Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-25
Scenes at the Municipal Night Lodg-
ing House on Christmas Eve.
THEY WORK FOR BED AND FOR BOARD
AbIe-Bodied Men Who Prefer the
Lite Of Iramps. .,.. ......
THE RULES ARE STRICT

worlds goods, were able to have what they
wanted for themselves, with plenty to
spare for others. There were in this city
this morning at least 200 strangers, most
of whom were without money or friends,
and yet they were happy. Many had put
themselves on the road 20 become tramps
rather than earn an honest living, and
being tramps, without a single care or
trouble, they were of course, happy. Last
night the police stations, the Central Union
Mission and the municipal lodging house
accommodated about the number mention-
ed. and this morning they were turned
loose on the streets to shift for themselves.
Those who had spent the night in the l'olice
stations were sent adrift without any
breakfast, not even getting a cup of coffee.
while those who had stopped over night at
the lodging house and mission were given
a hot breakfast, and some of them slowed
away some bread in their pockets to keep
away hunger during the day in the event
of their being unable to get a piece of cold
turkey at the side door or back gate CT
some residence after the family had finish
ed dinner.
The Municipal Lodging House.
The tall brick structure on 18th street,
just below Pennsylvania avenue, adjoining
the first precinct police station, is the mu-
nicipal lodging house, which is strictly a
District charity. The popularity of this
hosiery and government wood yard Is
shown by the number Of tramps who go
there and are actually willing to perform
small amount of manual labor for the priv
ilege of remaining over night and getting
something to eat. ~
Yesterday afternoon long before shutdown
a large crowd Of strangers blocked the side
walk in front of the building anxious to be
admitted for the night. They were mostly
strong and able-bodied. men, and some of
them had been there before. Others lad
not but they were willing to give the place
trial before sounding its praises or con-
demning it. Certainly, 1t can be no worse
than remaining outdoors all night, argued
one man with his companion. and then.
too, he said he was certain of something to
eat. In groups of two or three the Stran-
gers were admitted, until there were enough
to fill the seventy-twO beds provided, and
then the others had to go to the mission or
to the police stations.
Those WIT entered and registered were
directed to read, pasted on the Office door,
the following rules:
1. The house will be open from am TO
10 pm.
2 Breakfast served from to am.
Dinner served from to pm. only.
g. No person under the influence of liquor
will be admitted.
4. No drinking, smoking or swearing VIII
be allowed on the premises.
3. All applicants admitted will be required
to saw one-SiXteenth cord OF wood, or to
do equivalent work for each meal or lodS-
ing. ---.---. - ...,..
6. All persons having stayed one night
and wishing further accommodations are
required to be in not later than 4:3O pm.
Z. No person may remain longer than
s. All meals for Sunday must be worked
for on Saturday. If not so earned no meal
will be served.
cot xrhoS
appearance indicated that he had been on
the road far from water for a long time,
and with others he started back to do his
work at the wood horse or with the saw.
There Are Some Surprises.
One-sixteenth of a cord of wood does
not seem like 4 great amount to saw, but
this only settles for one meal or lodging,
and the man who thought the rules were
dead easy soon arrived at the conclusion
that he only wanted lodging when he
tackled a big, knotty piece of hickory
wood. 5~t
Having finished his work and earned his
bed for the night this bold knight Of the
road goes upstairs to turn in, but to his
surprise he has to turn into tub Of water
and take bath, and in this way he dOu-
bles the surprise, for water, except in
liquid refreshments, is an unknown guam
tity to him. But in the words of a fellow
roadsman. he braced up and stood it like a
gown beneath white spread, enjoying
what he had not enjoyed for long time.
All the seventy-tWo men had to go through
this routine. only most of them performed
work enough to get supper and breakfast
before they covered up for the night.
The lodging house is a favorite meeting
place fer the regular tramps, or bum
tramps,' as the police call them, and
Superintendent Dunn seldom fails to recog-
niZe a man who has once been there. Some
of Them make regular annual visits to the
place, while others appear twice year, In
the fall on their way SOUTH and again in
the spring, when they are looking for
cooler climate Then, too, some of the
men who travel together get separated
in some way, and at this place they make
inquiries for the lost ones, and by passing
the word along the line, as ii We're, the
separated ones manage to come together
again.
A Tramp Interchange.
comfortable bed and warm room
to satisfy most of the dodgers who spend
their three nights in this institution, fer
after getting in bed they keep up their
conversations. sometimes till nearly morn.
ing, while those who want to sleep do not
seem at all disturbed. 1t is during these
conversations that the men compare notes
and tell of their experiences in other
places, and sometimes one of them is heard
to tell another the best place to go grub
One night last winter the man who is
known as king of the tramps" spent two
nights in the house, and Superintendent
Dunn learned from the conversations in
the sleeping rooms that he had called a
convention of tramps, to be held near one
of the large western cities.
To a Star reporter Superintendent Dunn
said he had made q Study OF the men who
had been accommodated in the lodging
house, and he felt certain that fully 30
per cent of them were tull-fedged tramps
and not workingmen looking tor employ
ment. He thinks that the police stations
should not lodge any Of these men, and
then they will not come here in such large
numbers. Last week, he said, lie went to
Baltimore and investigated the work that
is being done there by the city authorities.
He learned that last winter the city lodged
from 20 to 800 men every night IEen
there were lodging rooms in the police sta
tions, but this year they are admitted
only at the lodging house, and the result is
that the average number accommodated is
about 125, great deal less than the guests
entertained in this city. The closing hour,
as laid down in the rules of the institution,
is 10 pm, and those who reach the city
later than this hour are required to seek
lodgings elsewhere.
But they are all aware of that, said
Superintendent Dunn, and it is a rare oc-
currence for one to call after hours
TO Prevent Imposition.
In the case of those who have spent one