Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-31
BY ]. HASKIN.

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Washington, July 27.-Goat Alley,
Pib Alley and Casey s Court are not
inventions of moving picture produc-
ers. They are the addresses of q num-
Der of people in the national capital.
Congress Is being urged to sweep such
places from the map of Washington
and leave them entirely to tenement
fiction
Washington is generally known as
a city without 'slums. Certainly no
tourist to the capital ever saw any
conditions such a New York's a
Side openly displays. Even old resi-
dents Of Washington have been known
to say that the city had no slum dis
trict. They said it in all good faith.
They had never vi.ited the alleys or
they never thought of them as sums.
Washington has no slum district. it
is true But through the city; like
hidden sores, run tortuous alleyways
with rows of shacks crowded with
humanity, mostly colored. ~
An investigator who spent six
months living in n of the alleys
gave the following as a typical in
stance of bad conditions: A -four
room alley homessheltered Is persons.
The mother Of the home had had Is
children. Her five grown daughters
all had illegitimate children. One son
was in the insane asylum. One of the
daughters was dying. of tuberculosis.
Another was in Jail for cutting a man
and a woman.
According, to the story, when this
last daughter was a little girl. she
begged from door to door, saying that
her dead mother lay awaiting burial
in their desolate home. or that the
family lived in the country where all
their possessions had just been de-
stroyed by fire.
The alley situation in Washington
Is unusual. There are 224 inhabited al
legs. the homes of 1850 people. In
another American city this condition
would have been made a political is
sue long ago. The niece -sary funds
would have been raised and the alley
homes torn down..
But Washington must wait on con-
gress, and congress is constantly busy
with national affairs and always anx-
careful planning to revise a city and
to move $500 Of the poorest people
in it without a panic or great disor-
der. Furthermore, the, alley system
works to the benefit of the nor At
fluent classes. So there, has been
apathy. The alleys have continued
since before the Civil war, a hidden
but insidious blot on the beauty of the
capital.
How the System Started.
The system started in a queer way.
Washington was laid out in deep lots
with plenty of back yard space. Lanes
between lots became alleyways VEIN
ing the center of a square. Outhouses
were built in some of the hack yards
and servants sometimes were quarter
ed there. .t
when the Civil war ended large
numbers of soldiers were in Wash
ington and wooden barracks were
back yard space. The soldiers left
but 5000 or 10000 negroes came
swarming into the government head
quarters at that time and the bar
racks were easily taken over for
homes. A few of these Civil. war bar
racks are still standing and inhabited
. Other negroes found shacks in alley.
ways. The people who employed them
were glad to have them. living con.
veniently at hand
Domestic servants were in demand
In Washington and houses were bull,
for them on the back lots. In time
these lots often became entirely sepa.
rated from the property facing the
street. Rows of alley houses were
bought up by and sharks because
they brought In good profits.
VIM. DeanRHam, member \of Etht
citizens housing committee, sa93 thai
these sharks are operating today
They own long rows Of alley home:
and derive large incomes from the
rents. "A four. room house in one o.
these rows is, valued at about $500, L
rents on an average for $12 a month
or $144 a year. In other words. ever!
three years the tenants more than pa!
for the house they rent. and SOM
Of them have lived in their shacks fU
SO years. .t Il
Most of the houses are tumble dow
wooden or brick structures. Mr.. Han
has made a survey which congress
will get in the fall. He says:
1T is doubtful whether there ar,
more than ten bathrooms in the en-
tire alley system. Leak; in the roo
average four or five to house II
some alleys. The alleyweys are. pavet
and are kept comparatively clean b.
city ordinances. But the city canno
clean up the interiors. The houses ar
crowded because the rents are, higi
and even in a four room house room
are rented out to several families
When you consider, that six or sever
people sometimes occupy a singh
room 10x12 feet. existence in thes
homes, al be imagined" 500. :
Not al. the alley jewellers. in Wash
tngton are negroes. A stones throv
from the beautiful grounds of tn