The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-02-16
Hope Sustains :Squatters
Human Derelicts in Filth-Infested Hollywood Await the Sunrise of Happier Tomorrow
 Some "Too Proud" to Accept Charity.

are many able-bodied enough to do laborer's work, there are even 0 few who will take work. But most are content to get 6 bag from the city, make a few pennies by "pick- ing", and spend most of their time sitting in their little shacks with eyes that show mainly blankness and lack of interest in anything that goes on.
 Wanted Bread
 On ono of the reporters visits, squatter dogged his footsteps as he strolled about the colony. He was pathetically eager to give any information he could, answer any ques- tions. So different was he from most of the squatters that the porter's curiosity was aroused. The squatter saw a photographer taking pictures and that brought the explana- ton. "Thcre were some report CTS here before" he said, "and they had me pose for pictures. thought they might give something-anything - even Q loaf of bread, but they didn't"
 Another of the squatters, 0 stron looking, able-bodied man of about 50, was asked to explain how he picked on Hol- lywood as his home. The story came easily: "I was working up till the winter started, with n trucking firm. They told me they'd have to let me go. had no money to pay board and l couldn't get another job. I slept in railways for a while; then 1 found out about here. l got Q shack, the city gives me a bag every week, and it's been lots better than sleeping in hallways."
 Life Resident
 Did he want another job? He thought q while. "No, don't think so. I'm getting old now. and I'd just as soon stay here, where I have a shack of my own"
 There are a few at Holly wood, though, who regularly make the trek from factory to factory, looking for q job. They aren't many in number, and soon they, too, lose what ever ambition they have and are content to watch the min- utes tick by inside shack. If not on the city welfare list, they manage to make enough to live on by picking" and selling junk or, once In a while, by panhandling in the center of the city.
 Nor is pride missing entirely at Hollywood. Some of the shack owners paint their huts, make little repairs, or fashion new gadget now and then. Their few huts stand out against the disreputable look ing background of the rest of the shacks. Disliked He'd Tape Ono squatter. at work in the dump, was questioned. No, ho wasn't on relief, he made enough for food by finding scrap metal in the dump. Ono timo he'd been discouraged and went to the city hall to see 1T he could get q bag. They asked him q lot of questions, though, and he told them nev- CT mind: he didn't want any bag. "l'm not going to tell them all my business, he said. "I can make enough at this," waving his hand about tho dump.
 There you have it--the sor- did, llth-infested spot off Thomastoh avenue that It's own inhabitants call Holly wood. There 1t stands readv for inspection by any who care to sec for themselves--some 15 huts standing on the mud flats near the Naugatuck river, surrounded by hundreds Of thousands of tin cans, ashes, and discarded litter of all kinds; hidden Q bit from the highway by the nearby dump ing ground.
 That is Hollywood--the spot where last week ono man died and three others were nearly blinded from drinking home- made "smoke", where brawls are m everyday occurrence but where most daysAare made up of long dragging hours.
 In a month or two will come the yearly floods that bring with them almost complete isolation of the colony, and hordes of rats who will re- main through spring, summer and fall, running wild about the place and carrying yer min and disease.
 There 1t stands--less than n