davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

desk, "ths is Lady Henry Somerset, of London.
and her friends. They have come to look at the
dodgers in your station.
The sergeant had risen. and bowed politely at
the introduction he seemed about to extend
his hand in friendly greeting, but as he heard the
nature of the errand which had brought the visitors
at such an hour. he stopped. drew back his hand.
looked from to the other in mute establishment.
half opened his mouth as if to form the word
"lodgers7 but said nothing; shifted uneasly from
one foot to the other, and then with sudden de
termination, pulled the bell
John" he said. as the doorman appeared, re-
covering his speech with an effort, these ladies
wish to see dodgers. Show them down."
The doorman eazed stupidity from the ladies
TO the sergeant hesating with his bunch of brass
keys in his hand. but in obedience TO an i'm
lucrative gesture from his superior. led the way
90 a narrow fight of stairs at the rear of the room
This way he said CURLY, and went down
The ladies followed. As the in their party
went down last. he caught the eve Of the ser
geant following them in hopeless bewilderment
Then the door fell to behind them. They were in
the cellar
Barred doors on one side. iron cells on the
other. Down a short hall with view of the
underground prison, into another longer and
narrower that under the Liberty-st side of the
building and they came to the dodgers rooms.
A big stove. redhOt. stood in the alley in front
of their open doors.
"Ths is where the men sleep" said the door
man. stopping at the further door; land the
women are there"
A gas jet burning dmly revealed four naked
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

joining mems room. which has now been turned
noor. snoring, moaning or lahberlng III ther
sleep \ big pot-brllied stove IN the nldalr oil
the room that shonc red in the sem darkhcss,
kept the thermometer up t. nearly, or quite eighty
degrees. The vile and sitting odors seemed dense
enough 10 cut with knife One or two OIL the
slccpers rose lazily on their elbows rs the door
man turned on the gas. muttrrcd curses upon the
disiurbcrs and lay down ag'In., Tt ,.o..
Last year 9?63 separate " lodgings heaven
save tho marI, we're furnished by that great
pipstv and moro than that number By the all
joining men. room which has now been turned
into n female prison and matrons ward; II the
Police Natron hin had accomplished nothing else
than IN wine ONT some of the wort lodging roons
il womb lave done well. did not that result in
crowdng other stations ont tine more nn, mere nnS Il
furnish cviJence for the indictment OF every police
captain in the city. whose station has lodging
rooms. for overcrowding. were the ordinary rules
of the Health Department apphcd Inc sacred
air cube il held in derision there. and with
reason II is sometimes mere question Of letting
the lodger in or letting him die in the street. s.
Shrieks and groans from the womens lodge, ,
~ the doorman called il, greeted us as we climbed
up over the prison in the backward behind tne
fallen between the planks in the effort to put
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

got up hastily and taking the dog in bis arm
went TO tins same police station and asked for
shelter II was the first time he had accepted
even such charity, and as he lay down on his
hard plank in that room downstairs he Rugged Il
little gold locket he wore around Ills neck. the
last link with better days, and thought with Il
hard, dry sob OF home.
When he awokc the next morning, the lockct
was gore. One of the tramps who slept with
him had stolen 1t. He went up and complained
to the sergeant at the dcsli-at this desk thcy
were then sitting at-and the sergeant or.crcl him
TO he kicked out in the street as a liar if not
thief. How should a tramp boy have come
honestly by gold lockct? The dooman put him
out as he was hidden, and when the little dog
showed his teeth policeman seized it and clubbcl
it TO death there on the step"
And the boy?' said one Of The ladies when
the story WAS told.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

