The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-18
HOgan's Famous Chicago Hotel
to Be Shut
Lodging House Law Forces
PhilanthrOpist to Quit.
MIGRATORY MORTALS.
Mourn Suspension Of Ex-Pugil-
lists Soup House.
Thousands Have Been Sheltered
and Fed Free

Chicago, Dec. 18-The word has been
passed throughout the length and
breadth of the west side than Ben HO-
gan will retire from the field of philan-
thropy and viii discontinue for the
present, at least, his lodging house in
Meridian street. The sanitary laws of
the state are in main responsible for
Hogan's determination to quit, and in
consequence many in the great army Of
ainless wanderers who have made the
west side their winter refuge will be
obliged to affix their sigma lures to the
registers of more pretentious lodging
houses.
The name and fame of Hogan, ex-
pugilist, refOrmer, restaurant-keeper
and lodging house proprietor, has been
a byWOrd for years among the migra-
tory mOrtals who glory in the sObri-
Quet of hobo" and claim the credit for
having supplied innumerabIe inspira-
tiOns for artists employed by comic
Weeklies.
The Humane mission, at Madison and
Clinton streets, an adjunct of the HO-
gan lodging house, Will be closed later
probably.
When the state board of health caus-
ed the clearinghouse inspection bureau
to be formed with a view to enforcing
the sanitary laws so far as they related
to the conduct of cheap lodging houses
HOgan's was among the first to receive
q 2
building in Meridian street, near Union,
he had been in the habit of supplying
accommodation for several hundred
men each night. the requirement being
the payment of or 3 cents. The exact
amount depended on whether or not the
prospective lOdger had partaken of
HOgan's soup at the Humane mission.
If this turned out to be the case he was
armed with a coupon which entitled
him to sleeping quarters At a reduced
rate.
Homer c. Fancher of the inspection
bureau learned that each lOdger was
allowed about 250 cubic feet of breath
ing space, when. as matter of fact.
the state law required that he be given
at least 400 feet. 1t was then that Ho-
gan and his army of frOWSy patrons
first came to a realization of the danger
which threatened them. The building
occupied by the lodging house had been
constructed for manufacturing pur-
poses Ori iginaIly and it was found next
to impossible to comply with the re-
quirements. To supply a separate room
for each IOdger was regarded as a
hardship both to the management and
patrons. The community had been ac-
customed to nightly cOmpaniOnship in
one lodge room and the idea Of solitude
filed it with dismay.
It was decided then to abandon the
lodging house and in all probability the
suspension of the soup kitchen Will fol-
low. 1t is a question in HOgans mind
whether or not the one can exist with
out the other. For a number of years
the Humane mission has been one Of
the best known institutions of its kind
on the west side and was supported lib
orally by charitable citizens. Large
quantities of food We're supplied by
Wholesale merchants and wealthy men
wrote their checks at regular intervals
for the aid of the work. Hogan intro
duced little of religion into his methods.
requiring only that his patrons be
sober and honest and refrain from bad
language while enjoying his hospitality.
SO familiar were they with the rules
of his restaurant and lodging house
that they would not think of presenting
themselves after having INDUCED i'm
moderately in liquor While the wis
dom of the law is not questioned. it is
certain that many a homeless man Will
feel the hardship of quitting the un-
adorned lodgings of Ben Hogan for the
more pretentious surroundings of a 10
cent house"