New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
NOT so BLACK AS PAINTED.
rur EAST SIDE LANDLORD AND HIS
TREATMENT OF TENANTS
~ 1NcoRRlcIpLE CLASS OF RENrpoDoERs AMI
THEIR wAys-HoNEsr TENANTS SELDOM
prsruRBEp-THB JANIroR's POWER.

THEIR WAYS-HONEST TENANTS sELDoNi
prsruRBEp-rHp JANIroR's POWER
when the resident Of the East Side tells his
-o,b,es and how the hard times and the severe
.,..,her make his existence doubly miserable.
one of the first things that he speaks OF and on
,b,ch he becomes particularly eloquent Is the
Grinding of the landlord and his exacting and
heartless methods. To those who hear only the
tenants side OF the story. the owner OF the
crowded tenement houses appears cruel, grasp
,nr and unsympathetc. with only two objects IN
,ife-the collection OF extortionate rents and the
eviction Of impecunious tenants sensational
newspaper articles have given vogue to exag-
eerated reports on that score ana charl'apie
neople have been led to contribute to FUNDS which
they thought would have been uncalled for but
for the inhumanity Of the landlords
But people who live in the part OF the city
uhsre the alleged abuses are said to exist. and
who meet all classes Of the population and have
annie opportunity to investigate the question,
and whose business makes impartiality prime
,eouisjte are less severe in their criticism. Not
only do they deny the slanderous reports as 10
the landlords. but they say that the property
owners have done and do now, more than tneir
share toward reducing the distress OF their ten
ants and that the stories OF hard-hearted meth
ods which have been circulated have no founda-
tion In fact.
THE GAME OF DOING" THE LANDLORD
1.-THE landlord In the part Of the city inhabited
hv the Russians" said resident or tnat dis-
,rict cannot be compared with his fellow prop
erty-owner in any other part or the CITY MS
tenants are Of peculiar type and MS methooS
are in keeping with his patrons While 'here
are thousands Of worthy people In the distric''
there are many also who think 1t charity 10
do. the landlord and this class resort 10 all
sorts of tricks and subterfuges TO accomplish
their end They do not look upon their places VI
abode As their permanent homes. ano me oiscoin-
forts connected with moving from place 20 pace
na,.a ,o terrors for them When they have be-
come used to habits Of cleanliness ana oroei'
when their children have become suficien'ly
,,,ericanized TO see that their home surround
,,es are not what they should be, and wnen
they have learned to appreciate the advantages
which this country has over the one from WHICH
they came. they become good tenants ana '"e
people who bewail the cruelties OF the iaiiuio'u
cannot he found in that class
r,a reonle who make up the discontented part
s tho East Side population live in the tenement
ho,ses in which there are living apartments OF
two to four rooms. and VISIT 10 any one W
the houses will convince the observer 'ha' i'ie
.hare oven when work is plenty and wages are
rapd
NJ Measure The apartments are not always III
leerinr with the size of the tenants Iamiis' ou''
,a,her are rented with view to his possioie IN
como. and 80 II happens that a large family is
os,an crowded into a two three room apart
men, in which, despite the efforts OF the Health
department, the air is never pure ana III hos'
instances is unbearabe to one who Is not ac-
,ustoned TO similar conditions.
THE COLD WATER" FLAT.
The houses which have the two and three room
APARTMENTS are usually built in such way tha'
the three rooms are in the front and the two
rooms in the rear. and for these the iahoioro
receiyes-or hopes to receve-S9 and - month
respectively The houses have no modern con-
veniences and are known as cold water ha's
on that account The houses Of a better grade
have seven rooms a floor, four rooms iron'
and three back and average $13 and Sll re-
snactive,v. Stores. bakeshops. butchers stalls,
sweatshops green grocery stands. saloons anu
various other places Of business occupy the
ground floors Of many of the houses, and on
THURSDAYS and Fridays the streets In front OF
the houses are congested with those VINO nave
merchandise for sale and those who come 10
buy or trade.
The hall of the typical "cold water fiat Is dark
and full Of serio-comic smells and small and un-
washed children and one is impressed with the
fact that he Is In a foreign atmosphere pe1ore
the door Of an apartment is opened In answer to
his knock by the queer sign on the door frame
This consists of a tubular tin device about three
inches long and one-half inch wide, which is
cut about midway Of it's length sufficiently to
show a few Hebrew characters. The little sign
Is known as a Mesusseth and contains scroll
with the Ten Commandments and Is placed on
the door in keeping with Mosaic law which
commands the children of Israel to nall the
fundamental principles Of the law upon their
doorposts.
OF the three rooms in the apartment only one
contains a stove. and this stands In the room
which is a combination kitchen. dining-room and
laundry, and from the looks of which one gains
the best idea Of the hudded condition. This is
washday," the housewife said. in an apoogetic
tone. to her unexpected visitors. excusng her
self for the condition Of the place, which looked
tossed and tumbled enough to be ragshop or a
junk establishment
wAsHDAY ASPECT.
The atmosphere was thick with the vapors
which arose from a washboiler on the stove.
The naked floor the rickety chairs and the
table with its oilcloth cover were moist and
carnmy and a couple of little ones. who looked
though immersion into the boiler would do
them no HARM pranced about the place In way
which would have terrified the average mother.
The door to dark room stood ajar and re-
vealed an ill-clothed bed and a cot. between
which stood a chair piled high with all sorts
Of clothing At the other end Of the small space
a table which unwashed china. shoes
and market basket were piled in unstuded
confusion The hooks and nails about the room
were hung with wraps and clothes which may
have better days.
The third room was the "parlor" 1t con-
tanned chest Of drawers. a bed lounge. several
chairs large and small table and the man.
tepiece was ornamented with pieces Of cheap
porcelain and glassware On the small table