The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-01-02
ence ne began to doubt MS ability to


discuss the facts calmly. wS
Mr.. Rufus Gordon showed no sur
prise at the sight of his son, although
the two had not met since that event.
full day when John Gordon had taken
somewhat formal leave of his home.
"Will you take seat?" Rufus Cor
Con spoke with the cold politeness he
might have shown any man who had
In all probability come to negotiate for
loan.
John Gordon remained standing and
came at once to the point of his err
rand.
Father. we have decided each to go
his own way, but that does not mean
that we are never to have anything
more to do with each other, does it 2"
when you are tired of your present
foolishness, you can come back" There
was the faintest suggestion in Rufus
Gordon's manner of relenting in his
tone and attitude. The lips trembled
slightly, and the eyes rested for just
an instant ON the sons face before
coming back to the apparently indiffer-
ent gaze that had been directed at the
table.
81 have not come to talk Of that,
father. 1t is impossible for me to
change my purpose. what nave come
to see you about is this: You control
some tenant property in Waterside dis
trict, Bowen street, two blocks south
of Hope House. Do you know from
personal knowledge the condition of
that property"
Instantly over Rufus Gordon's face
swept an angry wave Of color.
1T is none Of your business! This is
part of your contemplate meddling as
a reformer in other peoples affairsv'
"But it is my business! 1t is the
business of every man. Father, do
you know the horrible condition of that
property and the awful condition OF
the people living there"
Rufus Gordon made no answer, but
the anger was evidently deepening in
him. John Gordon waited a moment.
All his accumulated passion growing
out Of what he had seen and heard dur
ing that one short week In Hope House
was in danger of rising like torrent
against his own father. But when he
spoke it was with an. earnestness that
revealed his attempt at self mastery.
mos. II and 10. owned by you,
father, contain seventeen families.
They are, as suppose you know, front
and rear tenements. They are both
horrih1v ont of ropoir opd ohcol,,tolD
unfit for human habitation. Take the
case of the plumbing There are no
reyents to any Of the pipes, and only
one waste pipe has trap. That is of
no value because of the condition of
the catch basins, which are below
ground and have simply become SO
clogged with grease that they are cess
pools that overflow the court and even
run over into the basement, where two
families are living. Back of No.
10 on the alley is stable in which
a vegetable dealer keeps two horses
and cow. These are directly under
a room which has been added to the
old brick bakery, that is in a terrible
state of decay and threatens to fall
down. If it does, as it is liable to do
at any time, it will certainly result in
the death or injury of the tenants. All
the plumbing is in direct violation of a
distinct city ordinance which makes it
an Offense to put in piping without
traps, revents and catch basins to ac-
cumulate material that clogs the sewer
connections. The oyercrowding is sim.
ply INDISPENSABLE.
SIN both these tenements that you
own and control there is less than 200
square feet of floor area for families
of from five to seven, living in three
and two rooms. There are six bed
rooms in No. II that are absolutely
dark and that in spite of the ordinance
which provides that every room of a
tenement or lodging house must have
window space equal to at least one
tenth of its floor area. These rooms
not only do not have one-tenth window
space, but they do not have any at all.
They are simply dark rooms, the only
light and air that ever enter them be-
ing what can get in through the door,
which in many cases opens on middle
room, which in turn has no light or
air except what can enter through a
shaft between the front and rear tene-
ments only six feet wide and into
which the tenants throw their garbage
because the boxes in front are broken
and overlooking. Father, these human
beings are rotting in these inhuman
surroundings, and no language can
convey the awful horror of child life,
the cruel torture Of mother life COM
PEELED to give birth to children, to
nurse sick babies, to prepare meals, to
endeavor to obtain sleep or rest, in
the heart Of overpowering odors, all in
less space and with less light and air
than human being would grant to a
suffering dumb animal. Father, the
property owners Of tenement buildings
In this city are paying less attention to
immortal creatures made in Gods i'm
age than they pay to sick cats or i'm
ported toy dogs or blooded race horses.
And, oh, father, for the sake Of all
this tortured life, of these children
born without Fairgrounds, of these
mothers who struggle to keep decent
and these girls who go down to ruin
under the stress Of the inhuman crowd
Ing, will you not do something? You
can do 1t. The old buildings can be
destroyed. They never can be repaired
They are simply alive with vermin
and disease. But new buildings, COW
ering the legal space on the lot. could
be put up and be made to pay better
than the old ones. You could save the
lives of children for the future. You
could
uAra vor. 1oot,r;nr ~ ,oa2n D,,P,,s