Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-22
HERE'S THE STORY
OF TOFT ISAAC, TYPE
OF HOUSING EVIL
Sent to House of Detention,
He Tells Of His Wish for
Fresh Air and Cleanliness.
Bathtub His Ambition.

TOT Isaac, rs years old, Of ff5e South
10th street, Is a typical product OF the
present tenement house eUiL Recently
he fen into the hands of the trudnt
officer. Judge Gormdn, Of the Juvenue
Court, sent him TO the House of Deten-
ton A special diet aud medical treat
blent has been ordered for him.
TOT has heard Of sanitary hoases, iDith
large toibdotos, bdthtnb aud court
ydrd. HotooUeT, he has neUer HUed IN
houses containing such improvements
He says bad air made him thin, tchioh
caused his school companions to call him
!, ,"skinny" He became trudnt because
ho iUus ashamed to be called "sktnnyN
Here is Tots oion story, told IN his
otoB cords.
By ToFI ISAAC
II wish l had home where there Is
lot OF windows. big yard and a
place where can take bath. When
become big man and make lots of
money 1 win buy a house where there
is a yard and windows. My brother
Mike will do the same.
MY right name is Toh Isaac, but all
the fellers down around Catharine street
call me Skinny and also the son Of a
Turk, 1 am skinny. all right; but amt
the son of Turk. got skinny because
I don't eat much, because papa, who
works in the Woodlawn Cemetery, lost
his job and he aln't got no money to buy
bread.
''I live with papa and my mamma in a
room on the second floor at 1152 South
10th street. My brother Mike, who Is
nine years old; my sister Nettie, five
years DID, baby Lucy. who is four months
old, and Johnnie. who is three years old.
also live there. Johnnie and Mike always
holler because they can't sleep in the
night and they say that the air is so
bum.
az am not bad boy and not a hockey
player. want to go to school and learn
how to read and write, because want
to be a stenographer or a clerk. When
I make lots of money as clerk want
to buy house where there is yard
for Lucy and the other kids
II hope the Judge won't send me to
prison. / want to go home and be n good
boy But / want TO go TO another school.
The school went to all the fellers called
me skinny. I am skinny, but II amt my
fault. Ny papa is not working now In
the cemetery and we have nothing to
eat. Papa is grave digger. Gee. wish
we had a home like the other kids who
are rich. I mean the kids who have n
bathtub and big yard. Mike, me brother,
always cries for moro room and air when
he sleeps.
I'VE all live in one room and the air
is bad when we get up in the morning.
guess I got skinny by sleeping in a
room with lot of people. guess that
Is right because the teacher told us one
day that we should get lots of air in the
room, and have a bath every day.
IT have no bathtub where 1 live be-
cause papa is a poor man and can't rent
the houses which the rich people rent.
Please tell the detective that 1 am not
bad boy, and tell him not to send me
TO prison. Please, Mister, tell the de-
tective not to send me to prison
maybe IL our house was nice and the
air was good wouldn't be so skinny as ]
ann The Judge who sent me here is a
nice man and Mrs Richardson the matron
is nice to me. I want to go home and to
another school. want to be a clerk and
make money and buy papa house with
a bathtub,"
Judge German, in reviewing the Isaac
case said today that there are other sim
liar cases in South Philadelphia Judge
German believes that little Tofi's case is
directly due to the present tenement house
evil.