The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-28
THE CITY ON THE RoUsEToPs.

From Atlantic
Then the evening comes; and IN sum.
mer this is the fashionable hour for
the denizens of the housetops 1t is
less sitting up there than in the
houses or in the streets below. Often
shere is breeze, generally from the
south with a Whit of the ocean in its
breath Then the scene on the house.
top becomes animated. Whole fami-
lies are encamped up there; there is
singing. stories are told, sometimes
there is dancing. Musical instruments
are not at all rare, and the accordion is
chief among them. Now and then the
nerriment of separate parties become
extinct; all pause and listen to a single
Foice that rises high and distinct above
The huSbub. Sometimes it is hymn
Of the synagogue, caroled forth upon
the night by boys quavering voice;
sometimes it is an air from an operetta,
delivered in stehtorian tones by PRO
fessionaT' man singer. The applause,
when the performance is over, comes
from every roof in the neighborhood.
When there is saloon ''on the block
-dnu NIldi DlOCh Is lLS
ing house?-sounds of carousal make
their way, from time to time, to the
city on the housetops.
An inpromptu orchestra, in attend
ance at some wedding or birthday fes-
tivity in the brilliantly lighted apart
nents of a family ''on the block"
Eladdens with its strains the hearts of
tired mortals on the roof. Sometimes
burst of mad melody, full of the weird
radence and passionate abandon that
characterize the dance music of the
peasantry of eastern Europe, awakens
sad memories or passionate longing in
some immigrant ''greenhorn," the
older immigrants call HIM lately
come from some far-off country.
/ The poor Jew who finds his
way straight from the immigration
station on Ellis island to one of the in
Vulnerable sweaters" dens of this
neighborhood breathes for an hour.
perhaps. the air of the night, and
gazes about him at the strange city
that his toll leaves him no opportunity
to investigate. Perhaps he does not
even care to do this, the dull, hard
grind deadening all sentiment of
curiosity in his soul. Wild, unthink-
ing gayety alone can arouse him from
the lethargv in which his life is
wrapped. Late into the night the mer-
riment lasts, and then, when good
nights have been said, il is only about
one-haf of the company that descend
70 take their rest indoors. The others
/ roll themselves in sheets and blankets,
/ and prepare for night under the
| stars.
! A thunder shower coming up in the
/ middle of the night disperses them,
( snd there is a great noise of scuffling
and running, as each one awakes to
/ talle up his bed and walk with L. Be-
! tween two and three o'clock of fine
/ morning the moon looks down upon a
oivouac of shrouded motionless figures,
and the city on the housetops is turned
I into a shining metropolis Little chill
/ 3ren and women sleep thus IN the open
/ air. sometimes on the roof. sometimes
on their own fire escape; but the ma
( iority OF the out-of-door sleepers are
I young men. accustomed all their lives,
many OF them. TO hard hunks and IN
Easy surroundings. The glow of
/ cigar or cigarette from one Of these
shapeless heaps OF bedding might dis
turb the nights slumber OF an appre-
+ hensIve person. Dawn comes 20
awaken them early, for the most part,
but i i no uncommon sight 20 see
their Outstretched forms when the sun
already rides high in the sky. Other
nen and women pass in and out among
them without disturbing them. and
when they awake and open their arms
20 the cay, no complicated toilette
awaits them; they are half clothed al
ready, and few instructive touches do