The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-08

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 these northern lati-
tudes, giving one hardly time TO salute
the sun between dawn and dark. Dur
points of call in the earlier half of our ex-
peditiou 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 q its floating pop-
ulation.
On SATURDAY nigh in winter time
some form of entert inment is devised
for the 5000 mum ipal dodgers. The
entertaining talent volunteers for the
performance. Ii ] part Of the duty of
the city commit having III charge
these hotels for IT. poor 10 secure on
Saturdays the a slstHnce Of amateurs
who can sing or auce or tell a story or
give an athletic now. There are seven
municipal lodging houses, and in tue
recreation room, Of each these Saturday
night p~leasantries are conducted. Every
concert. or magic lantern show, or what
ever it may be, l. 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-
cow no municipal politics. but merely
an administration Mr.. Chairman, there
fore. is not III quest of votes, and If h.
were his services in a lodging house
would i'll requite him. Nor is there any
appearance # charity, condescension.
nor any other untoward thing in this
business. The entertainment Is carried
on very much as "A concert is aboard an
Atlantic liner-with this exception. that
no collection j. made. The municipality
is put 10 no expense m the matter. a.!
il may be assumed -lnr the cA-i~-1 .
are put 10 no iucarv %. -"e. I.nE aE"
usually men who drvar. % .Grn mart .
their lives 10 paIIaur aruIIr wrr...
A Saturday night audience - "s. Cot
these municipal l8a--a Ha--- ga.- d
a wide assortment nt c4t.ss. -
considerable Gi-crlalliaH g.. r..
are sailors who have got hard plH .ar
soldiers recently discharged. There De-
poor devils VINO are spending tH"lr
pennies for shelter aud food. winch w.
take them over to the Monday III, rnI.s.
when they may be able to pick up some.
where somehow pennies enough to last
them over another night. And there are
laborers in regular employment. arti,
sans, too, VINO are not marc up, but who
are 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 worst
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 art
voluntary altogether. The entertainer
give their services, and the audiences are
not asked for a penny. There were from
300 to $50 men in Zach Of the recreation
rooms which we visited, and hearty ap
plause gave evideRce of the delight o.
the men, who appeared to enjoy them
selves thoroughly.
A municipal lodging house is a large
well lighted and well ventilated build
ing. At the entrance there is an Office
where the applicant for lodging pays hi
3Sd. or AID. and receives a ticket en-
fitting him to the privileges of the house
On the ground floor there are three largt
apartments, one used as a sort Of eating
ROOM. another as a sitting room, another
IS a kitchen. The dodgers supply theil
own food and cook it themselves, having
the free use os the kitchen fires and the
steam heaters for this purpose. The houst
Is in charge of a superintendent. witt
several assistants.
Ats O'clock in the evening the dOrmi
tories are opened. These dormitories ar'
~spacious rooms divided by partitions
or Q feet high into small compartments
each compartment containing a bed ar
ranged in the fashion of a stateroon
berth ON an Atlantic liner. The onlN
difference between the ~threepence half
penny and the fourpence halfpenny &C
c~ommodation is that the higher price en-
titles the lodger to an extra blanket
Lodgers are admitted to bed until abou
Ia. M. They must arise not later thai
o'clock in the morning. The premise
are kept scrupulously clean by the stat
of assistants. A well fitted laundry at
tsched to the place is constantly at wor
washing the bedding.-Cor. Boston Hel
aid.