The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-10
LIVE UNDER
GARBAGE PIERS.
Foul Abiding Places Of Men
and Boys In New York.
BIG RATS ARE FELLOW TENANTS
Health Board Takes Action and VIII Break
Up the Filthy and Evil Smelling
Homes at Once.
BIG RATS ARE FELLOW TENANTS

New York. Aug. lo.-The orders Of the
health and street cleaning departments
to evict the 'squatters" who have been.
living under the dumping piers OF the
river fronts have brought TO public at
tention strange state OF affairs IL
can hardly be Imagined that there are
more than one hundred men and boys
i" New York living in the dark and
srimy holes under the garbage piers or
this city, where the waters OF the East
and North river splash against the walls,
and where wharf rats as large as cats
run rampant.
Eut II is true, nevertheless, and DR..
Lcderlc OF the board OF health, has de-
clared the state OF affairs TO be menace
to putlc health, and DR. Woodbury. OF
the street cleaning department, hos given
orders that these dark. dumping pier
homes. must be broke up by Aug. Is.
Accom- nnied by representatives n; Tho
treet cleaning commissioners vffice,
reporter made a tour of these foul places
yesterday. There are many II them,
notably nt the foot OF Clinton, Twenty
first, Sixty-frst, Canal and Thirtieth
streets.
Deep under the runways which are
built for the dump carts 10 deposit the
city's garbage and trash upon scows
these strange persons have established
est corners where they sleep. The mat
tresses they use are the cast of affairs
that come in the trash that is discarded
by persons all about town. The quilts
and bed clothing are likewise the rags
that are thrown away by the average
New Yorker.
NEST OF WHARF RATS.
At the foot OF Clinton street. jutting
far out over the waters OF the East
river, the reporter found a nest OF these
dump pier inhabitants. There were Ave
or them just getting ready for supper.
They had just come from the dark cor
ne's here they sleep. Their tattered
clothes were covered with foul garbage
sains. on a crude improvlsed stove
they fad cooked a pot OF spaghetti. and
near tile box which they utilized as a
table was keg OF odd bits of bread
which had been found in the garbage.
that came from the hotels and restau-
rants. Close beside them was a huge
sccw. laden with foul garbage, in which
several men were digging for tomatoes
and other vegetables thrown away be-
"a cse Of decay.
After the supper was over one OF the
men went for a can OF beer and they
sa: arourd their filthy quarters ani rang
Sings for al hour or two. apparently
juE' q: hsrpy. as IL they were living IN
a r1antion Their very clothing smellcd
bedI ms dripping with SLOPPY watcr.
came a stirling odor. To think OF
human being spending night In such a
place was enough to cause one to shud-
der.
As soon as the cond dtions were brought
10 the attention OF DR.. Lederle presi-
dent Of the board OF health. he issued an
order that these dumping pier homes are
n menace TO public health and must he
cleared OF their inmates at once DR.
Woodbury. will see that by Aug. Is, there
will not be single one left
NOT TRAMPS BUT WORKERS.
The persons who 1--we In these places
are not tramps. OF loafers. as one might
imagine. on the contrary. they are men
and boys who work in the day time and
make these places their homes for the
night. They are. for the most part, en-
~aged by the garbage pickers. who pay
city for the privilege OF gathering
paper rags and garbage from the dump.
These cast off articles are sold by the
garbage pickers. They get something
like Is cents a hundred pounds for the
paper. which they gather and pack In
bales. They sell the rags at the mar
ket price. and some of them are getting
rich in the business.
They seem to be perfectly contented
with their quarters. and are satisfied 10
live upon such garbage as tempts them.
They are flled with vindictive protests
against the orders OF the street cleaning
department them break up their
homes. The ''trimmers" declare they
have TO work so late that they have not
time to go home. and must. therefore,
sleep nearby. They say they are salts
f1cd to sleep In the garbage holes. and
cannot understand why the city authori-
ties should deprive them OF the privilege.