New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-07

thing 10 do with any one. she never
begs and never drinks. She earns a
lew cents a day and sits nightly in this
crowded, noisy place.
The yelled Lady" strolled in. She
is the wealthy member of the associa-
lion, but addicted TO drink, so she sell
dom has any more money than the rest
Of them. A regular panhandler, her
crying act" is unequalled and nets her
from 81 TO SO a day. Her droopy black
veil adds to the effect of her pitiful
weeping. She produced bottle Of
whiskey, which she offered freely, and
settled herself comfortably in a corner
for the night.
The tables were we'll filed. men
occupying tables on the other side OF
the room. They slept with their heads
on the tables, or sat with their eyes
open, in stony silence, generally; but
some Of those who had been drinking
kept up a continual chattering, making
the night hideous.
Very few of these people take dope
in any form, because it costs too mucn.
There are places In the United states
where small quantities can be obtained
for five cents, but this is practically
impossible in New York.
4
ple might be sleeping with their eyes
open. / have heard that they do this
in Europe. Maybe they do replied
my guide. "But can't tell, for II
YOU speak TO them they answer i'm
mediately."
An unreasoning fear of the island,
the Municipal Lodging House and the
municipal baths seems to possess these
people. The baths and lodgings they
fear because if seen too often at these
places there is danger of being sent to
the island, and death itself is appar-
emily preferable to that.
Ten young girls hired couple OF
unfinished rooms in Third Avenue
rooming house They paid So month
and did their own cooking. They had
been employed in a factory, which shut
down last fall, and they had had no
steady employment since. Four OF
these girls were from Syracuse, three
| from Buffalo and three had Away.
| lived In New York. What they could
earn from day to day they divided up
hut finally the So for the rooms could
not be scraped together.
Two of these girls the others lost
track of, but the remaining eight are
living a night or two at free lodging
house. or wherever they can tnd a
shelter for the night. They have Joined
the rapidly growing army OF "itinerant
workers" E..
"If thew haven't a nickel and can't
get in a free lodging, what do they DO :!
I asked. Follow me-" said my guide
"Bv 5 o'clock they all know where they
are going to sleep"
We turned one dark corner after
another. and finally came to deserted
building. Two separate doorways led
down few steps to pltlihe entry
way
walk up close and look in" | was
instructed. did. 1t was dark, and
could see very little, but | felt no IN
clination 10 pry further into their mis-
erv. | had seen enough to make out
several women huddled as chickens VIII
sometimes. in the narrow dirty space
and partially covered with newspapers
and old rags. ,;,.L.
"Ten to fifteen in there every night
and other places just like It.
a woman at the Municipal LODGING
House made statement recently tha'
90 per cent of homeless women drink
The secretary Of the Salvation Army
reyerses these figures. He says: !
would say that 80 per cent of these un'
/ fortunates were not inherently PAD
and many Of them are amenaole 70
proper influence
JEFF Davis, authority on hoboes, comes