lie went out to battle with the world and 10
a useful man. That one night in the police station
York"
You know him -
Il know him. said their conductor as he
handed the ladies into their carriage
Poor fellow" sighed Lady Somerset. and
YOU sir! if YOU ever come to London he sure you
do not fail Ia look me up there
The carriage door slammed and the ladies drove
of 10 their hotel Their conductor stood looking
thoughtfully after the vehicle until il disappeared
around the corner He had told his own story.
Twenty-one wears have passed since that home
less boy slept in the Church-st. police station: a
generation of voters, then unborn. has grown up
TO control the politics, the charities, and the en-
pcnditurc of the of millions for the govern
nent Of this city year by year; many things
have changed but this has not. The foul dis
grace of the police station lodgng-housc system
breeds tramps to-day then. Few who enter
them as did that boy live to shake off the
moral contagion they harbOr. The sergeant
who ordered him ont is probably dead long since :;
bat the lodging groom with its filthy pianks
Gltlier walls AID deadly atmosphere. moral and
physical, is there still. The only change for the
better is that they take fewer dodgers
THAT is because tho captain compl1incd that
the stencil drove him out of his ROOM said ihe
officer in charge to me night or two ago. The
lodginc-room is directly under his, On that occa,
sion | found in the mems room three dodgers, one
middlcaged man, who said hc gardener and
had lost his job out on Long Island; the other
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

boardwalk They had been whitewashed once.
but it was long time since what was left OF the
old coat of lime hung in thin gray ilakes from 'hc
rough boards. In one corner sink. In the other
an omen closet. narrow strip of the floor
visible Just inside the door; all the rest OF 1t
hidden from sight by double row of pine planks
laid on iron racks knee-high from the floor, with
4 slight slant from the wall. On each plank
human form lay stretched out or cured up. asleep
That they were human shapes was made certain
nv the snorc they emitted. But for that, they
might have been at casual glance taken Ior
lust so many piles of filthy rags. The air was
heavy with stenchcs utteraby disgusting Be-
tween the led heat of the big stove and the
exbalatious Of the two rooms 1t seemed impossible
that a human being could breathe there an hour
and live The narrow hall followed the outer
v,,ll and there were no means Of vcntiating the
rooms except through the door and over the top
of the partitions that did not quite reach the cell
ing.
The ladies turned away with loatbing, after a
brief look.
lis it possible. said Lady Somerset to her con-
ductor. for man 10 sleep there night ana come
ont n decent. scli-respccting being p
"Once yes said he dryly, and as they went
up>tails he told them this story;
Zone rainy October night i'll the year iS'o' Il
moor boy sat on the DuINdIk uo"H ~ wv '''N''
hungry. footsore and drcnchcd 10 the skin lie
"a, thinking OF friends and home thousands oi
miles away over the sea, whom he had lett SIN
months before 10 90 alone among strangers. lie
had been alone ever since but never more So
than that night. His money gone, no WORK 10
no found he had slept in the streets Tor nlgh's 100
nroud 70 appeal in his wretcIedncss to those VINO
could and would help him for the sake oi those
over there That day he had eaten nothing nc
would die rather than beg. And one oil the TWO
ho must do soon There was the dark river rush
inc IT bis feet: the swirl Of the unseen waters
,,h;snsrea IN him of rest and peace he had not
known since-it was so cod-and who was 'herc
% care he thought bitterly. No one who would
ev.r l,oy He moved little nearer the edges ana
listened more intently. just then little WHINE
fell on his ear and cold wet face was pressed
against his little black-and-tan dog 'na' ha'
been croucbing Leside him, nestled in his lap IL
was his only friend lie had picked it up IN the
street. as forlorn as himself, and it had stuck 70
Aim It's touch recalled him to himself lie
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

had been cght days in the city and running out
Of money, had begged all day. lie had eaten no
supper and did not know where to look for his
breakfast. Another. who n German cook,
owned that he not partial 10 the station. but
II was too cold outside. He also had begged, and
said that hc expected To begin where he lett OH
in the morning. He did not drink he said for
hc did not have the price. Three tramps VINO
al the mention Of a drink had raised their head
to listen settled back YEARLY at this To sleep
They were frcIucntcrs Of the stale-bccr dives
IN the Pend where the price cents for
"A schooner Of d0ctorcd beer. OF the six boys, two
claimed ~ have come from Philadelphia. one from
CnIcago one from Utica and one from the old
country. Three had trades. Not one could give
any reason for his being IN New or< except mat
he had followed the crowd. Not one had any
plan for the morrow. How many nights of this
would it take to make trmpS like the rest Out
OF the siN boys whom misfortune and ignorance
had brought there
ON ia" iron stairs 10 the women dodgers room
we stumbled over a drunken old hag who clung
rantinG 10 the rail. !, there raid she
Whispered hoarscly. and on being rcaSSurcd aporcd
ND tie steps with profu-c blessings that sounded
like rank blasphcmy in that place. The matr'n
looked in II WAS shut quickly enough. The
room, though not crowded rs th" one we
had left was. if anything. foulcr. II looked what
i'm fact il was II the moment. a section of Water
ST. en- dr-habill' one might not look upon that
group of g.aylaircd women, remembering that Inc
ever had mother.
The midnight hush had fallen upon the
Edridge-St police station, and the noisclest
hrawlcr in the dodgers room was asleep. Forty
si\ women nearly all Of them old, and OF the
order Of the East Side scrub. lay about the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

