The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-01-16
Mr.. Marsh pulled at Gordon's arm

Mr.. Marsh pulled at Gordon's arm.
For Gods sake, Gordon, let's get
cut of here. En- growing sick. shall
faint"
"Come out into the fresh air" Cor
don said Ironically.
They went out into the corridor, and
Mr.. Marsh in his eagerness to get out
of the building did not even stop to
reply to several of the women who had
learned from Mrs. Caylor that he
owned the double decker and crowded
up to complain about the garbage boxes
and the drainpipes. While Gordon
was talking with Mrs. Caylor about
Louis Mr.. Marsh went down, hurried
as fast as he dared through the lower
court. and when John Gordon came out
he found him seated on the outer steps.
deathly pale and actually sick.
Gordon grimly eyed him.
Its only o'clock Wen have time
to do the other There are some fea-/
lures of No 81 that are peculiar.
would like to have you see them"
81 cannot go. Gordon. It's out of the
question. ] AM too ILL.,"
Lets go over to Hope House. then
John Gordon said gravely.
Mr.. Marsh. with difficulty. walked
over to Hope House. Onithe way Cor
don said:
There is an ordinance which says
that there shall be spaces between
front and rear tenements, graduated
according to the height of the building.
II the tenement is one story high, there
must be ten feet between front and
rear; if two stories, fifteen feet; If
four stories, twenty-five feet, etc. Your
agent deliberately ignored this law
and built your double decker so as to
cover all the space In doing so he
deliberately established condition
that permitted of no light in dozen
bedrooms like the one we went into.
More than that, he created conditions
that breed anarchy, for if the rich and
cultured citizens Of this municipality
for their own gain selfshly trample on
the laws of the city what can they ex-
pect from the poor and the desperate
and the ignorant but hatred Of all So
ciety|
"I'm too sick to discuss It," Mr..
Marsh groaned Gordon saw that he
was actually suffering severely, and
when they entered Hope House he
gave him careful attention.
1t was only temporary indisposi-
ton. however. and after resting an
TO SIT up ana expressed some morr1n-
cation at the way he had behaved.
But his manner was very grave, and
the experience of his visit to the build
ing was evidently making profound
impression on him.
To Gordcn's disappointment, Miss An
drews had been called away and was
not present at the evening meal. Mr..
Marsh was able to be at the table with
the residents and was a close listener
to the talk, although he said little.
'Do you feel equal to a little work
this evening, Mr.. Marsh?' Gordon
asked after the residents bad adjourned
to the library and had begun to scatter
for their several duties.
81 think so; yes" Mr. Marsh an
swered. He was really ashamed of his
inability to endure unusual sights of
disagreeable human suffering.
''Then perhaps we had better visit
one of the vaudeville halls. l want you
to see how the saloon, as politica! in
-stitution, comes in to supplement the
absence of home life. Perhaps it will
help you to understand better, if you
want TO, why the tenement house con-
ditions are oat interfered with and
why { is to tie interest of the politi-
clan that the people suffer as far as
endurance will go in the matter Of no
homes
1 AT 0 o'clock, in company with an Off
Ger in citizens clothes who was de-
tailed to look after, Hope House dis
trict, Gordon and Marsh entered ore of
the vaudeville halls joining a corner
saloon on Bowen street. Mr.. Marsh
was unusually excited His university
training, his exclusive, refined culture,
his sensitive habits, were all the exact
opposite 81 e1crything he had felt and
seen since he entered Hope House dis 4
trict. re went in with Gordon. and
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