Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-04-25
IN THE BOWERY.
A PENNIlEss MAN IN 4 CHEAP LooG-
 ING-HOUSE.
Something a Little Better Than Carry ing the Banner" - Thirty LOdgers Allowed to Each Floor
 Gray-E arded Unfortunate.
New York Mail and Express. !


 Hello, Tom. what are you standing there for? You look as if you had struck bad luck Come and take q drink
 How natural it seems for men to proffel a fellow in distress that which will do him more harm than good However, l was in no mood for moraliZing and accepted In the glow of a neighboring bar my friend inquired how the world was using me. and was surprised to learn that l an ticipated carrying the banner for the night To the uninitiated l will explain that carrying the banner" among indi gent printers and newspaper men gener. ally. signifies being obliged to walk the streets all night
 Well, you shan't carry the banner to- night if can prevent it, said my good, natured friend Come with me to my hotel in the Bowery and III see what can do.
 had natural antipathy to the Bowery as place of residence. l associated 1t with glaring lights. clattering horse cars, brawling roysterers and all that is for. eien to the conception of home. But 1 was homeless. and unprepared to make conditions On We went up to the Powery, its objectionable features forcing themselves upon me more than ever be- fore Finally we halted before a four story brick building. over the door of which was a large lamp inscribed with the name of the hotel. and the further information that lodgings were only 70 and 2J cents per night, UT Sl.2O and sl- 5O Ter week
 Cn opening the door at the head of the sta T., We were confronted by a stern, keel face at the window Oi an Oihce about x& Its pOSsessOr was he sentinel who stood guard over the Inte. eSts of the house at night. and it must have been an insinUatiug individual iudeel who could IaSs him without the necessary coin.
 follow ,d my friend into what was called by lurtesy the sitting-rOOm. Seat ing myself in the -JOyial ring, l began Co look about me On my right was seated man of fine physique. clad in garments that spoke of other and better days. lis handsome, intellectual face was fr.ngcd by heavy beard spIinklCi with gray, while his broad forehead, bright eyes and well poised head told me tLst hc was the pOssessOr of attributes which. properly directed, would certainly nave placed him beyond a Bowcy lodging house During general conversation happened to quote from poet not widely read
 Beg pardon, said he of the gray beard, but you have misJ uOted that line, and tO my amaZement he proceeded 10 recite the entire poem tO which the line belonged
 From further acquaintance with this man l learned that he Was graduated with hOnOrs from Trinity college. Dublin. also discovered that he had been a scout and guide on the plains, had kept a grocery in San Francisco, had been rail- road surveyor; had charge of an oleomar- garine factory in New ! ork, had travelled for several commercial houses, and been engaged in various other enterprises. only to fan in each. Lack of application and directness Of purpose had been bis faith full NemisiS Yet he was capital fel- low.
 Midnight sounded and the clerk. emerg- ing from his crib. quietly turned of the gas unceremoniously, enveloping the guests in darkness.
 Come, get to bed. he commanded; skip; it's orders from the boss
 All but two or three moved. Those who remained, l afterwards learned, were ban ner- carriers who availed themselves nightly the privilege of passing the first half of the night in congenial company by a good fire
 My apartment" was next the one occu- pied by my friend, on the second floor. It was not capaciOus and was boarded about six feet high all round, leaving a space between the partition and the cell ing. At the head of the stairs was a notice by the board of health, that only thirty lOdgers shou d be allowed on each floor, and tha. this order must be obey ed or the license would be revoked.
 My bed was a cot just wide enough for 0 very quiet man 10 sleep in without roll ing out. The mattress was as unyieldIng as a landlord on rent day, and the cover ings were a narrow sheet with an uncon- querable penchant for becoming a neck tie during the night. and an army blanket that had somehow escaped duty to CnC.e sam. Amid these Oriental surroundings l turned in
 At the first glimpse of daylight over my partition 1 arose and went down-sta to ind respite for my thoughts. In the sun day papers The first tO salute me -7ere the thr worthies who had carried the banner. They looked none the worst for their outing. and talked jOvially of their experiences during the night One met a
 
 lodging, and together they made merry over jcent hot whiskies. Another walked to Central park and attended first mass in church on sixth avenue. It had been move on ali night. every policeman begrudging him his stolen nap in a friendly doorway-
 Toward S o'clock ;le ragged, iOviai ring" began Co form about the stove again. They all evinccd a lively desire for information ani the morning pIUtTs were in demand Reading aloud brOu lt out much lively discussion of popular topics handled with an intelligence that would have done credit Co happier sur roundincs. These UnlOT- -unatcs. denied the comfort O. even nOIlishinc ECaI, forgot all their troubles iu the mental 'sn- quet that a free pres Lad provided LOT them.
 When my friend. who by the way, is something Of % Mark Tapley. appeared. l loped that the same ,uIrit that had prompted him 10 obtain me a nights s lodging would move him in the way of breakfast l was nOt disappointed \ short Ss,aEce from the hotel we descended 9 short flight of stairs intOa basement, on each side of which were varieCtied placards annOunc- ing several -luxurics of the season. 7 There was ~a cup of sple-did coffee and a roll. ! cents Mutton chops, $ cents; V ~2 fried eggs. , cents. etc. We sat down to a meal within the limit of his capital Thus refreshed. and it being Sunday, | spent most of the day in Cooper institute. reading. Late in the afternoon returned 10 the lodging house and found several ot the lodgers who had funds industriOusly engaged in getting themselves and their less fortunate associates drunk. With drunken arguments and ribald songs the afternoon wore into evening.
 About 9 o'clock there came a Hull. The roysterers had gone out 10 replenish their inspiration.