The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-02-28
New York Police Reporter Who Came to
Sit at the Right Hand of President
ROoSaynlf

er his lecture on "Tony's Hard ships.
and was given an enthusiastic recep-
ton. On the occasion of his former
visit, two years ago. Mr.. Riia delivered
his illustrated lecture on THE Battle
With the Slums" Last nights lecture
was sequel-a vivid word picture of
those who live and go down to death
and despair in the slum region. Mr..
Riis is a firm believer in the power of
environment as it shapes human lives
rather than the power of heredity, ard
his lecture was q plea for the better
mcnt of the Stun environment His
long experience as reporter in New
York has given him some dramatic
stories with which to emphasize his
point, and he uses these to good effect
| Mr.. Rlis has seen life in New York in
it's lowest forms, has written about it
and is now making it his mission to
tell the other half about it,
Mr. Riis himself, however, is as in
teresting as his lecture. He is one of
the most interesting personalities in
the country. 1t was since his last Wis
it to Des Moines that he dined at the
white house with President Roosevelt
aud, mentioning that his mother in
Copenhagen was sick, the president
cabled to "the little mother sending
the regards aud we'll wishes of the first
man of America. That is only one OF
) the many Tributes that the president
has paid Mr.. Riis.
Probably 40 more comprehensive
, view of his life and work can be OBJ
, tanned than the one through recent
review in the Bookman which says:
4 :" 4 aln reporter, police reporter
: says Riis, whenever he begins to de
t liver u speech or lecture. No doubt h.
thinks that is all he is. And he is RICH
to honor his trade, for it has servet
L him we'll. He suffered himself tn
u misery Of poverty and homelcssness il
% city and country, so that he began t
- know by experience But the chanc
that made him newspaper man sen
= him into the slums for news, complete
his knowledge, so that he was profes
! sionally soaked with facts and the ilai
for his subject before he set out t
& write about it as II general condition
: Then he came up, not as an amateur
y sebtimentalist, reformer or stl
dent, but as reporter; he has tast
for it all, he has sentiment. he is st,
dent and he cannot let things be. b
the best of 1t was that when he opene
his lips it was to sing, just because tt
numbers came.
CATER all, however, it is the ma
not the reporter, who is doing the wor
and an interesting man he is. a Dal
by birth, carpenter by trade he can
to this country when a boy of Is, wor
!. ed at all sorts of jobs until he h.
learned the language. Then he b
came editor of a subsidized polite
weekly in the neigh borhood of Broo
lyn but he attacked the ring whi'
owned the paper, and though tn
were amused as we'll as astonished
first. they finally discharged Mr.. Ri
THE New York Tribune took hi
on as a reporter, and one dark, sno,
night on characteristically mad ru
to the Office with news, he ran into t
editor and knocked him into a pile
mul and ice. For that he was p
NOTED to police headquarters, whe
il the pursuit of motives, he fell up
the causes of crime, learned more a
more, and finally wrote his first boo
The Other Half as he calls it brie
D which turned out TO be news to
first half.
j tit was news because it wes rel
i Mr. Ris is no artist, but he can tel,
4 story: he has an unconscious sense
3 the picturesque and sentiment.
sentiment sometimes hurts sto
a which would be better told off -hai
Z bur the sentiment has kept him FRI
y becoming a cynic. For the rest \
& Riis brought from Denmark his Or
a erence for the chunky Saxon wor
8 and the haste OF journalism would hi
]; kept his style direct and easy if
Q character had not predetermined
q that He has always stuck to jonrn
q ism, and is now at police headquart
"A for the Sun, for which he has repor
II for ten years or more.
4 "Jucob A. Riis has written anotl
u book, "A Ten Years War; sequel
b sHow the Other Half Lives' and II
a Children of the Poor telling what
"A and what has not been done toward
"a relief of the conditions there describ
j 1t is cheerful stunning, not alone
q cause q lot has been accomplished
"A because Mr. Riis Is an optimist. 4
q why shouldn't he be? The man thi
he Is 8 very common place person,
. a reporter, who reports what he sc
81 a., h 6p RI baln thi