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1、HowtheotherHalflivesByJacobA.RiisI.GenesisoftheTenementHELL’SKITCHENANDSEBASTOPOL.THEfirsttenementNewYorkknewborethemarkofCainfromitsbirth,thoughageneration1passedbeforethewritingwasdeciphered.Itwasthe“rearhouse,”infamouseverafterinourcity’shistory.Therehadbeentenant-housesbefo
2、re,buttheywerenotbuiltforthepurpose.Nothingwouldprobablyhaveshockedtheiroriginalownersmorethantheideaoftheirharboringapromiscuouscrowd;fortheywerethedecoroushomesoftheoldKnickerbockers,theproudaristocracyofManhattanintheearlydays.Itwasthestirandbustleoftrade,togetherwiththetrem
3、endousimmigrationthatfollowed2uponthewarof1812thatdislodgedthem.Inthirty-fiveyearsthecityoflessthanahundredthousandcametoharborhalfamillionsouls,forwhomhomeshadtobefound.Withinthememoryofmennotyetintheirprime,WashingtonhadmovedfromhishouseonCherryHillastoofaroutoftowntobeeasily
4、reachedNowtheoldresidentsfollowedhisexample;buttheymovedinadifferentdirectionandforadifferentreason.TheircomfortabledwellingsintheoncefashionablestreetsalongtheEastRiverfrontfellintothehandsofreal-estateagentsandboarding-housekeepers;andhere,saysthereporttotheLegislatureof1857,
5、whentheevilsengenderedhadexcitedjustalarm,“initsbeginning,thetenant-housebecamearealblessingtothatclassofindustriouspoorwhosesmallearningslimitedtheirexpenses,andwhoseemploymentinworkshops,stores,oraboutthewarehousesandthoroughfares,renderanearresidenceofmuchimportance.”Notforl
6、ong,however.Asbusinessincreased,andthecitygrewwithrapidstrides,thenecessitiesofthepoorbecametheopportunityoftheirwealthierneighbors,andthestampwassetupontheoldhouses,suddenlybecomevaluable,whichthebestthoughtandeffortofalateragehavevainlystruggledtoefface.Their“largeroomswerepa
7、rtitionedintoseveralsmallerones,withoutregardtolightorventilation,therateofrentbeinglowerinproportiontospaceorheightfromthestreet;andtheysoonbecamefilledfromcellartogarretwithaclassoftenantrylivingfromhandtomouth,looseinmorals,improvidentinhabits,degraded,andsqualidasbeggaryits
8、elf.”Itwasthusthedarkbedroom,prolificofuntolddepraviti