Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1894-03-23
STATION HOUSE L0DGERS.
WHERE NEW YORK'S HOMELESS
ARMY SLEEP.
Scenes at Midnight in a Police Station
Going to the "Island" Until
Mild Weather Comes.


Going to the sTsland' Until
Mild Weather Comes.
~ UT of the black shadow of the
alley, like great bats wing,
Y came the head of the line of
men across Oak street to the
basement gate of the station-house.
The doorman now developed as much
activity as the German had shown. He
flew at the first man in the line, and
catching his shoulders, flung him ten
feet away along the pavement
"Git out of here" said he; "a-a-a-h,
give me no talk. l know yer. You
was here last night. Git, now, or I'll
give yer my foot. And you too; git,
now, and don't let me see yer any
more"
AS his eye rested on each familiar
face he leaped at the owner of it and
gave him knock or a twist that sent
him spinning out of the line like top.
"Them's old soaks, that's been here
before" said he in explanation, ''and
we don't take 'em if they're regulars.
There's not room enough for them that
deserves lodging"
I suppose those poor devils were the
most to be pitied of all the men l saw
that day. What under heaven they
were to do if the station-house spurned
them was indeed question. But they
were spun out of sight and out of mind.
Down in the brightly lighted basement
of the station house the German and
the doorman lined up the men in
crescent shaped file with many curt
order to ''turn your face this way;
let's see your face, man." The manner
of the policeman was rough, his tones
were sharp; but it was only manner
and u tone. The New York policeman
is a professional man. His business is
adopted for life, and familiarity with
the conditions in which he moves rem
ders him decidedly businesslike. As
for the men, those who were jerked out
of the line like calves in a cattle-yard,
simply hung their heads and shutfied
away like calves. Those who were adj
mitted to the station-house and or
dered about moved duly and mechan-
ically, as if they were rather helpless
than stupid, and had made up their
minds to pay that price for lodging
without complaint or resentment.
They were new to such n place. They
were not tramps or professional dodgers.
Seven in ten were such men as one is
used to seeing about the wharves, or
carrying dinner pals homeward in the
uptown streets at supper me. They
were unskilled laborers, with here and
there man not so easy to place-a
countryman, perhaps, or "a man from
distant city. They stood with their
heads up and their eyes moving, to
take in everything around them. The
German patrolman began at the head
of the line and asked for recruits for
the work house---a new departure III
lodglng-room practice.
"Do you want to go 'way?" he asked
of each. ''Do you want to go way Z
Do you want to go 'way?'
How these unfortunates understood
him don't know, for | had TO have
his meaning explained. The fact was
that the Department of Charities and
Correction has determined in order to
relieve the distress and pressure for
lodging room, to send to the work
house on Blackwelps Island all New
Workers of several years residence who
have no homes and are willing to leave
town for the winter. The strangers
are to be sent back to the places they
hail from.
"Do you want TO go 'way?"
"No, sir.
"Do you want to go 'way?"
81 don't mind. 1t was a longshore-
man who spoke.
"No, sir )" "No, sir ;" ono, sir,
said others in monotonous succession.
Then II second man, who might have
long been uckdriver, said he,
"didn't care. And third one, Il
young fellow. answered, 'Aes, ii you
please. There were boys i'll the line
at least two lads of seventeen OF
eighteen years badly off, but yet bet
ter placed than il they had ten cents
with which 10 get into the average
lodging house, where thieves are made
as il they were factories Tor turning
discouragementandp poverty into crime.
"What do YOU want to 60 To the
Island ior2' asked the man who had
been longshoremun.
"Well, sir. what else can | do?' he
replied. II have no work and no
money aud NO home. buried my
wife live years ago, and ! have no
children. I've been here twenty -tiy,
years, and understand 1 can be tooh
care of for the winter I'LL times II
better.
Some one slipped some silver IA his
hand for tobacco on the Island. -
Harper's Weekly.
pha sta.,,, ftnli.sffnss Ifaud