Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-23
FRISCO'S LOW LIFE.
Scenes in San Francisco's Cheap
Lodging-Houses.
The Long Procession Of Migrants who
Avail Themselves OF the Miser.
able Accommodations.
Queer Characters.
[san Francisco Chronicle.1

[San Francisco Chronicle1
tits trite saying that half the world does
not know how the other half lives and there
are many illustrations Of the fact in San
Francisco. The mode Of life OF the
Mob Hillite is a mystery to the Tar Flatter,
while the former knows as little Of the do
nestle arrangements of the poorer classes as
he does of the natives of Patagonia. The
brighter side Of life without home is to be
seen in some of our larger hotels and board
ing-houses, yet there are scenes and charac-
tiers to be observed in our cheap lodging
houses of San Francisco which are full Of in
terest-often moving to laughter, but more
frequently to pity. Most of these abodes of
the poor and unfortunate are situated in the
older portions Of the city in buildings which
have been left vacant by the march of bus
mess toward Market street.
Let us enter one of the most miserable of
these-and there are many not much better.
Up to the second or third story we ascend,
through a dirty, uncarpeted, ill-smelling,
gloomy staircase, lighted only by the feeble
rays of small smoking lamp The space that
was originally divided up into several large
apartments has been cut up by thin board
partitions into innumerable small rooms,
each six feet by eight. The partitions are
about seven feet high and reach barely
halfway to the ceiling. Space is consid-
cred SO precious that the Railways are
scarcely three feet wide. The majority of the
cubby-holes are clark rooms" having
no windows and only such ventilation as may
come through IKE cracks Of the doors OF over
the partitions. The furniture of room con-
sists of bed or cot, couple of nails to hang
clothes on and possibly some mating on the
floor. Everywhere the reign OF filth is su-
preme. The floors look as if they never had
been cleaned or even swept; the paint has
long since been turned black by the contact
of dirty hands or the deposit of dust, while
the bedclothes look as if they were perfect
strangers to soap and water. The air is heavy
with nauseating odors, the smoking of a dim
whale-oI lamp in the hall contributing it's
full share. And into such place hundreds
OF human beings are packed every night, like
SO many canned salmon, each in his own box,
with barely room to turn around in.
In each of these lodging houses there is a
sitting-room, with papers, checker-tables,
ETC., as squald and gloomy as the rest of the
place. Observing the figures seated here
and those constantly coming up the stairs,
one wonders ii he is not in an asylum for the
blind, the halt and the inebriate. Here is
the onnipresent social philosopher, lean and
hungry, yet too unsettled in mind for regular
work, who is advocating a scheme for the di-
vision of property every generation, while
opposite him is berry importation, who is
sure he will become rich as soon as the
United States adopts a free-trade policy
Yonder sits an old man, with unkempt hair
and beard, eagerly devouring a battered
book. With little breadth of mind, vet with
a liking for study and frame scarcely fitted
for hard labor, he reads and starves He is
the H7ok-'yorm and his mind is perhaps u lit
tie tehle.
Lying limp upon bench at the sideis a
large, bioated fellow. more ragged and dirty
than the rest. He is the confirmed drunk,
who will do an odd job now and then, but
willimmediately spend his earnings for drink.
Near him lounges young hoodlum, with a
battered face, blackened eye and bandaged
head; he did not come out well from his
last encounter with policeman. Meani
while, slowly climbing his way up stairs,
comes one whose clothes are ragged vet
neat, whose eye is dull, yet whose face is
not hardened, and you know you behold
one whom sickness and misfortune have
tried in vain to bring down to the level Of
the others. yet you can easily see that he will
soon be released from his cares and troubles.
Following him come a motley crew-ona
blind and assisted by another little better
than himself; another has but one leg; third
is minus an arm, and after these comes
long procession Of Migrants in various de-
grees of intoxication-at least two-thirds of
those who live in such places are brought
there by drink. A few strong and healthy
men are to be found here, most of them cool-s
or walters in cheap restaurants, and they are
the only ones who show any symptoms of
good spirits.
As the roomers file past and you see their
sicl1ly faces and wrecked forms and consider
the vile atmosphere they are to breathe all
night, you don't wonder at the large number
who are found dead in these cheap lodging
houses; you are only surprised that any of
them live through it. While the visitor is
corversing with the night clerk measured,
dignifed tread is heard on the stairs. He
turns inquiringly to the clerk, who replies:
ooh, that's the Major" In due time the
owner of the cognonen appears With red
nose, alcoholic eyes and a slightly protruding
waistcoat he might be taken for the original
of Bret Harte's Col. Starbottle were it not
for the extreme shabbiness of his apparel. He
A~NNS
attention to the assembled dodgers, but takes
his key and walks deliberately to his room
fine example of the shabby genteel.
Who the Major is no one knows He has
nothing to say to his plebeian acknowledges,
and they look upon him with awe. His
manners are faultless and his dignity superb.
His bearing seems to imply that only the
direst misfortune could have brought him
into such associations but the more scoffing
Migrants lay his fall to whisky. He is I'M
doubtedly well educated and can speak several
languages, besides faultless English Yet
he has been rooming in the same house for
six or eight years. What he does for a lily
ing no one knows. He always has enough
money to barely pay his way, but never
seems to have enough for new suit of
clothes. He is often seen under the influ-
ence of liquor, but drunk or sober, his
dignity never leaves him. He minds his
own business and commands the considera-
ton of the rabble with whom he is thrown
into contact. Only once did half-drunken
hoodlum seek a quarrel with him, and then
the Major drew a horse pistol and requested
his adversary to produce a similar weapon
and fight like gentleman. Since that
time he has not been molested Such are
the characters to be seen in these places,