The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
CHILDREN ARE BARRED OUT
NOT ONE TO BE FOUND IN THIS BIG
TENEMENT.

The NeiEhborhood swnrms with children.
but the H~ousekeepor Won't Lot Any Live
Under Her Roof-The Tenement Popu-
lar and Rooms In It Eagerly Sought For.
That's n peculiar house." said the con-
tractors clerk, as he leaned ~leisurely in the
doorway Of tho little eaboose where the work.
mems tools and the workmen's accounts were
kept. I've learned to know this street pretty
well in the year and n half since we've been
building down here. and.that house there next
to the furniture shop Is by far the oddest"-
but Just then a WAGNER approached with a bill
to be-settled, and the clerk had to go inside
applicants for orders and the adjustment OF
business followed so thick and fast on each
others heels that he got no chance to como
out again.
That's a peculiar h~ouse-the one there next
to where the bedsteads are being painted" said
the teamster. who had Just let dow an extra
heavy load OF granite blocks from his cart. and
was about to settle himself for a smoke on one
of the great beams beside the curbstone.
Hardly, however. had he got the words out and
drawn his pipe from his pocket. when some ag-
gravating urchins began playing pranks with
his horses and he had to be W and after them.
That's a.peculiar house-the one there next
TO the blue one" said the spostman. as he
paused at the little:window of the caboose to
shout in that somebody owed him two cents.
You don't see any difference between IL and
the other tenements2 Maybe not, but there
ia. It's the oldest house on my beat. And
there amt another like It on any delivery that
goes out from my station. They're all queer.
perhaps, to q person that amt used to them.
but that's the oldest Of the lot. There amt
a child In it. from top to bottom. and that's
sayin' a good deal down in this part of own"
You look at the adjacent house steps and
cellar steps. alleyways and front windows
literally swarming with children. at the street
and sidewalk bristlinE with them. and are con-
Yinced that the house In that particular spot
that shelters no child in any one of it's rooms
or in any one OF its five floors or in the cellar.
Is q none-such. No wonder 1t is held up as q
noted street mark worthy Of record and re-
membrance.
How did it manage to be so dtferent2" you
ask the postman, an alert public servant with
the ability to deliver salutation and letters in
many tongues and keep his wits and good
nature about him in the midst Of conditions
and QuestioninGs trying to any man that
would drive the orthodox. non-committal up
town postman distracted.
I.don't know myself how it is DONE" he
answers. laughing. Il guess the housekeep.
er's In the secret. She and her old man are
down on children and the litter and confusion
that they make. No, they don't ask no higher
rent for the rooms-they ask enough In all
conscience for rooms in any one Of these
houses dow here-but the house agent never
objects to anything they do or any rules they
make. so they keep the rooms rented and its
got to be known around that people with chill
dren had better not go there for lodging.
Some folks who like to get rid of the noise
and confusion in the other houses try to get
in there as soon as there's q chance. You see
children make a lot OF pickering, not so much
between themselves as between the mothers.
carrying tales and making jealous feelings.
dirt and stick. chewing gum and candy all over
seeing that they don't fall over. and down in
she y set i sse5nE ni teRf ihey As d4 3Re k W%sse wa5er
says. a few young ones Is one thing and a whole
turn, a regiment Of them Is another. And once
Children don't even go to that house visiting
much. unless they slip in with, grown folks
schoo! next door. one of those little Hebrew
church chs sch hooeotlS. t and , i makes ,I me t laugh NJ to see see
Know know IT t any adieekst Re Healthy II ~ for eF' them ano to eo ioof in, be.
cause the hopsekeeper keeps on the watch all
women. flower makers, in the lower front
room on the street to help her Keep an eye out
That room n up there where you see the
canary bird and the parrot in the window Is q
Ras hat r SonF' snd the hs'f little { "i one i next to of IT,
His business, makes. him crusty, constantly
tasting. you know. and never swallowing. and
he p Belongs 8 Vt to h G3hlS pc s"te e over in JeW;yG f..
many or ~Jew-Poland or wherever he lived, but
Is kind OF down on his luck here ard all he
Toes out OF work hours is to fool with that par
rot and read the, foreign papers. lisa pretty
s sRiIdtePp af ip tb sh 6ly you h sSe ne nn caG GSa IS on lee acI ras
the. street-there's twenty-five families in
that one and all OF 'em have troops Of children
crazy about that parrot and would like to get
close and devil him. but never u one OF 'em
"In the room over the:wine faster there's a
stone setter lives. He's another queer bird.
Moreover. he's got q good thing of it. | happen
more than half supports him, l get to know
things from the letters coming so regular.
for me on the day of the month that the letter
with the money Is expected; 1t never varies
the mail steamer is delayed, I have . notion
that he had to get out OF his country for some
law reason. and after a time he'll go back.
The second floor back rooms bring in good
rent and no bother. as the housekeeper says.
They are kept by a man who wants to vote
street with some Of his well-to-do folks. Way
up on top there. where you see that wax figure
for fixing up secondhand window figures. He
has three or four girls working for him. thread
ing in ,eyelashes and all that. but there amt
70 children's age. The, tenant of the top floor
front was diSpossessed last week. She, had
lived there nine years all alone-an. oldish
sort, Of woman. a woman who, had been
good looking and a good worker In her time.
and couldn't meet her. rent. She got in the
habit Of taking something to keep her up. and
that put the housekeeper out with her. She
had patience a. good while, but finally she had
her lodgers things set out on the sidewalk.
There was a man to blame in the affair. way
back. they say, and the neiRhbors seemed sorry
about it. The m didn't know much that
was going, on that day she was dispossessed.
but a neiRAbor set "a soup plate on top OF the
bed-mattress. as they always do down here.
and a, good many coins went in as the people
passed by. That's the custom to give what
ever can be spared. II IT'S only a cent. to the
good many who chipped in that day knew
about the woman and how regularly she used
shape she kept things before she got out OF
heart. but a heap OF EN- didn't know anything
about 1t more than that those things were to
be auctioned off and the owner must be out
.''They didn't ask any questions. It's part
OF their religion, Who's gPin' to move into the
may depend it's somebody without children,