Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-11

self, to trace that cry from its last and
f~aintest vibration, to the agonlzed, and
perhaps now cold heart, which gaNH 1t
birth. Second thought brought the
realization that it would be less desper-.
ate and idle to seek for the solution OF
this horrid mystery in the wllds OF a
Jungle or the depths OF an African
forest than in the bowels of that black
tenement block, at that hour OF the
! night. So I sped on, as softly as pos
sible, until I reached the first police
station, where | called aside the Cap
tain, a surprisingly intelligent officer,
and gave him every detail of the affair
- which, indeed, was nothing. more
than a history of my own emotion on
hearing the importunate accents OF that
awful word "H-e-l-p."
After satisfying himself thatI was not
acting under the influence of any slim
ulant OF intoxicant, he quietly detailed
subordinates to watch the premises un-
til they should be relieved in the
morning.
With the aid of a mild opiate, l
passed a restful night. Breakfast over.
I fastened to the police station, and
there learned that it had been decided
to raid the building. l urged the folly
Of this and easily persuaded Captain
b to detail a subordinate, compe-
tent to watch the premises. Accord
ingly, Patrick Mulhooly was dispatched
to that portion of the city. I detailed
myself to watch the said Mulhooly, and
was satisfied of his excellent qualitica-
lions for a place on the police force
when 1 saw his brass buttons disappear
into a saloon. in the block next nearer
the station than the one which he was
sent to watch.
I hurried to my room and began to lay
plans. AS a basis, / had only that one
word: "Help!"-uttered in the black
ness Of midnight, from a certain tene-
ment in the heart of the "Black Hole"
Of Chicago.
1t took me but a moment to decide
that ! must first gain q knowledge Of
who inhabited the tenement. An in
quiry gained me, from my host,
the information that the tene-
ment was owned by a certain
wealthy Italian, who had, at the time
Of tho great fire, been q common street
fruit vender, but Sho had become one
Of the largest wholesale dealers in fruits
on Soeth Water street.
1 lost no time in presenting
myself at the distinguished Da-
COS Office and informed him
that l contemplated purchasing
tenement property. He was extremely
cordial, and seemed DESTROYS of selling
the particular block wherein c%enters
our tale. He would, he said, instruct
his attorney to call at my hotel for me,
that afternoon, show me the property
and rent roll, and negotiate a sale.
His attorney called, and proved thor
oughly familiar with the property and
the rent roll, inasmuch as he had the
rents to collect each month. He OK
planned that the rents were not hard to
collect; that most of the tenants We're
Italians. and that Italians always had
money to pay cheap rent with, and never
demanded improvements. He was
especially profuse in his praises Of a GER
tain Calisteo, who occupied one entire
"end" Of the basement oor,-Calisteo's
virtues being that he always called at
the attorneys office, promptly on the
first day of each month, and paid his
rent; moreover, he had never asked fol
the expenditure Of a cent in improve
ments, and maintained strict peace witt
his fellows. In the eyes of this collect
or Of rents, Mr.. Calisteo evidently came
but little short of being included in the
catalogue Of Worshipful Saints. An
examination of the building revealed
the probable reason why the owner de.
sired to sell. 1t was not that it did not
pay, cash in hand, a large interest upon
the investment; but that Mr.. Calisteo's
Indifference to repairs had been made
to apply to the whole block, which hac
deteriorated into a veritable rat-hole
which could scarcely hold its rotter
timbers% together for another twelve
months, at best. 1t was not, however
the miserable trap, but it's dark skinny
inhabitants, (who resemble those evil
eyed vermin more closely, if possible
that the building resembled the tradi
tional rat-hole), which claimed m,
closest scrutiny. / felt particular,
anxious to see the virtuous Calisteo. H,
| opened mis- door just far enough to pro
) trude his greasy black head and yolun
teered the information that his rent wa
: paid and that he was in need of no re
pairs or internal improvements. H
spoke in italian, doubtless presumin'
l me un%acquainted with that tongue. Il
response the attorney inquired after til
new baby, at which Calisteo grinne'
in a simple way and replied hat TIL
baby was all right. Turning to me
9 the attorney explained that Caliste
and wife had just been blessed with
: late reinforcement to their already nu
merous line of dusky heirs.
: l suggested that we would better no
3 awaken the latest, who, from the silenc
t Which reigned, was presumed to b
t sleeping,-thereby avoiding DRAWN
/ down upon ourselves the g of til
e Signora. On returning
my hotel the purchase c
e the property was quickl
consummated. The next morning
b repaired to a distant part of the city
q also peopled by Italians, and employee
L a carpenter and a mason, taking thel
e with me to the tenement. l told the1
that I wanted them to make a thoroug
&c H. l..J IL.