The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-03-08

THE DWELLINGS THAT HE BUILT FOR
LONDON's POOR.

THE DWELLINGS THAT HE BUILT FOR
LONDoN's POOR.
It is little more than six years since
George Peabody died, and already ten
of the commolious and substantial
dwelling houses he bequeatlled to the
worsipgmen OF London have risen IN |
the metropolis, all, save one, being
completed and occupied. The first,
bHilt in spitalfelds, and completed
during the lifetime of Mr.. Peabody, has
since been followed by the erection of
others Blackfriars road, Stamford
street, Shadweil, Ellington, Chelsea,
Bermondsey, Westminster, Southwark |
and Pimlico. This last is still in
course of building, and promises to be
the largest of all, for it stands on five
acres of ground, and affords q site for
tilirty-six blocks, twelve being already
far advanced on the way to compile
ton. In the aggregate the population
of Peabody's buildings is probably not
less than ten Thousand persons, being
within twenty -four OF the population OF
Tivert0n, which returns two members
to Parliament. What the population
will be in the course of twenty years
might he calculated by an easy sum
that would probably be startling in its
results. As is we'll known, the amount
left by Mr.. Peabody, with the object of
providing improved dwellings for the
poor of London" was half million
sterling This is capital sum laid
out in an Investment returning q GER
tain moderate but safe interest, which
interest, as it accumulates, becomes
available for the building of dwellings;
and these will themselves, in the mag
ical manner peculiar to compound in-
terest, add further sums to the capital.
and so on nd infinitum. The wise and
beneficent action of Mr.. Peabody has,
in fact, planted in London a goodly
seed which will increase and multiply
till, in the course of time, its branches
shall spread out far enough to provide
shade and shelter for all who can prove
theiI right to dwell beneath it.
MODEL BLOCKS.
The latest addition to the rapidly
increasing number of these congeries
of homes has Just been opened in
Southwark streets. It is d substantial
building of twelve blocks, and taking
the average Of four in each family, will
supply house room for about one thou
sand persons. In each block there are
twenty two teneMents, few consist
ing of one room, some Of two and many
of three, but each absolutely self con-
tanned, and all rs private as if they
were flats in Victoria street, or in the
Rue Gu Fanbourg st. Honore. The
three room tcnemcnts consist It
take an average eXample-of a kitchen
Is feet hy l2, Il bedroom is feet hy IA
and scc0nd bedroom 10 feet by To-
The floors arc boarded over, the walls
are ctmcntct', and all are at present
beautifully white. There is a tireplac,
| in elCi rnoni, i'lat in the kitchen b"inc
furnished win a capital oven aud 'hoI
, Ter. There are several cupbnarts S, one
, in the kit hen having over it IL meal
-,atc, with do0rs az perforated zinc. l.
,.he passage outside is II coal bin 0
, , .eHt ana ingenious construction. cara
,le Of holding half a ton. On each Hi
here is IL lanndry with copper boiler
z :, wriuging machine and marglc. Ih
t is devoted to the use of four families
t who have the privilege of occupying j
+ Ivy turns one day week. Each fla
f has dust shoot, the tenant having III
I further trouble than to open it ant
drop down the contents of their shov
el Nor does this conclude the list O
special accommodations in these won
. derful mansions. In ar underground
= room of each tenement there is a capa
e cious bath, to which the tenants hav
! access without charge, and as often a
e they please, there being no other ne
J. cessary preliminary than that of call
c ing at the Superintendant's Office fo
e the key. Gas is provided in the was
: houses aud through the roomy stail
h cases, also at the expense of the truE
:, tees. The rent of three roomed ter
ement is IS. 90. q week; for two rooms
i As. 3D., and for one room, IS.
LIBERTY OF TEE TENANTS.
- It is satisfactory to know that theS
Y advantages, which become all TIL
:, greater when contrasted with the so
of dwellings to which the poor of Lo'
- don are accustomed, are not tempere
by any arbitrary interference with IL
liberty of the tenant. There are fe
K simple rules enforced in the building
but they are designed simply in the il
e terests of order and cleanliness, al
t. for the general good of the little con
... u, ,v,p,o1o - :, nrdniuf