Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-03-30
The Poor Boys "Astor House" III
New York.

WE follow our newsboy guide to a
large door in Duane street. near Cham
bers street, on the south side of huge
seven-story building, with sign :
" Newsboys' Lodging House" We mount
a freproof stairway.
81 see you can get out if there is fire
here"
g tell you, sir, we wouldn't be many
seconds scootin' down them stairs"
We look into a large dining hall, the
ceiling supported on pine columns, and
finished off with Georgia pine wainscot-
ing. A comely matron is setting tables
for over hundred boys, with tea, mutton
stew and good bread. Everything is as
clean as ships deck.
"That's Mrs. O'Conor, sir; she's jist as
good as pie. But don't it smell good!
We must so upstairs or | won't be let in
to supper"
We enter a large, handsome audience
room, with school desks and piano
well-lighted and cheerful, and windows
on three sides, and no " institutional"
smell, though a hundred or more ragged
little fellows, with washed faces and
combed hair, are waiting about before
going down to supper. The notices on
the walls are worth reading:
Boys with Homes not admitted here
Boys wanting Homes in the Country must apply
TO the Superintendent.
Boys can have their Underclothes Washed, free
of charge, on Thursdays.
At the door sits an elderly clerk behind
a railing, with keys hanging around him
Our little newsboy falls into a line of
boys, till his turn comes.
"Three tickets, sir-lodgin', breakfast
and supper There's eighteen, sir, and
twenty-five [ owed you when l was
stuck"-i. e., when he could not sell his
papers.
"But, Johnnie, where were you last
night?"
"You see, sir, was at the Bowery, and
| got to the door just one mint after
twelve; and So on course, l had to turn
IN under the steps down at Beekman
street.
"Ah, there's where your money goes
You'll never get enough to buy that coat
and go out West. There's your key, but
get your hair cut and go to the bath be-
fore you come to supper''
Johnnie disappears in the ample bath
rooms. We watch his operations. He
has warm foot baths, wherein he plunges
his dirty feet, but ingenious spikes on
the edges prevent his sitting TOO long in
them; wash basins and towels are in
abundance, and bathrooms with hot and
cold water. For his hair, large boy
takes him in hand and soon shaves him
close, rubbing his head with larkspur,
for which operation Johnny rather re-
luctantiy pays his three cents.
Now he rushes out, clean and decent
looking boy, so far as his skin.
els that clean shirt ready?''
His wet, ragged coat is put in the dry
ing-room, and his valuables are hid away
in the locker, for which he has key, and
he puts on clean, comfortable shirt, and
soon enters the supper-room, delivering
his ticket for payment at the door, and is
deep in his stew and bowl of tea. Several
boys are hanging about in the upper
room, looking rather hungry.
why don't you get your supper,
boys?''
"Haven't got no stamps, sir; we're
stuck
The Superintendent, kind, firm-look-
ing man, Mr.. O'Connor, comes forward
and speaks to EACH
"Jack, you know where your stamps
went-it was to the Bowery (theater) !;
and, Pat, I told you to let those policy
lottery tickets alone; and you Dan,
why did you eat all your money up yes
terday in that big dinner? AS for you Ito
a quiet, depressed looking lad), believe
youwere unlucky; you shall have cred
it. so 60 DOWN.
We pay the tickets of the others, and
they all rejoice in their mutton stew and
overlooking bowls of tea.
After supper, they all fly upstairs to
the gymnasium, and there is kind of
athletic pandemonium for awhile-boys
IN the air, boys jumping, boys pulling,
climbing and tumbling-the large room
resounding with the laughter and shouts
You see,' says Mr.. O'Connor, this
is our opposition to the low theaters and
grog-shOps.'
Precisely at haZfpast seven they all de-
scend to the school-room. We look in at
the dormitories: rooms some ninety feet
long, filed with double iron bedsteads;
the beds of straw, and very comfortable;
warm comforters and clean sheets over
each.
That's my bed" Johnny points;
" number six! There's where a Teller
sleeps, tell your
&" But don't you ever fall out, or have
lark with another boy?''
No, sir! Griffith would catch us; be-