The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-23
WHAT ONE MAN HAS DONE.
Jacob Riis Becomes Friend of Presi-
dent Through Reform Work.
(kansas City Starr

Jacob Riis is one Of the most UNIQUE
figures in the reform work that has
gained such a large place in the po-
litical and social life Of America. He
has studied the needs Of the poor from
the standpoint OF poverty and want.
He is a warm friend of President
Roosevelt, with whom he worked when
the present national executive was Do
lice commissioner.
Twenty-Five years ago Jacob a. RHs
was what is called a tramp. He slept
in police stations and even in grave
yards, his best coat in the cold Of win
ter was linen buster, he was hungry
Tor days and was glad TO eat a mess Of
/ bread and bones showed to him through
the alley window Of a hotel kitchen
ne suffered the misery OF poverty and
homelessness in city and country.
But ali the time he was looking for
work and the chance came TO him 10
be newspaper reporter. and what he
did was done so well that President
Roosevelt said not long ago:
Jacob RiiS is the most useful citi-
zen in New York"
It is a great climb from police sta
ton ledger TO the most useful man in
the third city o. the world A man who
car do that is worth seeing and hear
ing, and 1000 Of the best people Of this
city came out through snow and cold
/ last night 10 see and hear him
The moment Jacob a Riis grasps
you firmly by the arm, looks deep into
your eyes, and begins TO talk. Won see
why he succeeded in what he under
took In his every look and word and
act you see his chief characteristic
persistence-sOme call il dOggedness-
that bulldog tenaCiuy that never lets
go OF an aim once started in upon until
II IS accomplished And when you nave
I heard hin talk ten minutes YOU know
he is a man Of great ability and indf-
vidUality.
The things that Jacob A. Riis start
ed IN 70 do twenty-five years ago were
10 tear down the crowded tenement
/ houses Of New York and put in their
places small parks and flower gardens.
70 see that sensible tenement house
laws were passed and enforced: 10 do
away with police station lodging
houses; to see that there We're enough
public schools for all the children Of
New York; 70 esta blish boys clubs and
girls cooking and sewing schools.
When he began on that work there
vas 1EdLEElE a 5LlldA park ~ All the
great city OF New York. there were not
schools for half the children. there
we're tenement houses 50 high that
/ 1000 families were crowded in one
block, most Of them living IN rooms in
which the sunlight never shOne. and
/ thousands OF tramps and criminals
slept together nightly in the free DO
lice station lodging houses. To reform
and change all that would look Ike 2
herculean task but Riis did il. HIS
only lever when he began was the Den-
Gil he pushed as police reporter on the
New York Sun But into every story
that he wrote OF murder. Of poverty. Of
starTa tiOn- OF awful misery. OF abuse
neglect and suffering. he put his apDeaI
Cor betterRent OF the conditions OF the
tenement house poor, for the parks.
more schools and the rest. For TWEEN
ty-ilVe years ne kept Dersistently. dog
gedly at it. and at last IL came. the
thing ne had been working FOR through
SO many long years.