The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-02-28

on the front of the lot--the family in
the coal shed owning the whole Ev-
erything that is at all habitable is
for a dwelling. I know one
place In Gary where two old street
cars are set together and used as a
home. These homes are set down in
the most unusual places. Shacks are
grouped SO as to form little village
communities. each shack with it's num-
ber-shack s. 81, etc. In these COM
munities can be traced memories of |
peasant life across the sea. Cows. |
horses. dogs. geese. pigs. chickens |
ducks. and children tumble over each |
other in the sand. Each shack has its |
accompaniment of sheds. dogs, houses, |
chicken coops. and usually a stack Of
hay or swamp grass gathered from the |
prairie. Then to the women come |
in wearing their short full skirts and
their shawls and kerchiefs over their
heads. the children with their droll
looking ciothes-the picture is COM
plete. The dreamy picturesqueness of
the scene is somewhat rudely Jared.
however. by the filth and the nauseat-
ing doors The peasant life of Europe
cannot and should not be fitted to
America.
In all of these homes where there is
a bit of room-that is meant literally
where there is a bit of possible space.
boarders are kept. Oh, this question of
boarders. To many social workers the
washtub is the last word. But worse
many times than the washtub is the
boarder. 1 have gone into homes of
the poorer foreigners. where the wife
oh hna ri N @
next room. with the door standing
open, simply leaned out of bed and in
terpreted for me. Two little children
came to their teacher one day in high
glee. saying there was to be a wedding
at their house that day; thai their man
and lady boarder were going to be
BARRED The teacher. knowing that
there was only one room and small
kitchen In the home. looked up In sur
prise and said. why. do you keep
boarders? Where do they sleep?" With
| the astonishing reply, "Oh, they sleep
in the other room and sleep IN the
kitchen. and they are going to be mar
ried today" A little 11-year-old girl
was keeping house for her father and
| caring for two and sometimes three
boarders. The home was two-roomed
shack. The mother was dead and the
| father a drunkard. He worked part OF
| the time at night and at best was home
only few hours out of twenty-four,
| for except when he was asleep, when
/, not at work he could usually be found
| in a saloon or pool room Thus the
little girl was left alone with the
younger children and these boarders
most of the time The moral danger
was so great and the father head
strong in refusing to change condi-
| lions that the little girl had to be re-
moved from the home. The father
| either cannot or will not understand
yet why the little girl was taken away.
He has ordered me off his property, has
| told me he is mad like hell" and con-
| tinually asks why for we steal his
little girl. He get lawyer and get her
back. Need her to keep home" Wives
| run away with the boarder. husbands
refuse to support their children be-
cause they charge they belong to the
boarder. and so 1t goes. These in
stances are again not particular In
stances, but are quite typical. Many
others might be given illustrating the
moral dangers in these homes. How
are we to protect the wives and moth
ers and young girls under such con-
ditions? How can we expect them tc
.
bers of unattached men IN these towns
some unmarried, some who have left
their families In the old country.
SANITARY CONDITIONS.
Sanitary conditions in these home,
are particularly bad. Dirt and flltf
are everywhere. In winter it is al
most impossible for an outsider t.
the atmosphere in the close rooms. Thu
people need teaching. But first of al
they need something to be taught with
. Many times I have gone from the hom'
|, direct to the school to look up children
And when 1 saw these children I wa
| amazed. Their clothing was not clean
nor their heads. according to our stan
Z dards, but as 1 thought of the home
, had just left back there in the sand.
wondered that they could come GU
, of it as clean as they were Their
8 are in these homes absolutely no place
| to bathe-many times in winter n
e water for squares and squares. n
sewer connection to carry away tn
. filth so cold In winter that I veril
: believe to strip the children and bath
r them would bring about serious re
|, suits. AS 1t is. from the beginning Q
s sharp weather in the fall to the com
r ing Of warm weather in the spring tn
r children have continuous cold
8 We often hear 1t said that thes
children can stand much, that the for
o eigner is very hardy. that 1t Is har
r. to kill him. Yes. after certain ag
h he is hardy for I assure you 1t is onl
n the fittest who survive Go into thes
q homes as have, recording the childre
II and their ages. and note the gaps 81
l. tween the ages. Where these gaps ar
h pear there is almost invariably one
e two explanations--a lost life or ar
It other marriage and another set OF chi
1t dren. The great waste of human Iii
d of infant life-stands out In all i
.e cruel needlessness. And we who alloy
is yes, we who force these people to III,
is in these conditions are responsible Il
le this, criminally so.
ID We make absolutely no provision Il
T. the housing and comfort of these PEI