Year: 1875

But one man was asleep in the place, and he was on top of huge pile of barrels against the side of the wall. A squeez- ing, half rubbing together movement of the hands was noticeable in all of them, and they were all bent in the shoulders, and had the same slouching, cringing, hangdog carriage of the body. Not one stood erect or boldly like man or lifted his eyes to meet those of another man. They had every one of them some feel ing of being there on sufferance. They all showed their conviction of the knowledge on the part of the barkeeper that there was not a cent among them, or he would soon have it, and they hung about that stove with an air that plainly begged they should not be thrust into the street.

 After going into five or six places in the same street, Hester street became the objectionable pointof inquiry. From the gas house, on the corner of the street, the opposite block, just out of the Bowery, presented a striking panorama At least hundred women lowered and buzzed around it, going into the "shops" " and coming out wip- ing their mouths with the backs of their hands. Almost every shop and base ment in the block is devoted to the sale of liquors, and the customers of each are unfortunates. In the basement there were sixteen women, and in a shop even with the sidewalk there were eleven when the inspector entered. Five of the eleven were standing drinking at 8 counter, from behind which woman was serving them, and the other six were in the back room being waited on by the husband. From Hester street the inspector turned into Mott street, examined several "shops" in that thoroughfare and passed on to Bayard street. He went into two immense places in that street, nearly opposite each other. Both were doing thriving business, and the customersin in both were the same poor, bloated, ragged, shiver- ing, miserable wretches. Standing in front of one, he pointed to house on the north side of the street, about three doors from Baxter street, That" he said, "is private establishment Let's go in. The "private establishment" consisted of two rooms off the first floor, but admission was not so easy as the inspectors invitation seemed to imply. When he pushed the door it would not yield, and after he had knocked several times it was only opened few inches by 8 young woman who held in her hand the heavy bar that secured the place from unknown visitors. After @ good deal of pushing and demanding on the part of the inspector the young woman finally opened the door and admission was obtained.

 In the front room was kind of counter, behind it @ counter containing few bottles and glasses, and on it three bits of candles in brass candlesticks that gave light to the place. Against the partition that divided off the rear com partment, in which the family lived, were three huge casks of alcohol, and at a table near one of the windows at the other end of theroom were four children, seated around a table, playing with a pack of cards. A child just able to stand, was at the head of one fthe enor- nous casks; with its hand upon the wooden spigot, and with the other 1t caught up some of the drops that were falling into bucket and brought them Git was girD to hernouth. The mother of the children was ill the back room when the inspector made his appearance; but she quickly came forward and took her evidently accustomed place behind the bar. "This shop" said the in spector, "is frequented by set of quiet people, who come here to play cards, get drunk and sleep" There is no sign out, no evidence of what is going on within on the front, and the upper part of the house is inhabited by the usual occu- pants of tenements. Here they have it on the premises, no necessity to go out. Eight or ten other "shops" ended the inspection for the night.