Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-19
DAY IN A TENEMENT
A Graphic Sketch Of the Daily Life Of the
Other Half.
Early Morning Scenes and the Actors
Young and Old in the StruE-
gle fer Existence.

From the New York Herald.
Long before the approaching dawn has
thrown any sign of its light upon the inky
darkness Of night the entire tenement Is
awake, and at every stove mother IS
busly preparing the frugal breakfast from
the freshly kindled fire. There are no
men there who may saunter leisureIy down
to cozy offices at or 10 o'clock. They,
too, live life of toll. repaid only with
what will barely allow them and their
families to exist. The o'clock whistles
have but sounded when the clatter OF
heavy footsteps is heard upon the rickety
stairs. The majority are day laborerS, with
tin cans containing their dinners; some are
mechanics, whose rough, stained hands tell
the nature OF their work, and others are
truckmen and longshoremen. Some OF the
men know each other and call out pois-
ferrous good mornin.
Have yez caught onto anything yet
Casey?" shouts a big fellow to a man ne
has encountered at the door.
"Divil a CATCH. says Casey. I'm goin
to make another stroke for that lection
money this marnin, an think IN get
three hours extra time on the Old Dornln-
ion pier this afternoon If the boat gets IN
early
With the men come a scattering of boys
various mechanical trades in foundries and
machine shops and errand boys. one dl-
minutive little fellow wears the uniform OF
a messenger. All have matured faces, with
dark rings under their eyes, and nearly
every one puffs vigorously on freshly
lighted cigarette and seems to receive
Few life and hope in the deep draughts OF
the smoke they inbale into their lungs
They like to appear Old and manly, and
they blow the smoke through their nostris
with the nonchalance OF conhrmed clup-
man.
In less than half an hour the tenement
has been deserted by the male population.
The only exceptions may me the few men
who are out of work and have no early
morning prospects and those who are
sleeping off the effects OF a protracted
spree Down there they .peak plainly ana
call 1t a heavy drunk.
just now the latter conditions are not at
all uncommon.
In little while footsteps are again
heard on the stairs and in the Railways.
They are lighter this time. and the girls
begin TO appear in groups OF tWos anu
threes. Some of them stop at the doorway
to wait for belated friend who works in
the same shop or factory. In spite Oh their
tired, sleepy eyes. their faces are bright
and clean, their general appearance neat.
and they are a refreshing change. and
somewhat of a surprise. following so close
ly on the grmy set OF men and boys.
The Sleep of Toll.
One of the girls leans against the door
way and yawns sleepily, remarking:
I'D give quarter if could chase me-
self back in bed again fer about two
hours"
well, yer will stay out till four G. NJ
dancin' an dom tn society,"" says one of
her friends That's whatcher git fer it,
How was the ball. anyhow?
"Outer sight" says the sleepy girl Upright
ching up. Say, / never seen Nilsson Hall
lCck so pretty in all ME life an we had all
4,
every dance they played. and just as they
struck up Home Sweet Home l got such
a crdmp in me leg / couldn't walk. an We
had ter take the horse car. Gee, 1t hurt.
an if they'd had another dance l would
have had fit, fer l couldn't of danced 1t
| ter save me life"
WI lie the girls are expressing their pleas
! ure that the accident had rot happened
! sooner and their sympathy that 1t hap
| pened at all. the belated one appeared.with
| eyelids dropping heavily. She had also
| been to the ball.
| Gee. Kitty" she said. how do you feel?
| wus gon' ter drop off, and the ankle what
| that clumsy jay stepped on hurts awful"
We'll. you are two pretty society ladies"
| says the girl who had scclded the first
speaker. Then she begins to waltz as she
| sings:
After the ball is over,
| Just at the break of day
Suddenly stopping, she cries: You girls
1
| or you'll have us all locked" And Off they
| go. chattering laughing, yawning and limp
| ing. Tonight they will do it all over again
| if they ara invited.
| Breakfast is over; the voices of women
and children echo through the dark halls,
and the big tenement, like a giant engine,
resounds with the busy hum of everyday
! life. Boys and girls clatter up and down
the stairs, whistling noisily and shouting
inquiries pertinent to their doings of the
day. Some are on early errands to the
shops near by: others bring down ashes to
| the barrels standing on the curb, and then
| carry from the depths of the cellar pals OF
coal or armfuls of wood-perhaps both.
! In an hour or two they also join the gen.
eral exodus, and, with states and pencils
and greasy-looiling books, accompanied by
! their chums and favorite mates, they &c
trooping off to school.
! Now The WasItub.
In nearly all of the homes the women
turn their attention to the washtub. White
goods and linens ere scarce in the house
holds, and to keep things clean at all a few
hours must be spent every day in washing
This duty is invariably first attended to
because it takes nearly the whole day tc
dry the wash. as 1t hangs in the narrow al
| leys, from house to house, so shaded thai
the sunshine can pay but brief visit daily
The women meet each other wash boiler
in hand. at the hydrant in the hall, and eX
change the compliments of the morning
and the newest bit Of gossip they have tt
offer as early morning morsels. Then, too
the health and condition of the babies /:
asked, and in cases of sickness home RENE
dies and suggestions are kindly given anC
tender sympa thies crudely expressed.
If one of the babies happens to be very
ill work is laid aside long enough to make
a call and the child, and sometimes il
the little one needs all of the mothers at
tention, one of her nearest neighbors will
allow her work to stand while she goes IL
and fixes up the rooms, being repaid by the
most ardent blessings and fulsome thanks
Some of the women leave the house sooI
after the children have gone. They carry
big white covered bundles, containing neck
ties cheap shirts or buttonhcle bands, which
they have finished at starvation prices. A
the big shops they will receive their miser
able pittance and fresh supply of work
In nearly every case the proceeds are added
to the meager wages of the husband to b.
spent for the necessaries of life. In som'
cases the women take this work in order t.
| clothe their children so that they may lool
presentable at school, and once In whil
the proceeds of several months are used TO