The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-17
AN UNGRATEFuL HOBO.

It was nearly Il O'Clock New Years eve
when ". Harold Van PeIt got into his
cab at the Beaumanoir. He was rich
bachelor with not particular profession
except that Of reformer. He had trav
eled round the world studying sociological
conditions. His fame as a philanthropis1
was spreading. He was convinced that
the Whole mental. moral and physical
hope OF the submerged tenth depended
uron sanitation. He had given two years
OF his life to the passage and enforce
ment OF sanitary law regulating the
sweat-shops. He knew every inch OF the
sums, every policeman on the East Side
and every reformer in Gotham, from ia
COP Riis down TO Tim Brogan. who kept
cheap lodging-house in East c street
where homeless men were supplied with
hunks and breakfast az the rate of
cents day. pay when you can
dr. Van Pelt had written brochure
entitled, The PsychicaI Relations Be
tween Bad Ventilation and Larceny
which had won him great praise il ali
circles devoted to the uplifting OF the
poor. but his chief glory now rested upon
his successful championship of q law reg
ulating the cubic inches of air space nee
essary. per iodger." in the cheap room
ing-houses Of the city. He had personal
" inspected all such caravansaries on
the East Side and the police had been
furnished with a list Of those which did
rot comply with The letter of the new
law. Mr.. Van Pelt's ordinance was 70 go
into effect at midnight on the last day Of
the year, and now, as he entered his CAB
in front of the Beaumanoir, and felt for
the carriage-warmer with the toe CT his
patent leather, he told the driver TO take
him to Brogan's Rest, and lapsed into
the cushions with a comfortable sense
of his own unselish devotion TO the cause
OF humanity.
At the same moment Tim BrOgan stand
ing in the furriss of snow that eddied
about the dingy alley door Of his lodging
house, was having his own troubles. He
had made UP his mind TO comply with the
law, and for a week had been busy tear
ing out enough of the sheif-lke hunks
in his old roOkery to meet the require
ments of the cubic inch clause Of the
new ordinance. He had hoped TO be ready
by New Years eve. butu he wasn't, for
he had no money to hire carpenters, 10
buy lumber, nor to do the amount Of
withdrawing prescribed by the reform
ers His dodgers days were more than
hustling for odd jobs, for meals. p
for old clothes, for even the pittance nee
essary to pay Broban Z cents day. Tim
had his own idea about the wisdom of the
new law. He believed that to keep hun
CRY, frost-bitten, famished men off the
streets and out Of the cold at night, even
by housing them in ill-ventilated, crowded
warrens such as his, was wiser than TO
leave them desperate to walk the streets
or hang about the saloons all night.
However, there was the law. When
Mr.. Van Pelt started for the Rest there
were about the alley door Of Brogan's
Rest nearly a hundred shivering, stamp
ing chattering hoboes. They wanted to
get in out Of the cold, and they knew
that Tim wanted to let them in. police
man was standing on the door step
Through the dirty windows of the old
building the dun glow OF fires within en-
aged the impatient tramps. They began
u shout "BrOgan. Brogan, let US in" or
Hoy there, Tim, we're freezin'," but the
door remained shut and the blue-coated
policeman stood there immovable as d
statue. From a peep-hoie in the locked
door which looked into G street Tim Bro
gan was peeping. He was looking for a
visitor At IL 80 a cab rolled UP silently
in the deepening snow, and Van Pelt got
out dismissing the driver and bounding
up the creaking steps of the Rest. Tim
let him IN.
Glad you come. Mr.. Van PeIt," he
said, its none too soon. I've kept them
oct so fur. but It won't do. It's goin' Z
be a turr BILE night an we might as well
let EN- in. They'll be glad stand
round by the walls inside
Not ALL Mr.. Brogan." said Van Pelt.
sharply, drawing of his sealskin gloves. /
we must begin some time. Half-hearted
measures will not do. The law specih
ally provides that no lodging houses
which have not complied with the re-
strictions as to sleeping accommodations
can remain in operation after midnight
You have not complied. You must keep
these men out. They can find other
places that are in line with the ordinance.
You must speak to them and send them
away"