New-York tribune., 1879-11-08
THE "BIG FLAT" TkNEMENTHOCSE.

A swARMING COLONY OF POOR UNDER ONE ROOF
HOW POLISH JEW TAILORs MAKE A LIVING.
Some of the forty tenement-house inspec-
tors OF surveyors Dr. james says they ought 20 be
called. while at work last Summer in the Fourteenth
Ward which embraces parts OF Mott and Muberry-sis
north of Cana-st took day TO 20 through one or the
largest and UNIQUE tenementhouses In the city.
which has been nicknamed the Big Fat, until finally
the owners adopted the suggestion and painted Big
Eat in letters to correspond the Elzdbeths front Of
the building II stands at No AZ Ezabeth-st, and ex-
tends through the block 10 hott-st. whore 1t has a
similar entrance.
In outward appearance It looks moro like store
house or barrack than tenemonth0use and has sub
sanfa aspect The building covers an area OF o4 feet
by ls9 feet aud has a yard the south SIDE 20 feet
deep by $50 long The "Bg Fla WIS built by the
late Moses ii. Grinnell about twentyreven years ago.
The present agent thinks Mr. Grnnel intended the
buiing for some other use than that OF a tenement
house, hut Mr. Grinnell allowed great mauy negro
families to rnd homes In it, This occupation by the col
ored race earned for the building the prejudice Of the
door classes that hated the ored people To this day
some OF the irish IN the nechborhood call the Big
Flat" the ngger house, aud the agent asserts that
that account easy TO get good tenants as the
house deserves.
The plan Of the building is novel one part Of the
first floor used business purposes but the other
ve floors are entirely devoted to families. Each floor
has accommodations sixteen families and there
at present tythree families under the roof which
shelters 800 persons The entrance at the north
Of tne building from Elizaheis l. broad, and sub
staua nt iron steps leads TO the second story.
broad corridor paved with stone Or tie building Is IRE
proo extends along the north SIDE of the building from
ont tn rear and gnted by windows looking out upon
a narrow court This corridor is newly whltewashed
and no very bad smells are perceptibe except when
close 10 the tiers closets opening outside "a lie
res aud situated each end of the building on the first
and second floors. The inmates Of the four upper floors
are Obliged come down to the second floor notice
conspcnousy posted ON the walls says IN It no cat or
the vlstor looked tnt0 tle gray kitten wac
tue first 70 extend welcome poor man nous %oud
not look complete or cheerful without Kitten
dog and wnen on oi these pes Is present there
The ls9 feet which make the length OF the south wall
OF the corridor represent sixteen apartments, each
nearly twelve feet wide, form'd hv TRANSVERSE walls
between the corridor and The south wall There
is a door ana window for each apartme opening into
the corridor. and window al The otner enu OF me
arart rtment looking into the large ward When MI.
Grnnel built tae Big Flat these apartments were all
IN one room about feet vide by fOryfOur feet
long. When Mr.. Cohen bought the property he spent
ABOUT S+s 600 ~ remodellng these rooms by putting IN
three partitions king short hallway and ktcnen
opening into the CORRIDOR midd bedroom ana SIT
ngroom Of rather cheerful aspect next 10 me yafd
In this form the apartments reuan Tue present owner
is j. A. BOstwlcK, an oil merchant or No l3s feafi-sI
When the reporter called seVeI on ,ne churei ~ " % %
house were returning from schooi ana many oi 'ne
little girls were very well dressed ana udy III
indicating tnat there are some good tenants
IN the Big Fiat The greater psrt OF them, however
are Polish Jews, numbering many taOrs SUme VI tncre
taniies we're iouhu ivlug u uu au rh aoe ,,ts sc
kept In very sOvenly coadti"n Inc go sa
distributed thus: First roor-0 families, IL adults
Oh second nOOr-lo
dreu third 1oor-l6 families. 81 adults, 30 chlldren;
fourth Oorl3 families. 20 adults, 80 cbndrsn; nitn
aoor-i3 families 2s d uts33 children sixth foor-l2
famiiic., 26 adults children - - 49,
inents n the Flat rent for 80. $3.50 and
Sl2 mouth, according they are corner apartments
o. tie as desirable middle aparuents or IN the upper
stories Many of the families have dncuy III paving
their rent aud tenants often elected because hey
cqnuot nav The Polish Jews who are tslers iarc
pnrtculary hard. II IL Oniy by the closest INDUSTRY
tLs Ley are able eA4 out lyinE. Ibe buLZ O sew
inc machines run at their pmost speed may De hehd
III dav long IN tile building These men work 10 osty
an co,non clothing, and grt from 80 cents 70 40 Genus
for making coat and propJrlOnstely small sums IOr
makirg wall tcoat- and trOwaers
Al No 100 MOst. the Insp ciorr found eleven Iani-
l.s IN "A tenement house the hlthiest description Al
m lO2 Mot-St.. rckety wooden shantY stood IN the
renr of the front tenement and It's second story wns
reached by au outside IL IA good example
80 Tie hotscs bulli for poor of NewYOrK thirty ynve
and forty years ago drunken woman "ho was IN the
yard hecae very noisy aud Insulting. aud before the
fnspeetnr realized what was taking place the nOute-
Keeper broke "A abrooDstiok over Ter mead ana man
VINO came out OF the building Knocked her down,
yjng her distncOu of wearing tne Dhcktsl eye 10
r. f,und for the In MOtst. Inc rlckcty rear
bulldlnR Of No 12s MOttst, had leaky roof ono of
ms tenants wac a poor old man who "A lew We" ago
Int nll his money to q former owner OF tht Onlld
in. vino died without repayIpg him. Being Without
epsv or home he IL allowed Ia remain IN the budlDg
Nh I52 Mott st., presents pleasant contrast 10 the
nsyboring teneinents IL Is owned by Henry iufon
hS erected the -ix-stOry building III 1850 and by gv
ms ina persona attention TO his tenants has Deci aDio
Ia keen his house ia good repair and to people IL Win
good cleauly iamilies