Chapter 1

The Project Gutenberg eBook of How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York Author: Jacob A. Riis Release date: April 26, 2014 [eBook #45502] Most recently updated: October 24, 2024 Language: English Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45502 Credits: Produced by KD Weeks, David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES: STUDIES AMONG THE TENEMENTS OF NEW YORK *** HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES [Illustration: GOTHAM COURT.] HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES _STUDIES AMONG THE TENEMENTS OF NEW YORK_ BY JACOB A. RIIS _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS CHIEFLY FROM PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR_ NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1890 COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS TROW'S PRINTING AND BOOKBINDING COMPANY, NEW YORK. PREFACE. The belief that every man's experience ought to be worth something to the community from which he drew it, no matter what that experience may be, so long as it was gleaned along the line of some decent, honest work, made me begin this book. With the result before him, the reader can judge for himself now whether or not I was right. Right or wrong, the many and exacting duties of a newspaper man's life would hardly have allowed me to bring it to an end but for frequent friendly lifts given me by willing hands. To the President of the Board of Health, Mr. Charles G. Wilson, and to Chief Inspector Byrnes of the Police Force I am indebted for much kindness. The patient friendship of Dr. Roger S. Tracy, the Registrar of Vital Statistics, has done for me what I never could have done for myself; for I know nothing of tables, statistics and percentages, while there is nothing about them that he does not know. Most of all, I owe in this, as in all things else, to the womanly sympathy and the loving companionship of my dear wife, ever my chief helper, my wisest counsellor, and my gentlest critic. J. A. R. CONTENTS. PAGE