The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-07
LIFE AMONG THE CITY'S POOR
How Their Ways Of Getting PrecariOus
Living Are Adjusted to the Seasons.
Spending the Summer in Shanties on the
City's Outskirts and Huddied TOgetherin
the Carrots of Blocks in the Winter.

The garrets of the business blocks OF the city
are full of suffering humanity. Directed by q
policeman, a Journal reporter climbed four
flights of break-neck stairs and stood face to face
with some of the garnet poverty. There were
several families occupying the upper floor of the
building, and the condition of each indicated
abject poverty. The family occupied
one room, not larger than I2xl&
feet In it lived the husband, wife
and three children. There was little furniture
"a small table, on which sat dingy looking
lamp. three chairs, a bed on which was G thin
straw mattress and couple of ragged quilts,
small cook-stove, wash tub and an eating table
constituted all The room reeked with unpleas-
ant odors, and the occupants had generally
unwholesome appearance. When the reporter
made inquiry for the "man-of the house the
woman responded that he could probably be
found in a saloon down the street.
what does he DO for livingls was asked.
'Oh, nothin' in particular. He gets job OF
sweeping out and cleanin' up saloons sometimes,
and makes o dollar or two week that way
But you do not live on that amounts"
"Oh, no; the money he makes does not 60 to
supporting me and the children. He buys his
drinks with it when he can't beg them from tho
fellows around the saloons. What little we
have to eat and wear make by washing, and
when can get plenty to do we get along very
WELL
How long have you been living in this man
merit"
Five or six years, / suppose. When was
first married to my husband he was a steady
worker We lived WE'LL in little house out in
the southwest portion of the city; but he went
to drinking, and when saw had the living to
make moved up in the heart of the city, whera
l could something to do"
During the winter nearly all the upper stories
of the large blocks are crowed with this class Of
people. In the spring they occupy small houses
In the outskirts of the city, but when cold
weather approaches the majority of them flock
to the garrets of the business blocks where they
can live with less fuel and more comfort With
in couple of years this class has drifssd to the
the southwestern portion of the city during the
summer season. During the past summer
many families lived in small huts erected on the
banks of White river. Their rent cost them
nothing, and by hunting and fishing down the
stream they managed TO live comfortably.
When a reporter went down into their neighbor-
hood he found all but few of the shanties de-
serted, and those families remaining stated that
in few more days they would be back in the
heart of the city. Strange as it may
seem, there are not as many col
ored people in destitute crcums tances as
white. However, there are good many OF
them, and they are found in the neighborhood
along the canal and along White river, above
the old bridge Unlike their white brethren
they seldom change their summer quarters for
an abode up in town. and, as a consequence. there
is really more suffering among them than among
the whites They exhibit brotherly spirit that
is very commendable, and those who are in des-
titute circumstances are looked after by those
who are so situated that they can FENDER them .
assistance.
Deputy Township Trustee King. who looks
after the interests of the poor, states that he
thinks they are in better condition now than at
the beginning OF any winter for some time. The
fall has been late and remarkably pleasant one,
and many of the families have been able to pro-
vide much better than usual for the winter The
present month abont one hundred families have
had to be provided for, and $500 tons of coal
have been distributed Said Mr. King s'The
poor are a very interesting study, because there
so many different classes of people repre-
sented We have to use great amount of eau
ton about lending aid. Those we help are
mostly widows with children, who are unable to
work, and over this class we keep a very close
watch There IS a class of impoStors that we
have to be on the lookout for know families
for whom the relief societies rented houses,
bought furniture. and in every way provided
them with comfortable home. The next week
one of those families got on general drunk, and
every article of furniture was sold and the money
poor, and we do not help them. They come to
our Office every day, but we tell them we can do
nothing bat send them to the poor-house, and as
life there is entirely too slow for their sensual
natures, they leave without further inquiry.
There are some sad cases that come under our
notice. To-day l was out to see woman on
North West street, who had applied for
aid. She had two small children,
and was really suffering for some
thing to eat. Her home is in st. Louis. She
had small property there, and was making q
comfortable living when she met man with
whom she became infatuated, and married him.
He induced her to sell her property and let him
have the money, with the understanding that he
could invest it advantageously in this
city. She came here with him;
room was rented on North
West street He epent couple of weeks pre-
tending to be arranging for business, and ona
morning went off and has not been heard from
since. She came to see yesterday and asked
that assistance of some kind be rendered
offered to furnish her ticket to return to ST.
Louis, but this she declined, saying she would
commit suicide before she would return homo
and face her relatives and friends. What we
will do with her do not yet know
s'We are also bothered good deal with young
girls. who come here almost every day from
other towns and cities to hide their shame They
ask to be taken to the Home of the Friendess or
the poor house, but their requests cannot
grant, because non-residents cannot be admit
ted. The consequence is, the majority of them
seek homes in the garrets and in the novels Of
the poor. We often learn that very many OF
them have highly respectable parents. but when
ever we make an effort to send them to their
homes they declare they will starve in their
unhappy abodes rather than return to those who
once knew them"
-DB-----
A Dogs Sense and Devotion.