New-York tribune., 1902-12-22
NEW-yORK TENEMENTS.
Evolution of Some and Present Condition
of Others

''Dere's your sister. Johnny 'Dere's ne mouse
See me window up in de coiner?" "Deres your
uudder Abe taking in de clothes off de line
"Hully Gee! dere's de Mills Hotel Amt DAT
naturaI?'
Such remarks as this. uttered very politely soto
voce greeted the stereopticon pictures with which
John Lloyd Thomas illustrated his lecture on
Better Homes for the People" at University
Settlement the other night
To find ones self confronted by three ADULTS ana
five hundred children is a rather startling expert
ence for School Board lecturer in the hrst pace
To find that ones audience lives in the very
houses chosen for illustration and their neish-
bors is another unusual feature. The cn4oFeh
were frankly interested in seeing scenes with
which they familiar thrown upon tle
canvas, but the point Of the lecture was rather
lost; or, rather. it too obvious When tIe
lecturer asked them if they thought people ought
to live in houses that never had any dayhgh1 IN
them they answered. mo. sir, with great con-
viction.
When he inquired if the city did right TO let chill
dren grow up in homes where the only light and
air they got was the street. they were perfectly
/ and audibly that the city did not
Mr.. Thomas's pictures were so clear that the
veriest greenhorn. after seeing them, would never
again vainly wonder what a double decker was
He showed first the oldtime New-York mousse oe-
serted by it's original occupant and each moor cut
into two tenements a front and back, each get
ting light and air from its end windows AS crowd
ing continued the landlord put another house out
~
furnish light and air to the new house ana the
rear of the old Land growing still more
valuable, he Joined the house in the back yaro 10
the original tenement leaving series OF DARK
| rooms in the middle This is the famous double
decker which held its against years OF
| agitation IN Albany.
Then he showed pictures of blocks on which al
most every foot Of land is built sodly over leaV
ing no unoccupied space from street 10 street
Then he showed houses put up under the new law,
leaving a square court in the rear FlnallS. ne
showed the model tenement houses WhlCn 4oS
been erected by the municipalities or Lond0Il
| erpool and Glasgow. Those cities compelled tne
landlords to sell their land Then they tore down lte
ndescrfbable old rats nests of buildings and erect
81 model tenement houses in which every room
has light and air around courts Whlch contain
Fairgrounds. fountains. grass and trees
| Mr. Thomas showed interiors in NeW-A ork "LleIe
ray Of daylight never penetrates Whers Iie PIg
| pie eat cook work and live by lanpIght, ne re
| showed an old woman sewing BY lampllght IN tl9
| one perfectly dark in which Sne INtS iIIu
| supports an invalid husband Then he shoWeu d
| '.creche' a nursery full Of happy oables' pIdCeu
| there while the mothers out at work -, /.
| And that's the saddest thing in NeW-4oLk. 10
me - said Mr. Thomas: not because 1t lsn d
wnen their mothers to take them nome I Iiiey
stay all day in a light pleasant room. Z my
know when they their mothers that tney nus
90 TO one that is dark cold and cherries. II Z.
ferrhle pity when child cries because II mas Bot
! to go home. And it's terrible MISTAKE "nen 15 q
| city lets such homes exist that cniIoLeh. "ouAu
| rather be anywhere on earth than in them