Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-07-26
A NIGHTS LODGING,
Pictures of the Shady Side of Life in
London.
A Picture of the Condition of the Poor
in Great Cities.

! houses are few whers such humble tariff
prevails, and even tae humblest crossing
sweeper might turn up his nose at some
I of them. The three penny houses are
not particularly select, and fourpence is
! the more general charge-the lowest, per
! haps, at which the full advantages of
nights lodging can he obtained, includ-
! ing a common room or kitchin, with
fire for cooking and good supply of hot
water.
At sixpenco night we may hope for
superior class of lodging house-in a
general way for single men only-tor the
mixed lodging houses are generally the
worst of their class; and as "for ladies
only" they are few and far between, if
not totally unknown.
There Is still a higher class of common
lodging house, where ntnepence and a
shilling are charged for a nights lodging
with sometimes sixpenny class as Well;
and these are often frequented by class
of regular customers, many OF whom
neither possess nor desire any other
home. But whether the customers be
regular or otherwise, the lodging house
rule is inexorable; no pay, no bed. A
man may have slept in the same house
and in the same bed for 364 nights OF the
year On the 365th, il the requisite coin
is not forthcoming, out he must 60. But
for those possessed of capital enough to
pay in advance, the lodging house is con
siderate enough. Five nights in advance
pays for week" Such is the unwtitten
law of lodging houses all over London.
A friend who has had considerable ex-
perience IN this mode of life informs us
that, according TO his experience of lodg
ing houses there is not much difference
III the beds supplied at the various tariffs.
The extra money goes in comparative or
absolute privacy. For instance, for a
ak penny bed there are from twelve to
twenty inmates in room. Ana as all
the ills that flesh is heir TO find refuge in
o lodging house, including bronchitis,
asthama, racking coughs and other com
plants troublesome not only to the suffer
or but to their companions, and as the
few who are sound sleepers are generally
sonorons snorers, it may be Imagined
that susceptible nature finds IL difficult
TO obtain perfect repose. But for nine
pence the lodger get, perhaps, only a
couple of room mates, and Tor a shilling
he has room for himself.
Most OF those who resort to the com
mon lodging houses are driven thereto
by stress of circumstances. The average
ledger IS man whose worldly possessions
are covered by the hat he wears, which
last is pretty sure to be in a shabby con
dition. The man with good hat keeps
out OF the common lodging house; he
has still position in the world, OF if he
: has lost it, il not without hopes Of re-
covering H. The lodger, as a rule, has
lost everything. He may have had
home, a comfortable home, perhaps q
pleasing wife, and loving children. The
home was broken up; the wife il dead I;
the children in the workhouse-there
they may stay for all of him; his misfor
tunes have deterlorsted him. The parish
officers are looking for him, but it Is not
difficult 10 evade them. In many cases
drink has marked the ruin; but we may
find those who have never given way TO
any excess, and yet have fallen thus low;
nothing Is easier than to fall; TIE chasm
is ever yawning for its victims, and how
few are they who struggle once more to
the surface.
And yet the aspect of the kitchen OF
decent lodging house ia anything but
lugubriOus Here is an interior which
Is undeniably bright and pleasant on
cool winters evening. An enormous
kitchen, at either end of which blazes a
ma ynifcent fire. LOdgers are coming I'M
they have paid their shot, and are sare
of warmth and comfort for another night.
The meal tables are veil scrubbed and
clean, the gas Jets fare cheerily, and men
gather about the 1ireplaces are busy
cooking the provisions they have brought
With them. Potatoes are being boiled,
ssussgos are frying, and chops and steaks
are broiinS on tho long gridiron that
stretches from end 70 end of the fireplace.
That red-faoed man who occupies the
post OF honor on the bench nearest the
re, and who smokes his pipe while he
exchanges airy badinaRe with the people
cooking their victuals, is an old habitue
of the house and was once a surgeon in
the army. The old hands call him "dOc-
tor" and treat him with considerable re-
spect, and he can generally hold his own
with new corners, who are disposed 10
slight his presidential authority. Only
the "parsOn" ventures 90 engage him IN
a serious battle or wOrds--a tall, thin
man, In q long, black coat, who Is frying
sRusages over the FIRE. The parsoni &C
oordlng to general report, has rich wife,
and q fine house some where down in the
country; but be prefers the freedom and
y
license of a lodging house TO the gilded
chains OF home; and it may be said that
whenever ne opens his mouth be brings
tho conversation down 10 still lower
ptb than before.
Still, apart from such accidental pre-
eminence, spirit ~ equality reignsi
.Dd ~ the crowd OF dodgers thickens, in
diyiduAl characteristics are Loot in the
general buatle and movement. There are
lockers all around the kitchen, where the
regular dodgers leave their little table
REQUISITES plste or two, q knife and
fork and, if happy enough to possess one,
a teapot Bot there ID a friendly give
and take among the dodgers generally
the tsks perhaps more freely developed
than the give.
Bot Sunday is, perhaps, the time TO see
the lodging house 10 full swing, "a the
bells srs ringing for church, and we'll
dressed people are throDging the streets
on their way to their various temples
The proportion Who attend church, or