The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-09-22

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boy leads he ssy, and msrss room fos
me doctor BY pushing = drunken bag
out Of the naTos lane between the
sleepers. The doctor puts his head in
side. but withdraws it. appalled, At the
condition Of the atmosphere Al the
further end Of the room IS a small window
with partly closed blinds. through which
the elevated road trains can be seen
whining by, full of people who never
dream Of the horrible degradation almost
within sight.
Why dom, you put some Of these wo-
men in there = the doctor asks. pointing
10 a sor, Of lumber room piled up with
straw and broken furniture.
They wouldn't GO answers the boy !:
they like company
Queer TASTE" murmurs the doctor,
making his way to the root. which IS
tcund Uttered with rags. s,raw, worn ont
bedding. etc.
Why don, you clean GU, this place =
he inquiries Of the landlady. who by this
time has joined the party. We can, do
it, she says, sno matter wha, we do i,
vas cleaned only last year.
At No. 1903 Bowery IS = tramps lodg-
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high. twenty feet vide and SIXTY feet
deep. The ground 6oor is occupied by
concert saloon Of the usual type, with the
addition of a raised platform. ropcd in
for sparring matches Some difficulty
was sound in getting INTO the lodging
house above, bu; al last the man In
charge was awakened by pounding on
the door. and proved 10 be a drunken.
trembling old fellow who made the beds,
aad who told the visitors with some pride
that he was a "bouncer that IS to say.
he erected undesirable customers. The
front part Of the rirst floor Was fitted up
as reception room or office, no one be-
ing admitted without a payment OF ten
cenis-that being the uniform price for
nights lodging in any part of the house
! Back of the office are the bxnks sup
ported by stout wooden posts One bunk
almost touches the door. the mex, one is
four feet higher. and the top one is near
the low ceiling. There are four rows OF
these triple hunks. each row containing
twenty hunks. making eighty in all. be-
sides which there were cosbeds ready TO
be pu, up in the office. On wall is
permit from the board OF health allowing
twenty dodgers to sleep in tina, room.
Each bunk consists simply OF a piece Of
canvas stretched between the four posts,
and 4 ,a.,ered blanket or bit OF carpet
no sheets or pillows.
The whole place is dark and unven:il
ated, receiving no light or air exeep, from
the front Office; II IS indescrlblbly filthy
and alive with verrnin. as the man in
charge admitted. adding that the vefmin
prevented The customers from coming too
early or staying TOO ia,e-,hus helping
him in the " bouncing part of the bust
ness. The two floors above are similar
in arrangement. except that there are
windows al the rear as well as at the
front. insuring light and ventilation. On
the top floor there are ninety-six hunks
(ihe law allowing twenty, and mattresses
for many more dodgers. Tramps are the
frequenters of this place, according to
the " bouncer.' At present they are out
of town in their country resorts, and there
are not now more than thirty or forty
dodgers as a rule. But in winter men are
turned away, and ago dodgers are not an
| infrequent number. The house is open
all night, but every one is obliged 70 leave
AT SIX O'clock am. in summer, and seven
O'Clock am. in winter.
Or. Hoelger will report this overcrowd-
ing TO the board of health. but has little
expectation Of any improvement. Com
plants of the kind have been made over
and over again without effect. The
board Of health seems TO be helpless in
the matter.