Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-11

Where 1mpecuniOus Wenderers Get a
supper, Bath and Bed.


| supper, Bath and Bed.
SCENES m THE ''oFFrCH'-THR GREEN BAIxE TABLE
AND IT'S MISUNDERSTANDING THE POT BOILING
| CURIOUS CHARACTERS WHO APPLY FOR LopuINGs
| &C.
This has been hard week on tramps. II has
been hard on all the homeless. The deep snow
anu shafp WINDS that made folks draw closer to
tnelr nreS, have driven many wanderers into the
| hiSh' lodglng house for shelter. Some nights
there are twenty; some nights there are fifty.
Ine night lodging house Is dingy old building
south OF the Avenue on 18th street, near the sta
ZION mouse 1t was established through the efforts
OF charitable citizens 1t is intended exclusively
TOT translents without credit. 1t is kept open in
winter only. 1t ceases to be a necessity when the
weather Is wnrm. Travellers weary foot sore and
destitute are taken in, given bath, supper and a
| warm bed. But for three nights only can they
STOP except In rare cases where they get a letter
rom director, which entities them to stay two
soup: the beds are Comfortable; the bath aiIll
Is compulsory. The doors are open at 5
enl0ck who IN the evenings and closed at
have not been there too often, and are not in
1ect e or .infested." Before going to bed they
cotton ntght-shirts ard their clothes are locked
up: They, too. are locked up until morning when
they ty are given an the eoee they can drink before
women alike are among the guests, and they are
" an manners and OF all ages from little boy OF
loar years might before 1ast) to an Old man of
seventy. 1t Is
THE TRAMPs HOTEL.
! Fhe man behind the register has no diamonds
In his shirt front. There is no porter to carry
baggage, ana there is no safe for valuables. None
of the guests ever have either. The register is
more complete than OF most hotels The guests
are admitted by young man who looks like the
very prince OF tramps-who had been born of a
long ancestry OF tramps, but was too delicate for
| SlamOieS nd hpn
leads his loose jonted way across the bare hall to
the OFFICE, announcing the arrival in voice that
cripple, sits behind the register in the s'ol1ice y
He is the superintendent. In the coffee" are three
with green top, marked off with semi.
| circle OF red and white squares and num-
Sometimes dodgers look at this table with
start, as II they might have seen it before,
ana wondered how Is got there before them. The
numbers have no usefulness now: The table must
nave had some other use In former days and per-
haps the numbers were then significant.
| The half-starved and miserable creature petit
| It IN meslnetie form, and mutters something
about Its having brought him there. Strange
fatality! The table is the wreck of some gambling
mouse. so probably IS the tramp. Both are badly
battered, and both look as ii they had seen better
days. They must have come down hill together
The victim and the vice.
THE GREEN TOP TABLK.
The ledger that night, after his supper of soup,
may dream OF the table as he saw it in more
familiar days. The figures in red and white paint
may be bright and new in his dream, and the table
may be surrounded by glare and gold. The figures
LOOK like gold, but turn to fire. As he reaches out
toit the table slides away from hiIn, leading him,
St1ll pursuing, through dark and rugged ways, and
DTlny nun up With short turn at The door OF the
night lodging house. The snagS by the way have
torn his clothes and the dust OF the road Is on his
ne1 But tho t,n. now univ ssrvss .. oss ,or tn4
clerk OF the tramps hotel There is no desire u
give unpleasant reminders and bring Nightmares
to the guests For the most part does not attract
their notice. A big. red-faced man came In while
STAR reporter was sitting in the ofle.
This is your second?" said the superintendent,
| inqufringly.
''Yes," replied the tramp.
We'll you have but one more night. Three is
! all you are allowed"
| his name in the book.
"Where Is your hcme?" asked the superinten.
dent, as he dipped his pen in the ink and prepared
The man looked him in the face very Gelfber-
atey ior Il moment, and then replied cOoly that
"Wnere did you come from here?" persisted the
s', Isnr}"11, /
"Nhere are you bound fore"
"N0rfOik, guess"
Then he gave his age az sixty and went out with
an attendant to get his broth, his bath and his
KEEPING THE POT BOILING.
Then the superintendent took the reporter into
Che kitchen to show him the big pot OF soup that
is always kept boiling. $40 hotel in the city has
any better" he said, as he dipped up spoonful of
! barley, meat and vegetables. ave have tip-top
and guess we'll keep him."
Upstairs there Was smashing OF water, and
phantoms in long white robes were Hitting through
the laliS. Asthe reporter mounted the stairs they
stepped back into the darkness .Corne on. Don't
be bashful, v cried the superintendent.
ave amt bashful at all" said one OF the night
roocd ngures as he dashed out into the gas light
| with assumed Indifference.
l lead md I,t Of Z , ha dod
unusT ms breath, as he made dive for his bed.
| The beds are cots with comfortable coverings,
room to pass between them. The travellers gem
orally tumble In In hurry, and are not given to
sociahiiity in the night. They come long way
They are al strangers, and have all seen better
| days said the superintendent. ''rhey come
Nom, oil h pa haa Oh Inc we had man last
ami there is man here tonight from Dakota.
Most OF them are just on the move, and they have
three days expired yesterday morning, started
! after breakfast to walk to Norfolk, where he
wanted to make his next stop: Yes, some OF them
| cranks. Some have been tourists for long time
and are used to it. Others are overcome To.
| night q man rested his head On the table and
| SODDeo. don't like hear mau cry"
| HOW FAMILY WAS MADE HAPPY
"By the way" he added, ':yOu know that family
| of Charleston sufferers, who were here-the shoe
maker with his wife and children. Well, he is
watchman In the Treasury now at salary OF 400
per inOnth. lie has little house near the DEPART
Ment an took dinner with him the other sun
day. III tell you how it happened. They could
their way into anything but the workhouse was
! sorry for theIn-mighty sorry for the little one
amt no scholar and don't know these Officials
with influence but sat down and wrote q letter
! to Secretary thompson. did not know him, but
| Wrote-I was not asking anything for myself, so
could DO It. AS said, amt no scholar, but
| think the sight OF these little ones, made me
| eloquent. told the secretary had they had fed
on the same train with him from that Inflated
| city. pictured the mother and little children
I huddied in the night lodging house, expecting to
| go I'd the poor house next day. No sir. I amt
much for writing but there was real feeling in
that letter. The father thought it was no use but
! he took the letter and went to the department.
! Secretary Thompson was locked in his room and
could not be SEEM but the messenger took the
letter In. 1t wasn't more than three minutes after
| he got the letter before the secretary had the
shoemaker brought before him, and in less than
half hour he was appointed to d laborers place
| back and told about it," 'WeIl he was promoted
! III less than month and they are all happy now"
| Miss WO0df0rd's First Accident.
| From the Spirit Of the Times
During the fall before Miss WOOdfOrd was year
old she got her hind leg caught between the
| boards and it was q wonder her leg was not
! broken before they got 1t loose. Col. Clay wrote
Dwyer Brothers asking them to price Hindoo, and
they answered by saying they had given Mr.
Young the refusal OF him for certain time and II
at the end of that time he had not decided to take
| him they would price him. Shortly afterward the
| colonel received communication from the
| I),yvprS Offering AfndnO ms