The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-04-16
RARE PEARL ALLEY"
How Fts Children Enjoyed Them
selves Playing wake"

1t is called Pearl alley. though no
sign-board spells the name to question
ing strangers. and the residents OF the
thoroughfare are not Of . sort to NOR
alize upon the origin OF name or the
appropriateness Of its character.
Pearl alley it is to them a. a means Of
designation. and when you see it you
will say as well Pearl alley a. any
thing else. for no name, however de-
scriptivc Of all that is filthy. miserable
and poor. can adequately express its
dirt. squalor and poverty.
II runs out Of Washington street
when Washington street gets down be-
low Rector, and utterly loses its re-
spectability in its efforts to stand up
against the stencil Of the soap facto-
ries. At the point where the last YES
tigr Of responsibility disappears and
the strength Of the stencil has reached
its climax there Pearl alley begins. and.
to preserve alike the ebb Of decency
and the flood OF smell. it runs verti-
cally through one short block and ends
abruptly against neighboring street
that might offer slight gain Of the one
and loss OF the other.
The alley has al least one thing in
common with the precious jewels whose
name it wears. Like them. Il Is rare.
Even among the slums Of . great city
like New York there are not many fes-
ter spots so rank and poisonous as its
short length affords. The few wretched
tenements that outline its narrow way
are for the most part deserted sheds,
with three or four tall. crazy build
ings. whose dark halls and rickcty
stairs rcsound with the sluggish steps
and british noise OF the tenants OF its
foul and crowded rooms. The sun
never shines in Pearl alley. The houses
lean over so close that the little stretch
OF street between them becomes black
thread TO old Sol in the heavens and
quite out Of reach OF his superb focus in
the momcntary pause he makes direct
" overhead.
A good many things never happen in
Pearl alley. There is never any begin
ning or end to the day there. No
thrifty mechanic or honest artisan ever
leaves in the early morning with his
dinner pail on his arm. and his cheer
iul content at the prospect Of winning
bread for the children clustering in the
doorway behind him. nor comes trudg-
ing home At night hungry and ready
Tor the rest which follows faithful toll.
And through the daylight hours there
y no sound Of woman's tidy care OF
nome, no washing and scrubbing, %
brewing and baking. no cheerful neigh
Dor gossip-no token that in many
other poor and crowded quarters Of the
city betrays that social life, albeit Of
me lowest stratum. Ia still extant.
huckstcrs do not CRY their wares there,
organ grinders pass II scornfillly by
even starved dog skulks swiftly. as II
Tor him
But Pearl alley has its citizens and
~ happenings. A race Of beings siftcd
.nrough the various stages Of misery
ana degradation which make up the
nses Of the city's outcast fall It last be-
sond further sorting into Pearl alley.
thieves, rogues and dissolute women,
wnose orgies and debauches have finally
united them for even their miserable
vaiI'ngs, come nc last to Pearl alley 70
vine together In british. besotted
Misery. They live on crusts and bones
rom the garbage pail; they are clothed
y rags from the ash heaps. and their
sole aim and object Of existence Is 20
s'cal Or beg the few pennies necessary
sor the pot Of beer or dram Of whisky
uom the shabby saloon on the corner.
And Pearl alley has another class Of
ss,'ix .ns smaller. thank God. but in
+, rhnl'cly more unfortunate than even
~ wrecks just described. Il has,
s'as, is children! These are creatures
mall IN stature and few in years, who
.Iawi about over the Shiny stones and
trough the damp cellars Of Pearl al
. VINO have in them . touch of the
s~ry q childhood which the iron
Eight q their dreadful existence has
sot been able to crush out Hungry.
. sary and cold; dirty. ragged and
s ,Dre; kicked, beaten and sworn a.;
v "nn wicked and dcpravcd be-
i"nd bclief-thcy are children still! |
~oo VIII see = poarl s11ox 49,, s..~r..~ !.