The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-22

the girl was making between SO and SIS
a month. and, although she had. of
course, to find her own food, the cost
Of this was offset by the fact that she
spent almost nothing for working
clothes The dump colony, In fact, sup
plies it's wardrobe largely from the ash
heaps. so far as working clothes are
concerned, but IN the evenings the grub
often turns into butterfly, and the wo-
man who. in the earlier hours Of the
day was burrowing for coal and rags
and bones and buttons, In a costume
made Up mainly Of rags and patches,
may be seen parading the street OF
an evening. dressed as gorgeously as
any cook or housemaid from the dwell
1 ings Of the rich.
Caste On the Dumps.
There is caste on the dumps. as there
probably is everywhere I'm the human
world. and for all we know. in the AMI
NAL and vegetable worlds as well. Some
Of the people who work there are I'M
deniably tough" a few Of them are
old nuisances known to the Police 9th
ers are quiet and self-resDeCting, keep
ing to themselves, out early in the morn
ing to get the cream of the hndings-if
/ their tiny homes neat and clean when
/ one may associate cream with an ash
\ heap even in metaphor-and keeping
work is done. There was a wedding On
| the dumps not very long ago.
The bride was a ''widder oman" Of
/ thirty-five or therea bouts, and had for
some time been supporting herself and
her twelve-year-old boy on the income
of the dumps. She managed 10 get along
without asking charity except on one
A 0r~ etc 81
sistent winter froze up that Eldorado
beyond the digging power Of the most
persistent workers. She lived in a two
room wooden shanty. furnished mostly
from her findings.
There was even carpet on the floor
of one room, found In the dumps, though
70 tell the truth the carpet was not all
Of one piece, any more than were the
clothes of the owner~and her son. Bits
Of cast-off carpet had been sewed to-
gether after the manner of a patchwork
quilt. and II the effect was not rich noI
stylish, at least Il would keep ones feet
warm, and that was the main point
The groom was an lash gentleman" al
least that was what Linda called him
Groom, Ash Cart Man.
The ash gentleman ran an ash cart
for himself and not for the city, and fire.
quented the dumps at which Linda
worked. Sometimes he worked beside
her, and presently they found that they
belonged 20 the same church-one o.
those churches where members walk ~
TO the contribution box and put In
nickel, and take out four cents change
b and the minister works at his trade OF
weekdays, as the early Christians did
: The acquaintance progressed. and on
Ton
when you gwan' keep house fu' me-
/ Linda was COY. She said:
Deed I dunno; widders run in m,
family. n / isn't sho' hit'd be safe t.
break de spell My gran nanny live
, a wilder ter de day er her def, m
, nanny done de same, and / is been
wilder now som h'n' LAX ten yeah.
dunno. Mist Hopkins I reckon l bettal
, wait"
Hopkins Was Patient.
D Mr.. Hopkins waited. Linda made in
quiries about him Of one person an
! another. They all declared him to b
, most 'manner'ble" and gentleman
fed" and he owned his cart and horse
: that was a point IN his favor ANON
? the people Of the dump caste, to driv
ones own horse is essentially an I'm
provement on driving the horse Of an
e Other person, no matter II ones OW
. horse Is nothing but a rag and a bon
; and hank OF hair Mr. Hokpins waited
J After a year Of patient dangling he re
? marked:
when you gwan' answer dat ques
ton I asst you year ago.?
\ No reply. Mr. Hopkins went on
, II wuz in de hospital back las win
p; ter, and I use ter lie awake and thin
/ bout you
\ Linda melted. IL may have been tina
e her heart was touched by his faithful
$ ness, or It may have been that che kne'