Every house-lf houses
they can be Caed-has q leaky roof and the
nitRiest Of all nthy outhOuses; and yet even in
these dreadful human habltations there were
here and there glimpses OF ideas OF better and
higher life. The nrst one OF all the miserable
row Is condemned, legally so, and within three
days must come down, aud yet Its squalld In
mates have pictures hung on It's walls OF the
"Holy Trinity" Of the Result OF the fifteenth
Amendment" and an old engraving OF q scene
entitled 'Ttme and Eternity" We could no,
help thinking Of eternity as In close proximity
In another house in Goat alley, absolutely dcs.
titute Of furniture Of any Kind, we saw In one
corner In basket the little mulatto baby farmed
out to Lucy Gasklns by Mrs. Wilson. A poor,
haf-witted black woman was In charge OF II.
In another, nlled with yermin, rags and NTH and
an awful fecal stencil, there were pasted on the
walls Godeys fashions for lS60-IO-a tribe out Of
date, but far In advance OF the almost Kdenit
clothing which the washerwomen wore-and
then again there was picture OF the Queen oi
shebas visit TO solomon. II suggested the idea
OF wealth, but the actual poverty In sight was
something fearful. Like Hog alley, Goat alley Is
a breeder Of pestilence.
II Is charged and surcharged with the vilest
ground is a noxlous exhaIation freighted with
quickest and surest death. IL IL the birthplace
Of a plague and the prolific mother OF all pestl'
lential disease. over this horrible place the
Board OF Health lays its hand with all the powel
and force It can command. Let any good citi
zen go and see the board grapplo with IN,
Time was getting short, and the party hurried
on to
This horrible place Is situated between Rhode
Island avenue and II and Ninth and Tenti
streets. In the whole row there are sixteeI
houses but In the cellar Of every one there Il
stagnant water. There Is no drainage about the
place, and chllls and fever hold high carnival al
over the place. The children are broken ou
with dreadful sores, and their mothers are A.
physically weak as their landlord Is morally
wicked. The row Is 50 situated as not only TO b'
lAting NTH, but to the drainage, the garbage and
the general nAstiness Of nelghbOring rows. Six
teen images OF death sit on those sixteen hearth
stones, and almost every day little girl or boy
or mother or father, Is borne away In hearst
from these abodes Of the pestence.
But It Is In an excellent place 10 spread itself
II only asks TO be let alone for two or threl
weeks longer, and then II will bid defiance 10 thI
learning and skill Of the doctors Thanks 10 IN,
energetic DR.. Bliss and his corps OF inspectors
the whole row has been condemned as unnt 70
human habitatOn, The greed OF 4 soulless ant
TApacious landlord Is about to come to an end ~
far as this row Is concerned.
HELLs GATE,
N alley between T and U and Thirteenth and
Fourteenth streets, was next approached. Here,
rs expressed by citizen, the "double-headed
cholera" has taken up Its abode. Fearful In tht
extreme IL the condition OF this place. It was
said that Geo. W. stickney owned three OF the
places. II he does, Y would be mercy for HIN
TO take his dying and frightened tenants out o
their reekiDg, foul and awful dens and plungt
them ut once into the river styx.
There Is not decent human habltatOn In the
whole row. slckened, dlsgusted, white with ap-
preaching vomit, the party hurried away from a
spot which, unless II Is taken care of, will send
hundreds TO their graves within q short time
No vision OF corruption, no revelation Of the
worm, no imagery OF the dreadful desolatl0n o
the grave can begin to compare with the fearfu
condition VI things around and about Hedes
gate.
ADAMS BARRACKS.
This Is another deleotable locality. There ar,
ten shanties In row and from eight to ten col
ored folks OF all ages In each shanty. True, th'
Board Of Public Works have condemned then
all, but In the meantime, and long before the In
habitants around and 7 and Thirteenth ant
Fourteenth streets know what Is the matter, thel
will be consulting with Plant lOf all names thl
best for an undertakeD and Barker ana Haryel
and Mari.
Tue BLIND BOY.
At Twentieth street and New York avenue
aud where there is a sewer running down TO tina
point without any outlet, and amid thlckly in
habited portion OF the city, blind boy was met
Its only little incident, but It serves to show
that great suTgeOn-a physician whose prac
tiCe Is among the titled and wealthy OF Ou
land-can stop 10 do good, even TO be Waysid'
healer.
He met the boy, looked at his eye, gave hin
his orders and directions, saved him from cost
and led into the way from which he will surell
again see the green earth, the beautiful flower
and the stATs-but hardly was this done befori
necessary and imperative orders were given II
the proper direction for the abatement Of ter
Tbe nulsances. Right there Is another masked
bLttery Of cholera. All over the section, In large
capitals, 7. l.. A. q. U. L. Ia written. a way
fafeing man aud a sinner can take short Gu
10 hell by stopping round there week.
EDITH JOHNsoss.
space cOmpels US 10 halt. But we must speal
49, aaaaN.N EUaN n UNNAN