two young lads, eighteen and nineteen years olh'
VINO had slept there for several nights ana showed
by their lstcse manner that they had already loSt
the pride that is the only elective antidote to the
tramps' lodging.
The Church-St. station dodgers room Is a type
Of all the rest. There are even score OF police
stations in the city that harbor dodgers to-day
OF these four admit only women, five men only
and eleven both sexes. Some are worse IMAM
Others; a few only are underground the
ma ority in the back yards over the prisons ana
heated from these, receiving also the stcnchcb from
the cells with their drunken occupants 10 add to
their own foul horrors. They have all been &c
nounced from year TO year by every authority
having any sort of jurisdiction over them, ana py
private citizens who had authority TO do aught
but protest But they are there unchanged, as
if never a word had been said. Last year they
furnished altogether 1867 lodgings, ANA nearly
twice many during the winter months Wien
there no chance Of ventilation as In the SUM
mer On certain cold night last week, when u
census taken Of their occupants, 81 homeless
men and women Sept in them. On that nlgho
10 men and women slept in the Church-s''
station 50 men and | women in Oak ST., ~ men
and o women in Ironard-st., % men ana 10
women in Elizabeth-st., 30 men and 10 women III
Mldison-st., y men and II women iii MulnerrI-
II men ana 10 WOIltG III lllt Isi'4' So
station, where properly only women dodgers are
admitted % men and women in East twenty
second. ST. Az men and II women III west
Thirticth-st., - men and 10 women IN west
Thirty-sevcnth-st Il men and | women III "cst
Fortv-sevcnth-st.. and ~ mcn and IA women IN
the East Fify-frstst. station There were, All
aod. 1913 men and 1919 women.
have mentioned those that harborcd the hlg-
ocst crowds As 10 the character Of these crowds,
two-thrds perhaps were tramps, pure and simple
Nearly all the women were Of that hopeless c'asS.
Rut of the men there distinct percentage
of bopest "out-of works" and IA certain NUMBER
of Young lads whose presence there was Hue less
than appalling. 1t seemed so utterly lmpossi'Ie'
humanity speaking, that they should escape 'he
blight that was upon the rest Some oil "leSe
u,oro fresh from country homes, innocent Set oi
the WAYS of the world, whose Acquaintance 'i''S
were making there with the worst OF all lh'rou"c-
,iono. all of them stranded, from one cause vi
ono,her upon this reef, the true nature % "h'oi'
,hnr little understood. Out Of the crown III onc
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

clean AZ he came in 10 poison everything anu
everybody with whom he comes in contact
There is, or was. an old police rue iorpiudlhg
the admission Of the same ledger on two successive
NIGHTS. but most scrgcants OF the present ""S
have never heard of il. The same faces are srcl
night after night, and winter after winter New
faces take the places Of those that "ihaPp'ar
behind prison walls or in the gloom oil 'he Io',eiS
Field only to grow familiar and old IN tn'r
turn. A simple record of name. ace and nation
atty is kept at the station. but 1t l. record "i
lie, for the most part. and therefor worthless
orcc , vcor in I'M ,ronth of January, the police
surgeons protest: once or twice in every winter
the Grand Jury looks in holds its collective nose
and is shocked: once every winter an appeal Is
made to the Legislature for the apoli,ioh oil the
nuisance witbon, effect: once in awhile there is
a hearing before somebody. and then the matter
is dropped for the season. 1t is not a pleasant
one to discuss
But it is one that must be discussed ana settled
in somo doco,, human way, as other cities have
settled it, for the safety if not ior INC credit oil
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

