The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-06-20
"WAYFARERS' LODGE"
FOOD AND LODGING FOR TRAMPs
WHO WILL WORK.
Plan to Relieve the Police Stations and
to Make Begging Improbable and
Unnecessary-The Mode
OF Operation.
lCor. Chicago Times. ]

l~OE- NAAlCaBO 4Au4SSI
The Boston "Wayfarers lodge" was
established in 1873. Its purpose was to
relieve the police stations of the crowd Of
tramps which nightly thronged them, and
at the same time to compel those tramps
to make some return for food and shelter.
1t has grown into provision for the en-
tire class we are considering. Any man
or well-grown boy can obtain good food
and lodging and return an equivalent In
honest labor. It ought to do away with
all street begging by this class. If these
who listen to the plea Of nothing to eat
and nowhere to sleep" would all cooper
ate to support the "Wayfarers' lodge,
and turn their charity in the direction Of
securing its use by this class, they would
soon make begging unnecessary and IN
profitable, ana for the tramps proper 1t
furnishes double test. The necessity of
applying to the police stations for c,rds Of
admission keeps away known criminals
and Migrants, while the obligation to give
full value in work for what is received
weeds out the lazy. Those who will not
work either leave the city or are sent to
the work house for six months as Migrants.
Its mode Of operation is described as fol-
lows:
"a homeless man or large boy applying
to the police or to individuals for food or
lodging is sent to the nearest station.
where he received ticket of admission to
the lodge. The object of this is to keep
the tramps under some police surveillance,
and to weed out known criminals. This
ticket the homeless one presents to the
lodge between the hours of and 10 p. m.
If he Is hungry he is given supper OF
bread and tea Then he Is taken to the
basement, and made to strip to the skin
His clothes are tied in bundle, to which
brass tag is attached, and correspond
ing tag is fastened about his neck. He
g. - ~ H,soh
there are some two-score tubs, with plenty
Of soap and hot water, where under strict
| supervision, he washes himself thor
| oughly clean He is then given a night
shirt, and sent upstairs to bed. The beds
are cots, with pair of gray blankets and
q cotton spread for each. The dormitories,
each containing fifty cots, are heated by
steam, and so well ventilated that they have
not the slightest dormintory or institu-
tional odor about them.
After all the dodgers of the night are
! in bed the bundles of clothing are placed
| In q substantial iron steam chest, and
twenty pounds of superheated steam
turned on them for some hours Thus
they are not only thoroughly cleansed,
but all insect life and every disease germ
are e1ectually destroyed. While the
steaming process is going on, the undress-
ing room, which has a brick floor, is
] thoroughly washed out with a hose and
hot water. After the steaming the clothes
are hung on numbered hooks, heat is
! turned on the steam-pipes, and every
] thing thoroughly dried. In the morning
the ledger comes downstairs to clean,
dry clothes, however poor they may be.
| A simple but substantial breakfast is
given him, and he Is sent into the yard to
| pay for what he has received by saving
one eighth of a cord of wood, which
usually takes him about two hours. When
IL - \ II Ia 70 rhoro
/ he likes. If he wishes a dinner he must
come back at / o'clock and work an hour
for it. In the same way, If he wishes
| supper he must earn it before he eats it.
/ The meals are plain but sufficient For
breakfast fresh beef hashed, with thick
gravy, potatoes, and bareback; for dinner.
| a vegetable soup with plenty of beef and
soft bread and tea Everything is of the
| best quality, and is eaten standing at q
high table, like the lunch counter of 9
railroad station
"If tramp presents himself too con
tinuously he is warned to take care OF
himself, and if he does not heed the warn
ing he is sent to the city workhouse fol
six months as vagrant In addition to
the employment of these dodgers the
woodward furnishes work to quite q
number of men who are unable to obtain
other employment, paying them so cents
| a day in addition to meals and lodgings
These are more reliable class; some are
given little oversight about the yard
others are sent out to store the wood
when delivered to customers. Some
s., 300 was paid this class of labor during
the last year. Able bodied men applying
to the overseer of the poor for coal OF
groceries are also sent to the woodward tC
work for their orders at the rate of 81 q
day. The principle of the institution is
i - - Il
those who are able work for what they
receive