National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-15
4 BED FOR A DIME.
-uE WANDERERS ARE HOUSED.
r..,s LbOat Cheap LOdging-HOUse Fer
Ss"' .od Ont by Our InquisitiVe Reporter
character Sketches Taken on the
seOt-The Italian Itinerants.

FTetNn-N ,,c shadow Of doorway and confronted
Uu' PENNSYLVANIA avenue. The apparltlon
Bile e+Isirientlv Thin to play the part and the
Wa .,yI,fch covered the shivering bones was of
lichtness for ghOstly visitant TO this
We' snborp The narrow shoulders were
VII M and vain attempt was made to bury
81. ID and face between them. The hands
y, rs5 and swollen-looking, as though the ele-
w. with which Messers. Nennor and Hazen
, M been furnishing the citizens hereabouts
M had frozen and blistered them. What could
I',con Of the face was pinchedGnd white enough
pTs:rIt have been a supernatural being-a Tegu-
u ,Srrand-out ghost-but for the breath. The
Io,.,-odppct. so necessary to the keeping in mo-
II.',ar,be human machinery, was redolent with
~. w. mines of "bucket-shop" liquor. The re-
ule bc,itated. then caught at an idea. Where
-, -,1 = nights lodging for ten cents?" he
- Hone struck INFO the breast Of the unfor
q-.,,,rc and he raised his head higher up out
,r-be folds Of his coat
.ni,. down on First stree" he said; there are
,l1Dty oi places there"
aIIgye YOU slept there before:
The ar,narition signifying that he had often done
:; ,rs MAS proud of the achievement and THE
p,p-R-I..,H's brilliant minion having by this time
OH, worked ont his idea, the shVering gentle
NON ,ylS uaiitcly asked TO conduct his newly
md. acauaintance to this ten-cent hotel, being
I'D q, tEe same time that his bill for q nights
r,..,,-. would be liquidated His ghostly highncSs
,Ialn,red 10 This arrangement Ct first and sug-
,.tp,l 10 The reporter that the walk was long and
,b. night was cold. The latter information was
entirely supcrGuous. The time was Wednesday
,,.,i,, and over the city there hung a frigid at
,o,>f,brre ana on the ciiy's streets there lay
sI,1,l OF SLOW that glistened and cracked as the
la Inalf ,N-np II nd
dow, The handsome avenue Of the United States.
The fc,gar took a look around, and the prospect
All not appear romantic or cheerful TO him. Civ
inc HI. shoulders another hitch and throwing bis
b,,d ha"k IN the same old position, he ambled
elo,la fy :hc side Of the scribe looking piteouSly
toward every saloon on the way. At last, on First
s1-ret between the Avenue and c street, he halted
directly undera STABILITY constructed canvas sign,
lis,jted up with a candle placed inside the box
like Arrangement. The PALE pickering light
showed the words,
LODGING FIFTEEN AND TWENTY CENTS"
ps;l,,cd IN Crudcly-marked letters i'll red paint
"He-e's the place, Captain" said the acconmo-
dating guide and its almighty sorry 1 am that
I've 90, u tu:n In without one drink to steady my
nerves He was Immediately whirled around
and taken to the corner, where, over four
finger glass of rum, the fellow became loquacious
IN This condition he was conducted back to the
red sign and ordered 20 pound his knuckleS on the
harj pine door. This being done, and an old lady,
dressed very much dt$hdbiIe, with her hair fall
ing down her back. and holding half of a candle
in hcr hand. having made her appearance, the
now revived vision Of the night commenced nego-
tations. The old lady said she believed she had
but one fftcen-cent bed unoccupied. The ten
e.n'ers is full long enough ago." she squeaked.
-g,a oF
she made courtesy, saying AZ has one or two
very pleasant single rooms above the common
lOdgims: price only twenty-five cents"
The thin tramp having been paid for and sent to
bed IL company with halEineh Of candle. the
attention of the news-gatheTer was devoted TO the
old woman, ryho was becoming impatient. a.
want 70 see how the people sleep, who they arc,
and 10 lind ont all about them want 70 sleep, at
least fuI while, in the room where you've got the
most tramps: want to see everybody that comes
in here tonight" The impressive words of the
eloquent reporter struck the old pToprietress Of the
with sort of nameless terror, but
having been assured that her life and worldly
were in no peril she at length con-
egted. = Are there any places around here which
Te large: that hold more people and of "a greater
arety than yOuTs?"
