Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-20
PRACTICAL. HELPS,
q MODEL NEW YORK TE,NE,
MENT HOUSE,
What nsnsyaisnee Aided w Rrsin
tan Ibo,


avenue, between 7ist aud 72d streets,
has now been IN full operation about
sis months, aud tho results Of the eS'
pertinent OF putting up sueh q building
may be looked into, Full descriptions
OF the building have already been pub
lished hut Tor tho benefit OF those who
have forgotten those accounts, We may
preface our remarks by q bdoi abatement
Of the main features OF the building,
We ought, perhaps, TO eay buildings,
for, although connected, tho entire
structure IL divided into three parts, ope
fronting on the avenue, one on 7lst
street, aud the other on 72d street,
They are alike 10 construction aud ap'
pearanee, with the exception that the
ground floor on the avenue Ia occupied
by hhops. There are q bakery, meat
market, grocery, faEoy goods aud
confectionery store. u boot aud shoe
store. drug store, q green grocery, u
orockcfy store, aud house furnishing
store, Pretty much all the wants OF
humanity arc therefore supplied to the
inhabitants OF the block within easy
reach, There ~ u great court In the
interior aud the shops have doors open
Ing into thlsi no that tho occupants OF
tho building can procure or fond for
what they want without going into tho
street
Tho aize OF tho buildings may DO
imagined from tho fact that they Mo
capable OF containing $40 families,
There arc now III families In occupa'
ton. Tho snitos contain from two 10
four rooms, at rent varying from Sl,s2
per week TO $40 per month, payable In
advance, These snites mostly consist
OF u large room, used for cooking and
eating purposes and smaller rooms Tor
sleeping, They aro 10 arranged that
the front md back sets OF rooms are
quito separate. There aro very few
points at which II Is necessary TO use
anything IN common, Tho separate
lamily life is provided for ~ complete
ly a. possible. Each family has com
partmcnt in the cellar in which TO keep
wood aud coal; and elevators are used
to carry these articles TO their final do
stination. Ash shoots aud water closets
are provided libcrlly. Tho garbage is
all burned, and the cellar and ash pits
arc cleaned every day. Indeed, one of
the most striking points ,f tho instiiu
ton is its cleanliness.
Every sanitary rrecaution Is taken.
leo water in limited quantities were sup.
piled ut the Office during tho summer.
The bull ing is so open to the air, so
light, and 80 well ventilated throughout,
that vitiatod air is almost an impossible.
iiy. A breeze blows in tho great court,
which is open OH the west side, constant.
". and tie difference between the tenn.
perature there and on list street, ont
side, is very noticeable. On one OF the
hotties, days Of last summer the agent
reported four persons sick In all the
buildings--two women and two children
out of probably 700 people.
An exact record is kept OF every sick
ness, birth and death that occurs in the
building. During the entire summer,
out OF four hundred children, there were
three deaths only. During the same
period there were five deaths among
adults, ono of whom died of old age,
another Of consumption, and third Of
an abscess on the brain. This is re.
markablo showing for tenement in
what is usually considered the most un-
healthy period of the year.
Among the sanitary agencies are baths,
which can be used daily, by the women
in the afternoon and by the men in the
evening. A charge is made of five cents
for cold bath and ten for a hot one.
Another feature promotive Of health is
the playground. The large interior
court is an excellent place for the chill
dren. Clothes are hung there the first
three days of the week, but the other
four the children have it all to them
selves. AS an illustration of the system
that prevails in everything, it may be
said that the occupants Of the first and
fourth floors wash ON Monday, those of
the second and fifth on Tuesday, and
those of the third and sixth on Wednes-
day, There are laundrics in the cellar
and on the fourth floor, with stationary
tubs and hot and cold water, the use of
which is free to the tenants.
An interesting department is the read
ing room and library, which is open
every evening until 10 o'clock, and from
which books may be taken. We observ-
ed on the shelves the works of Irving,
Thackeray, Dickens, Cooper, George
Eliot and others of a like character.
There are number of magazines and
newspapers, including few French and
German publications. Those nationali-
ties, as well as the Irish, Scotch, Eng
lish and Swedish, are represented among
the tenants. a club room for the men
has just been started. There they fluid
q writing desk, chairs and small tables,
and games of chess, checkers, backgam-
mon, dominoes and cards. Good engrav-
ings line the walls, and together it is q
very attractive place in which to spend
a social evening. 1t is, perhaps, need
ess to say that liquor of all sorts is
absolutely prohibited throughout the
buildings.
None but orderly and decent families
are allowed in the buildings. The rules
and regulations, copy of which hangs
in each suite Of rooms, contain the fol-
lowing provisions
Disorderly tenants will be immediate.
ly dispossessed.
Tenants will he held responsible for
all preventible damage to the apartments
they occupy.
In cold weather, care must be taken
to prevent freezing of the water pipes.
Tenants must burn all garbage.
Throwing paper, vegetables and other
refuse down the ash shoots is strictly
forbidden. Nothing whatever may be
thlown into the closets.
Clothes may only be dried in the yard
or on the root.
No animals will be allowed in the
apartments or about the premises.
In case of contagious or infectious
sickness, notice must be given to the
agent as quickly as possible.
1t is expected, when the buildings
were projected, that the tenants would
be. though decent and orderly, of the
poorest class. That expectation has not
been realized. Attracted, perhaps, by
the style of the building and the pros
pect Of good, well.ventilated rooms, the
tenement has filed mp, not with day
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