El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-04-17
BOWery One Of
Most Healthy
SbOtS In Nation

New York. April 1.-THE aston
ishing statement is made by an
inspector Of the sanitary division
OF the New York health department.
that the Bowery, with all its lack OF
purity and cleanliness, Is the health
lest spot in America. During the late
influenza epidemic. the Bovery was
practically immune from the disease.
and the same holds true In regard 10
all other Affections affecting the rest
Of New York, he says. People living
along the BOwery never seem 20 get
IL seems as II the mysterious ele-
ment which kept the BOwery safe
from plague in early days when the
nearby town was stricken with small
pox. is operating still
Is * possible that there IS some
health-Droducing quality, still undis-
covered. which haunts the Bowery'-
more powerful t,an sanitation itself
or rather the lack OF it, This Is the
problem that New York is ponderlng
now. wishing that Sir oliver Lodge
were still here 70 help H.
The inspector who is responsive
for this new interest in the Bowery.
and who is now afraid that the street
may be converted into national
health resort, Is known as JEFF Davis,
king OF the hoboes. Those ae-
nuainted with Afr. DaVis's past have
been inclined TO suspect bin OF IN
due paTtiality toward street which
must have seen a good ueal OF his
early youth, but there are the health
records 10 prove the authenticity OF
his statements. They show that the
Bowerv's health IS IS per cent 70 the
good.
while the Bowery has struck a
slight vein Of prosperity recently. y
still attracts the poorest classes OF
the city II is the one street within
miles Of New York where you can
find numerous lodging houses adver-
Using shelter at 80 cents per night;
where whole dinners may be pro-
cured for % and so cents, and where
clothing is peddled al prices ranging
below 50 cents Naturally. clothing
at this price Is not famous for its
wear or warmth, so that the citizens
OF the Bowery are il-clad and insuf-
ficiently so. The men who patronize
the lodgings wear no gloves or over
coats. and their shoes generally leak.
But there are healthy.
Cleanliness is also possession
which Is held in no Ereat respect by
the citizens Of the Bowery. So far
as they are concerned, they would
Just as soon IL didn't exist, and es-
pecially that IL was not so rigicly
! enforced
Recently Mr.. Davis had to send 50
men 10 public baths, and one OF
them caught a bad cold afterward- He
was extremely bitter IN denouncinE
what be termed such crazy practices
in the dead o. winter"
Not all OF the citizens Of the Bow
cry are very poor, according 10 IN
spector Davis. Many OF them are en-
pl0yed in factories. warehouses. ship
yards. and a large number OF the
younger men in offices where they
make fairly good salaries They stick
TO the BoWery because living there
is cheap. and then, they say. they
are afraid 10 move 10 other parts OF
the city which seem so unhealthy.
Inspector Davis knows Of hundreds OF
such men who are making az least
$40 a week. living on SO. and put
ting the other $50 week away IN the
Appearance Not Attractive.
But to the casual explorer. walk
[ ing down the Bowery in search Of its
peculiar healthful charm. there IS GER
[ tainly little 10 recommend IL Al
[ present. weeks after the great bllz-
Zard OF the winter, the street under
the arch Of the Third avenue ele-
waited. IS still covered with a thick
! irregular carpet OF grimy ice broken
l in places BIZ large ponds OF black
water. so that crossing the BOWery
on loot IS almost as Impossible as
/ crossing the Hudson OF any other
! great river
The numerous. small stores which
I huddle against each other on each
side Of the street. are all in need OF
paint. 70 say nothing o. soap and
water. Above them are the dusty,
silent windows Of the lodgings OF the
healthy. with fire escapes at frequent
! Intervals. apparently not 50 much for
use in case OF fire as FOR support
ing lines OF wildly Tapping, drying
I clothes.
ships buiIl Of steel are said to be