News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-20
TENEMENT HOUSE LIFE.
III RES OF POVERTY AND DFCRA.
DAI1oN IN CROWDED DISTRICTS.
AaL a VISIT To the Abodes of the Poor and
oesti'Gte Revealed to an Inspector.
From the New York World

NAA'A''i II anu Tel ilS+-baE16lS W1lcQ
ohstrncted the sidewalks in Mulberry
street. The cool breeze which made
life tolerahle in other parts of the CITY
was wanting there. The heat radiated
from the uneven fagstones and noisome
smells rose from staguaut pools. On
either side of the street lowered the
high brick walls of the tpnements within
which resided countless thousands of the
city's poor, whose number defy the
census taker.
Passing down Mulberry street, where
1t was evidently market day. the side
walks and roadway were thronged with
bare-footed women and children scantily
and shahbilv clad, who jostled each
other IN their eagerness to get near the
various wagons and stands Of hucksters.
Entering dark, narrow alley on Null
berry street. the reporter and his guide
emerged into a courtyard.
A dozen or more bright-faced, healthy
children were playing there. One of
them was flying a miniature kite which
IN its widest ascent never rose two feet
above the surface of the ground. Four
old women were enscOnced on benches
needless Of their surroundings, while
others were washing clothes in small
rlckety steps and gazed laziIv at the
visitors. The buildings were five stories
high and offered shelter TO twenty fam
lies.
ITALIAN HOMES.
The landing of the fre-escapes were
literally covered with bedding, boxes
and refuse, which made egress almost
impossible and would prove a fruitful
source Of danger in case of fire.
On ascending the steps a small hall
was discovered whose walls had been re-
Gently whitewashed and which had a
fairly clean and habitable appearance
Each family has two rooms, the outer
serving for kitchen and dining-room and
the inner for bed-chamber. In these
two rooms are crowded from four to ten
persons when the family and ''bOarders"
are all at home. At this season of the
year most of the male members of the
household whose presence is not needed
for rag-picking are ''in the country"
which means that they are working on
railroads or tramping with their organs
and m onkRys through the outside towns.
Further down the street We're found
the lowest class of italian -pickers
The OdOr which came from the ont houses
was something nauSeating: remnants of
food were scattered abOnt and the air
was rPeking with filth. When asked if
there had been any deaths in the house
during the season. a bOv-the only one
who could speak English-said that all
had been we'll On ascending dark,
narrow stairs the rooms were found to
he in very unhealthy condition.
Still further down the street two large
houses We're visited. the appearance of
which was bettr than any in the quar-
ter The walls of the alley-way had
recently been whitewashed and the
inside bore the marks of late removal
ton.
Prog ess through Baxter street was
slow. The shOpkeepers, the majority of
whom seemed to be PoIes-and a filthy
looking set they vere-displayed their
merchandise on and above the sidewalk
TO such an extent that the , edestrians
proceeded with difficulty and discom-
fort. Second hand clothing and second
hand shoes are the staple goods in Bax-
ter street.
POLISH HOMES.
One Of the worst houses in the dis
trict which was visited by the reporter
WIS Il II y --S tDIN Iocht-Eh where Iite very
- = clements OF Poles and Italians 4,
herd together. Passing through an .
allev-wav into n courtyard a scene was
revealed which beggars description.
Congregated in that small inclosure
were at least fifty people, men, women,
bows, girls and infants. Ragpickers
were continually coming in with their
burdens. the result of the mornings
labor, which they deposited in a loose
pile previously gathered from the gut
tiers of the city One of the neighbOring
merchants was Offering for sale an arm
full of old clothes hich should have
found a fitting resting place on the heap
of rags. An old woman, bent double
with age, had a small basket of decayed
fish on her arm which she spread before
her customers. Pushing through the
miserable crowd and stumbling over
several infants on a dangerous stairway,
the officer led the way to the roof, which
was apparently the summer bedroom of
the community. In the corners and
along the sides were piles of straw and
rags, covered with vermin and breathing
forth disease and death in the MONDAY
heat.
On Park street stands one of the lOf-
being seven stories high aud the rear
four stories. Underneath the front pOr-
ton, In the basement, were found two
bar-rOOms. There are over thirty fami-
lies IN the structure, principally Iris b,
with a mixture of Italians but the APP
pearance of the rooms betoken a general
care and neatness.
While walking along Mott street the
officer suddenly turned into a has, ment.
The reUorter followed as manfully as
possible, though the darkness prevented
his seeing more than six inches before
him, until, after devious turnines and
w1ndlngs and the ascent Of a short flight
Of tumble-down steps, a small court was
reached.
CHINESE HOMES.
Upon opening a door made of plain
deal boards a large room was seen,
which appeared to be a Chinese opium
den. A long bunk made of straw mat /
ting extended nearly across one side Of .
the room, on which a white woman was .
slee ing off the eff cts of the drug. On 7.
the opposite side was double bunk Of a
like nature, on the lower part of which
Chinaman was browsing. The prOprIe-
tor. who was arrested not long ago for
keeping an opium joint, was likewise
asleep In a little alcOve separated from
the main room by a sort of grating.
The reporter and his companion made a
tour of Inspection Cf the quarters and
lef-, without awakening the inmates.
In Pell street the officer opened door
unceremOniousIy aud ushered the re.
porter into n Chinaman's private apart
ments. Young American woman was
engaged in cook ng at the stove, and her
''protecfor" was sitting on a short bunk
busy with his pipe. In response to a
question the woman said that she a 4
her sister lived with the Chinaman but
that she did not smoke
On Cherry street were found the same
houses and the same evidences Of misery
and degradation. In one block which
extends back TO Baxter street are two
immense houses in better condition than
the majority. The jauitOrs quarters are
in the courtyard, which Is large and we'll
kept. \ notice over the door forbade
ball-plaving and most Of the amuse-
meuts which clullrt seemed to enjoy
with immU ity IN other places. The
rooms were generally neat and clean and
the inmates appeared to be thrifty. An
old woman whom the reporter addressed
said that there had been but one death
in the house IN over a year.
In Leonard street something of the
IOdging-house life Of the denizru5 of that
o7arfar was seen The 1,r,1,riator. ia1