The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-04-05
The Peabody Dwelling Houses In Lon
-. don.

According to the London Daily Nesos,
there are now ten blocks Of improved
dwellings for the poor Of London, to
testify Of the wisdom and generosity OF
George Peabody. The last, still in the
course of erection, promises to be the
largest of all, for 1t stands on five acres
of ground and numbers thirty six
blocks, twelve already far advanced. o.
OF the completed congeries Of homes
already opened, tho latest is in South
wark street.. It is substantial building
OF twelve blocks, and, taking the aver
age of four in each family, will supply
house room for about one thousand per-
SONS. In each block there are twenty
two tenements, q few consisting Of one
room, some OF two, and many of three,
but each absolutely sef-contained, and
ali as private as if they were fats in Vic
toria street, or in the Rue du Faubourg
st. Honore. The three room tenements
consist TO take an average example-of
kitchen fifteen feet by twelve, bed
room sixteen feet by fourteen, and a
second bedroom twelve feet by sixteen.
The floors are boarded over, the walls
are cemented, and all are at present
beautifully white. There is fireplace
in each room, that in the kitchen being
furnished with . capital oven and boiler.
There are several cupboards, one in the
kitchen having over It q meat safe, win
doors Of perforated zinc. In the pas
sage outside is coal bin Of neat and in
genious construction, capable Of hold
ing half a ton. On each fiat there il q
laundry, With copper boiler, q wringing
machine, and mangle. This is devoted
to the use OF four families, who have the
privilege Of occupying it by turns one
day q week., Each fiat has q dust shoot,
the tenants having no further trouble
than to open it and drop down the con-
tents of, their, shovels.
Nor does this conclude the list of
special accommodations in these won
derful mansions. In an; underground
room of each tenement there is capa-
cious bath, to which the tenants have
access without charge, and as often as
they please, there being no other neces-
sary preliminary than that Of calling at
the superintendent's Office for the key.
Gas is provided in the wash houses snd
through the roomy staircases, also at
the expense of the trustees. The rent
of q three.roomed tenement is $l.S8 q
week; for two rooms, $l.06, and for one
room, seventy-two cents. ...' ..s. ..
A striking feature OF the management
of these dwellings is the absence Of ar
bitrary interference with the liberty OF
the tenants, the few simple rules en-
forced looking simply to the order,
cleanliness, and general good OF the
community. Rents are insisted on
weekly in advance, and the houses are
always full. The tenants are strictly Of
the laboring classes, it being an un-
printed rule of the place that no man
earning more than s5, or at most So o
week, Is eligible for admission. Moth:
ing else is required Of an incoming ten
ant further than a voucher OF his re-
spectability, generally sought at the
hands of his employer; and other things
being equal, the superintendent makes
practice OF giving the preference to
families where the bread winner is en-
gagged at o distance not too remote to
prevent his returning home to take his
dinner with his family. "a -..
In the aggregate, the population OF
the Peabody buildings is already not
less than ten thousand persons. As the
buildings pay a small interest on the
money invested, and there is besides
the interest on $2,500,000 to be used in
the erection of new buildings Of the
sort, their increase of capacity is almost
limitless. .....