New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
MAKING CLOTHING AMID FEARFUL DIRT.
VISITS TO THE TENEMENT "SWEATSHOPS~ LEA' II
SICKENING IMPRESSION.

,b, t,,,ed tbAre. no one else mo room" with
sweet smile and bewtching shrug or the shoul-
ders No she never worked before; she could not
get work; she had no license NO poss "ouiu e
her work Rolled tightly and pushed back against
the wall under the bed was discovered an eA
tremely dirty mattress, from the ends OF "IlDn
protruded still dirty bedding shght nush
came as the woman answered that her DrotheI'
rineteen wears old slept on that. The inspector
went into the bedroom and took from oehlhd INC
bed covered by the bedding, two dozen pairs Oh
unfinished trousers. For minute the revelation
appeared brutal The woman grew old ana ashen
Snatching the shawl that covered the BABY she
darted through the door without speaking. One re-
jcced that the river far away BEFORE the
trousers had. been tagged, she returned Win an
older woman who said she was the sister The
trousers were hers She had come to wash Tor her
sister, and going to sew on them in the after
noon. She had just gone out minute Yes, she
had a license. She hurried out and returned Win
it, Where is the card?' All the assurance ana
confidence died OF her face. There was an ex-
citing consultation in Italian. The mother OF the
baby snatched IL up raised the cover and produced
the card The inspector put the license and card
in his pocket. At CONSERVATION settled on
every face. BY this time the room was crowded
with other tenants The older woman who claimed
the license and card, almost dropped on her knees
she begged for tkeir return. The license and
card were another lady's. she pleaded The secret
out. The license belonged TO third woman,
not present. who performed the office Of neighboF
bOrs to secure work.
The next house visited in such condition OF
dirt ana degradation that the marvel was that one
could work who lived in it. The halls were
dark. In each hallway a sink and water
Eight families lived in this house, with sanitary
conveniences of the most primitive order for one.
The halls to the top were sitting with the odors
Every inch of space in the rooms was occupied
Every family took dodgers to reduce the rent
The visit revealed two boys of eight. with
caps and coats on, sitting the floor, sewing
buttons trousers. little girl with needle and
long thread from the room wnen the visitors
appeared The father and mother, both finishing
trousers, claimed that the boys had just from
school 1t ten minutes after u. The children
corroborated the statement. The place viely
dirty-dirt that had been accommodating for weeks.
Even glass sugar bowl standing a table had
dirt thick in the nterstices of the pattern. The
beds made the street seem preferable resting
place. Fifteen persons lived in three rooms
Very little home work except finishing clothing
for men and boys found in the tenements. AS
looked at the mems clothing lying on dirty
beds strewn over dirty floors. lying the laps OF
women whose dirty dresses aprons suggested
disease and pictured the apparently fastidOus men
on whom these garments would be during the
coming spring and summer, one wondered why the
struggle TO secure prOtectiOn for the consumers
should be left to women; why IL impossible
to rouse men TO the horrors OF sweatshop garments