The herald., 1893-10-09
CHEAP LODGING HOUSES.
People who Patronise Them at . Trt-
hine Expense.

fling Expsnss.
Yesterday q HERALD reporter, curious
to test the truth of the old adage that
"one-half of the world knows not how
the other half lives" made tour oi
several cheap lodging houses. which are
located near the plaza part of the city.
As rule the cheapest class OF these
lodging houses are patronized by trampa
who duridg the day have begged quar-
ter of some benevolently-inelined per-
son, and who, having no home to go to,
have pledged whatever article the
pawnbrokers would accept. la this
clasa of lsdeing houses the charge is ID
cents. Having paid the seedy-looking
individual in charge at the packing
caae-like Office one is entitled to q bed =
This bed is hard wooden bunk as q
rule, or some cheaply arranged bed
stead with a straw mattress so thin that
you could almost read newspaper
through it, which are located in an out
rsgeouely ventilated room, which will
accommodate about % unfortunates.
The size of the apartment ia az . rule
about 20 feet square, and the covering OF
the bed consists of dirty piece of cloth
that resembles a dilapidated po-
tato sack. The close atmosphere
of the room, together with the breath
Of the eleepere, renders the air eickening
in the extreme. No attempt is made at
cleanliness, and, further. 3 man suffer
ing with any contagious disease is an
readily received as one in perfect health.
The entrance to these lodging houses ia
usually through narrow doorway off of
the street and staircase lighted only by
. small oil lamp.
1t ia the custom to turn out all the
dodgers at + q, m. for the avowed purpose
Of ventilsting the place, but ventilation
is impossible.
The 25csnt houses are little better
than the ''15centers," but not much
For two bits you can get cot bed in a
small room with several others. Some
times q so-called mattress and sheet are
provided the lodger, but often he gets no
sheet whatever, unless one made of salt
or -four sacking.
For IS cents the lodger gets "private
room," which is one OF many. 1t is
made by dividing good sized room, by
means OF wooden partitions. into a
number of smaller rooms. A cot, one
chair, bare floor and candle consti-
tute about all the effects Of ''the cham
ber.''
In fairly large room .nsar by soap,
water and towels are furnished, and
dodgers are expected to avail themselves
OF their use.
For 50 cents very good accomm0da-
tions can be secured-as good as rea-
sonable person in moderate circum-
stances can expect.
Attached to some of this class of
houses are sittingussoome, where far in
the carly hours groups Of meu sit about
talking, reading and smoking. The best
class Of cheap lodging houses charge 80
cents per night. These are patrcnized
chiefly by laboring men and mechanics.
Everything is done to make their pa
irons comfortable. The daily papers
arekept ON file and games OF chess
or checkers are permitted in the
reading rooms, bus gambling or cards
are not allowed. The rooms are gener-
ally lighted By gas and kept as clean as
possible.
Among the lodging houses along
Spring or Main streets rs cents and 81 Is
demanded for q room, and in some in
stances even more, and at these figures
they manage to keep their houee full
most OF the time.
Tho transient trade at the principal
hotels is large, and taken altogether,
from the two-bit lodging house to the
finest hostelry in the city, they are ell
doing a most lucrative business, and
thus the world continues to wag, the
poor as happy and apparently coDtented
as the millionaire with his thousands.