The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1894-02-09
HOTELS FORTHEPOOR
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
Rfterward with an estimable bailie who
is renowned in the town for his opposi-
ton to all things alcoholic Ny tour be-
Ean soon after dusk, which comes aston
iShingly early in these 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-
peditiOn We're the municipal lodging
houses, those places of agreeable refuge
which the city established % years ago
for the purpose Of selling decent shelter
to the lower elements of its floating pop
ulatiOn.
On Saturday night in winter time
some form of entertainment is devised
for the 2000 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 a story or
give an athletic show. There are seven
municipal lodging houses, and in the
recreation rooms OF each these Saturday
night pleaSartries are conducted. Every
concert, or magic lantern show, or what
ever it may be, Is presided over by a
chairman. VINO volunteers for the pur-
pose from the member of the city gov
ernment.
The gentlemen so presiding are not
municipal politicians. because, as have
previously explained. they have in Glas-
+ gov 10 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. II concert is aboard an
Atlantic liner-with this exception, that
no collection is made. The municipality
| 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 comprises
| wide assortment of characters and a
, considerable distribution of race. There
| are sailors who have got hard up in port,
! soldiers recently discharged There are
poor devils who ale spending their last
pennies for shelter and food. which will
take them over to the Monday morning,
when they may be able to pick up some
| where somehow pennies enough to last
| them over another night. And there are
laborers III regular employment. arti-
sans. too. VINO are not hard up, but who
| ere lodging here while they are at work
| in the town. There are of course men
who have seen better days and men who
| by no possibility can ever see any worse
| ones. Some are here from necessity,
some from motives of economy. and all
| of them are fairly comfortable while they
are here.
The Saturday night entertainments are
| voluntary altogether. The entertainers
| give their services, and the audiences are
not asked for penny. There were from
| 200 to $50 men in each of the recreation
rooms which we visited, and hearty ap-
plause gave evidence of the delight of
! 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 his
| 3td. or AID. and receives a ticket en-
| titling him to the privileges of the house.
| On the ground floor there are three large
apartments, one used as sort of eating
room, another as n sitting room. another
| as a kitchen. The dodgers supply their
| own food and cook it themselves, having
| the free use of the kitchen fires and the
| steam heaters for this purpose. The house
| is in charge of a superintendent, with
several assistants.
At o'clock in the evening the dormi-
tories are opened. These dormitories are
spacious rooms divided by partitions s
or feet high into small compartments,
each compartment containing bed ar
ranged in the fashion of stateroom
berth on an Atlantic liner. The only
difference between the threepence half
penny and the fourpence halfpenny ac-
commodation is that the higher price en-
titles the lodger to an extra blanket.
Lodgers are admitted to bed until about
/ la. IN. They must arise not later than
8 o'clock in the morning. The premises
are kept scrupulously clean by the staff
of assistants. A we'll fitted laundry at
tached to the place is constantly at work
washing the bedding. Boston Her
aid.
Ancient Preservation of the Dead.