The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-09
WHITlNGIN DISGUISE
TOURS THE BOWERY
Superintendent Sits Prejudice
Against the Municipal
Lodging House.
FINDS MUCH FEAR OF 1T

While the bread lines, the cent res
taurants. the missions and the back rooms
we're all running full blast the other night
man named whiting hove into the
Bowery. lie shuffied along, his tattered
cap pulled over his eyes and his frayed
coat collar turned UP. with the customary
SLOUGH OF the professional vagabond and
any one glancing at him-would have mutt
tered Another bum"
But Oh closer inspection there was to
be seen a sparkle in his eye and smile
on his lips and there was song. no
doubt stirring some place inside OF him.
for this bum was not a bum at all. but
Whiting, william A. Whiting. Superin-
tendent whiting OF the Municipal Lodg-
ing House. out on a still hunt for his own
information.
Hit my eye" said a miserebly clad
and lean man standing In a doorway just
south OF Houston street. hit my eye and
knock me dead IL | will"
But why not" inquired Whiting. who
had shuffled into the doorway and started
the conversation. Tell me a smoother
place to tiop and where's tine chow better
for the asking?"
You Just can them thoughts, brother:
preserve 'em and lay 'em away In your
nut to rot Unless that is you want to
be got up at In the morning and sent
over to the workh's to play with a seven
pound sledgehammer and pile et
PEBBLES"
Ohio" said whiting. that's the game.
is IT."
"Bacher life"
How do you know
The man looked Whiting over with a
considerable bit OF scorn screwed into his
eyes
why everybody knows IT," he said.
'cept few softs Ike YOU Say. what
are you anyway? Country? You don't
look like that. Just new, eh?'
That's it," agreed whiting with some
OF the song knocked out OF him and he
slouched back onto the sidewalk and went
mis- way.
Anybody who knows Whiting or has
3 talked TO him knows that he has big
bump OF curiosity. That's why he has
asked himself why don't more men
come up here, and what's the opinion
OF us on the Boweryy" And this despite
! the fact that the Municipal Lodging
| House has housed more men 80 far this
winter than ever before In it's history.
SO curiosity got the best OF Whiting
He CARRIED himself in the costume OF the
/ bum and started out 20 learn what the
opinion was and II there was mIsap-
/ preheusion to try and discover some
means OF setting II right. The first hit
OF opinion he picked up was from the
man just quoted, but there was more.
He s'ouched couple of blocks 70 the
south and stopped at the I O'Clock bread
/ line OF the Bowery Mission. Fighter
hundred men were struggling down iutc
the basement to get cup of hot COTE,
/ and a bun. Whiting made one OF them
But II means the jug. II do" within
pered a very old fellow few feet from
Whiting. The old man was purple from
exposure and looked as " he were abou
to totter into the grave with the mex
step forward.
Look here. brother" put in Whiting
who could stand this talk no longer. 20
know something about that place. The
put UP $4,000 men In the last thre'
months, and how many do you thiDl
were sent TO courtT'
About 10000. from what I've heerd,
ventured the old fellow.
"A hundred and forty-seven,' ex
claimed Whiting.
"whee-e" sang out a young man
"Thers you are, papa, what'd say
Later he went into tho Alligator.
widely known Bowery saloon with
commodlous back room where MAJ
may sleep In a chair for cent glas
o, beer. and into Beefsteak Johns. Tn
latter place advertises a square meal 70
a nickel, and after 1 o'clock the diner
have the privilege OF remaining In thei
chairs till dawn.
The upshot OF II all was that Within
discovered a very widespread fear o
the "Muna Opal" as Il IL called on III
Bowery, and made up his mind, II VIVA
has heen heard may be taken as a fact
10 indule. himself frequently In simla
expeditions with the sole purpose OF dis
pelIing that fear and establishing NOR
accurate opinion OF what the lDodGin
Houss really is