The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-25

One of Them Gives q Graphic Descrip-
ton of the Seamy Side.

ton Of the Seamy Side.
recent applicant to the Bureau of Associ-
ated Charities for help in securing the means of
earning a living gave vivid account Of the
manner in which the class of men known as
hobos exist IN the winter months VIXEN work is
scarce. At the request OF Superintendent
Dooey no wrote a graphic description OF the
conditions under which men sustaia an exist
ence in the saloons in the lower end of the city,
dependent on the saloonKeepers for sood and
place TO sleep. Mr.. Dooley estimates that about
1000 men are living in this way, supported by
the charity of the saoonke per, who is
recouped by the improvidence of the men
when they have any money. The majority of
these men, he thinks. are honest ana work for q
living when there is work, but their dissipation
and improvidence causes them to squander their
earnings, so that they save nothing :or the Pc
Rod of idleness The man in question has been
found employment and is now working steadily.
That he is above the average of HIS class is
shown by his story, which is as follows:
came to Seattle expecting to get work. lam
willing TO take any kind of a job, bus, although
have searched diligently Tor more than two
weeks, l have found no work of any kind. was
broke when l arrived here, and. not having any
friends in the city, had to do like the rest of
the boys in the same ii do, make my home in
Clancy Il Burns saloon.
You do not knOw-po one ever Gag know un.
less he ID situated the same Us we aYe-wnat q
hell hole it is Every night the saloon is filled
with men sleeping not only on chairs and
tables, but in the sawdust on the hoor like hogs.
There are so many of that il is ili possible to
walk through the room without stepping on
some one. Almost every night there is fight
or two caused by some one stepping on some
body sleeping on the floor.
Then there is a certain class there that steals
not only what we have In our pockets, but steal
our hats from Off our heads and even the shoes
from Oft our feet while we are asleeg. Several
OF the boys have lost their shoes, and having
your hat stolen is an every day occurrence 1t
robbed. Only a short time ago saw them
shove one poor fellow into corner
ana go through his pockets ana because
he objected they gave him q terrible
beating and then fired him out the back door
and policeman ran him in. Their usual
method is for one OF the gang to start a tisht
with the person they intend to rob. Then the
rest all rush in as though to stop 1t, but during
the row the man gets robbed. He DOESN'T know
who done il, nor VINO started the fight, nor what
IT was about, and SO there is no redress for him.
True, most of us have nothing t. fear from
this source, for we have nothing TO lose, but to
be Obliged to associate with such beings and to
sit Idly by and see such deeds committed and
the perpetrators go unpublished MAKES us long
TO take the law In our own hands.
But the greatest trouble is the body lice. No
one can tell what we have to suffer from this
source. not one OF Us Is free from them. They
are 80 numerous that you can see theta crawling
on the outside OF our clothes and even on the
chairs ana tables, aud we have no wag to get rid
OF them. We have no change of closhing, but
sometimes we go out of the city to some Sc
Guided place and take off all our clothes except
our coats and boil them, but as soon IS we sleep
one night at Clancy we are as badly off as be-
fore. Some of the boys boil their clothes three
times a week and yet they can't keep clean.
And yet, what can we do? In ali this city this
Is the only place we can go and sleep.
Not only does he allow us to sleep there, but
every day at noon he gives each one & plate of
soup and a piece OF bread, and at Q r. III. he
gives us plate OF stew. He serves on. two
large washboilers full twice each day This is
all some OF the boys have to eat, some go to pri-
yate houses and try to get food, Offering to do
work TO pay for il, while others beg on the
streets for money TO eat on and then spent it for
beer, and yet Others organize into small gangs
and search the town for what they can steal.
Several people in this town have missed their
axes, SAWS, etc, and even their clothe lines /
can tell you what became OF them-the BOYS
took and sold them for something to cat.
The other morning baker left his wagon
minute TO deliver some bread, aud soon as he
stepped into the house nearly dozen of the
boys made a rush Tor his wagon and took what
ever they could get hold of. | could tel you of
my own observation during the past t;go weeks,
butt is not necessary. We do these :hings not
IRON choice, but because We are obliged to
exist
But OIL if the reople of Seattle could only
see us We are, am sure they woulfa do some
thing 10 help us. We have built your railroads,
got out your lumber mined your coat: in fact,
We have done all your work Tor you. Now help
us 10 exist until there IS some more work for
to 90. II you do not owe ii TO us yolt owe it TO
yourselves that this state OF affairs should not
continue longer. for the condition we ere now in
is "A disgrace 10 any civilized community.