Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-02-02

HOW THE HOMELESS ARE CARED FOR
IN GLASGOW.

Municipal Lodging Houses Minus the sting
of Charity-No Chance For Politics In 1t.
The Saturday Night Entertainments and
How They Are Conducted.
One Saturday in Glasgow tramped
about the poorer portions of the town
till midnight, first in company with the
head of a municipal department and
afterward with an estimable bailie who
is renowned in the town for his opposi-
ton to all things alcoholic. My tour be.
gan soon after dusk, which comes aston
ishingly early in eaese northern lati-
tudes, giving one hardly time to salute
the sun between dawn and dark. Our
points of call in the earlier half of our ex-
petition were the municipal lodging
houses those places of agreeable refuge
which the city established 90 years ago
for the purpose of selling decent shelter
to the lower elements of it's floating pop
ulation
On Saturday night in winter time
some form of entertainment is devised
for the 1000 municipal dodgers. The
entertaining talent volunteers for the
performance. 1t is part of the duty of
the city committee having in charge
these hotels for the poor to secure on
Saturdays the assistance of amateurs
who can sing or dance or tell story or
give an athletic show. There are seven
municipal lodging houses, and in the
recreation rooms of each these Saturday
night pleasantries are conducted. Every
concert, or magic lantern show, or what
ever it may be, is presided over by a
chairman, who volunteers for the pur-
pose from the members of the city gov
eminent.
The gentlemen so presiding are not
municipal politicians, because, as | have
previously explained, they have in Glas-
gov no municipal politics, but merely
an administration. Mr.. Chairman, there
fore, is not in quest of votes, and if he
were his services in a lodging house
would i'll requite him. Nor is there any
appearance of charity, condescension.
nor any other untoward thing in this
business. The entertainment is carried
on very much as IA concert is aboard an
Atlantic lner-with this exception, that
is put to no expense in the matter, and
it may be assumed that the chairmen
are put to no Inconvenience. They are
usually men who devote large part OF
their lives to philanthropic work.
A Saturday nights audience at one OF
these municipal lodging houses comprise.
wide assortment of characters and q
considerable distribution of race. There
are sailors who have got hard up i'll port
soldiers recently discharged. There are
poor devils who are spending their lao
pennies for shelter and food. which vii
take them over to the Monday morning
when they may be able to pick up some
where somehow pennies enough to las
them over another night. And there ar,
laborers III regular employment, arti
sans, too, who are not hard up, but whC
are lodging here while they are at worl
in the town. There are of course mel
who have seen better days and men wht
by no possibility can ever see any wors,
ones Some are here from necessity
some from motives of economy. and al
of them are fairly comfortable while the,
are here.
The Saturday night entertainments ar
voluntary altogether. The entertainer
give their services, and the audiences ar
not asked for "A penny. There We're from
200 to $50 men in each of the recreation
rooms which we visited, and hearty ap
plause gave evidence of the delight o
the men, who appeared to enjoy them
selves thoroughly
A municipal lodging house is large
well lighted and well ventilated build
ing At the entrance there is an office
where the applicant for lodging pays hi
3td. or AID. and receives a ticket en-
titling him to the privileges of the house
On the ground floor there are three larg
apartments, one used as sort of eatin
| room, another as a sitting room, anothe
i as kitchen. The dodgers supply thei
0 own food and cook it themselves, havin
the free use of the kitchen fires and tn
3 steam heaters for this purpose. The hous
is in charge of a superintendent, wit
several assistants.
: AT o'clock in the evening the dorm
: tories are opened. These dormitories ar
spacious rooms divided by partitions
4 or 8 feet high into small compartments
t each compartment containing bed al
d ranged in the fashion of a stateroor
berth on an Atlantic liner. The onl
I difference between the threepence hall
. penny and the fourpence halfpenny aC
- commodation is that the higher price Ell
q titles the lodger to an extra blanket
Lodgers are admitted to bed until abou
a l a. IN. They must arise not later tina
n o'clock in the morning. The premise
S are kept scrupulously clean by the sta
5 of assistants. A well fitted laundry al
D tached to the place is constantly at wor
', washing the bedding Boston Hel
- aid.