New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-05
THE HOMES or THE POOR.
WORK OF HE VISITING PHYSICIANS

THE HOMES or THE POOB.
| WORK OF HE VISITING PHYSICIANS.
| The fifty physicians who are now visiting tho
homes of the poor in all parts of the city, bearing
| healing and comfort 10 those who need 1t most,
will make their first report this morning at the head
| quarters of the Health Department IN hottest A
few days have revealed to their searching eyes con-
ditlon in many parts of the city which, If though no
than that with which veteran practitioners in
the same regions familiar, enough to appa the
sioutcst heart unused 10 such spectacles OF misery
| and degradation. Huddled together like animals IN
a sly thousands of miserable wrctches are found
| going from youth TO age with no higher ambition
| than To rule a hquor-shop no brighter wish than
| for rivers of rum. One of the most revolving dis
| tricts is that which centres IN Ludlow and Hester
SITS, where the Polish Jews swarm together. In
LudlOw-st. NAV be seen tangle of drays, refuse
carts, grocerywagons. icc-wagOns and the carts OF
itInerant pedlers, which leaves lttc TO he desired
| i'll the way OF cOnfusOn but clambering upon every
| Wheel sprawlng III every vehicle that comes to
momentary stop and dodglng among the heels of
the horses is a crowd of children that puts numbers
10 shame. Children on the pavlng-stones, children
in the gutter children In the ASH Oarrel, children
on the stOOp, children overhead, children under
foot, children ngntlng, children screaming, Gull
drcn kicking children curslng, until, II the mothers
were not responsible for their existence, no one
| could wonder at the abuse which Is constantly
| showered upon the urchins heads by their unsym-
pathetic parents Aud yet the motherly feel
ing does not seem to be wanting among
| these people-at least toward the younger
| portion OF the wretched little creatures.
| What becomes OF the children when they grow
| older Is a puzzle. Up to Il certain age they swarm
like summer flies beyond that age not Is to
| he seen. Many, no doubt, become newsbOvs and
| bootDlacks bnt If ali the youngsters with whom
the East side districts teen are to compete Tor boots
TO black the price OF shine Will certainly be re-
duced within the next five years.
there is urgent need i'll of the low districts of
| the services of the inspectors OF markets. Fruits
and vegetables are exposed tor ale III Ludlow ana
EsseX-sts hat bear the deadiest seeds OF disease
ana pestllence: Yesterday afternoon, III booth III
LudlOW-st. lot OF ban mas was offered Tor sale,
the very stencil of which suliced to SIcken an I'M
sophisticated passerby. Yet this fruit did not fal
10 find purchasers The bananas sod Tor
cent EACH Women with huge market baskets
eluowcd their ay through the crowd to the stand
and plunged tAeir hands III the nolsome mass, ex-
,ractlng what they looked upon as edible Hult;
ana pennlless urchins CROWDED about the place
with longing eyes. Who can wonder, when
the laws of health are thus set at
nought and the laws of the city thus openly deed,
that period OF not weather is invariably accom-
panied by great mortality among the youngf Or.
Charles Sherman, " no is the visiting physician Of
thus part of the city, strongly urges the need OF
special inspector tor Ludlow, Hester, Essex and
NOrfOlk-sts
But II there is misery out of doors, within there is
horror DR.. Sherman discoveries iioor containing
tour small rooms, in which twenty-iour persons
Iyed together, and IN another place single room
OF small dimensions divided by sheets and blankets
into four parts III each OF which lived family con
tanning several children. Two families were I'M
eartnrd living in IL cellar ten ieet below
OF tine ground. These common spectacles, and
yet the physicians say that their visits this year
show rather less misery than they usually do.
HOUSES OVFRCROWDED AND FILTHY.
Dr. Leo of the Hebrew Society for the Improve
ment OF the SANITARY Condition Ot the Poor, recent
IL sent letter the Board OF Health stating that
he had noticed frequent violations or the Sanitary
Code III the tcnement-nouscs occupied by Hebrew
families Baxter, Bayard, Hester, Essex, Ludlow
aud Mulberry-sts. lie complained especially that
these houses had been allowed to become over
crowded, that garbage and animal refuse were
thrown by the Inmates OF the houses INTO the SINKS
and vaults III general use, That boxes or barrels
for ashes and garbage were not provided by
the owners or agents OF the houses, anu
that the streets front OF the houses were hlthy on
account of stands for the sale OF meat. fish yegc
tables. Dr. James the Assistant sanitary Superln-
tendcnt SAID yesterday tnat the houses complained
OF mad given the Board oil Health much trouble.
" lne inmates of the houses he sand, are poor
and very ignorant Many OF them filthy III their
habits and most obstinate III their mode OF living.
lney persist, for instance IN keeping 1--we lows III
their rooms, 1t BENG the Practice OF that class OF
hebrews not to eat fowls which have not been
killed in a certain way Iney keep chickens
IN the cellars and even IN their bedrooms,
in order 20 eydde the vigilance OF the
inspectors. 1t would be impossible Tor the
Board of Health to enforce all tine ARTICLES OF the
SANITARY Code i'll these tcnemenI-hOuses even with
"A much larger corps Oi sanitary inspectors than we
now have. 1t Is not an unusual thing tor an lnspec-
tor to cause the removal OF garbage from sinks III
one OF these houses, and upon returning 10 the
place hali an hour later to lind the sinks ul again
The trouble that the persons who violate the
Sanitary code cannot be detected. | have been
tOld that If we bad policeman III every block
could not prevent these violations OF tue rules OF
Sanitary inspectors Tracy and Murtha, in whose
districts the houses com planned OF situated,
have sent the Board of Health long reports upon
the condition OF the houses III answer to Dr. Leo5
lc Ter complaint. These reports Will he CON
sdered ut the regular meeting OF the Board on
tuesday next. The inspectors ADMIT that tie
occupants of the tenement houses vio-
late the Sanitary Code with mpunIty.
lhe oyercrowuIng of the houses, they say,
is due III part tne arrival OF poor Hebrews from
Russia. / he families are mostly large and their
means Will not permit them to i've III rooms
spacious enough for their comfort even for their
formed the inspectors that the OyeIcrowdlng
Is III all cases the fault of the tenants.
In order to lessen the number of
persons living in house 1t would be necessary to
divide families. 1t happens frequently that rooms
which are let TO a single family become crowded III
few years account OF the increase III the num-
Der of children. The larger the family becomes the
less abe the parents TO provide more room ior
their offspring, While the landlord ueither turn
the family out nor let IA larger number OF rooms
without an increase in the rent.
Inc inspectors say that the stands the side
walks iur the sale OF meats, fish and vegetables are
kept clean could be desired whlle the gut
tiers often Uttered with decaylng remnants from
the stands. They suggest that the Bureau of In
cUmUTanceB be asked 10 have all the stands
NOV. and to prohibit the sale OF food except III the
regular stores.