The New York herald., 1873-11-16
STATION HOUSE GUESTS.
Where the Poor Sleep and What They
Say About the Hard Times.
OUsTlNG THE "REyOLvERs., ,,
Lodgers' Rooms and How Thew
Are Conducted.

In most OF the station houses In the city Is an
apartment called "the lodgers' room" 1t Is In
tended and now used for the homeless poor OF
both sexes. The space IN some OF the stations does
not admit OF this accommodation, because the
houses were selected for police purposes before
the idea of giving shelter to the needy was
adopted. In the larger and more modernly con-
structed places, however, some attempt Is made
at giving them shelter. These apartments are
divided into one, two, three and sometimes four
rooms, one or two, as the occasion demands being
given up to the females, and the remainder
to the men. They are kept scrupulously
clean and healthy and are regularly inspected
by the physician OF the district In each
T0om some eight or ten inches from the foor, are
large iron frames with supports on the inside
edge, TO receive and sustain the boards that are
the beds Of the dodgers" These frames are In
tended to keep them from the moor and give room
tor q current OF air TO sweep underneath, and are
In reality, bedsteads. They are slightly elevated
at the wall ends and Incline gradually out. The
boards all separate, and as the '1odgern enters
the room at night he carries his plank with him
from the yard below and returns 1t to the same
place on leaving in the morning. Every afternoon
the planks are washed by the doormen attached to
the station. houses, and by night they are again
the station house is called
.MAKING THE BEDs,n
and is sometimes performed by one Of the
"lOdgersn When this is the case the man Is ap-
pointed "captam OF the squad" for the night, and
the honor is much sought after. Naturally the
doorInan is great authority among the "lodgers,"
but, the door closed upon him, the "captan OF the
squad" becomes the ruler. He decides who shall
have the softest ~ bed whether the Fat man,
with the stubbly beard and red face. is encroach-
ing on the space OF the lean man, with no beard
and pale face; who shall have the nearest place in
front OF the stove, or which OF the claimants at
the water tank shall have the first 'show."
He orders that the small boy with
the big boots shall take them OF
aud not kick the clothes of the i big
boy with no boots. He takes the first drink from
the only wnskey bottle In the party, and then In
vites whoever ne likes to JOIN him in carousal.
II he is selfish and guzzling captain OF the
squad" which Is not an unfrequent specimen, he
may drink it all himself and then sing the "boys"
comic song, ION the quiet" or ask the fellow
with the new clay pipe to give him "a draw" He
decides who shall sleep next the door, and who
furthest from the nre-whether the young man
with the horse blanket came by that article hon
estly and whether it should not be applied to the
comfort Of the captain OF the squad" as being
looking boy the middle plank not to go on dream
ing that ne is eating "a square mea' in that way
and dancing with delight at the novelty of full
stomach, for he's kicking his neighbors, and
neither the idea nor It's effects are pleasing to
them. he listens to the complaint that the big
man in the flannel shirt has taken 'ctfaw" and
pipeful out Of the common store OF tobacco, and
decides In favor Of the big man. because he is
afraid OF MIN. He settles all disputes listens to all
grievances, takes the best OF everything-which
can never be said TO be very heavy spol-ior him.
self, and the poor dodgers" find they have only
fed from grasping grinding, pitiless world out
side to be ruled by an upstart despot in 1.-The
lodgers' room,n who would give himself the airs Of
the King of the Beggars. When
THE LABOR MARKET
is In q healthy condition and employment is easily
procured or procurable at all 1.-THE lodgers' rOomn
becomes the headquarters OF the careless, the idle
and the drunken. One after another they roll into
the station house IN every stage OF alcoholism,
and at once give themselves up to the drowsy dis
posings OF the prison. In very fine weather this
worthless degraded class take the fields and parks
in preference TO 1.-The lodgers' room,n and pass
their nights beneath the stars. They sometimes
patronize the docks and bulkheads at the waters
edge and sleep upon the piers or under
them, or in any convenient and cosey nook that
may happen 70 be at hand. The great aim
and endeavor OF these men and women
nensed No M pueKet snopsn UNDER that name or
money to buy IL. Food Is never thought OF; that
comes OF itself, and II 1t does not the other sup
polluted palate. Terrible as the assertion is, It's
truth Is beyond question-women are the best pro-
viders and the greediest consumers. As active
beggars and stealthy, noiseless puroiners, they
are unapproacnaole, and the men who have been
moving around the town all day, watching and
waiting, but never succeeding, arrive at night
empty handed, while the women put In pleasant
appearance and a well-nIled bottle. Then the pipe
OF peace and good fellowship is lighted Whether In
station house, on pier, In field or garret and the
narrow necked bowl crcuates Sometimes cards
are introduced before the party get too drunk and
freQently they indulge IN row" all round, for
there is considerable fight" In the whiskey they
drink. These people are very adroit and cunning
going TO the same station house often. They don't
as they can being denominated "revolvers,n the
name given by the police to
THE CONSTANT VISITOR
to ''the lodgers' room." Sergeant Murray, OF the
Fifteenth precinct was obliged, afew nights ago,
to deny an old .revolving friend.
"Wnatp' said he Indignantly and with many o
this this is is NICE ice and the cold weather just here, too
Sergeant Sergeant these are evil days that you
and have fallen upon; Deny me the privilege OF
Why. sirs could not sleep comfortably OF that
board the outline OF my figure is worn into 1T most
do that SIR; and now you say must not go In.
Sergeant, Sergeant, now say did you ever IN your
'SoberY no. indeed, Mr.. McLoughlan, never
did,
And whose was the fauts whose whoseS The
wicked, heartless world that went back on me and
would not give me chance. You would not know
me now but once had my three square meals
day and four ii wanted them. Couldn't miss 'em
then; 'twouid Kill me now to eat twice at the
same hour In a month. Being hungry, Lord it's
nothing when you're used to It Mere mechanical
things teach human nature to do anything. Good
night Sergeant; very sorry. BY the way, could
90 around TO Mr.. Kenealy's II had ten cents.
Last time shall ever ask-unti you're captain
Pay you back certainly tomorrow You haven't
got Il for that purposeY An. well, let us nope the
times will soon improve, and respectable men
won't be driven into the streets like this
The 'revolversn no longer find places in the
station houses, because the demand for shelter OF
really respectable looking. deserving men, is so
great In winter time the number OF 'lodgers' in
creases but this winter there is not accommodation
for 0nefth the applicants. Not only Is there great
difference IN the numbers, but there Is a most