yet published--certainly not the official reports of the charity
societies--shows so vividly the complexion and countenance of the
"Down-town Back Alleys," "The Bend," "Chinatown," "Jewtown," "The Cheap
Lodging-houses," the haunts of the negro, the Italian, the Bohemian poor,
or gives such a veracious picture of the toughs, the tramps, the waifs,
drunkards, paupers, gamins, and the generally gruesome populace of this
centre of civilization.

THE CHEAP LODGING-HOUSES. 87

perch in the world. Uneasy sleepers roll off at intervals,
but they have not far to fall to the next tier of bunks,
and the commotion that ensues is speedily quieted by the
boss and his club. On cold winter nights, when every

[Illustration: BUNKS IN A SEVEN-CENT LODGING-HOUSE, PELL STREET.]

bunk had its tenant, I have stood in such a lodging-room
more than once, and listening to the snoring of the
sleepers like the regular strokes of an engine, and the
slow creaking of the beams under their restless weight,
imagined myself on shipboard and experienced the very

[SPECIMEN PAGE.]

COMMENDATIONS.

THE NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR THE
PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN,
100 East 23d Street.

NEW YORK, February 28th, 1891.

JACOB A RIIS, Esq.,

_Dear Sir_:--"It gives me very great pleasure to express my gratification
in reading your valuable work 'How the Other Half Lives.' I regard it as
one of the most valuable contributions to the history of child-saving work
in this great city, and as pointing out the numerous evils which exist at
the present time and which loudly call for legislative aid and
interference.

"The thorough familiarity which you have shown with the subject of your
work is equaled only by the accuracy of its detail and the graphic
pictures which illustrate the scenes described. It is a book which every
one may peruse with interest, and the larger the circulation which can be
given to it, the sooner I think will the charitable and well-disposed
people of this city realize the need, on the part of The Other Half, of
support, aid, and assistance, and which you have so graphically
described."

I have the honor to remain, with great respect,
ELDRIDGE T. GERRY,
President, etc.

THE CHRISTIAN UNION,
80 Lafayette Place,
New York.

"It is one of the encouraging signs of the times that Jacob Riis's book on
'How the Other Half Liv