New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-07
BETTERING THE POOR.
ADDING COMFORT TO THEIR HOMES.


GLIMPSE AT TESEMENT-HoUsE LFE-THE PRO
CESS or ANTICIPATION.
Nothing is more common mt this season of the
year than 10 hear it said that "New-York is de-
serted" that everyone is away from the city fol
the summer" and that business is at o stand
STILL" Ffthaye. il deserted, but Hestcr-st is not
The bankers and brokers may be out Of the city.
but Patrick OIeilly and Rabbi Sobrikowsn are
here; the Stock Exchange may be dull but Essex
Market is as populous as ever. Few Of the joyous
myriads who are clambering over pine-clothed
mountain sides or breathing the salt airs of ocean
think Of those crowded tenement-houses so far
away, where every wandering zephyr comes tainted
with disease That holow-eyed woman who nurses
a babe at her breast. while children scarcely older
toddle at her skirts, never saw the pillows break
merrlly upon tho beach. Nature has for her no
nober spectacle than gutter flowing with slops,
and if ever a golden day brings some glimpse of
rural beauty her darl1ened soul has lost the sense
of sight. Such is the history Of thousands upon
thousands Of poor creatures who brawl and hagglo
their days away in the dense thoroughfares of the
lower part of Manhattan Island.
Though civilization can do little to better the
circumstances of these miserable people who rear
prodIgous families to be, if possible, more abject
than they, many measures have been taken to re-
lieve positive distress and to temper some of the
dscOmiOrts TO which the inhrm and aIling are sub
ect Not the least efectual is the corps of visiting
physicians, now at work among the tenement
houses OF the city. Many mother who though de-
based IS yet human enough to grievo over the
suffering of her child, is cheered by the helpful
counsel and the healing physic Of the medical mis-
sonary who has sought her ont at the head Of four
flights of stairs, and many .eeble and spritess
child is gladdencd and invIgorated by n ride down
the harbOr secured by the tickets which the physi
clans distribute among the poor. One encouraging
feature of this system has come TO light: the
physicians very generally report this year that
there is visible among those whom they visit
an increasing anxiety to avert sickness and an
increasing attention to the instructions which
the visitors dstrlbuteIn pamphlet form among the
families of their circuits. This IS especially cheer
ing because the instructions aim largely at ceanli-
and temperance. The worst enemy that
science has to encounter in the attempt to reclaim
the wretched is indifference aud any token of
awakening intelligence is hopeful symptom.
Saturday was the Sabbath among the Polish
Jews who people Ludlow and Esscx-ss.; but
though the population was idle, its misery was no
less evident than on other days Most of the shops
were closed but the inbred shiftlessness and degra-
dation were there. The busiest day in these quar-
tiers is Friday, which is upon the threshold of the
Jewish Sabbath. Then sold the peaches, the
oranges and the bananas, which load the atmos-
phere with the faint Of decay; then are sold meats
which tell too plainly then condition by their odor,
and vegetables which are as unwhOesOme as they
are unclean. But Saturday brings leisure, for no
good jew will buy pcnny's worth of goods upon
the Sabbath. Idleness however, brings its own
miserics. A reporter of The TRIBUNE went through
the streets Of that quarter on saturday with one Of
the medical visitors, and heard everywhere pro-
family, obscenity and aDuse. Among the places
visited were the Russian baths In Ludlow-st.
where, owing, perhaps, 10 some reports published
recently of their condition, process OF partial rem
ovation was going on. There nOOnc III the baths
W hen they were visited. bur upon previous Occa-
sion at "A time when Only women were supposed to
be allowed III the bash, DR.. sherman discovered q
man in the water with four women. Beng asked
the OF his presence, he replied that 1t was his
duty to test the temperature of the bath. AT that
tlme the zinc lining OF the bath was coated with
thick layer of dirt, and the senches from closets
which in close proximity were uDDeaTaDle. Inc
salutary effect of little Official attention 10 these
matters cannot De OvereStlmated. The prOprletOrs
of offensive establishments take alarm, and reno
vate their premises III some small measure at least
brewery the same street was next visited, but
the traffic of Friday being over there was little 10
lie except few Old crOucS with red and blOated
faces, who gazed curlouSy am snsplclously at the
ntruders. The proprietor OF the shop SAID that IA
great part OF the business was done III the evening,
but that alter O'Clock the doors are closed. y
sound OF angry voices called attention from the
brewery to the street, where two women
were standing face to face upon the paYeinen
engaged II animated terca. ion. One of tine
women a native of Erin. and she used her
tongue the iiuency caia terlstlc OF her cOun-
try men. Fists freely shaken, but the war was
settled III the arena of eioqucnce. ana the lrlsh-
woman alter talking her adversary Oul OF Tue heiu
turned to her sympa'h zlug friends to recount the
deeIs of valor She would have done had eTcum
stances been otherwise.
The doc or had scarcely gone into a neighb0rlng
tenement when "a new disturbance arose without
This wasat No ii Ludlow-st OF the worst houses
III that quarter. woman was thIustlng youth OF
fifteen out of the ba emcnt door W III blows ana
curses, while the boy, VINO was beside himself Win
anger. struggled desperately with her and with
others VINO restrained him. Beng hustled INTO the
street, he seized "a deCayed orange. which lie threw
at the woman, III sslng uer, but striking one OF ner
friends. VINO now joined with her to swell the dis
cord. The boy dragged up The steps lnlo the
house, struggling all the while but as he passed
he succeeIed in wrestling himself free, 50 as To
DestOw upon the womaUs head "a sounding thwack
with piece OF lath which he had seized. MS was
too much Tor the WON ms temper, and the whole
party with the surrounding crowd rushed petI
med through the hail until not another
person could press across the threshold. inns
ngnt was still n.ing In the scale when another
took place III front OF the same doorway between an
lceman and the driver OF retuse-cart. After tnJ
usual OYerures OF bad language the caItnah seIAeu
heavy shovel and darung upon the lceman, VINO
was twice as largo as he, was scarcely "l'nhelu
from LAYING him out upon the ground. The icenlan,
seeing his angry aSSallant III SAFE ndhus, ocSdn W
taunt hun WIN the advantage Whlch Ihe SuoFeI
gave hum: but this only lnfuraied tle carl-uriNeT
the more VINO now threw down his shovel anu or
fered Ia srlp OH has coat fair fight. But The
afir.v passed without blood These three tights
took place IN a single bloc6 within the space of
hlI an noun. Their influence upon the children who
"a. her in arms 10 wltness the excitement Is not
eleyatIng ,.
one tenement house, nci her worse nor better
tnan the olners street, may serve Tor an eX-
ample SiA stores III height, with narrow passage
vays and dark STAIRS Is peopled by several iaml-
lies Oh each floor, with the usual supertlulty OF
children. In room was found awom.n ana her
husband, WI h the ma 3 tatner stretcneu upon
bols1er. bed-Ildden With age There were seven
children IN the laully, ana the whoie number hYed
IN the main room ana two small bedrooms On tie
floor above Was "A disgusting sight. Housed III u
small room, from when opened two htue closets
that serve rs bedrooms were IA man and his wife
win eight children whose ages ranged from one 10