Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-27
PRACTICAL CHARITY
Where Men Receive Help Without Losing
Ssl!-Respect
The Work Done by the Municipal
Lodging House and the Return De-
manded From Inmates.

answer most of them make, and then they
add: I've been there three nights and can't
stay any longer"
Judge Kimban has become very much in
terested in the manner in which this insti-
tuition is conducted and on several occasions
he has sent for Capt. Cutler, who is superin-
tendent of the place, and inquired of him
conc erning statements made about it by the
prisoners.
Although this institution is generally
known as the Tramp House." it Is the in
tentlon OF those in. charge to weed out the
professional tramps and accommodate only
those who are deserving of more considera-
ton than are these knights OF the road.
This winter the institution has done good
work and not only has Superintendent cut
Ter and G.. n. Wilson, his assistant, done
work in the direction Of providing food and
shelter for the unfortunates. but he has also
procured situations for many or them, ana
some of the men thus assisted are doing
credit both to themselves and the institu-
ton.
Probably fifty of these who have called
this winter have been fortunate enough 10
get positions through the kindness of Inc
superintendent and his assistant and those
who nave been helped in this way have not
teen ungrateful An average of about ten q
month have been able to get good paying
positions in this way, and one of those who
roomed and boarded in the house for several
nights is now in charge of one of the lead
ing medical institutions here, while another
IS head clerk In large business house.
There are some who. of course, We're able
10 obtain positions which do not pay quite
SO well, but most of them do not forget the
kindness of Capt. Cutler and pay an oc
casional call to show their appreciation of
his kindness The dodgers this season have
numbered:
October. 10; daily average, rs.
November. 40; daily average, AZ.
Dece $50; daily average, IL.
January. ..2O01, daily average, 6S.
High Water Mark.
This morth's average has been about 81.
TIE high water mark of dodgers is reach
ed IN January and March, the nomads
seeking warmer clinles in increased num-
bers from the middle of September until
the turn Of the tide that usually begins in
the latter part Of Februar-, reaching its
height in March and then slowly receding
Until the month of June, when the low wa
ter mark is reached. This continues until
about the middle Of September. when the
army makes another move in the direction
OF the warm climate of the south.
And what study is presented by the
different men VINO come here" remarked
the assistant superintendent to a Star re-
Porter tie other day. SHARP pointed and
pinched features tell OF cherries nights
and hungry days, premature age showing
on every hand. Those SO marked are gen.
orally of the class of those who have not
yet sunk SO low as 10 part with all self
respect, but most Of them are unfortunate
in that they cannot resist the cup Of in
ehriety. The man who is professional
tramp and me2dicaht is generally lazy,
corpulent and impudent. and whose only
ambition In life is to get a place to sleep,
some: thing to eat and money enough for
whisky.
Pro badly one-fifth of the persons seeking
accommodations of this class are white,
two-fifths of those who have taken their
Places at the foot OF the ladder have dore
% because of their Incorporate habits, and
the Iemaining two-tifths victims of
hard times. crowded cut of employment by
the want of efficient laws respecting immi-
grafton Of the thousands OF worthless and
deDraved from the over-populated sections
or Europe, who are aliens to us in lam
suage. habits and aims; who can always
be counted upon 20 rally to the call of an
arcly, riot and sedition who come here to
work for q pittance. and herd together as
50 many animals to take the places of our
native workmen and bring to their homes
suffering and Distress
The Old and New.
During the past year the lodging house
has accommodated an average Of ~ per-
scEs day, or total Of 49, 40, and 2S,-
Alt mesls, or a total of 43. 557 meals and
lodgings. Supt. Cutler has on hand a num-
Der of snail books containing tickets OF
admission, and these books are given to
reliable citizens. These are provided to be
gwen TO persons wro call at residences of
citizens and ask for assistance. By having
these tickets the giving of aims to tranlps
and others can be avoided.
Before the establishment of this lodging
house the stranded and homeless stranger )
sought shelter at the various police sta
tior s.. at times, during the winter season,
crowd1ng the small rooms almost to suffo-
cation. When this was permitted the pro-
fessIon2l tramp we'll as others found
1t an easy matter to get winters lodging
by going from one police station to another
Then they found 1t easy task in the
Gay time to visit houses and get food
enough to tako on a layer or two of adj
pose tissue. and from pedestrians they
managed to get enough to purchase liquor
to drown their sorrows, ii they had any
They Were allowed three nights at each
station, and by the time they had made the
rounds they had no trouble in repeating the
operation.
Have to Work.
ent institution was established, and the
oldtime tramps, who had slept on the
wooden beds In the police stations for
years. were referred to the lodging house
Here they were confronted with a set of
rules. with which they had to comply be-
fore being admitted, and many Of them de-
clined to comply with the provision that
they must work for what they get, and
the result has been that many of this class
ing house officials think that there has
been decided decrease in this class Of
guests since the institution was estab-
lished, and the assistance now given is to
more worthy class of strangers.
AT present the house is too small for all
those who call. While it has a capacity Of
about sixty-two. frequently as many as
seventy men are lodged. Thens too, the
wood yard is too SMALL and Superintendent
Cutler thinks that with proper accommo-
datiODs the institution would be self-sus-
tanning. The house, located on 18th street
adjoining the first police station, Is a
model for neatness in all its departments
including the kitchen, dining room, bath
and sleeping rooms. Two meals are served
each day, one in the morning and the other
during the evening. and the guests are
given good. substantial food, and plenty
of it.
When the house Is filled the police sta
lions notified, and then they are sup
posed to accommodate the overflow.
Small Library.
But this the police do not always do for
when they call they are usually taken to
court, and there is now gang of workmen
in the chain gang made up almost ,exclu-
sively Of this class Of men.
Attached to the institution is a small
library and Superntendent Cut1er will