Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-12-24


in this city who do not know the hOr
rors that are congested in and arount
Bowen street and Long avenue ant
High lane. But If you have any hear
in you you cannot be unmoyed by tn
sight down there. In the name Of tn
suffering babies and little children
beg of you, Mr.. Marsh. come with mi
and see with your own eyes. You los
little child once, Mr.. Marsh. re
member Luella telling me, your first
born son. In the name of that sacred
memory will you take an interest iI
the dying innocent children In your
own tenements?"
In his sudden appeal to this long dis
tant but never forgotten experience
John Gordon made the one plea that
perhaps could have moved Philo Marsh
sufficiently to overcome his repugEance
| to every form Of human suffering. He
remained silent a moment; then, lifting
his eyes to Gordon. he said gravely:
"Very well. III 60 with you. When
shall we go?"
Il will suit my time to your conven-
ience. l would like to have you note
the conditions by day and night. I can
60 with you any time"
"Say tomorrow afternoon and night,
| then"
"Will you take dinner with Miss An
| drews ut Hope HouseT John Gordon
ventured to say.
Mr.. Marsh hesitated. "Why. yes,
will If it is customary"
81 know Miss Andrews will welcome
you. Tomorrow at 2, II that will suit
you, will meet you here. and we can
inspect the tenements, take dinner at
and 60 out again for look at night.
Thank you"
John Gordon spoke with quiet but
deep satisfaction. He had scored an
important point. How important he
did not know, but it was vital be-
ginning to any influence he might hope
to exert over the property owners.
AS he started to so out Mr.. Marsh
spoke slowly:
"About Luella? There is no prospect
Of an agreement between you"
"Not any that I can see."
"I'm sorry" The words were genu-
ssae and d-Jeaa Gordon was touched by
them.
'"Thank you, Mr.. Marsh! He shook
hands firmly and went out with a tear
In his eye, but it was not the same as
That which the interview with his own
liather had provoked.
THANK God! He seems to have a
leart, at leastv' John Gordon e1-
damned as he went down into his Ge-
hnna again.
Between 2 and 8 o'clock the next day
Ar. Marsh and John Gordon were In
bwen street and standing in front Of
tie building on lot 81, known as the
"lumbbell tenement" which, accord
Ing to one famous tenement house con-
MISSION. "is the one hopeless form OF
telement construction. 1t cannot be
wll ventilated; it cannot be well light
ed it Is not safe In case Of fire; direct
light is only possible for the rooms at
fralt and rear. The middle rooms
mst borrow what light they can from
dak Railways, the shallow shafts and
the rear rooms. Their air must pass
thpugh other rooms or tiny shafts, and
camot but be contaminated before it
reahes them" New York tenement
commission, 1S94.)
Jhn Gordon could not help noticing
the shrinking manner Of Mr.. Marsh.
Tie man seemed to be under an infiu-
en.e that could not be fear or even
compassion. 1t was rather mingling
Of disgust and physical dread.
Shall we 60 in?" John Gordon said,
Looking at his companion curiously.
Wait q moment" cried Marsh. II
want to look at the street."
nhe two men stood still, and the older
fol the first time in his life saw sight
tint he had never dreamed could ex-
istin q civilized city that was at least
noninally Christian.
I, would be impossible to picture
Bowen street by means Of a photo
gra,h. No skill of the photographer
or atist could reproduce the scene. and
human language Is as weak as the
brua or camera to tell the story.
Th street swarmed with children.
It ws midsummer and the day itself
washot, but not one Of the hottest Of
the ,eason. There was not q tree or
shr,p or flower. not bit Of grass, not
eyena weed to relieve the dull, sicken-
ING Lok of sun smitten brick and wood
and tone.
In ront of every other house stood
garbSe box. or what had once been
one. rhe majority Of these boxes were
rottir, heaps Of boards without covers,
overfwing with'wet stuff composed Of
IdecaInc vegetables. the sweepings
from the tables Of the people and the
litter # paper, tin cans and refuse that
had nt been disturbed by inspectors or
oarba,e wagons for several weeks.
There vas not a whole piece of side
walk On either side Of the street. Pieces
~ rotti1r plank stood on end or lay
nortIv DER the alleys. in some cases
tbrust down between the decaying tim
hors stid,ing above the regular level,
h,deou menace. miserable object
Lesson. at Of hundreds more. or the
mour,,fu fact of municipal incompe-
tancv am debauchery Of machine poll
,Ics Mr.Marsh learned afterward that
more thin 1.5OO suits were pending
oo,inst he city for serious injuries
dne to th defective sidewalks and that
tho sim ptal Of damages claimed was