The herald., 1897-04-25
some WINTER GUESTS

the tourists who take up their quarter!
in the Van Nuys, the Hollenbeck, thu
| Westminster or the many other palatia
hotels in the city who make their pres
ence in the city the most conspicuous
While their plethoric purses enable them
to institute comparisons between the
Gala lily fields of the Bermudas and
those of Pasadena and the grateful sun
shine Of the Mediterranean-washed
lands of Europe with that of the verdant
valleys of Southern California, their per-
ambulations are usually of an undemon-
strative character except when the occa-
sional winding of a horn heralds the pro-
| gress of the tallyho.
But there is another element in the
visiting population more in evidence,
more aggreesive an element that ap-
pears in the fields and towns and around
/ the water tanks of the east and north
with the advent of the bluebird and rob-
| in in those regions. He it is who effaced
| the statistical theories of Edward At
kinson, the Boston philosopher, and fur
niehed a practical solution of the prob
lem of cheap living. The business world.
responsive to the imperative demands
of the tramp. whether from choice or an
industrial depression, has furnished in
stitutions for feeding and lodging, con-
stituting hotel life. adapted to the mea-
ger means of the weary wayfarer which
would seem to have touched the lowest
rates above nothing.
There are two places in the city which
have enjoyed a winter of unusual busi-
ness activity, caused by the widespread
business depression, that are now daily
bidding good bye to their patrons. who
are moving again over the land on the
brakebeam and the blind baggage. One.
the Good Samaritan, is on Upper Main
street. with restaurant attachment
opening on New High street. The other
is on East First street. They do not
call themselves hotels; they are lodging
houses. and advertise to furnish clean
beds for cents per night. These beds
are arranged down along the room on
square frames-"double-de -deckers. The
, bed consists of a canvas hammock hung
in the frame and a blanket. There is
no pillow or sheet. The guest can util-
ize his shoes wrapped in his coat for a
pillow.
In the Good Samaritan attempts are
made to elevate the mind of the lodger
TO holy thoughts by religious services
and the display of the legend Prepare to
Meet Thy God and others of similar
character around the room. Efforts were
also made at one time to furnish free
one meal day, but this part of the pro-
gram was abandoned on account of a
scarcity of funds. Those who avail
themselves of the hospitality of this place
are required to observe the usual ameni-
ties of civilized life while there, and
gross profanity or coarseness is prohib-
tied. In the First street establishment
no shackles are placed on the guest.
The man with the leaden jag. if he can
reach the inside of the threshold with
the nickel is assisted to his bunk; the
victims of the morphine habit, the "hy
pc" fiends who swarm here, and all COL
ors and conditions of men find here shell
ter and. in the morning, a cup of black
coffee and some pieces of broken crack
ers, which is called free breakfast One
of the assistants uSes the gun" as the
hypodermic syringe is called. and was
accused by a guest of being the possess
sor of a tapeworm because he managed
to devour so much of the broken fodder
during the night as to cause a partial
famine at the next mornings breakfast.
He occasionally orders Lou, his co-as-
eistant, to come and fill out the coffee
while l go and take a shot" as he
phrases it.
At the south end of the room under a
steady burning lamp the "fends" are to
be seen a all hours of the night, crippled
and sound, injecting the drug into their
arms, breast and other parts of their
anatomy. They chatter about their ex-
- ,t~;,, . l,1
price for the dope" mouching or beg
ging on the main stem" or street SEEM
ingly as isolated in their habits and
thoughts as colony of lepers. The
place holds 120, and the manager claims
it has been we'll patronized all winter on
account of the difficulty of getting work
or money to enjoy the luxury of higher
priced caravansariee
Perhaps in no city in the nation Is it
possible for the man of small means to
live so cheaply. This applies to the man
who is not housekeeping, and the lodg-
ers at the above places are usually men
of no family esponsibilty-none that
they recognize at least. Nowhere can
be found such multitude of restaurants
where abundance can be secured for a
trifle. OF course some of the and 10
cent eating houses sugar the coffee for
the guests and furnish the syrup for the
cakes in thimble-siZed pitchers, not al
lowing the patron to handle the sugar
or syrup according to his own sweet
taste, and the transparent slices of bread
are limited, yet there are others where
unstinted plenty is the rule; where a
fairly good Hamburg steak, vegeta bles,
plates piled constantly with thick slices
of bread, full sugar bowl and molasses
pitcher and the meal finished off with a
bottle of wine, ice cream and cake is fur
nished for dime. Other meats may be
substituted and either coffee or tea ta-
ken in lieu of wine.
1t is puZzling to person unacquainted
with the business to understand how any
profit arises from it, but the proprietors
of many of the places are making mon
ey. They are invaded during the noon
circumstances but also by large NUN
bers of the active business men of the
city.
| But the breaking up of the ice gorged
| rivers of the east and the modest appear
ance of the grass blades on the southern
| slopes of Nebraska, Iowa and other mid
| die and eastern states furnishes the fret
signal for the hegira of the courageous
band of penniless tourists who bask In
| Southern California until 1.-The orange
| blossoms grow" and furnish audiences
| for Central park political economists and
| evangelists while Grating. They may