The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-04-20
NEW LEISURE CLASS.
HOW 1T ORIGINATES AND HOW 1T
OPERATES AND EXISTS.

OPERATES AND EXISTS.
One of Its Votaries Gives Reporter an In
teresting Interview-It Exists Only In
New York City, Where the Conditions
Are Peculiarly Suitable.
An investigation of the city's cheap
lodging houses reveals some interesting
facts about those who use them, especially
in hard times. They are particularly a
New York institution. Boston, Philadel-
phia and Baltimore have, to be sure, few
places where the almost destitute wayfarer
may be accommodated on the payment of
10 to 20 cents, but they offer few induce
ments beyond nights rest. The New
York lodging house, on the contrary, has
some of the features of a regular club.
Large, well lighted rooms, supplied with
the daily papers, cards, chess and checker
boards, dominos, etc., are found in near
ly all of them. There is also an Office, in
which an affable clerk is found on duty "a
hours day. There are also baths, lava
tories, ETC., with plentiful supply of hot
and cold water, soap towels and blacking
brushes.
The Bowery is the home of the lodging
house, though there are many scattered
about the city up as far as Harlem, and
the business being an exceedingly profita-
BILE one their number is constantly in
creasing. 1t is mistake to suppose the
lodging house is the abode of the tramp.
That there are places where such persons
can find lodging upon the payment of a
small sum is true, but they do not frequent
the lodging houses. They are not wanted
either by the proprietors or guests. The
chief patron of the lodging house is the
chevalier d'industrie, age anywhere from
20 to 60, the majority being under 40. Hard
times do not affect his calling, nor do
financial stringencies diminish his income.
He is invariably decently dressed, and If
ever he misses a meal it is not for the reason
that the meal is not waiting for him.
A conversation with one of them gives
fair idea Of how they live. He was mid
die aged man, with the appearance of a
clerk. After a preliminary talk he told
the story OF his li1e.-
~ was born here in New York" he
said, "A years ago. At Is was put at
work and learned trade. For rs years,
or up to my fortieth year, 1 stuck to it
and never expected to do anything else. 1
had, of course, such amusements as the
average workingman has and was, sup
pose, contented with my lot. lived with
an old widow lady, who was just like a
mother to me, and beyond being inordi-
nately fond of reading was, have no
doubt, just like any of the horny handed
sons of toll in the city here. never had
the faculty of saving money, and when
four years ago was seized with infam-
matory rheumatism was obliged to go
to hospital. staid there two months.
During my stay my landlady died, and 1
drifted in here. / had never even so much
as heard of a lodging house before, but
the life suited me, and soon got to like
it. Man is gregarious animal, and when
one is lonesome, as was, there is an indie
scribable charm about such place as this.
fell in with an old fellow who had some
very queer ideas about life-that is, they
were queer to me then. He thought this
country lacked one great charm, and that
was leisure class such as il to be found
in every country of Europe. 1t didn't take
him long to convince me that he was right
in everything he said, and enrolled my
self as one of his disciples. To me it SEEM
ed fine thing to have nothing to do and
all day in which to do it. 1 had little
money when 1 came, but 1 never had
much.
Questioning me one day as to the
amount of my earnings, 1 found, upon
computation, that my average wages for
my 20 years of labor were about So week.
WELL said the old gentleman, lit will be
no trouble for you to get at least that
much without working, and, mind you,
an income of So week without being
obliged to work for it is a great deal more
than the same amount gained by labor
a fact which have often found to be true.
then entered regular course of tuition
under his guidance and after short time
was able to go without assistance. My
lodgings cost 81 80 week and my board
50, for which 1 had three good meals
day. l take only two now, and my dinner
costs me nothing. / have few hundred
dollars put by and have ample time to
indulge my taste for reading, and in the
four years that 1 have lived in this way
have enjoyed myself"
"Then you make your living, as you call
it, by begging?" was asked.
"That is about the truth of it. l have
certain number of places to go to regu-
larly. l am well known In them all, and
my pension, which varies in amount
from 80 cents to S., is paid to me without
question"
"You never beg on the streets, them"
"Never. would die first"
"Are there many engaged in the same
vocationP"
ayes, the leisure class, as my old
friend called us, is constantly being re-
cruited, but it is case where many are
called, but few chosen"
ttHnNu IL thnt2O