Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-23
NEWY0RKSQUATTERS
A Cosmopolitan Population That
Lives Where it PleaSeS and
MOVES WHEN 1T GETS READY.
A Vacant Lot Often Covered With Shanties
in a Single Night
THE TRIBULATTONS OF ONE RESIDENT
looRRrsroNpExcE OF THE D1sPATcH.I

him most QdZZlluS Dub lu6St
fruratiye spiders-and yet withal usefu
men who often point the way to fortune anG
iudependence-in time grew tired of the
wary fv, and passed him on to his friends
His friends then endeavored to help him to
choose In vainl For years his family wa:
transported from east side to west side-from
up town to down town-from suburb to city,
the delusive hope that permanent home
would be their lot, or that permanent lot
would be their home. But that home like
the expected letter, or the end of serial
story, never came.
At length one was found. The situation,
design and rare combination-the price-all
met with the house-hunter's approval. A
happy man was he the day he moved in.
The house was on the corner, one side facing
a green space, the other viewing an un-
occupied space of ground now invitingly
green and rural looking. "Just the place
for the children unused Authorization.
Grim Reality soon disproved the illusion.
Being of meditative mind, this now self
satisfied man chose as a place Tor his
musings and communion with nature a
room which had in view this delightful bit
of rusticity. Soon il was proved that his
Judgment and decision was correct, for
others than he agreed upon the unsurpassed
locality he had chosen.
NOT ALONE IN HIS DESIRE.
Ambitions for homes led others to fix
upon an adjacent place for a settlement.
In this age of rapid transit one may
reasonably expect anything, except per-
haps, relief within a hours from an instant
(?) toothaehe remedy. Nothing surprises
one. However, it is difficult to conceive of
a house being built in a single night. Still
more difficult to conceive OF dozen. The
open, verdured spot so refreshing to look at
in the evening, one morning was profaned
by numerous buildings.
A brief interregneum, but prolific of great
results. Each WED with the other in un-
sightliness, and unique and diversified were
the styles of architecture employed. With
what a settled air of possession they smiled
on the householder across the street. With
how great complacency they barricaded his
view, saving, as it were, 1--WE are squat
tiers. Authorities may abolish every form
of nuisance, but when 1t comes to squatters,
there it draws the line" When once a
squatter has made up his mind to squat he
usually squats.
The owner of the ex-vacant lot was sought
in the hope that satisfaction might be OBJ
tained. When asked, "What do you mean
to do about such lawlessness ?' he replied:
Nothing. They are squatters. "Well,
what are squatters that they should be thus
tolerated =? Burn them out; tear down their
shanties; do anything; but efface them from
the earth, or at least so much of the earth as
can be seen from my windows!"
HIS NEW NEIGHBoRs
Satisfaction in this quarter was not to be
gained Submit to such depreciation
Never. He would go to the squatters and
reason with them-deluslve reason The
squatters he found were most offensive
neighbors. A dozen or more children glared
at him with open-mouthed, opposed-to-soap
countenanees Innumerable billy goats
eyed his passage with concentrated venom.
These horny residents looked formidable,
and it lay with them whether or not he
should proceed farther. Their attention
was happily called to bill poster of the
"Seven Sutherland Sisters, which they at
tackled with true goat-like disregard for
their digestion.
Observing this their vis-a-vis neighbor
weuded his way. dragging perspective anni-
hilation in his path. He was little timid
about approaching the front entrance which
was beautifed after the accepted fashion of
squatters' front doors-wlth heterogeneous
mess OF dogs, children and garbage. As no
back entrance could be seen, however, he
directed his footsteps toward the front one.
The electric bell was evidently out of order
so he accosted a small specimen of squatter
girlhood. It was attired in garments so
filthy as to invite the attention the Health
Commissioner, and so seanty as to cause
Anthony Comstock to insist upon the wear
ing of a veil by either it or its spectators.
With subtle tact and masculine suayitv
he conventionally asked:
whats your name?" (Felicitous be-
ginning.)
"Esmeralda Mickey" he was informed.
AN OBVIOUS NCoNGRUITY.
The incongruity of the Esmeralda and
the Mickey was obvious. One might
imagine a squatter disguised as mickey" d"
but . squatter masquerading as an "Esmer-
aida" Never. Awful to contemplate, but
no doubt veracious.
"Esmeralda, where did you move from?"
"From the Boulevard" answered she of
the poetic name.
"Do you expect to stay here long?" This
was asked anticipatingly.
"Yes, until something turns up. We got
fred from the Boulevard" Twas discour-
aging to hear such perverted English from
Esmeraldal
'sFired?" he questioned.
Eyes, they first tried water but we
wouldn't move, then they set fire 10 the
houses and we had to move" (Most judi
cious. A move is always desirable in this
game of checkers called Gfe.)
Here an aggressive, warlike goddess ap-
peared at the oriel window contiguous to
the balcony.
"Is that your parent?" was asked.
"'Parent?' we never paw rent-we squat.
There il was. Truth crushed to earth
will rise again. 1t rose with giant-like
proportions and prophesied the result
Truth in the background, billy goats in the
foreground; fights, brawls and disorder in
the dim perspective. Such was the allot-
ment of the neigbborhood.
COME TO STAY.
Seemingly there was nothing to be done.
The squatter had come and, like the unin-
vited guest, had come to stay This in
Fiction (or more correctly infictions, for
the squatter-like misfortunes never come
singly) had to be borne with.
Investigation further proved that squat
ters compose large element of the New
York inhabitants. They come in the spring.
In the time of poetry, of thoughts of love
and of flies. Unlike these harbingers, they
do not leave in the fall when their mission
is over They stay for five, sometimes for
ten years. There are different degrees of
souatter life. Some squatters choose public
lands, "and to prove the kindness of their
intent, live at the expense of the Govern
ment." Others squat on private property.
For the privilege of thus squatting on these
more exclusive and desirable grounds they
pay 81, So or s. per month for the land rent.
AS thew never know how long they may
be permitted to remain they never remodel
their primitive dwellings. Those erected in
a single night remain the same. The small
Esmeralda grows into the large Esmeralda-
ar Lilfv GOAT berefts the surroundings of