The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-09-05
Horrors oil New York Tenement. house
Life.

About twenty-five thousand houses
come within the range of the ob-crsa-
tons now being made by the recently
appointed Tenemcnt-house inspectors.
They are gathering information which
will BE- made the basis Of many needed
sanitary reforms, and which, il i be-
lievcd. win in time give more wholesome
and comfortable quarters 10 tenement
jewellers who now live in wretcled
places. The worst localities in our city
have not al This writing been visited. but
4 few facts clipped from the informal
reports Of the Inspections which have
been made viii speak for themselves:
..Thc air of the front rooms was al
most lmbearablc to the visitors. but that
II the rear apartment was foul beyond
belief. In the latter were several wom-
en-. each with pale. wan-looking babe
in her arms. One Of them said that hers
was mot long for this world, and il was
found that three children had died in the
room within a year. In two dark al
coveS. where the stencil was most 70 bc
observed. stood the beds. Inquiry into
the source II the odors revealed The fact
that beneath the boards Of the floor.
which bent and creaked with the weight
II the foot, was n dark sub-cellar. through
which leaking sewer ran, loading the
heavy air with noNiouS gases. On
the ground-floor was found 4 middlc-agcd
woman. with half-a-dczen sickly looking
children. She showed the bedroom,
ventilated only hy small window OPEN
ing against an oblique wall, which al
most preclulcd the entrance of light.
When this window was open. Il horrible
smell from adjoining closets filled the
room. We can't sleep with il open.
said the woman. and We cant slerp
with il shut. 50 we have a. spend our
nights on the pavement IN the yard. =
The -addrst eases are those which re-
veal how poverty and vice have extin-
grishcd al natural affection and MI
wholesome ambition:
.'Thc floor wa~ covered with rags and
filth 81 every description. Twoold mat
tr,.sSes. foul with agr and dirt. lay IN a
corner II the room. In another corner
the only occupant Of the room was
found In a cradle. on dirty pallet.
little girl. apparently about ~ months
old. lay asleep. with her body literally
black with ~warms If flies. Al first she
appeared To be dead. but the reporter
detected sign Of life IN slight pulsa-
ton At the wrist. lie brushed away the
flies. and then lifted the little one, who
wn~ but a feather-weight. A. her body
was almost worn "a a skeleton. II WAS
evident that she was slowly diving of
starvation. She looked up in the face
II the doctor with puzzled expression.
but the sight of cup ~ milk brought \
very hungry look into her large brown
ewes. She had a very pretty face.
and with proper food and care would
be n fine child. Several neighbor- came
into the room. and they said that the
mother was habitual gossip. who neg
lectel her children and home entirely.
.....A comparatively young woman was
found living in drunken stnpor upon
the floor. while upon a dirty bed lay
three babes and a girl Of about eight
years, clad in filth, rags. The girl
awoke and advancing with m air which
showed that she was used 10 the bust
ness. began pitiful tale Of a father !
cruelty and mothers drunkenness.
When the required measurements had
been taken. the wrctched mother was
aroused She was one II the few who
was found unwilling 10 receive assist
ancc. She was perfectly satisfied with
her miserable life as a rag-pickcr. IN,
and her husband managed 70 get along,
and she had no further ambition. Tbs
swarms ~ flies which covered ever,
thing IN the room. and caused the sleep
inc children 10 kick and moan. did moi
trouble her. and the hot foul mir WA
what she had always been used u. or
learning that the visitor was doctor
however. She asked for some tickets N
J the sick childrcn's excursions. The,
were given. and she contcntedly rolled
1 over upon the floor and went 70 sltel
} again. - Jumpers Basar.