St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-26
A BOWERY LODGING HOUSE.
A Dive Where the Tramps Rest

A BoWERY LODGING HOUSE.
A Dive Where the Tramps Rest
Their Weary Legs at Night.
King Hall in the New York World.
"Where can I get nights lodgings"
| asked Officer No. 1922, the other even
ing On Broadway.
down at the police station" was his
reply.
"Take the first turning OIL The left and
you'll see the lights of the Office"
shambled away, shiyering with cold,
as was endeavoring to play the part of
a tramp. l had clothed myself in all
old pair of trousers, a jacket and shirt,
literally covered with mud, and finished
off my costume with an Old hat. On ar
irving at the station | opened the door
and asked the sergeant in charge for
lodgings, but the only reply l got was
that there was 10 room. So, baked in
my first attempt, Slouched back to
the City Hall park and sat down on one
of the benches among others of my fra
ternity.
Near me was young fellow about
twenty-four years of age, and l opened
conversation with him by remarking
that it was cold. He assented, and |
shortly afterwards asked where he was
going to sleep for the night, and he said
he wasn't sure. He had had his lodg-
ing money-1O cents-but had been fool
enough to spend it, and had not quite
made up his mind as to whether he
should sleep out in the park or take
lodgings at the police station. sug-
gested that it was so damp we should
both go and get lie down for the night,
and Jim by this time having grown
quite friendly, agreed to go with me.
On the way he put me up to many point
ers about how to live as a tramp, and
he also gave me portion of his history.
1t turned out that he was a country
lad from Oswego county and had come
to New York few years back ito
make his fortune" to use his own
words. He was so innocent on his ar
rival that he did not know enough to
ask policeman where he could sleep.
Now he does,sand good deal more be-
sides. He does no work, as he man.
ages to live without labor of any kind,
and at times makes fair amount of
money by working the soft hearts of
charitably disposed fellow creatures.
His favorite story is that his parents
died in the country and he is on his way
to join brother who is at work at
Newark, N. j. He only wants enough
money for bed and bit of something
to eat, as he is going to tramp to-mor-
to eat all day he feels bit weak.
Another good line to go on, according
to Jim, is to have only lately arrived
from England or Ireland, and being I'M
able to get any work he does not know
what to do. While talking we had az
rived at the police station in Mulberry
street, and on applying for lodgings we
were told to go to the back room.
We went out into what was labeled
on the door, ''sitting room," and po-
liceman showed us the way to the back
room and up some steps into the lOdg
ing room. Through the dim light one
could see room about twenty feet by
twelve, with another the same size
opening out of it. Let down from the
wall was board about sixteen feet long
by eight deep. and raised a foot from
the ground. On this board, in every
conceivable attitude of rest. were fif-
teen, the majority of whom were ltal-
ianS, Germans and Irish. Sitting on
the edge was an old man about fifty
five years of age, who at first said he
could not find place to lie down, but
on being told by the doorman to stretch
yourself around among the feet" he
had to acknowle ge that the place was
too much for him, and that he could not
stand it.
The atmosphere was simply terrible,
the stencil overpOWering. and nearly
every ledger in the place was c0ntin-
ually scratching his head, shoulders or
sides. The old man. whoi turned out
was sailor. was allowed to go out, re-
marking, as he did, that he had been
forty-two years at sea, and had had
sleep in, but that place was the worst.
jim wound himself up among the feet,
and taking off his coat for pillow,
which seemed to be the custom, soon
fell asleep.
AS for myself, rested content sitting
on the corner edge of the board, as far
as possible from any part of the re-
pulsive human beings who lay packed
like litter of pups and were still talk
ing, snoring and scratching, Their
talk, on the whole. was very unintereSt-
ing, chiefly consisting of the amount of
DRAWINGS they had got from empty
beer kegs, the amount of money
they had begged, and various
growls in their several languages
against their bedfellows for putting
tLl6lT lGGG Ill IllelE lace VI IdlhiuS OO do
to interrupt their slumbers. One occu-
pant of the room who had the choice po-
sition on the bench, was informed.
was the ''boss bum" and regular Gus
toner of the establishments man of
about fifty years of age, grimy with
dirt, clothed in the filthiest of old
clothes, who week in and week out
lived the same kind of life. Begging
and draining beer kegs during the day,
probably stealing when he had chance,
and sleeping regularly at the same sta
ton. he had been promoted to the proud
position of ''boss bum" His duties
consisted of keeping the deniZens of the
place quiet, aid in the morning setting
them to work cleaning out the place
with hose and brooms before they left
for their days iabors. Rumor said that
the boss had a comfortable little pile
saved up. and no doubt there may be
some truth in the statement. as only
few months ago one of these bummers,
on being arrested as vagrant, pro-
duced a roll of bills to prove that he was
innocent of the charge preferred against
him.
After having been closeted in this
den of filth for about ten minutes the
door was opened and another visitor