name. In the somewhat newer portions of the same quarter, and in
other working-men's quarters, dating from the early days of industrial
activity, a somewhat more orderly arrangement may be found. The space
between two streets is divided into more regular, usually square courts.

These courts were built in this way from the beginning, and communicate
with the streets by means of covered passages. If the totally planless
construction is injurious to the health of the workers by preventing
ventilation, this method of shutting them up in courts surrounded on all
sides by buildings is far more so. The air simply cannot escape; the
chimneys of the houses are the sole drains for the imprisoned atmosphere
of the courts, and they serve the purpose only so long as fire is kept
burning. {55} Moreover, the houses surrounding such courts are usually
built back to back, having the rear wall in common; and this alone
suffices to prevent any sufficient through ventilation. And, as the
police charged with care of the streets, does not trouble itself about
the condition of these courts, as everything quietly lies where it is
thrown, there is no cause for wonder at the filth and heaps of ashes and
offal to be found here. I have been in courts, in Millers Street, at
least half a foot below the level of the thoroughfares, and without the
slightest drainage for the water that accumulates in them in rainy
weather! More recently another different method of building was adopted,
and has now become general. Working-men's cottages are almost never
built singly, but always by the dozen or score; a single contractor
building up one or two streets at a time. These are then arranged as
follows: One front is formed of cottages of the best class, so fortunate
as to possess a back door and small court, and these command the highest
rent. In the rear of these cottages runs a narrow alley, the back
street, built up at both ends, into which either a narrow roadway or a
covered passage leads from one side. The cottages which face this back
street command least rent, and are most neglected. These have their rear
walls in common with the third row of cottages which face a second
street, and command less rent than the first row and more than the
second.

By this method of construction, comparatively good ventilation can be
obtained for the first row of cottages, and the third row is no worse off
than in the former method. The middle row, on the o