Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-07-22
THE PEABODY TENEMENTS.

CHn see the superintendent OF the
Peabody Model Tenements'?"
At the sound of an opening door /
had hurled this question into apace
through an Egyptian darkness that it
was no exaggeration to say might be-
felt
Well now, ma'sm, said a cheerful
voice, presumably IN the doorway, for
l saw no one, ''you can hardly be said
to sea him. We call this a London
particular. and when London IL in one
OF her foggy moods, you can't see a
lighted street lamp until you are right
under it,
OF this had had visual demonstra-
tion, for the darkness had fallen with
a suddenness somewhat alarming to a
stranger whose strong point was never
locality even in broad daylight.
But come in, come in," the voice
went on; I'VE can do better inside. -
l hoped so, for had remarked to my
self under the corner lamp that IL there
was one thing more dolelul and abject
! than London fog, it was London gas
seen through that medium. Evidently
the speaker felt a sort of perhaps not
unnatural pride in this London
specially, for he assured me he did not
believe any other city in the world
could produce such fog. So honest
anu so naive was the admiration for
the biggest fog OF the biggest city that
| could not find it in my heart to
assure him that was quite willing
for my part to grunt London a
monopoly in fogs.
Mr.. 9. 7. Gardner, the superin-
tendent OF the St. Luke's estate, is
| just the sort of man to whom you
would have assigned the ownership of
that oice-benevoent hut NOT sancti-
monious, lovial, but WITH suggestion
| of authority and dignity before which
a turbulent tenant might vol quail.
The sum originally devoted by Mr..
Peabody to this object was e500, 600.
The rents were ut first put so low that
for year or two the income scarcely
suliced to keep the buildings 10 good
running order. They were than in
creased, but are still from one-third to
one-half less than far meaner accom-
mociations can be obtained for else.
where. After the expenditure in build
ingH of the original donation, ESQ, 700
was borrowed from Public Work Lonn
Commissioners and others, and of this
sum less than SO, 600 remains unpaid,
which demonstrates pretty clearly that
even tie low rents pay "a fair interest
on the capital.
"What will he done with further
accruing rents?" l asked.
BY the terms of the will they are
TO bo used for the erection of other
buildings. The Peabody Model Tene.
ments now comprise Is estates, or
settlements, OF which this, tho st.
Luke's or Whitecross Street estate, is
the largest. 1t contains 30 buildings
or blocks, each block holding -
families, my last report showing a
total of 3, Goa souls.
'What class OF tenants do we have?
Not the lowest, you EayY My dear lady,
can you find anything lower than the
London costermonger or scaysnger?
Well, we have BOTH" and be- handed
me report whore, among liat of sc
of the various ways hy which the other
half live, scavengerH weru alphabetically
followed by Scripture readera, and these
in turn by stevedores and stokers; there
were eharwomen and custermongers,
tiremen and florists, and pensioners
and policemen. II don't know" be
won't on, (which was the worst dis
trlct, this of Whitecross, ID old Bays.
water, or Whitechapel, hard by, which
l opened. When the ground was pur.
chased for these buildings it was occu-
pied by the lowest and vileet scum OF
London. Rents of apartments, OF course.
vary with the size and number al
rooms a single room brings half d
crown week, and so on up to seven
shilings and sixpence for four rooms. u
April is a tickle jade and has her
better moments even in London. for
Just then the fog lifted and warm
April sunshine SO shRmed the low.
spirited gas that it went out from very
detection at least supposed so, for ]
saw no one turn it out.
Wouldn't you like to look over one
of the blocks? They are pretty much
all alike, and you might begin with
my apartments as specimen OF those
at 81 MONTH what hp really sale
was seven shillings week., at the
same time leading the way into 6
series Of four rooms, from each oI
which, one, and sometimes two, full.
sized windows opened, not into an
airshaft, called by courtesy court,
but into veritahle sun and air. both,
it must no admitted, however, of I
somewhat smoky quality rather
peculiar to London.
! Taking bunch of keys from a hook
Il Vi
! cement paved court or play. ground
sacred to the use of from 30 TO Ion
children, and of a size such as few
New York schools can boast for III
many hundreds Of youngsters. Tia,
tots Of an ineligible school age. o
. varying degrees of cleanliness RnC
. raggedness, it is true, hut happy ant
wholesome atoms withal, we're making
. merry in tins bright sunshine some /,
or 20 OF them regarding with ad
. miratiOn and awe the ungrnCeful gam
. :, bols of wooden Bucephalua under tn,
: hanus of an infant Raroy Interest il
- this fiery steHd was suspended
= moment willis they soampereu to collec
!, certain ha'pence and fRrthings which
~ had myHtoriously dropped from some
y where and rolled away over tho clean
white cement pavement.
As l looked back at the ''oliiCe' W
had Just left, | discovered 10 the win
, dow sign unseen before by reason 0
: the fog, announcing that there wer
= No Flats 10 Let. " Apartments 70
. so families on spaus covering no
4 more than four city blocks, and none +
n let!
. We have always to keen this sig
i in the window, said Mr.. Gardner
n The names Of parties Gesirous O
n securing accommodations are entere
n IN book, ami when vacancy occurs
n it is first come frat served, hut ther
I are few vacancies. We are sometime
. obliged TO eject a tonant for non pay
q ment OF rent. AMI, more rarely, for dis
4 turning the pence, and now and agai
. man moves because be must lin
. work in some distant locality. So