Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-02-28

go inside nowy' Mr.. Marsh replIed
leeDly. Lets get through with it.
hao no idea 1t was all so horrible OF
course this is unusually bad. isn't it?'
there are fifty other streets as bad
| OF worse within two miles of Hope
House,
why don't they get new garbage
boxes at east?" Mr.. Marsh exclaimed
IN the same irritated manner. He had
| begun by being sick at the sight Of the
iearrul conditions. He was now grow
ing angry.
who do you mean BY they Mr..
Marsh?" John Gordon said, with some
bitterness. 1.-THE landlords? The city
ordnance 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.''
MIR. Marsh looked at the box in front
OF his own double decker and said
nothing.
| 1t was rotten apology for what had
once been small box. 1t had only
three sides and no cover. 1t was filed
10 overlooking, and browning the heap
Of stencil was dead chicken swarming
with maggots. 1t was a fair sample of
every other box in Bowen street, and
IN It's loathsome and naked uncleanness
1t stood there in the blaze of the pitiless
sun dumb but CHASTITY and over
! "helmlng witness against the cultured
1ndl1erence of the men who are not
willing to be their brothers keepers so
long as they can live luxuriously on
their brothers needs at 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
top"'
lie uttered the word in time to pre-
vent Mr.. Marsh from stumbling over a
projection in the shape of a raised plat
form built out from the side wall,
!
main wallis 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 Oh
a series of racks.
The floor Of the court or passageway
between the two wings of the dumb
bell Was slippery with filth of every
description. In the semidarkncss which
prevailed in spite of the suns glare
outside could lie seen pale, tired wo-
men with sallow, dirty faces, peering
out from doorway and window. The
heat was sitting as not breath blew
in at either end of the passage. and the
odor WAS ovcrpoweling.
Mr.. Marsh hcstatcu.
II don't know that care to go in,"
he said almost in a tone OF fear.
TOO late to back out now, Mr.
Marsh. Come! 1t will do you good
Make you more contcnte;l With your
home on the boulevard" John Gordon
said grizzly.
Ho erno'ed the group Of women in
the doorway, and they returned his
| greeting civilly 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 MIR. Marsh's
arm and was silent until they came to
the first flight Of stairs at the end of
the passage.
Have to be a little careful here
| SIR he cautioned. This is an old
| part. joining your part from the rear
1t was on the lot when your agent
| looked over the space, and he built UP
to the limit and a little more In fact,
| he broke SIX distinct ordinances in
using up the space that ought to have
been left open between the new build
| ing and the old. But that was nothing
! to him, for it added six feet to the
double decker, and that meant twelve
| additional bedrooms. Have care here.
Some of the stair treads are brolzen.'
Mr.. Marsh uttered an ejaculation,
and Gordon stopped.
IL feel i'll. don't believe l can go
on, Gordon. This is terrible. 1t is
past belief that human beings can live
in such conditions
"rhey don't all live, sir. Some of
them die. But it's almost as bad to
die in here as to live. You ought to
see funeral in one Of these tene-
ments."
God forbid!' exclaimed Mr. Marsh
emphatically. Honestly, Gordon, it
may seem absurd to you, but I am
growing sick from the awful stencil
here. doubt my ability to go on
Gordon made no answer. After a
moment Mr.. Marsh said feebly:
"All right. I'll try to stand it."
TO BE CONTINUED
| Sahara's Gases.