The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-22
TENEMENT HOUSE MISERY.
Health Board Visitations in the
Old Fourth Ward.
FILTH AND WRETCHEDNESS.
One Hundred and Seventy Five
Souls Under One Roof.

tour of inspection through Cherry and Roose-
welt streets was made yesterday by HERALD re-
porter in company with DIR. II. NJ Silver. who is
one of the corps OF visiting physicians appointed by
the Board of Health each summer for the purpose of
preventing disease among children In the descrip-
tons of similar tours of inspection heretofore pub
lished the immense good done by this plan and the
immense opportunities for improvement that are
neglected have been infinitely described. and the
experience of yesterday only served to impress those
lessons more deeply. That care should be taken OF
the little of ignorant. destitute parents is no
than the plainest duty Of the authorities III
any but Malthusian system of government. The
only credit attaching to it is that earned by obeying
tho plainest law. But that children allowed to
live at all in the pestent holes for which the poor
pay rent fact which reflects the deepest disgrace
on some one The parents too ignorant, the
landlords too graspng. and the law as it is ad-
ministered. is too lax to stop it, and the children
suffer. How deeply they suffer they do not know
themselves God alone can tell, for He only
measure the cruelty of their surrounding influences
the real degradation of moral and physical dirt.
In the OF No. Is Cherry street stands goodly
eized house. which was first visited. The entrance
is thro ugh narrow alley In one of the adjoining
houses is a liquor store Through its side door,
of the ndescribaLle sickening stencil of stale liquor
and beer Over the liquor store live nine families.
Behind it live sixteen families. More than one hun
dred and seventyfve souls live in space which, If
it were purified by fire and water. might comtorta-
bly, accommodate fifteen or twenty. Between the
two houses stands square closet. Its stencil con-
tends for the mastery with that of the liquor store,
with only partial success. The rooms were arranged
on tho usual plan of tenement houses-thrce rooms
for family. Some of the women were washing
their floors, striving to keep down the of dirt,
Dame Darlington tried to keep back the tide with
her broom, and with somewhat similar results.
In the of the next two houses, Nos. 20 and %
Cherry street, two of the poorest of tenement
houses Full Of small rooms. without air and with
out light, the two cheapest things in nature, the
place is occupied by twenty families. although,
cordng to the owners estimate, it is not full. In
the court between the houses played at least
fifty children. who swarmed around the strangers,
standing squarely in their way. with more than the
natural fearessness of childhood, and only moving
when brushed away like flies. At one door an old
man with the sign II am blind" his breast
stood, while woman carefully brushed his clothes.
LODGINGS TEN CENTS NIGHT.
At the extreme rear Of this alley Dr. Silver went
down six steps and through a low door into dark
basement ROOM and the reporter followed. Inside
this room were III old man and an old woman. On
bench sat a young woman with a silly unchanging
smile on her face, half dressed and halt drunk. The
room may have been swept some time. but 1t had
not been this year. 1t has never been washed.
bench, stove chair and picture on the wall
prsed the furniture i'll this room.
'.Who sleeps here? said the Doctor. opening
door into still darker room on the right
1--WE do, SIR answered the old people. In third
room were two small beds. On one of them lay
sleeping woman.
''And who sleeps here?"
eve takes dodgers. sir. Thin beds is all we has in
the worruld'
.'And what do you charge for lodging p" asked the
reporter. peering into the gloom.
Ten cents night. sir"
Anybody sick here? see you have no children"
said the Doctor.
Nobody. sir" said the old woman. Sure. I've
lived here better than five years." She evidently
meant instead or better, but she did not know
it, "And nobodys ever been sick here"
TIMELY ARRIVAL.
Another alley led to tha of No. &c Cherry
street. which was rather better than the average i'll
respect to cleanliness. The Doctor knocked at the
"Any sick ehY'
.Oh. Docther, come in an help u.s." came in
chorus from three or four old women who recog-
nized him. Sure. the docther hasn't kim an the
Then DR.. Silver disappeared inside. shutting the
door after him and leaving the reporter uch mys-
titled outside, whore he spent about twenty minutes
gravely listening to the stories OF the the
house, who took him for physician. They de-
tailed all the petty ailments of their children to him.
None OF these serious, and he prescribed all the
fresh air possible and bath every day in each case
At length DR.. Silver came out smiling.
Ibid you find u sick child in there?" asked the
porter.
mother is doing Is we'll as can be expected"
No. 80 Cherry street. in the rear. model for the
only families for tenauts. while there are ac-
commodations tD for nearly itty, for it Is large
building
Are the tenants few because the place is kept
clean. is the place clean because there are SO
few tenants?" asked the reporter OF quickwitted
old freshman, who was smoking his pipe . TIRES
hold.
.Besob. sor, it's meslf thatll niver tell yez that.
1t moisht be- the wan or it moght be the other But
there enough to fill the place yez may bet all
your buttons it wouldn't be clane enough to dstsste
the most fustijious in a few days."
SHARP CONTRAST.
At No. 36 Cherry street. however another sight
1t is built up in similar way to No. 81,
excepting that there is u tenement house
side OF the alley instead OF only side.
They huge barracks about fifty feet long, twelve
feet wide and five stories high Here and there
doors from the alley, one step up. and leading to
staircases On each landing of the staircase is
suit of three rooms on each side thus giving forty
suits in each building. The only ventilation IL by
the doors and windows-al in front-and a small
grated aperture each stair landing, leading to
similar hall i'll the other side OF the building which
faces on two alleys. In the aileyways were barrels
tor garbage, but the tenants are in way partcu-
lar about using them. Garbage Is used ill up all
the and crevces in the buildings and in the
pavement of the alley. One terribly noisome heap
or fish garbage ashes rags and ndescripable refuse
testcred in the hot and caught the drippngs from
two filthy blankets, hung out to dry fire
escape above. In each building the room OF two
of apartments on the ground floor used for
common water closet. These closets were flooded
with ilth which ran into the alley; yet wonderfully
enough. there was very little sickness among the
children. One mother, unl ortunate enough to have
five children o. whom the eldest seven years
old, showed one sick and got prescr ption and
excursion ticket from the Doctor.
1t should be noted that In DR.. Silvcr's district
there is none of the trouble that experienced
last in regard to the furnishing of medicine.
The mothers say very Often, said Dr. silver, that
If will give them the medicine they will give it
to the children but they can't afford to buy it.
Now, DIR. Smith at the corner OF Cherry and Roose-
welt streets has offered to put up free OF charge all
the prescriptions send him the Board OF Health
blanhs-so that difficulty Is disposed of far as
am concerned"
| HOW MANY DOGS?
''iiave you any sick children?" was asked of one
| woman in No. SO.
''Sure haven't any chdcr at all, at all; only
cats, was the reply and she opened her door she
spoke. The room seemed to blaze with half grown
cats, who were in full chase after one another.
"How many have your" asked the reporter, in
amazenent.
''Ony nine, sir.
"what in the world do you want with nine cats?"
the next question.
'Surc the rats is bad" said the woman.
| Further along the the Doctors knock was an
| he a volle nf bur and