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Lodgings on Telegraph Hill
In early San Francisco the cheapest lodgings were located on the city's steepest hills. Prior to cable cars, the higher elevations were the least desirable places to live as no one wanted to climb a hill after a long day of labor. 10-cent lodging houses were often the only option for the poor folks who wanted to escape a night outdoors. Before the 1906 quake there were more than 40 of these flophouses in the city.

Upon arrival at a 10-cent lodging house, the guests would turn over their watches and other valuables to the manager to prevent them from being stolen while asleep. The crowded sleeping rooms contained tiers of wooden bunks, up to four rows high. With little or no ventilation the crowded rooms were suffocatingly hot and smelled of sweat, alcohol, opium, and worse. Alternatively, lodgings for whole families were typically a six-by-six room, furnished with a table and chairs but no washstand or bed. These deluxe accommodations would rent for a dollar a week.
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