Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 September 1893 — NOT FIT FOR BEASTS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NOT FIT FOR BEASTS.

y-, Ltr , ; r~. Horrible Condition of Cheap Lodjinjr Hoiuei 111 Chicago. The horrible condition of some of the cheap lodging bouses in Chicago has recently been made known through the report of an Inspector. This gentleman, W. G. O’Connell, went through several, inhabited mainly by immigrants, and situated in the worst districts. “In two buildings,” be says, “I found twelve apartments of four rooms each. Each apartment Is rented out to families, each family having from four to ten men boarders. 1 found in these rooms, which are Bxlo, three beds each. I found sinks fn each of the sleeping rooms with open joints. In each kitchen are two stoves, one for the family aps one for the roomers.

Under the beds I found fruit, bananas and watermelons, kept there during the night and until the peddlers get ready to offer it for sale om the streets. A rough estimate of the people In these rooms is about 200.

“I called at another buHdiag and found this house full of immigrants. The people Were asleep on the floor on mattresses, old carpets, pallets, aqd bundles of straw and rags. In the basement I found fourteen double-deckers (bunks ranged one above another); There are alee several doublejdookers upstairs. The upper floor had twenty more beds. There are on an average three persons In each room.' < The rooms are Bxlo feet in dimensions. I found children sleeping on the floor on hags, bundles of rags, and somb under the beds while the parents were sleeping above them. The basement was foul and reeking with dampness. There I found a sick man lying on a mattress on the floor, which was all wet and rotted away with dampness. I asked him why they did not put him in a bed upstairs. They said he had no money and that was goed enough for him. The basement is six feet four inches from the floor to ceiling. The walls were dirty and

black. There was running water in some part of the building from some bursted pipe, the water soaking through the walls.” As far as possible attempts were made to clean out these bouses and put them In a tit condition to be lived in.

A SLUM BEDROOM 8X10 FEET CONTAINING THREE BEDS.

SLEEPING-ROOM IN CHICAGO SLUMS.