The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-09
HOTELS FORTHEPOOR

HOW THE HOMELESS ARE CARED FOR
IN GLASGOW.
Municipal Lodging Honses Minus the Sting
Of ChMrity-No Chance For Politics I'm It..
The Saturday Night entertainments and
Now They Are Conducted.
One Saturday in Glasgow ! tramped
shout 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
ia 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 these northern lati-
tudes, giving a hardly time to salute
the sun between dawn and dark. Our
points Of call in the earlier half Of u ex-
petition were the municipal lodging
houses, those places of agreeable refuge
which the city established 20 years ago
for the purpose of selling decent shelter
to the lower elements Of it's floating pop
u~lation.
On Saturday night in winter time
some form Of entertainment il 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 a 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 l have
previously explained, they have in elias,
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
IN very much as Il concert is aboard al
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 chairme1
are put to no Inconvenience. They are
usually men who devote a large part OF
their lives to philanthropic work.
A Saturday night S audience at one OF
these municipal lodging houses comprises
u wide assortment of characters and q
considerable distribution of race. There
are sailors who have got hard up in port
soldiers recently discharged. There arr
poor devils who are 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 las
them over another night. And there ar
laborers in regular employment, arti
sans, too, who are not hard up, but VIII,
are lodging here while they are at worl
in the town. There are of course mel
who nave seen better days and men VIII,
by no possibility can ever see any wors,
ones. Some are here from necessity
some from motives of economy. and al
l., 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 fron
200 to $50 ne IN each Of the recreation
rooms which We visited. and hearty al
plause gave evidence of the delight 0
the e who appeared to enjoy them
selves thoroughly.
A municipal lodging house is "a large
we'll lighted and we'll ventilated build
= ing. At the entrance there is an Office
where the applicant for lodging pays hi
3ad. OF AID. and receives u ticket Ell
titling him to the privileges of the house
On the ground floor there are three larg
apartments, n nsed rs a sort of eatinI
room, another rs a sitting room, anothe
as a kitchen. The dodgers supply thei
own food and cook it themselves, havin
the free use of the kitchen fires and tn
SttdLi ucdteTS " WIS puT Pose. me nous
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
or 9 feet high into small compartments
each compartment containing a bed al
ranged in the fashion Of a stateroot
berth on an Atlantic liner. The onl
difference between the threepence hall
, penny and the fourpence halfpenny az
commodation is that the higher price Ell
titles the lodger to an extra blanket
8 Lodgers are admitted to bed until abou
. l a. IN. They must arise not later tina
, s O'Clock in the morning. The premise
are kept scrupulously clean by the sta
of assistants. A we'll fitted laundry a
:, tached to the place is constantly at wor
, washing the bedding.-Cor. Boston He
aid.
T. Ancient Preservation of the Dead.
=, Herodotus gives a good description
the manner in which the early EthiOp