The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-04-24
! hostile listener he pictured KanMIrs

proposed violation of the building ordi-
nance. the long, heartbreaking fight
for childhood that Miss Andrews had
been making, the gift Of the settlement
and Randall's contemptuous defiance OF
all humanity in his plan of restoring the
regular causes Of the peoples misery.
He must have stated it wonderfully
well. for the mayor was really inter-
ested. Once he interrupted.
"Say that again about the window
| space required In proportion to floor
area. Do you mean to tell me there are
5000 dark bedrooms in the Waterside
district?"
"Three thousand two hundred and
seventeen, sir. And children rot in
them like
go on" the mayor said In a low
tone.
When Gordon was through, the may
or was contemplatively silent.
you've come to the wrong place,
Mr. Gordon. can't do anything to
Tommy Randall. What you want to do
is to lay a complaint before the city
building department. The whole bust
ness is under their jurisdiction and
properly should come before them.
regret exceedingly to hear what you
say about the tenements. | had no idea
| matters were so bad. OF course the
housing problem is a vexed question in
all large centers of population, and all
reformers. believe, are agreed that no
x.ot>Io,,, ,,racopfc CD M
do you claim, Mr.. Mayor" Gordon
interrupted, but his blood always boiled
up in him when q man lied to him,
| shat you do not know about the tene-
ment house conditions in Waterside
| district? Has Miss Andrews told it so
badly that you have forgotten it,"
The mayors face was dark. He
raised his eyes to Gordon, but lowered
them again.
"You have come to the wrong place
to prefer your complaint, sir. Go to the
city building department. Is that all
your errand?"
at is" replied Gordon, and he rose,
turned his back on his honor the mayor
and without another word walked out
of the office Gordon had such supreme
contempt for deliberate liar that he
| used to say it choked him to breathe
the same air with him in the same
room.
At the noon meal he told the story Of
his interview with the mayor.
Miss Andrews looked at him quietly.
''The same old story. And now
"Now for the city building depart
| ment."
Its the regular routine. After that
the state board of health, then the state
factory and tenement house inspectors,
then
She spoke with her usual deliberate
patience, and Gordon colored.
81 know. 1 am simply following a
better person than myself, but
"But you are man." she said Yistful-
| ly. you may succeed with some Of
them"
John Gordon looked doubtful. But in
the afternoon he went down to the city
hall again, and after long and vexa-
tious delay he managed to get a hear
ing with one of the officers of the city
building department. The superintend.
emit was in Europe. But deputy lis
tened to him with an air of polite resig-
nation, as If he were losing valuable
time
When Gordon was through, he said:
.'Oh, Mr.. Gordon, that's altogether
outside our Jurisdiction. You'll have to
carry your complaint up before the
state board Of health. 1 can furnish
you with the necessary blanks on which
to make complaint. Are you regular
tenement house inspectorY
"Yes"
''Then possibly you will be required
to file your complaint with the factory
and tenement house inspectors COM
made out to one body, sometimes to an
other"
"They have complaints, then, do
they?" asked John Gordon ironically.
ooh, yes, yes" the deputy replied
hurriedly. ''Sorry we can't do anything.
But the whole affair is outside our de-
partment. Glad to have met you. Good
udy, MI. GOrtlOu.
Gordon went right over to the room
Of the state board Of health.
After the usual delay he was ushered
into the Office Of nervous little man
who said, without turning from his
desk at which he was writing:
''Be so kind as to state your business,
and be brief, as time is precious
80 is human lifer' said Gordon, who
had refused the chair at which the
officer had nodded when his visitor en-
tered.
The man at the desk jumped as if he
had been Unexpectedly hit on the back.
Then he turned around and looked at
Gordon.
What did you say?"
"You said time was precious, and l
said, so is human life Both state
ments are true, but I think mine is
more important"
"Ah, yes; possibly, possibly. Will you
state your errand?
Gordon began, but he had not gone
far when the man at the desk inter-
rupted.
orr"
ssI on,