Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-17
LIFE ON THE ROOF.
eLOFT IN THE CLEARER AIR OF
GOTHAM'S SKY PARLOR,

to the DwelIers Within-A Yard for
Drying Clothes-SIeeping Place During
the Hot Season.
The baby seemed to be making for the
edge of the roof as fast as very rapid loco
motion on its hands aud knees could carry it
there
''No, no! Come here pet" said the mother
calmly. and the infant halted and then
turned and sat down.
What place for baby that was-on the
roof of a six story tenement house in Baxter
street, the tallest house in the neighborhood,
with view somewhat recalling scene on
the Rhode Island coast, with here and there
a black roof to represent the inky powders,
here and there puff of steam to suggest the
clouds Of spray made by the conflict OF the
waves and rocks, and all around the white
and pale blue expanse Of the upper air.
"Arenit you afJ aid to let your baby play
around hereT' l inquired of the mother, she
and the infant and l being the only ones up
thece, and 1 not only feeling the polite neces-
sity Of saying something, but being really
curious to know how mother could let 3
baby out of her arms in such place.
"Why should I be afraid" she inquired;
on this roof, and no harm came to me OF il"
"Roofs aren't to the poor what they are to
the rich,n she continued, seeing the look of
inquiry in my face, in all probability. Il
was born in this house, and when l was
little wee thing my mother, God rest her
soul, used to bring me here for the fresh air
in fine weather and the cool breeze in the
summer. When I was little girl twas here
that came after school to play at store and
house and with my doll and little playmates.
When got big enough to be allowed to sit
up q little late at night here l still came to
see the lads and young girls at their merri-
ment, dancing and counting and flirting and
singing and entertaining one another. And
do you know it was feather in the cap Of
boy or girl to be here, and is yet for the mat
ter Of that, for you'll never find the way
ward or the wild up here once they have
yielded to the life OF the streets.
LIFE ON THE ROOF.
And when l got to be cash girl, and
later yet, when went really to work to help
my widowed mother, taking place in fac
tory, it was still here that came for most
of my play and good company. All, that
may seem strange or very dull TO you, but
that is the best Of my recollections, for
everything good that ever came to me, out
side Of money and the comforts of the
church, came to me here on this self same
roof.
'"Twas here that learned to dance, to the
music of the accordion that him who is now
my husband could play better than any boy
in the ward. Night after night, in ell the
fine weather, John would come-up here and
play for the girls Of the house.; and our friends
OF the neighborhood, and when there were
boys enough we would dance with them, and
when there were not each girl would take an
other and be partners. It is Just the same
now. Any night, eight months in the year,
you'll find some Of them here, dancing and
sparkling, and the old folks sitting about,
keeping half an eye on the young ones. whom
they pretend not to see at all, though for
that matter, when you have children they are
seldom Of your mind, in sight or out You'd
think, may be, they'd be afraid, dancing on
the edge of the sky ike this. Not bit; I
never gave a thought to the danger, and I
don't suppose they do.
81 wonder if you understand what tene-
ment roof really is. For instance, it's oil the
yard we have, and it's divided up SO that it
rightly belongs to ono floor-thatis two fami-
iies-each day in the week, excepting Sun
day, for them to hang up their wash Well.
some practically never uses it, for the good
reason that all they wash they can hang in
the open windows Of the kitchen. Some use
it only about once month, and some hang
the whole air full Of linen each week. BUTT
belongs to different floor every different
day, and no one would think of using it for
clothes on any day but their own without
asking permission. Each family puts up and
takes away their own clotheslines each day,
and, mind you, even then the SCOT Of the city's
smoke gathers on them that fast that they
must be wiped before clothes are hung on
them .-T seet.