Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-30

Mr.. Mayor-the boy reared in the country
or the boy reared in the city?"
81 don't think the locality has much to
do with it." was the reply. The manner
of the boys rearing often has more. The
country boy has, as a rule, had the advan-
tage OF having been made to work. He is
usually a poor boy, and his nerve and mus
Gle have usually been developed by ad-
versity. This may be the case with the
city boy, but in many instances his early
life has been too easy. His parents have
pampered him. He does not know the
perience, after he has gone into business.
and in this way he starts in behind the
horny-handed son of the country. The
country bows life has tended to the de-
velopment of self-reliance in him. and he
comes here with the determination TO
stand alone"
a Story of Mayor Strong.
This remark of Mayor Strong may be
forcibly illustrated by 4 story OF his own
self-reliance. 1t was during his first years
in New York. He had been in the employ
of one of the leading merchants here for
some time, when 4 disagreement arose be-
tween him and the merchant about a GER
/ tain matter. In the discussion which FOL
lowed Strong thought he was not properly
treated, and as a result there were not
words between the two. At last the en-
ployer told Mr.. Strong that he did not be-
lieve that he could work any longer Tor
WORK any longer for you, i" was Strong's
reply; work for you after this! Why,
/ lld lA. 4 III lAoN u - ~ NAA-- 1890
you have said for $1,000 a minute.
Thereupon young Strong took up his hat
and left. He was out OF a pace Tor a lew
days. The first man TO whom he applied
for work asked him for references. Young
Strong at once gave him the name OF the
man who had just dismissed him. said he:
Il could refer you 10 fifty men who know
me. each of whom l doubt not would say
a good thing for me. But what you want
is the name of some one l have worked
for, and that man can tell you all about
my work"
The result was that the man went to his
former employer and asked as to Strong,
and was told in reply that Strong was a
very good man, but hard to get along with.
Said his old employer: II you can man
age him. he is worth all that you can pay
him, but AZ for me. he told me when he
left that he would not work for me again
for $4,000 a minute" This answer strange
to say. pleased the man. He gave Strong
the place, and never had reason to regret
New Workers Not so bright.
I asked the mayor if he had found that
the men of New York were smarter than
those of the West. He replied: No, 1
don't think so. There are now in village
stores men who are just as bright as any
Of the merchants here in New York, and
there are lawyers in the county seats who
have as much brains as those who advise
the big corporations in Wall street. This
matter of greatness is to n large extent one
of circumstances and surroundings
MIR. Mayor, l want to ask you IL you
think a mans life is safe in any part of
people of the country are afraid Of this
city"
and property are as safe here as in any
place in the world. There is no more dan
ger of a man being robbed or killed in any
part of New York than there is in the wildS
of the West, or, in fact, in any country VII
lage. Of course. robberieS occur every
where, and the mar who acts the fool and
does not mind his own business, who gets
drunk and goes into bad places, is liable to
get into trouble in any city or anywhere
else. 1t is the same in New York, but not
more so than in other places"
l am told that Mr.. Strong will not be a
candidate again for the mayorship. ! did
not ask him the question. But he said TO
a friend the other day that he thought that
if he was ten years younger he would IKE
nothing better. He thinks. however, that
of the hardest working years of his life
have been spent at the city hall.
Mayor Strong and the Poor.
There is one thing. however. that Mayor
Strong has kept before him during his term,
and that is that the mayor of a great city
like this ought to pay especial attention to
the complaints of the poor. He said not
long ago: 81 am here to look out for the
poor people: the rich will take care of them
selves" He does look out for the poor. l
don't think he would like to have it told.
goes into his own pockets. He is always
giving to one charity or another. Every
morning when he comes to the ONCE he
has a lot of 81 and g notes with him. These
he places in the drawer at his right hand
and when women come in will their tales
of woe which the city can't remedy, he
gives them a dollar or so apiece to ease the
refusal he has to make.
The Mayor and the Babies.
He watches the streets of the poor parts
of the city and sees that the tenement
houses of such quarters are more carefully
inspected than those of other parts. Not
long ago a poor woman came into the may
or's office and took her seat on one of the
sofas. She waited several hours until the
other and holder callers. who pushed their
way before her, had been disposed of, and
then timidly came to Mayor Strong's desk.
mixture from under her shawl and said:
Mr.. Mayor. / have brought you a little
bottle Of milk TO show you what the diaries
are selling to the poor people of this town.
l bought this bottle in a grocery as | came
here. It is what we have to use for food
for our babies and we cannot get anything
better" The mayo asked the woman to
leave the bottle and he would attend to IL.
He sent for the health officer. The officer
said that the milk was undoubtedly bad.
but that they had not enough inspectors 10
enforce the laws.
How many more do you want?' asked
Mayor Strong.
I'VE need fifty CT sixty" was the reply.
well, get them. and make them pay at
tentiOn to the poor said the mayor. This
was done and the mayor saw that the laws
were carried out. He saw that the fines
were paid to the full extent. and showed
the milkmen that they would be imprisoned
upon second offense if they did not carry
out the laws. The result was that the poor
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