Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-25

horribly out of repair and absolutely
unfit for human habltatlon. Take the
case of the plumbing. There are no
revents to any Of the pipes, and only
one waste pipe has q trap. That is of
no value because of the condition of
the catch basins, which are below
ground and have simply become 50
cloggcd with grease that they are cess
pools that overflow the court and even
run over into the basement. where two
families are living. Back of No.
10 on the alley is a stable in which
vegetable dealer keeps two horses
and Il COW. These are directly under
room which has been added 70 the
old brick bakery, that is In terrible
state of decay and threatens to fan
down. IF it does. as it is liable to do
at any time, it will certainly result in
the death or injury of the tenants. MI
the plumbing is in direct violation of "A
distinct city ordinance which makes 10
an ofiense to put in piping without
traps, rcYents and catch basins to ac-
cumulate material that clogs the sewer
connections. The oyercrowding is sim.
ply indcscribable.
I'm both these tenements that yotr
own and control there is less than 200
square feet of floor area for families
of from five to seven, living in three
and two rooms. There are six bed
rooms in No. II that are absolutely
dark and that in spite of the ordinances
which provides that every room Of a
tenement or lodging house must have
10.
tenth of its floor area. These rooms
not only do not have one tenth window
space, but they do not have any at all.
They are simply dark rooms. the only
light and air that ever enter them be-.
| ing what can get in through the door.
which i'll many cases opens on d middle
room, which in turn has no light OF
air except what can enter through u
shaft between the front and rear teno.
ments only six feet wide and into
which the tenants throw their garbage
because the boxes in front are broken
and Overlooking. Father, these human
beings are rotting in these inhuman
surroundings, and no language can
convey the awful horror Of child life,
| the cruel torture Of mother life com.
PEELED to give birth to children, To
nurse sick babies, to prepare meals. to
endeavor to obtain sleep or rest in
the heart of overpowering odors all in
less space and with less light and air
than "A human being would grant To a
suffering dumb animal. Father, the
property owners of tenement buildings
in this city are paying less attention to
/ int, col 1
ace than they pay to sick cats or i'm
| ported toy dogs or blooded race horses.
And, oh, father for the sake Of all
! this tortured life, Of these children
! born without Fairgrounds, of these
mothers who struggle to keep decent
and these girls who 90 down to ruin
under the stress of the inhuman crowd
| ing, will you not do something? You
can do it The old buildings can he
destroyed. They never can be repaired
They are simply alive with vermin
and disease. But new buildings, COW
ering the legal space on the lot, could
be put up and be made to pay better
than the old ones. You could save tho
lives Of children for the future. You
could
- ''i III ."- at
$500. f, .T
,I ' ''
ny y" II BUSINESS anu "i'' a.
''rN ~ 49,
'o'l" uoiuoh 'ooh sup nearer anu
S"Heu WI" Pdlnlu Vi In'en'nesS lnIo MS
i"'Al'i lave
men 20 You mean 10 say lather,
thal you VIII NOT raise Il niger 10 rlSht
these great wrongs: VIII you not
Will atleuu 10 my auars as
thlhk best ana without any meddllnS
from any one!
but, ia'h'r' AL ms mas nothlnS 10
90 Win our ulherehce OF OPINION as ~
| III! cH"lce Vi Il career. II N supply an
appeal IN the name OF common NIL
manly. VIII you not DO TINS much hc
least! WI! you go down 10 Bowen
street ana see things for yourself"
i Will not. My agent ATTENDS 10 az
the business.
have you ever peen there HaV"
you ever looked at the misery with your
own eyes
ut is none of your business" Rufus
Gordon started up in his chair and
confronted his son. This time the mans