Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-11
LIFE ON THE ROOF.
ALOFT IN THE CLEARER AIR OF
COTHAM'S SKY PARLOR.


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 and 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 a place for a baby that was-on the
roof of 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 a puff Of steam 10 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.
"Arent you afraid to let your baby play
around herci" inquired OF the mother, she
and the infant and being the only ones up
there, and not only feeling the polite nesaes-
sity of saying something, but being really
curious TO know how mother could let q
baby out Of her arms In such place.
"Why should | be afraidf she inquired;
II was rs good as born and brought up here
on this roof, and no harm came 70 me OF 1t"
"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. II
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 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 little late at night here ! still came, to
zee 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 q
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 tho life Of the streets.
LIFE ON THE ROOF
And when / got to DO cash girl, and
later yet, when went really to work to help
my widowed mother, taking place in a 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 tn,
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 all the
fire weather, John would come up hero and
play for the girls of the house. and our friends
OF tho neighborhood, and when there were
boys enough we would dance with them, and
when there were not each girl would take an
other and DO partners. 1t 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 SEQ at all, though for
that mdtter, 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 like this. Not bit; l
never gave thought to the danger, and |
don't suppose they do.
~ wonder il you understand what tene-
ment roof really is. For instance, it's all the
yard we have, and it's divided up so that it
rightly belongs to one floor--thats two fami-
lies--each day i'll 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 tho kitchen. Some use
1t only about once n month, and some hang
the whole air full of linen each week. But 1t
belongs to different floor every different
day, and no ono 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 tho SCOT of the city's
smoke gathers on them that fast that they
must be wiped before clothes are hung on
them.
POT PLANTS IN BOXES.
"Then, again, do you SEQ those boxes of
earth around tbs edge younderl They also
belong to the different tenants, and in the
summer ono vies with the other to SEQ who'll
keep theirs the greenest. Some never have
any luck in growing things, and the best of
the boxes don't amount to much, owing to
the heat OK tho sun above and ths tin below
drying up tho little earth there is in them,
but 1t is pretty much all that many n tene-
ment child sees of tho country the first few
years, was - years old before ever saw
moro than the City Hall park and the Bat
terry park, and then, when l won't up into
Westchester county to my uncle, who has a
farm, had enough to do to tell all these who
wanted TO know what the country was really
like.
"Thel here's where many of the men in
the tenement sleep all through the hot
weather. Yes, it is the biggest and the best
bedroom we have when the sweltering heat
comes, and the women would DO glad TO make
use of it for the same purpose if it was con-
sidered right for them to do so. On such
NJ rs tho windows are thrown open back