The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-20

little understood Paul Pry in the doorway.
81 don't believe Gustav Schmidt lives
here at all" returned the reporter, which
statement caused the official to indulge IN
an audible exclamation, obviously due to he
fact that Harry johnson, Arthur OConnOr
and Gustav Schmidt had been only an IN
slant previously evolved from the oftieiaPs
fertile brain.
1t was almost as good as a fake interview
with Evans and SOutag.
The landlord Of the place emerged from
q little box at the head of the stairway.
There was lantern dlmly burning ID the
interior of the box, the walls OF which were
covered v itb nude and semi-nude cigarette
pictures the variety actress predOminating.
The subject Of Illuminating gas. electricity
and coal oil has evidently been eccnOmi-
callF studied at the Melbourne House. The
reporter and the ofHei2i CROPPED their way
along dar'- passages reeking with the odor
OF DeFsplnng humanity ana stale Dlankets.
Before he had been n the place I've min
utes the reporter caught two tieas at the
back of his neck, one in his left shlrtseeve,
while others were making sort OF Jacobs
ladder of the interior Of his stockings.
Room II. bed 3, was found. but no Harry
johnson was there. As a matter OF TACT
most of the beds were unoccupled. Inc
suffers evidently preferred the streets 10
the feas. 1t was better for them to bear the
ills they had than fly 10 those they knew
not of. as
'sW here is Henry JohnsOn? asked the
official with weli-simulated sternEess.
Don't know" said the landlord. II can't
tell the names of all people here. Why
there's l42 beds in the house, and L expect
most of the men have aliases (eVluenuy
meaning ALIASES
1t was evidently so with Harry Johnson,
The general impression Of the landlord and
three or four hard-looking citizens VINO loaied
at the door was that 1t was all right, out
Harry went by some other name.
Arthur 0'Connnr, room Is BID 3. was
next asked for. The name was product
of the officials brain. but when the ped was
reached and no one was found IN 1t there
was a ready explanation from one Oh the
hard-teatured citizens:
'Oh. that's Sullivan. l suppose it's all
right?" said the landlord.
Eyes, that's him." said the hard men al
most ia a chorus.
'.Short man with red hair" said the off,
cial with wink at the reporter.
THAT'S him." said the three men de-
lightedly: that's Sullivan; that's OCon-
$50 his names O'Connor, is itP" said the
landlord quietly. well. it's another of
these aliases He's al right. He sleeps
there That's his bed"
Gustav Schmidt was sought in room IL,
bed 4. The bed was empty, but after the
officials had described the fictitious German
every one present at once agreed that 1t
was an accurate description Of the very man
that slept in that bed.
Other names were imagined and inquired
for and the landlord began to get bit
mixed up. a light was struck In one OF the
rooms, and the reporter having first secured
another Iambunctious Tea at the PACK OIL
his neck, asked how many people slept
there.
There's twelve beds In here" said one
OF the men, but just then the landlord SterDly
interposed that he was not going to give
numbers, but was only prepared to obey
the strict letter of the law as 10 names.
''The twelve men must have pretty
close, hot time Of it, said the reporter to
the official as they went out into the CON-
paratively fresh air of the alley.
There are beds in some OF the alleys, / m
told" said the official gravely, "and, as Tor
these beds in the room, it's no secret that
two men often sleep in one bunk.
The landlord here admitted that it took
him about half the day to get the sleepers
out Evidently they are having good time
at somebody's expense. They eat, drink
and are merry all night, and get up at a
later hour than a millionaire can AFFORD
to do.
A very peculiar and suspicious crcum-
stance about the place was that the partl-
tions and beds looked decidedly new. In
fact, they looked as II a large and liberal
order had been given for sleeping accom-
mediation on a contract basis. In one of the
rooms visited the partitions were quite new.
while the plaster had dropped of the walls
in great chunks two feet square. The land
lords attention was called TO this.
"Oh, that was the earthquake" he said
with a siekly smile.
BE did not explain how the earthquake
had put up new set of wooden partitions
and new mattresses all over the house.
Once more the official touched on the dell
cate question of registration by beds, and
intmated that he had just about twenty
men who had described their location In
exactly as 10 room and beds.
Il can't help that" said the landlord
grnfly. eve have to SHIFT them about all
the time. How am / to tell?"
''But We shall have to locate them some
how on the affidavits," said the official.
Here the landlord gave up the whole thing
az a bad job. The idea OF locating 142
strange men in a lOdging-h0Dse, In 10-cent
beds, struck him evidently as a rare fight
of fancy. 1t was as clear as anything in
the world that to bis mind it was wise
man that knew his OVID bed.
There was a register in the "offce" at the
head Of the stairs. But the official gained
little comfort by inspecting 1t. Evidently
the principle o I the 10-cent bed In stuffed
clearinghouse Is ''you pays your money aud
you has your choice"
1t would not be surprising to find 300
genuine unadulterated voters registered
from the Melbourne before the week IS out.
When the wall space has Deen occupied,
hammocks can be slung from the ceiling,
and the floor is always available. Moreover
there is no legal objection TO Two or more
men registering from the same peo
Some censorious people may cali II stufilng.
but to Kelly and Crimmins it is nothing but
a feIicitous example of brotherly love.
IL LINKS as II fwa.fbirds of the voters