The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-03-25

ing SICK babies or little girls staggering
under the load OF child two or three
years younger filed up the picture Of
sodden, unkempt dishevcled, tired out
humanity that turned that awful street
into q human he'll, where no alleyiatine
bit Of cheer or relief was inserted to
give one ray Of hope for the future.
The only buildings in front Of which
there were no steps were the saloons.
These aYerag ged five to block and one
on each corner. The corner saloons,
with a few exceptions, also had at
tached to them vaudeville halls, with
staring lamp signs, Gree Vaudeville"
| hung out over the entrances.
/! It has been said that no living being
ever successfully described Bowen
street so that person who never saw
It could have even the faintest concep-
ton Of it's truth. Mr.. Marsh had never
seen anything like it, and all his read
ins had never given him any idea
whatever Of the reality. He stared at
it all now in a bewildered, almost
frightened manner that grasped only a
part Of the terrible significance Of it
ALL
Finally he turned to John Gordon
and said with a tone in which irrita-
ton was the dominant note:
"Why don't some Of these children
so over and play in the Hope House
Fairgrounds instead of rolling in this
awful filth? 1 understood you to say
that Hope House had playground"
John Gordon looked at Mr.. Marsh at
first with a feeling Of indignation,
which rapidly changed to one Of sad
ness.
"How many children can play in a
space shut in and bounded by a lot less
than 50 feet wide and 100 feet long?
It is crowded to oyerfoWing now. Do
you know how many years Miss An
drews pleaded and begged and prayed
and turned mountains Of selfish indif-
ference and commercial greed to get
that little Playground"
81 have no idea. Hadn't we better
60 inside now?" Mr.. Marsh replied
feebly. "Let's get through with it I
had no idea it was all so horrible. OF
course this is unusually bad, isn't it?'
"There are fifty other streets as bad
or worse within two miles Of Hope
House"
"Why don't they get new garbage
boxes at least| Mr. Marsh exclaimed
in the same irritated manner. BE had
begun by being sick at the sight of the
fearful conditions. He was now grow
ing angry.
"Who do you mean by they MI.
AIarsh:" John Gordon said, with some
bitterness. "The landlords? The city
ordinance makes it obligatory on the
landlords to furnish and keep in good
repair garbage boxes sufficient in size
to accommodate the number Of fami-
lies in their tenements.'
Mr.. Marsh looked at the box in front
of his own double decker and said
nothing.
1t was a rotten apology FOR what had
once been small box. 1t hao only
three sides and no cover. It was filed
to overAowing, and crowning the heap
Of stencil was a dead chicken swarming
with maggots It was fair sample OF
every other box in Bowen street, and
In it's loathsome and naked uncleanness
It stood there in the blaze Of the pitiless
sun a dumb but ghastly and over
whelming witness against the cultured
indifference Of the men who are not
willing to be their brothers keepers so
long as they can live luxuriously on
their brothers needs at q distance from
all suffering and responsibility.
They went into the narrow court that
separated the rear from the front Of
the building, and John Gordon pointed
out the deadly nature of the construc-
ton.
There is no direct sunlight in any Of
these rooms that open on the court
All light and air must enter either
where we did or come in from the
topr'
He uttered the word in time to pre-
vent Mr.. Marsh from stumbling over
projection in the shape Of raised plat
form built out from the side wall,
shortening the distance between the
main walls Of the court. The use OF
the platform was, as he afterward
learned, to furnish little additional
room for hanging out clothes, which
were suspended above the platform on
series OF racks.
The floor of tie court or passageWay
between the two wings Of the dumb
bell'' was slippery with filth of every
description. In the semidarkness which
prevailed in spite Of the SUMS glare
outside could be seen pale, tired Wo-
men with sallow, dirty faces, peerlng
out from doorway and window. The
heat was sitting, as not breath blew
in at either end Of the passage, and the
odor was overpowering.
Mr.. Marsh hesitated.
81 don't know that T care to so ln,"
he said almost in a tone Of fear.
"T 90 late to back out now, Mr.
Marsh. Cone! It will do you good.
Make you more contented with your
home on the boulevard" John Gordon
said grimly.
He greeted the group Of women in
the doorway, and they returned his
greeting ciyilly enough, for he was
wearing his regular inspectors badge,
authorized by the board Of health, and
besides all that he had already in the
course of his brief study made friends
in the block.
Almost the first step they took from
the doorway plunged them into dark
ness. Gordon had hold Of Mr.. Marsh's
arm and was silent until they came to
the first flight Of stairs at the end Of
the passage.
Have to be little careful here,
sir" lie cautioned. ''Ihis is an old
part, joining your part from the rear.
It was on the lot when your agent
looked over the space, and he built up
to the limit and q little more, In fact,