titon that gives free circulation to the stenchess
and no other ventilation The women were
nearly all Irish, though that is German district.
Ballot booths and the other trappings Of cleo
ton business crowded the mems lodging room in
the West Forty police station. A
dozen shabby men snored among the LUMBER,
wherever they could find room, Hat on the wooden
floor. with their feet toward the stove. As many
woman sat lay about In the room across the hall.
One who lay nearest the stove shrouded her head
in her apron | came in and pretended to lie
asleep while the other women chaiied" the door
man with the familiarity OF old acquaintance. /
was not prepared for the sudden vehemence with
which one OF them, whose tongue ran most giloiy,
caught at my sleeve as went toward the sleeping
figure. 49,
That is young girl We lave her be- she said.
with harshness that did her infinite credit Ana
so il. was-the first young girl had sen that week
in any Of the stations. The doorman said that
they came often, but may be parioned for not he
doorman said whisIey" fc was mistaken again.
The child swallowed one dry sob after another.
and bit her fingers IN an EFFORT TO Keep from
crying while she spoke from under the apron She
had run away from her service out on Long Island
to come TO town and see her mother when he was
out. And here where she had brought up.
The old hays eyed her ptyingy and saw them.
when l went out. making pillow of their ragged
skirts for the girl Low as they had fallen, they
were women still, and some of them had been
mothers.
On cold nights when there is a smallpox scare,
as now, the health officers corral tramps at tho
police station AMI vaccinate them, despite their
protests and struggles. And this is the one useful
purpose the lodging rooms serve. From every
other point of view they are bad and without a ne.
deeming feature. AS long ago rs 1867 the Board OF
Police Surgeons formally urged upon the anthori-
ties the propriety, the economy nay, the absolute
necessity of disseminating the practice of using
station houses as lodging houses for Migrants
They should never he allowed in any part OF q
hey a matter an rom
point OF view jof the policemen. There are other
ways of looking at it, There is the point Of view.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31
PART II.
PAGES 10 TO IS.

and First-ave. only a small company Of women
entertained in the cellar lodging room. IL
was small for the same reason that reduced the
number in the Church-st. station. This room Is
under the captains quarters and II has long been
n question whether ne or they snail occupy the
station. The stencil of many crowded down there
would he unbearabe. Ii was well nigh that In
the East Twenty -second-st station, though there
the dodgers are housed in the back yard. The
ventilation was of The worst: rather, there was
none OF the y0ulg oaiers crowded together
there to the number of twenty-five, Just half
claimed to lie natives and five Germans. The ser
geant said that many of them were regular Gus
TONERS The eight women dodgers were Of the
usual class, and were the thirteen women l
saw in the Union Market station, where the mene
lodging room has been taken for new tier OF
cells The lodgng-room here is on the main floor.
arranged, as in Church-st., with bead-high par
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

one on the rack. and some of thed had fallen
upon and held her pinned to the floor where she
lay. Two trembling hays were trying valnly 10
raise her NJ. Dy using one OF the planks as a
lever the doorman succeeded where they failed.
Drunken dodgers, it may be casually observed are
not admitted in theory. There was the usual
open sink with its vile smells, and the closet that
is supposed to be fenced oil from the room proper
but without a door. The hinges were there, but
the door was gone. Three lean and NANCY cats
snealed about under the iron rack upon which
the panlls were slantcd. Big ventilatOrs from
the prison below brought up foul air in plenty,
but no fresh air down. The doorman being spoken
to about this. said Simply Them people smells
worse than the prison And he was right
There were twcnty-three women in tine two
small rooms, that were long and narrow, like those
in Oall-st but not nearly large. One bcsotted
old wretch, haIf-naked and with dislevclled hair
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31

