The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

others did so and thought better OF II
myself after caught some Of the hard
faces looking at me-faces sneakin9
looks at my more or less expensive
clothes and shoes. We all crawled be-
tween tho stinking blankets clothes
on the street. A couple OF the buns
did take on their shoes because their
feet were sore and blistered. but no.
ticed they tucked them very carefully
under the blankets on which they were
lying.
The air kept getting hotter and
thicker. The lamps were open kero-
sene lamps that heated the small room
like stove. There wasn't even a
transom over the door that could be
opened. much less a window. It was
sure a black, hot mine filled with the
poisonous breath OF half hundred hu-
man beastsI
Finally, after midnight, the place
quieted down and the men, one after
another, dropped off into a restless
sleep. groaning and snoring and toss
Ing In their blankets. And then for
the first time, the excitement having
died away little for me. understood
what made them so restless; it was
bugs" The mans curses as he remem.
bered his torture OF the night previous
sounded like a frightened cry. The
-- bugs" he said again.
Yes, know" I made answer. Then
the porter came In and found the man
bed.
At o'clock next morning we were
routed out Of our bunks by the porter.
Seven o'clock is the sleeping time limit
in most OF these 'kips",, IN q few It Is
eight. All must turn out at that time.
no matter how much or how little they
may have slept This is one OF the iron
clad rules Of the cheap lodging. If IL
were not so the majority of the buns
would lounge in the beds all day long.
I found the Nevadan in the base
ment, where line of men were walt
ing their turn at the single washbasin,
and the single towel, now wet and
black with the smirch of many hands
and faces only half cleansed IN the
basin. AS 1 came in I caught him
observing the blackened towel, a look
of unutterable disgust on his face.
which turned to one of unbelief as he
saw still another and another man
make use of it. Presently he caught
sight Of me, and I laughed as bis eyes
silently directed mine toward the filthy
rag on which two men were then sim
uitaneously drying their faces.
They change them every half
hour" answered his unspoken
question, every half hour, and per-
haps so men wash during the first
half hour-the rest don't wash at all.
as q rule" Then, after we had
drunk our big morning cup of free
coffee, we went out, waited patiently
for the puhoo library to open-that
boon of all rovers. whether for its
warmth its toilet accommodations,
or its chairs, where one may take a
short snooze behind big book-and
had our morning wash.
We separated during the day, this
fine, big, clean country boy and I,
and the next night when again en-
tered the barracks he was not there.
Far into the night I watched for
him, but he did not, come. never
saw him again. Before we had parted
he had asked me whether was going
back to the dump again that night.
Upon my reply that thought would
II could beg the required 10 cents
during the day. he had asked me
whether there was not somewhere q
cleaner, more wholesome place IN
which man could get bed for 10 or
10 cents.
vouchsafed.
They are? And how can you sleep
in them--you don't seem to be like
the rest Of those men up therer'
"Oh, I have become accustomed to
them-a man does after q time espe-
cially when he does not care. to pay.
or can't pay two bits night for
something better"
Can q fellow ever get used to such
things, such dirt and vileness as we
saw and slept w1ah hast night, a. I