Chapter 8: "The Cheap Lodging-houses"
Introduction:
Jacob Riis shows many horrible things in his book "How The Other Half Lives".Quite possibly one of the worst things is how the lodging houses breed thievery and spread crime. this never ending cicle is one that Riis elaborates deeply in this chapter. Riis also goes into detail about the differant levels of lodging-houses available and how each compares.
Summary:
This chapter deals with the problems that the lower level lodging houses causes compared to the upper end lodging houses. Riis starts off with explaining that these "cheap" houses are nothing but breeders to thieves and tramps. He goes on to explain that there are three levels of houses a 10 cent house, a 15 cent house, and 25 cent house. Riis explains that the differance from the 25 cent room to the 10 cent room is a matter of placing the bed. the 10 cent bed is simple a bed in the hall way along with many others while the 25 cent one is his own room. Riis also tells us on (page 66) that the majority of these lodging homes are located on Chatham streetand the Bowerly. although he doesn't blame all the crime on these lodging homes he does explain its part in it. young men eager for work will come to the city rent one of these rooms while looking for work, but with no work in site the men are forced into criminal activity in order to survive. with this criminal acitivity, according to the chief of police at the time, will turn to murder. (page 67 line19-20). These rooms although affordable caused much crime and hindered the young men who stayed in them from furthering themselves in society.
Terms:
caravanseries: An inn built around a large court for accommodating caravans along trade routes in central and western Asia.
magistrate: A local member of the judiciary having limited jurisdiction, especially in criminal cases
hostelry: An inn; a hotel.
flagrant: Conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible
magistrate: A local member of the judiciary having limited jurisdiction, especially in criminal cases
hostelry: An inn; a hotel.
flagrant: Conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible
Bib
Groth, Paul. "Living Downtown: The History of Residential Hotels in the United States ." Berkeley · Los Angeles · Oxford. http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft6j49p0wf&chunk.id=d0e4165&toc.depth=1&brand=ucpress.
Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives. New York: Penquin Books Ltd., 1890.
Groth, Paul. "Living Downtown: The History of Residential Hotels in the United States ." Berkeley · Los Angeles · Oxford. http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft6j49p0wf&chunk.id=d0e4165&toc.depth=1&brand=ucpress.
Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives. New York: Penquin Books Ltd., 1890.