New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-25
THE MAYOR VISITS THE POOR.
INSPECTING TENEMENT HOUSES.

ING.
mayor Grace, some time ago, conceived the ides
the poorer neighborhoods the city and seems
or himself how the inhabitants I've what are the SAM
y coholons OF the bindings. whether the stories
overcrowding to the Of the population of small
city IN single square are true, and whether pro
visions ofthe Sanitary are sharply enforced by tho
officials of the Board of Health. The Mayor on wednes
nesday last visited number of tenement houses in the
First and Fourth Wards Yesterday be confined his
attentlons principally to the crowded dwellings Null
berry, Baxter, Bayard and adjacent streets Later
In the DAY some places in Cherry-st were visited.
The Mayor has been accompanied in his tours of in
specton by his secretary Mr. Ivins and Sanitary In
spector Neas Of the Board of Health Yesterday the
party was reinforced by several re-
por'ers ana an artist on the staff of an
illustrated newspaper. The first place visited
was No. 1s Baxterst., a fvestory building and n sim
liar one in the with small courtyard between II
iscailed "model tenement" and is somewhat better
than its neghbors in far ventilation and ceanl-
ness are concerned But of the suites OF rooms
the front building have two families m them and some
OF hose In the rear three families. suite of con-
siss of vingroom about 10 by IL feet and bed
room feet by feet For these contracted quarters
these poor people pay from $5 so to So month accord
ing to the situation of the rooms
The party then drove to Muberry-st The tenement
house In the rear of Nos. 5, and is an old wooden
building thirty years the Baptist
Tabernacle, and used by congregation of that denomj
nation 1t was moved to its situation and fitted
up as tenement house. The rooms are even smaller
than in the adjoining tenement houses while the halls
are barely wide enough allow persons to pass 1t
was simply impossible it said to induce the of
people who occupied it to keept themselves clean
The front house is of brick, five stories in
height, and is shade better than the
one In the rear. In 1871. when these houses were
at their worst the annual deathrate 20 for each
LOCO inhabitants against each 900 in the CITY
Mt large. Since then there "a no
tween the Board of Health the proprietor wealthy
retired liquor dealer to compel him TO make some
improvements. The houses clesed row by order of
the Board of Health while extensive alterations are
making which will render them more habitable SAM
tary Inspector Neas of the opinion that the rear
tenement would have he down as the only means
of getting rid of various infectious diseases which had
become chronic there. A liquor store or bucket shop
10 the 'front.' tenement house was known as " The Dead
House from which the quality of its liquors may be
No. 80 Mulberry-st. is occupied front and rear by
Weight. Nevertheless they are fairly swarntng with
families although there few Irish Passing through
IN alley reeking with dth the rear yard is reached
ags. The eGuvinm from the closets aud vaults
was sqneent to poison the air for block around
dlrt Men, women and children looked If water had
not touched them since the last ranstorn they were
cidentally caught in.
No Al Mulberry-st. a shade better.
CREDIT TO ITS OWNER.
NJ NOS as anu % Mulberry-sL Is clean spot in this
dirty collection of houses 1t is owned by Charles
w. Sloane and built by him to show what could
be done for the improvement of the tenementholtse
population produces a fair return for the
outlay This building is five stories in height of brick
with light stone trimmings Ventatng shafts run from
the basement TO the roof and all the inner rooms COM
muncate with these Each room therefore receives
fresh air The flooring outer and inner halls ia Of
stone There Is closet attached TO suite OF rooms
All inc tenants with the exception OF three
rental The Mayor was much Interested in tins build
anu as practlcal man, asked many questions the
peng the tenants to comply with the rules The penalty
nender % a zee MIN the rules s notice to the
Inc tenants WERE without exception, neat and clean
narkabe absence OF the tenement house smell which mi
already become familiar TO the party What Interested
inc visitors most OF ali was Institution on the first
foor OF this building IL was cnd's nursery dozen
OF 0se enoren, ranging from two to five years of
age were playing around the room. Here any working
woman can bring her lid and leave il the day vim
washed fed and otherwise looked alter at cost RI
the mother OF ten cents day Tor infant less than a
under to charge OF Miss Dow 1t is supported prnc
pleased with IT, and desired the matron SEND to him
every year Tor "a subscription.
snarp contrast 10 the place just left was presented
by No SO MulDerryt Tue front room on the rsr door
~ :" bucket shop" where for five cents pail OF
drcgs OF beer kegs are sod Tor glass ON Inc
steps leading 70 the entrance lay man dead drunk
woman OF middle age, clad in rags, whose black eve
and forehead were horribly suggestive of a drupken
luFLeI Oh inc previous night, solicited the Mayor
dirty shirt and trousers wished know f an Xmeri
can man wasn't To De given IA chance He was lust
drunk enough to be abusive aims we're re-
As party passed through the rear yard these and
others only shade less drunken and brutal growied
the price OF drink" The house and it i'm them
pants were well matched. Filth, disease ana
crime seemed to 20 hand hand While the party VS.
Inspecting noxious Is in the rear ypan n
wished 10 know OF the Mayor il he was not gong ~
stand the Deer and ony desisted when forclDy thrust
aside ny Inspector Neas As the party starred TO drive
away howl OF disappointment went up the filthy
crowd ana the young man who had once before
desired aims thrust his head into the carriage
wne sat Inc Mayor and again demanded charity i'm me
py tne departure ot the carriage.
sisng OF irish, Italians and Polish Jews Many OF the
rooms were neatly kept but the building a whole was
about ON par with the majority OF the houses IN the
neighDorhood. WIN
No. II Bayardst. is occupied chiefly Inv Polish lam,
In the cellar about 200 geese Ventilation in thi
mouse was bad and the closets were in anything but lr
condition.
No. % Roosevetst. u fashionable house but
IL now occupied by Italian lagpickers. Dirt found
- Other houses were visited in Roosevelt and
Chcrry-sts: All gave ample indications thai
oyercrowdng. The Mayor expressed Rhi,nself
the strec, even in the neighborhoods were an
i9Tmy ceani Ine STRENGTHENING Bureau had accom-
pishcd its task well there.
FEW STATISTICS,
stranger who has never before visited n crowded
tenement house. will be shocked at the crowdng of fsm
lies ana dodgers i'll confined space, the thyappearance
of the stairs and halls, and the shocking condition of
many OF the vaults and closets There marked
lions TO tins condition OF things Some OF the houses are
clean. outside and in, the Railways the application
Of soap and water, and the closets are flushed daily
The tenants OF much better character and
ance, and demonstrate that il not necessary Ia no
lthy, even in Mulberry, Bayard or Baxter-st tene
nent house. Much has been the past fen vears
BY The Board OF Health to reform the abuses
Of the tenement house system, but there arc
many OF the older class of these d,yenncs
which practically unfit for human hab-
atlOns. The law defines tenement-house 10 he a Z
house occupied by three more families The follow
the number Of such houses in city by wards