, 1874-01-09
FREE LODGING.
A Visit to the Clark Street
Mansion.
One Hundred and Seventy Men
Engaged in Scratching.
How They Live and Amuse
Themselves.
incidents from tho Lives OF
Prominent Inmates.

Incidents from tho Lives o;
Prominent Inmates.
Among otller iuatitutiony duo to tho prosen
haru tt1ncH, boaidos A1r. Hoffman mud Aia llttlt
day, Ia tho South Side lodging-horbe for home
/ lesH wanderers. erected by tho Relief and Aid
! Society, Oh that historic corner married. by tht
intersection Of Clar anl lInrriHon streets. Thie
house III eininontIyian institution, as vol ~ q
ono.story franc structure, because, tho ond
juBtifying the mcaus, according to tho old
Jcsuitfc practice, this building, erected In vola
tlnn OF tho tlro ordinance, meota tic end OF
keeping warm tho homolees wrctchea whose
irritation Of the slin keeps their ilugors out OF
other mischief.
4 reporter OF The Tn1NTsE visited tl,is abode
Of perpetual motion last evening, qualified not
by tho itching Of his hide, but by that Of l,iu
soul for nows. It was, to uso honcly phrase,
4 grueson1e sight that ho there bel1e!d. Tho
lodging-houso ia about ~ fcet in loneth and 80
in Width, to Judge by g1.csswork, and along w
either side is platform n foot from the ground,
md about 10 feet wide. In one corner III box.
and In tho centre alao throo largo stoves, whose
genial glow impaired a weird appearance to tho
To say they, were lying would 10 to convoy an
erroneous idoa. They sprawled, cmrle1, Rquat-
ted, crouched. and twisted themselves IN OK
traordnary ehapos such aa no contortioniat
has ever publicly attempted They cnllad
this resting" and, for all the world knows to
tho contrary. their claim was correct one.
Some sprawled north md SOUTH and other s!oop-
ors Bprawlcd east and WEST, and northeast and
southwest across thcm, and suggested tic lor-
rihlo idea Of wholsnlo strangulation. On the
edgoR OF the platform (bedistho technical nnme),
on each side, little gronpa we're gathered talk
ing telling long and interesting tales of adyon-
ture in search Of work, or playing euchro. The
ataRes, it may bo presumed, in this latter
amusement wero smaller tha,i in the formor,
where each narrator Ind lls reputation for can-
dor ptted against TINT Of his auditors. Around
the Western stove, which looked like sottiug-
BUN sinking in d fog Of tohncco-Bmoko In augury
Of brighter radiance ON Tho morrow, sQuattodn
r5asEed group Of dirty creaturea from tic ago Of
mass Of Crime OH their countenanccs did not
conceal some occult virtue, while it brought the
lines Of vice ont III stronger reIier.
The occupation OF tllia select gathering was
they scratched. Tho palnly daya of Egypt's most
nossed iivelior '' aetiyity s ,f'e Of naiIs, Ms
or dcopcr scratching Of Hcalps. Whon,
man took hiB pipe from his mouth, 1t was be-
back again. II showed there Ind been a
rout Of tue insidious foe, So lot 1t be under
stood that these men, whilo they, like hons, ILL.,
cubnted plans for the morrow, llko hens, sl1s~
talnod ifc only by scratching. It waa
Itch, Itch, itch,
IN tllshneAs, rugs, aud dirt:
Ana scratch, scratch. scratch,
In thu scalp and under tho shirt.
But while tho poor wandorcr may have enough
of scratching. perhaps tho reader has had all lie
wants Of it, and wo leave the restlosB beings to
secure such iutermittcnt slumbers as they can,
to relate aome pecularities of tho Home.
The average number Of inmates nightly is 150
&ISn1- ~t.~tS& &{.k.
'A1as sss ''ess ssorvs 1s arc aaactsa s
nisbed by A1r. schemorhorn, the kind
rules to admit chronic dostitutos, but as he
Justly arguca "you can't rot,lse n,a.1 warm
During the last fortnight Of Docem6er there
uitality Of tle Relief md Aid lid So &c.
ciety. To strangers, Mr.. Howard Super
!,a !!ntenaent. gives a ticke. for ,15.cout
firing nlau can command, at tho cnincr Of Mon
roe and IaSalle stroets, sumptuouH mcal Of
beeteteak, bread, butter, coffee, and
my other delcacy which the proprietor fools in
playing the role Of tile Good Samaritan and |
liqnldating tho bill.
When these strangers forget that they are in a
rst-class hotel, and free fight for tue posscs-
sion OF somebody else'a boots s iu rroyrose, the
gentlemanly clerks rush out to the police sta-
hickory clubH, aud a corresponding quiesconco |
and bloodinesa in this sanctuary. When vocal |
exhibits ITSELF the critical audience
sprawls to itB feet and sluelcl!es the minstrel III
refuses to be squelched, tho audience, generous
to fault. rises protesting, aud insists either |
upon the cessation Of bis melody for their OK
elusive edttlcation, or delicatcly loatls
bsny n 1ts tss 1f s'as snst so n1S ;5st paS as
silence tho beory airs Of tho sweet singer. This !
sontle persuasion lH sometimes effective, be- |
.at,so tho singer In tranforred to a cell in tho
armory, whoro ho can sing to himself all night |
through.
It Is against tho rules Of tho institution to
,ome in drunk. Or to speak losa vaguely. when
ho Superintendent detects man il this gou-
lition, ho puts him opt. But it sometimes
happens that such man finds his way in, and
mark Of superior intelligence givo him aii tic
'oon lIo wantB. It iH therefore meet and right
III grounds Of geometric economy. that sobriety
10 maintained at any cost.
All sorts Of men arc to bo found here, young
nen aud old men, and man botwoou lie two,
there III ona scared yotoran who smokes tho
1ipo Of pence, aud regrets the lay whom his
F2o 0oo vas swept AWAY in the fiery breeze Of
:ertain October night thero IL anotlor whose
'roHH, ~ bis noighbor'a nails do iu persecution
# shrewd aud polite brotherhood ofiparnsites.
md lle now bowai1s In his nocturnal moments Of
ad unrest tho dend-head 6ystem OF living OH
'tnors. There ia gentleman there from be-
'ond tho foaming wators OF tho st. Lawrence. to
whom the roaking breath Of his snoring viz u via
cca's an industry in which but few
'oeks ago, he WIS actively on
,uged. and who mRy, for all he
Enowb. be breathing roproaches against the sale
y liquor FROM tho same barrel Which our frioud
hipped TO the Vest but short month ago,
"Why do thoge rostleaa beings inflow their
lrehu.no beads u, hut and par OF booth ?" il
question sincerely put by ythnreporter to tho guide
sho explained to him maitors and things. Do
allse. as tho reporter had read in the faces Of
he gentlenon before linn, the rights Of property
4 tue peoplo he saw; because pair Of boots
exterpasly conveyed, ia u pair Of boons to him
hat hath them not; mud becnuse the resump-
fon. OF specie payments not having
cached tnem, the carly principle Of