New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-15
DEPTHS OF MISERY IN a GREAT CITY,
A GLANCE AT NOVELS IN WHICH THE LOWEST POOR
DRAG OUT A wRETCHED LIFE.

N
DRAG OUT A wRETCHED LIFE.
eyer want TO look round the place. do yer I Well
I guess yer can. Wait TIL ask the old woman.
The speaker was rough. unkempt young icuow
loupping IN narrow alley, which runs BACK iDto
little courtyard behind the house No. 10 PItt-st;
This house presents to the street whltewasheu
brick front of apparent respectaonty' pu' on pnSs
I'M through the ailev it was seen that the Duidng
was a wretched wooden sham, WIN clapooarue,n
walls while behind it, on one side OF the courtyard
ia one of the most miserable, tuInbled0wn DWELL
,nos in New-York which makes the former seem
palace by comparison. The Younger, whose Dleaicu
ewes showed the ruin that was fast overtaklhR MS
snlendid pbysdue shuffled slowly on. ana was soon
heard calling IN a thoroughbred voice for the ora
woman" In the meantime an opportunity was al
Jorded to look around. 80, -, ..o
The house facing Pitt-st. is approached from the
roar bv rickety staircase near which are some IN
describably filthy outbuidings The little wooden
house in the courtyard. two stories ana "a nan VI
height huddles up against the end or the next
block as if seeking to hide its broken windows ana
crumbng walls. The broken stones OF the yaId 'hc
Uttered with straw and every variety OF TedlSci
Along one side runs an old DRAM usually bIOched
up while the fetid water collects on the stones III
stapnant pools. Apparently the slops are thrown
ont into the courtyard or the street Wrmo
regard 10 the prelence for drain. Near III staldS
m old pump. What must the water be iha' comes
from under that drain! -
A. the further end Of the courtyard are some
rough board shanties fully rs clean IA the mouse,
which are used "a stables. Between them ana me
house is a huge box filed with steamng refuse But
by this time he of the bleafcd eyes hau IcIHluel
with u portlv German woman, whose wet, red arms
showed that she bad jtst come from the WashtuD.
The visitor was tiIst taken Tor dcputy-sheIhi,
come 10 expel one of the tenants Tor n0npaymeu OF
rent Then the woman Thought that he was "a
health officer to see If II vOs dot dc houses yos
healthy" and in that delnslon she was mefcli''iy
The basement of the first house is occupied by q
saloon and tie floor above 10y the Pitt Association
whose Quarters consist OF large room WIN moor
covered with sawdust and garnlsned WltH Diohcn
wondcn oLglrs In lTee small rooms on he second
floor live the landlord who keeps the saloon, his
wife, her brother and TWO chlinfen' ine Noila' !
was evidently the man OF business anu h''
morrnfnl tales to relate of tenants and OF truckmc
vino delrauded her OF her paltry fifty cents week
for the of a stall.
to suffer from incompaiblity of temper IN one hot
sitting room. fcebly lighted 'by one small doflher
window The room next them IS occupied by some
venerable and decrepit hens. Al II descending the
creaking saIs the old house IN crear was entered,
black aud dngy within ard without: ., $500,
There are seven rooms in this house., sad the
man with the husky voice, who acted a. guide an
ak families live IN 'em. This is the only family as
has two rooms in here. There are thfee OF en-,
father son and daughter. The men p2ddlcs smell
fish an such from cart. They pays four dollars
month for their rooms" $500,
A broken stove. a dilapidated lounge and table, q
few chairs and two vile beds were all that the suhi
dark rooms contained. I'm the next room on tnls
floor live a man and his wife. lie pushes wheel-
barrow around all day selling saWdust IN oafroohS,
and she is "A ragpicker, often bringing home pieces
of bread and potatoes picked up IN the course OF her
work which are made into kind OF soup, lher
monthly A
stove and the man watching some dark decoc-
ton bubbling III this. . r.,
In the room above an old woman lived alone. She
hicks mn freWood for herself wherever she cam ana
her daughter clerk in cheap store, helps her
with her rent. She draws a little pension when
means great deal 10 her. from the Itue entry
oui side her steep ladder leads up 10 trap,
door On pushing this up little den was entered
under the caves. filled with smoke A wthered oltl
man, bent almost double, was hoDOIlhg pach"uu
and forward the pieces of boards baIlel hoops.
broken baskets, fragments OF old Ion CASTOR SHOES
and rag, that Uttered his room. An old Dedstead'
on which were two black featherbeds, and broken
| down stove were the only furniture OF the room.
| Some tin dishes aud battered coiiee-pot were
| ranged around, and the old man was apparently
busy in preparing us MONDAY meal, Inc one III
dow OF the room looks OUT INTO the garPaec-ooH ny
| the courtyard. This Old Teller does WhlteWashlI,
when be gets chance an then he's Tagplcker; an
lives on anything no can pick up" said the GUIDE.
hut guess he has "A hard time 10 raise his Two
J dollars an IA half a month for rent"
The poor old vagrant was very deaf ana ne
ming and self-protectiOn He eyed the visitor sus-
! piciousy and seemed relieved when he disappeared
| through the trap-door without producing writ OF
Ascending the crazy stairs at the other end Of the
house the laHdiady encountered, on her way u
| turn out u tenant for non-paymeDt Oh rent. open
ing the first door at the head Of the stairs drear'
! room was eht red. the wretchedness OF when wa
not relieved by the few old bits of furniture that
were scattered about. In the centre OF the room
| stood "A stalwaTt, black haired Italian termagant
arms akimbo, awaiting the onslaught of the land
| lady.
| lis il dot you Will pay me of my rcntf II ls FOL
| two three months dot You have not pay me-"
g II cez all one d-n le," was tho response and
noisy war of words ensued
On the edge OF "a rough cot very old man ga
silent. His long white hair stood out around hi
head. His tattored SHIRT showed his shi NIKE,
rirsf and his bonv knees and bows pecred through
his clothing. HIS AIRED. dull eyes were fixed IN
meaningless stare. Apparently he saw nothing
heard nothing lie seemed dead To everything
| around him.
:" He's her cousin. she says SAID the guide, anC
she takes mighty good care Of him, for all she seems
80 rough"
In tile room above this family Of four lives, th'
children sleeping on the floor. With the house 81
fenced III from every breath OF AR, the snterings
| fine inmates from heat must he terrible. Yet there
are hundreds Of houses like this III Newvork. Care
fnly picking his way down the stars and over TIT
| dirty courty ard. the visitor departed and tn
! blear-eyed lounger once moro ides IN the alley
waiting for something to turn up.
| HEROIC VIOLAIION OF DUTY.