The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-10-04
STATION HOUSE LODGERS,
WHERE NEW YoRK'S HOMELESS
ARMY SLEEP.

Scenes at Midnight in a Police Station
Going to the sIsland" Until
Mild Weather Comes.
u UT of the black shadow Of the
I alley, like a great bats wing,
! came the head of the line of
men across Oak street to the
basement gate Of the station-house.
The doorman now developed as much
activity as the German had shown. He
few at the first man in the line, and
catching his shoulders, flung him ten
feet away along the pavement.
''Git out of here, said he; ''a-a-a-h,
give me no talk. 1 know yer. You
was here last night. Git, now, or I'll
give yer my foot And you too; git.
now, and don't let me see yer any
more"
as his eye rested on each familiar
face he leaped at the owner of it and
gave him knock or q twist that sent
him spinning out of the line like top.
''Them's old soaks, that's been here
BEFORE said he in explanation, ''and
we don't take 'em if they're regulars.
There's not room enough for them that
deserves lodging"
I suppose those poor devils were the
most to be pitied of all the men saw
that day. What under heaven they
were to do If the station-house spurned
them was indeed question. But they
were spun out of sight and out of mind.
Down in the brightly lighted basement
of the station-house the German and
the doorman lined up the men in
crescent-shaped file with many curt
order to ''turn your face this way;
let's see your face, man." The manner
of the policeman was rough, his tones
we're sharp; but it was only manner
and tone. The New York policeman
is professional man. His business is
adopted for life, and familiarity with
the conditions in which he moves rem
ders him decidedly businesslike. AS
for the men, those who were jerked out
of the line like calves in cattle-yard,
simply hung their heads and shuff1ed
away like calves. Those who were ad-
mitted to the station-house and or
dered about moved duly and mechan-
ically, as if they we're rather helpless
than stupid, and had made up their
minds to pay that price for lodging
without complaint or resentment.
They we're new to such q place. They
were not tramps or professional dodgers.
Seven in ten were such men as one is
used to seeing about the wharves, or
carrying dinner pals homeward in the
uptown streets at supper t me. They
were unskilled laborers, with here and
there man not so easy to place-a
countryman, perhaps, or man from
distant city. They stood with their
heads up and their eyes moving, to
take in everything around them. The
German patrolman began at the head
of the line and asked for recruits for
the warehouses; new departure in
lodg1ng-room practice.
500 you want to go 'way?" he asked
of each. 600 you want to so way?
Do you want to go 'way?"
How these unfortunates understood
him don't know, for had to have
his meaning explained. The fact was
that the Department of Charities and
Correction has determined in order to
relieve the distress and pressure for
lodging room, to send to the work
house on Blackwell's Island all New
Workers of several years residence who
have no homes and are willing to leave
town for the winter. The strangers
are to be sent back to the places they
hail from.
':Do you want to so 'way?"
'No, sir.
s.Do you want to go 'way?"
81 don't mind" It was 8 longshore-
man who spoke.
"No, SIR ''No, SIR ono, sir,
said others in monotonous succession.
Then second man, who might have
long been truck driver, said he,
''didn't care And a third one. a
young fellow, answered, eyes, if you
please" There were boys in the line
at least two lads of seventeen or
eighteen years-badly off, but yet bet
ter placed than if they had ten cents
with which to get into the average
lodging house, where thieves are made
as if they were factories for turning
discouragementan and poverty into crime.
"What do you want to go to the
Island ior?" asked the man who had
been longshoremsn.
"Well, sir. what else can do?' he
replied. 81 have no work and no
money and no home. buried my
wife five years ago, and I have no
children. I've been here twenty-five
wears, and I understand I can be took
care of for the winter-till times is
better"
Some one slipped some silver in his
hand-for tobacco on the Island
Harper's Weekly.