New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-24
CENSUS TAKING IN ITALIAN QUARTERS

sEEKlNG TRUANT SCHOLARS IN CROWDED AND
F0UL-sMELLING IENEMENrs.
A.C. MARTINEZ and Vincent Castalli, two of the
gentlemen who have charge oI inc SfHoDl Sood
and IRIBCNF reporter, visited the Italian quarter
in the SxthWard yesterday and began census Ine
children between the ages OF lNea ana fourteen years
The souahd wretchedneSs in which these people
live and thrive is almost past behef: lhey are
crowded together, men, women ana chlIuItn my my
sordneS in a box and in numbers OF cases nave not
The remOtest idea of personal cleanliness Imey
live sleep, eat and cook in the same room. Inc
stencil which pcrmcates every nook and Granny OF
the miserable quarters is nauSeating, ana IL was
by the free use of tobacco only that the census
takers were able 10 attend to thelr duties. - lie
children nearly all have a slckly, stunted appear
ance which Is painful TO see. . .
The first house visited was NO. 81 BaXter-Stp d
small tumble-dOwn frame, two-stOIX building, lH9t
looks as though the first pun Ot wlud thaJ slruCh IL
would send 1t TO the ground, yet there are clght
families living IN il. After ascending pan OF
rickety stairs. which sh9ok oilnOusly az GarS
rngty-snelling hall lrom which three doors led INTO
small six-by -eight-fcct rooms. In eacn room nVe9
family of Italians The floors were covered WIZ
large niles of fou-smcng rags iwhlchyoung glis
and women were busy sorting. ID one OF tne ioOius
n family of seven lived. Az the back OF No; 81
there was three-story bilck Dulding "nICn
sheltered eleven more families, nearly all IN the rag
Lu1pess The next place visited was NO ~ baxter
St large hve-story brick building Wnlch ap-
reared TO be inhabited by better class Oh people
Each family had apartments OF two or more
rooms and from the pictures tgeneraHy cheap au'
paudV pTiDtS OF religious CsSracleI anu INC oHd-
nents around the rooms appeared 10 be III more
comfortable circumstances. Each family appeared
IN he blessed with a numerous progeny ana an
that were of a suitable age were said 10 Oe al
A large number of the Italian children attend the
Five Points Mission School, which they call the
"incky school" Mr. Castalii, the Italian inteTpie,
ter said that they give the name lucky sch0ol
10 the Five Points NJ ssiOn on account on the Iact
that they give the children clothes and food. AS
MIR Martinez asked the customary question,
'Have you any children I" of the Italian woman VINO
pTesideS over the fOurth-stOry front OF No "a BaA-
ier-st he was taken aback by the reply: fienY'
Do-a Won want-a some 1" Mr.. Martinez, blushlng,
said no ana proceeded to take the names ana ages
of the children. The principal Industries OF the
Italian women seem TO De the manufacture OF
macaroni for home consumption, washing
cl0fLes and sorting rags. In some Oh
the apartments all three operations were gong ON
AZ once In the rear of No. IL B2XteI-st was iOund
one large brick building. with number OF frame
additions which sheltered sIXty-four families WIN
an aggregate of over go persons. m
The census is taken thoroughly. Ihere are eleV-
en- demonstrators who visit every house, see the
head of every family and get the names. ages ana
nativity of every child between the ages OF nVe ana
fourteen the name and nativity OF their parents,
and the schools that they attend: These lists are
compared with the lists of scholars which is fur,
nisbed the Board of Education by the schools, and
such children as do not attend school are taken IN
hand by the tTuant officers The census for tins
wear has already been taken IN the hVe lower
wards.