hanging about bloody and bruised face, answered
the question put T. another whether she drank
H., she roarcd with oath, ." drink all | can
get. and that's very little" The one addressed
,aid without any show of resentment Yes, l
do If we didn't we wouldn't be in place Ike
this
There were twenty planks in the mems rooms
and upon every one squatter AZ least seven
of them were men who would certainly work-ych
How long they could be expected to keep up the
wish for honest employment IN those surrounu-
inQs was another thing. One sad ne was cloth-
ing cutter, but getting too old Tor the snop
Another, a roofer. was just out OF the hospltai.
lie had walked around three nights peiore lie
made up his mind to 20 there. Sun another, an
lrishman, thrty-nine years old, had followed the
sea and been in the quartcrmasters department
during the war. 50 he said. lie was JoDDlng
about now without anything definite TO do, ana
had to resort to the police station every once IN
awhile. The last | spoke with was a young
plumber nineteen years old. lie had been SICK
and i'm the hospital: his parents were dead, MS
lob gone and he had slept where he was for a
week All chance of finding another JOB was
clearly slipping from him with the wish to find 1t.
On the doorstep as went ont net three
Young Germans. looking for shelter. They were
finc-ooking hardy fellows, just from Baltimore
where an oysterman had beaten them out OF a
months wages. They crowded up eagerly IN the
hope of hearing of another job.
The odging-rooms in the Elizabeth-st. station
are larger. and they need to be. Sometimes ioriy
or fifty wretches are packed in each. The night
| called. there were tWcntY-elght men ana ten
women there The full capacity OF both rooms
reckoning by the number of planlS, is forty. More
than half of the dodgers were Germans. In the
other stations the Irish element had preponderatei
There one decent woman in the lot. who kept
her head covered with her shawl while was in the
place, and cried when the matron tried to make
her show her face. Among the men were n Danish
gardener who had come in from Long Island. and
"A German fresh from the old country, who had
evidently seen better days. They had come III
together and kept apart from the rest. These
and three Others that were very young men were
clean and to put them in that room an
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31
SUNDAY EDITION.
JAN. 81, 1892.
VICE WHICH is UNCHECKED
IN POLICE STATION LODGING. HOUSES

TERRIBLE SCENES IN SIZZLING EASEMENTS
OUTCAsTs WHO ARE DEEP IN THE MIRE.
The lamps at the door of the Church ST
police station looked down the deserted street
like two dull green eyes a. . o'clock on recent
morning, when carriage, which had come from
Broadway. rolled up TO the curb. A man stepped
out and handed down three women. Two of them
were English women, known to all American
newspaper readers. One tall and thin, and
Wore the traditional garb of the Quakers: the
other. whose darkbue robe was as severely plain
that of her companion, was plainly the central
figure of the little party.
Sergeant" said the man he ushcrcd the
ladies into the station and led them up to the
The Newtown bee., 1892-09-09
STEPNEY.

A party went up the Housatonic, last Friday, on 8 fishing expedition. Mrs George w. Ives caught the first rock bass of the season and Miss Frances Turney the largest, weighing over two pounds. About 3s were brought home in all.
 Work has commenced in Turney's shop.
 The elegant and wonderfully success full concert at the Methodist Episcopal church, the night of Labor Day, claims special mention of each participant: but none deserves more commendation that c. E. Osborne, not only for the part that fell to him in the performances, but for the labor and care bestowed that made the success possible.
 The ladies' aid society desires, in this way, to express personally their thanks to the elecutionist and to each of the singers and pianists, who so generously contributed their services, to the great delight of the large assembly that gath cred from all our neighboring villages and to George Ripley, to whom we are indebted for our tasteful programs, that will be preserved as a souvenir by all who hold them.
The Newtown bee., 1892-09-09
WESTPORT.

Died, 4th, Minnie Lester, Z, grandchild of M. BOlger, at her New York home.
 About 200 were in attendance at the open air meeting at Batterson's black smith shop, last Sunday. Another at the same place, next Sunday.
 Cornelius Jelliffe, who has been for two weeks with his parents, returned to his home in Erie, Pa., Sunday.
 Rev Jabez Backus has returned from his months vacation and occupied his pulpit at the Congregational church, Sunday.
 Rev Royal W. Raymond of Middletown conducted the services at the M. E. church, Sunday.
 Mrs Thomas Price is in Brooklyn, N. Y.
 Mrs Ackley of Providence is guest at A. s. Hurlbutt's.
 Miss Carrie Sanford of New York is guest of William H. Thomas.
 Miss Louise Cable is at Huntington.
 Mrs F. V. Newman of Brooklyn visits her parents, MT and Mrs Charles Hurl- butt.
 Miss Florence Allen of Stratford visits Mrs John H. Grey.
 Mir and Mrs John D. Wood are at the Catskills.
 Miss Emily Gillet of New York visits Miss Hattie P. Marvin.