The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-03-15
Night in an Underground Lodging House.

Night in an Underground Lodging House.
As the story-writing poets Of the period
would say: The night was drawing on apace
the booming Of a distant church-bell had
long since proclaimed that the hour of nine
was passed, when solitary wayfarer paused
for moment on the corner of Water and
Roosevelt Streets, and peered wistfully
around. Shouts of drunken laughter and
ribaldry came from the fiaring den at his
elbow, but he appeared to be so absorbed in
his own thoughts that they did not attract
even his momentary attention. Even the
squeaking fiddes and jingling harps of the
neighboring sailors dance houses were ap-
pareptIy unheeded by him. Otherwise, all
was quiet in that generally noisy and disso-
lutte locality: for the piercing cold snap and
driving snow had driven all its rum sodden-
ed and unsavory denizens into their cellars
and rum holes long before their customary
hour OF retiring. As he stood in the glare
OF the hickerlng gas-light, his appearance
denoted the greatest poverty. A tattered,
threadbare overcoat, equally threadbare
trousers, an old woolen comforter wound
several times round his throat, and a pair of
bulging boots. afforded him little protection
against the inclement weather and sloppy
pavement, and he shivered like one suffering
from the palsy. And. when the light from
gas-amps fell full upon his face as he look
ed up to read the name of the street, his
uncombed hair and beard, of many days
growth, gave a CHASTITY look to his cold,
pinched features. With sigh, which told
hny ho altoha for ho
night, he wiped the melting snow from his
face with handkerchief and then, crossing
the street, he inquired of a passing officer
where he could obtain a cheap lodging for
the night alt must be very cheap one, if
you please" he added. The officer scanned
him narrowly for a moment or two, saw
that he was stranger, and asked him how
much money he had. "Only twenty cents
was the sorrowful reply.
Well" rejoned the officer, "you can
get bed at Casey's-336 Water Street
for fifteen cents, and you'll be out of the
streets such a night as this, if it ain t first
class one"
And then, pointing to q light which
cleaned family through the cracks of eel
lardoor a little way down on the opposite
side of the street, he said:
Go down there; that's Casey's."
The wayfarer thanked him for his kind
ness, bade him goodnight" and, having
CROPPED his way down six or seven stone
steps. knocked nervously at the door. Had
the officer been at his side when he wiped
the snow from his face while standing un-
der the gas-lamp, his keen eye would have
noted the fact that the material of the hand
kerchief was white cambria it might posi-
bly, also have detected the initials A P i'm
printed in large, black German letters in one
corner. The presence of that handkerchief
was an oversight.
Yes reader, as the children say in answer
to the parental inquiry of " W hos there?"
when they knock at the parental bed room
door at seven O'Clock in the morning, it
was only me.
knocked nervously at the door, | say
and for this reason | was fully conscious of
being a first-class fraud. and | was also
aware that many of the dwellers in Water
Street were familiar with my ordinary per-
sonal appearance; consequently the effect
iveness or otherwise OF my disguise caused
me some little uneasiness, as felt that all
eyes would surely scrutnize the last conner
the moment he put his foot inside the door.
But had seen and heard so much of these
underground lodging houses, that | had de-
termined, at all hazards to test the fulIness
of their horrors and dscomforts. My sum-
mons at once stopped the confusion of
tongues inside the door was unlocked,
and dirty, shpshod woman, who with one
hand held an infant at her breast and with
the other bad y-fractured kerosene-lamp
over her head to get good look at me, de-
manded to know what | wanted
Can 1 have bed here to night ?" l
asked, as entered. n-.
% &s "Ah full" was the terse reply; "but
you can have stool by the stove, if that IL
do ye.'' @08s nera lF y-r
A glance at the stools-low wooden ones,
without backs-was by no means reassuring,
and was on the point of turning to 90 out,
when Mr.. Daniel Casey, in propria persona,
emerged IRON an inner ROOM
MIR. Casey is a sightIy-bu little man,
with quick. watchful eye, a mouth display
ing determination, and yet of quiet demean-
or, whose only facial adornment is a small
goatee. that an orthodox corner-Ioafer OF
twenty years of age would be ashamed OF.
But, as his neighbors say, Casey is mighty
smart. He knows who's who and what's
what; and there's no man" soto poce.
when he's soberi") knows better how
to- keep house aud order than Casey does"
Mr.Casey understands the art and fully ap-
preciates the advantage of making money.
Aud he makes it; though in the city direc-
tory he modestly styles himself " laborer."
Well there's nothing like taking the advice
of old Polonius to Laertes, aud assuming a
4, virtue if you have it not.
Whats that?' inquired Mr.. Casey.
sharply, and with an eye to business. His
better half jerked out: Man wants bed.
Were full 'Oh, guess we can fix him.
reioined Mr. Casey he can have half
Niger Joe's bed" Heavens aIiveI"
thought /; that's more than | bargained
for. Sleeping with a colored man is more
than | am prepared to endure, even in
the pursuit of knowledge | must look
elsewhere for lodging But. before these
thoughts had fairly flashed through nv
brain, Mr.. Casey had added, q" You'll share
your bed. Joe, know, on night like this,
with decent man." l followed the direc.