No, I've got more beds than any of EN-, and
as Tor variety Lor' bless you, I've had all kinds.
I've got thechespest bedsand hunks and the finest,
omc as high as fifty cents" and the old person
lniled With smile that was queer.
She bad t0ld herlat8st ledger the truth about her
beds being filed As ealy as it was in the even
ng about nine O'clock nearly ell her cheaper &C
had been snapped up, and when
he reporter visited the main room OF the house
md held alOf kerosene lamp othat its light fell
N the fifteen OF twenty hunks jammed closely to- !
ethcTthe scene was sleepy one.
Hi, there, damn We, put outthat giim!" shouted |
voice from under the bed clothes. This voice |
icing OF ,he stentoran kind had the effect of wax
NJ up several gentlemen who were light slum- !
eIels. and Immediately there was poked from |
ndcr comfoTters such a heterogeneous mass of !
eads and faces as coming suddenly upon him, |
suuld have frightened his satanic majesty, the |
EVIL |
What 'er We af:er; stealin our clothes its on is
t" queried be oftbe strong lungs
No; we've got gentleman tonight, Rocks
Come down 10 a ten-cent bed, have you? Wen, |
oad better go hook them Clothes
The pale, emacated face Of youth was raised |
p, and The great hungry eyes looked around, as
hough the boy was frightened at the coarse |
ounds and words he heard. None of the mems |
lohing was visible, either lying on the floor !
be co.'s /!
Don't they take of their clothes?" the propfi- !
tres was asked. /!
oh. Yes" she said, :" but they're afraid they'll !
4 stolen ifthey hang them up: so they make /
und'c oithem and putthem under their pillows" j
The first room The reporter had entered was a /
ack apartment, and contained the ten-cent |
'dgCTS The room Immediately in front Of it. and |
lclIg OH iTst street, contained about the same |
iinpcT OF cots and no more accommodations.
b.: eXiF ifc cents Is put on the dodgers for arts
"ia'y sake. The beds in this room were not all 1
coupled Immediately overhead is the place -!
neie those gentlemen having twenty cents to ex-
END find rest: and this room IS very comfortably
nishejl having in il two wash-stands, pitchers, |
"c!>, DC. The twenty-five and ffty-ccnt single |
IONS are luXuries that the frequenters of this |
ousc rarely enjoy; so they bear the same relation
the ricsety old frame building as do " spare |
oms in country mansions.
" Youhaye many queer sorts OF people here, don't |
pa he shriveled old woman who accompanied |
lie newspaper man into all the various depart /
cents Of her business was asked.
" Yes indeed, sir; its not only what people call
lie tfamps who sleep here. I've had
Heightened GENTLEMEN
sep in my beds, and glad they was to tumble
there. can tell you. Why, it hasn't been many |
ighis since l had a real respectable and nice |
'okin Presbyterian minister come here and tell |
le he had only fifteen cents and wanted bed.
seems he had come here from Virginia, and
ZEN three-card men got hold of him, and all his
loley and MS watch was lost. He was too proud |
sell his clothes (which was real bToadcloth}, and
Z wanted 10 keep the matter quiet. pitied the
cor dear man, and give him twenty-cent bed,
'N io>in five cents because he was such a nice
,au-ald then your know some o them
he"I WTetches might have stole his fine clothes.
i@I! ; a time gentlemen have come in here who
"a "a, very rch. Poor things they didn't know but
Ha' 1t was the Arlington. One night some Con
ies>!nen three came here and was very jolly.
'o'A Their watches and their money, tellin' EN-
was Z" goia' to put EN- in the safe but the Lord
"a, haven't got any safe. But kept en- out
NE hands o them ten-cent buns. And didn't
!, tSA gentlemen treat me handsome that night?
we different times did they send 10 the corner,
an M e'ci! lime il was four bottles of beer!"