Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-12-28
TEN CENTS A NIGHT.
Interesting Plan on Which a Cheap
Lodging House - Kun.

Interesting Plan on which a Cheap
Lodging House - Kun.
'.Now. will show you the dime mu-
scum" said the proprietor Of the cheap
lodging house. facetiously. rs he led
the way to room ct tho very top OF
the house. Its ceiling sloped to with
in few feet of the floor. There wero
one ingle and four double beds in it.
and on the former an old man was
sitting reading. Sometimes when
there's rush. We put them in three
in bed," said the proprietor. "You
can't expect much for ten cents. you
know. Some of 'em call it the lunatic
asylum. I'll tell you why when VIC go
down stairs" There were no sheets
on the ten-ccnt beds. and the air in the
room had apparently rcmsiued un.
changed AS long as had the quilts and
blankets. The reporter was quite will
ing TO go down stairs.
You noticed that old gentleman
sitting on the bed. didn't you?" asked
the proprietor. 'He makes up the
beds Tor mo and gets single bed for
| ~.
lunatic; that's why we call it lu-
matte asylum. He thinks the room is
full of witches. and every night he
gets up and Shoes 'em out of the room.
He shakes his bed up first to get EN-
out of that, and then waves his pillow
at 'em to drive 'em out of the win
dow"
doesn't this tend to disturb the
other lodgers? the visitor asked.
well. you sec. they're used 20 IT. F"
said the proprietor. Though l guess it
does rather rattle IA transient when the
ole man gets on the warpath.
Then there's another old fellow
named Philip. He sells cough drops
all day. that are warranted to cure
coughs, colds or bronchitis. What
with standing out in the rain and not
having change of clothes. he's got SO
bad cough himself that he can I
talk above whisper. l asked him
why he didn't take some of his cough
drops. but he only winked and said hot
tea was good enough for him. lie had
new pair of shoes stolen one night
through oversleeping aud not getting
awake 10 claim en-, and since then
he's invented n scheme worth money
to know. Just before he gets into bed
each night he puts two legs of the bed
slead into the shoes, and if anybody
moves 'em they've got 20 lift the bed
and wake him while they're doing it.
Then there's another chap tina:
mends clocks He goes around from
door TO door asking people if they
haven got any clocks they want
mended. He charges 25 cents for fix
ing 'em, but he tells me he doesn',
know any more about fixing n clock
than do. and all he wants is to keep
EN- going ill he gets out of the house.
There's another fellow comes here
who goes from store TO store collect
ing waste paper and wrappings. he
makes about 30 cents a day. Another
boarder gathers in gum shoes and sells
EN- for 81 cents a pound.
Then there's another regular
, boarder who makes living by beg.
ging for clothes. His Law is to say tha,
he just out of the hospital that he:
too weak TO work yet. and wants some
|, old clothes for his wife and children
He's n fair-spoken fellow. aud womer
give him old clothes and bonnets fol
his wife. He sells them ut the second
hand stores and makes about 81
day. The four of 'em, being regula,
boarders. are allowed to cook theiI
breakfast OH my stove. They club to
gether and get two rye loaves one da,
old for half price. that's ) cents;
cents worth of coffee and half
pound of sugar is Q cents. and n flitcl
of bacon is 6; that makes 20 cents al
together. They put little flour il
F.; the grease from the fitch and make
gravy. So the four of EN- breakfas
: for 5 cents apiece. '-PttsJurg Dis
patch.