New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-05

eyes nveted on poor, emaciated niue h"'S"
Cnawinc with great avdty on piece OF peer
liver that the youth had begged at tine neighporhs
butchers He said he had found the kitten IN the
street and intended TO make nest for 1t IN the
cellar. passcr-by gave him GEMS "
buy milk for the kitten. The boy skipper
across the street to milk market an1 -, S Stte
gathered as much interested IN seeing the Hl'ieh
Ian the milk as in behOding tenement-nouse iau
who would rather feed kitten than swng 10 ny
the tail Half an hour Ip'S Sb 1eg the Kitten. with
sides ready to burst lay eurled up as close 10 l's
protector rs 1t could get.
TFNEMrNT-HoUsE CIGAR-MAKiNG.
I)r C. L. Bruce was found hard at work on the
block bounded by First aud Second-sts. and First
and Socond-aves. He met with great success IN
dealing with the inmates of the tenement-houSes'
who helped him readily to the information desired
The most interesting facts found on his block per-
tanned to FIVE tenement houses at Nos. 20 and -
Second-ave. two of them facing on the avenue ana
three on rear court IN which were1 closets connect
ing directly with the sewer and frequented Dy w
families numbering 151 adults and 80 children, III
all 2l9 persons. These i've tenement-honseS' De-
sides being the homes of all these poor people are
beehiyes of industry besides. Hrschhorn ~ 20,
the cigar-makers lease these tenement-houses OF
The owner, G. f. johnson, or from the agent
Charles ID. Meyers, for a term OF three years
SuB-eAs0
two. three and four rooms to families VINO are
cigar-makers, and who must work for them and
suit them or be elected. By this means, HirSch-
horn & Co. are not put to the expense Of cigar
mandatory They make their operatives lnd-
rectly nav their rent, and make something OH OF
them besides by their profits on the tenenents Tor
these sky families pay S12 month for three iroh
rooms, 50 a month for two back rooms In tine TWO
front tencments, or SO for two rooms in the thr9e
hack tenements Averaging the price, sixty fam-
lies AT 50 a month each pay the cigar manutac-
turers 1910 monthly, or $6,1S0 a year, for the
privilege Of eating sleeping and working Tobacco
at the rate OF IS for 1000 cigars. in
two tcnement-house rooms. or three rooms, as
the case may be. No. 90 Secoudave. is six storles'
25 feet front and SO feet deep 1t shelters 20 fam
flies. numbering 81 adults and 42 children. The
largest family numbers II children. No. % is five
stories is one foot wider and shelters II families
80 adults and % children. The three rear tene-
ments ore i've stories. The small one, 16 feet front
and 81 feet deep, mas families-1S adults and 3
children the second, with about 20 feet front, has
10 fsmilies-25 adults and is children the third
has famihes-19 adults and II children.
The cigar-m makers talked very freely about their
work In every instance that came under the re-
porteI's notice both the husband and the wife
worked together at a table in their main room. One
woman in a back tenement said she had five child
rem and paid $40 a month for four rooms She and
her husband together averaged about $500 cigars
n week, or Sl2 so. and worked from IN the morn
ing till z in the evening. In another room
man and wife, without children, were
making about the same. They we're care
full not 10 say anything about their employer, and
declared that they we're treated better than they
had been in other cigar tenements. In another
room the woman said the rent was deducted rcgl-
larry from the wages and tenants had to go at the
landlords will In front tenement the fe was
found putting together the bodies of cigars fast
As her husband and man employed by them cOuld
Put on wrappers. She WAS geschwind,' the hns-
band said, and her tongue almost as spry as her
fingers. The three made $500 and 1000 cigars
week. earning S17 80 to $50. In front rooms was
found an old man sixty-two years of age, working
by the side Of his wife. He said he began cigar
making when ne sixteen and had worked stead
iy al il for forty-sx years. Their average was 1000
cigars a week Their only daughter married.
and the aged couple worked away cheery, and as
If their lot was not hard one. The husband said
he had received $40 and SO a 1000 before the
disastrous strike in which he participated, and
which failed on account of the tenement-hOuSe sys-
tenn which began as a result of the strike to grow
to its present large dimensions. He said he found
1t much healt hier and more pleasant at his age TO
work III his own rooms than III factory where the
air was heated by crowded workmen; All OF the
dren looked comparatively healthy, and II fol-
lowed perhaps as a matter OF course that pee
pie so industrious should look reasonably tidy.
AN ANCIENT GRAVEYARD.
The back windows of the rear tenements look ont
upon the remnant OF a graveyard entirely incosed
within the block. Twenty-Five years ago it belonged
10 the Welsh Presbyterian Church. A few stones
remain standing and some of them like the one re-
cordinp The death of :" John Brown" bore dates of
births anterior to the Revolution and OF deaths in
the early part OF the century. One weeping-willow
remains but looks if 1t would relish grave
itself Hens scratch over the sIckly sod COW
e1ng the bones OF the departed and children use the
ward for playground. All kinds of trumpery
litter the ground. Broken tombstones, piled piece
on piece serve door-steps to the tenements with
doors opening in the graveyard. Two tall snd
thrifty trees with roots striking deep INTO the de-
caying mould support many clothes-llnes IL is the
dismalest, saddest, most desecrated spot III the
metTopolis. Grammar School No. 8, a new and fine
structure, bounds this dilapidated and toriorn
sepulchre on the east, and the pupils can see the
half dozen standing tombstOnes from the windows.
HOUSES OF POVERTY AND FILTH.
DIR. w N Campbell, OF No. 1872 SecOnd-ave., is at
work on the block bounded by East Eleventh and
Twelfth-sts and First and Second-aves He was
found at the building in tho rear of No. 3ZI East
Eleventh-st The reporter accompanied HIM
through the building which was one Of three sto-
ries and contained six families. Each family had
two rooms thu serving as a bed room the other
as kitchen and living room. On the ground floor
was found a middle-aged woman. with half
dozen sickly-looking children, who fastened
to show the bedroom, ventilated only by a small
window opening against an Dubuque wal, which
almost precuded ths entrance of light. When this
window was open a horrible smell from adjoining
closets hlled the room. " can't sleep WIN IL
open," said the woman, and we can't sleep with IL
shut so We have 80 spend our nights on the pave
Inept ia the yard" The vontilatoTs 10 the closets
were only . few inches above the wIndow-sili. On
the secOud-stOrJ comparatively young woman
80 found King in y drnnken stnpOr upon