The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-02-20
The
REFORMER
b. CHARLES NJ SHELDON.
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, ment Fire Horror on Bowen Street"
The News printed q list Of names Of
| property owners, and Philo II. Marsh
name was prominent among them as
| owner Of the double decker fire trap"
as it was labeled Every paper in the
| city had an editorial on the subject,
| but only one of them, the Index, called
attention to the fact that for years the
nature of the construction had been
fully known and nothing done because
city politics did not wish to interfere
with property owners who paid a GER
tain amount of blackmail for the privi-
lege of ignoring city ordinances. A
special meeting of the city council,
called to consider the condition Of the
people in the ruined district, took &C
| ton to provide temporary quarters for
the homeless. Meanwhile public indig-
! nation cooled almost as fast as the
ruins In Bowen street, when it was ru.
mored that several prominent men and
women had subscribed several thou
sand dollars to the survivors and that
as one result of the fire a set Of model
tenement buildings would be built in
the burned district. John Gordon, read
ing all this in moments when he rested
from the great strain that continued
for many days, could not repress a
strong feeling chat nothing but Chris
tan grace kept from being bitter ha-
tired of class that the real cause of
all the horror had not been touched by
all the editors and all the public ex-
rested for anarchy in breaking ordi-
nances which II obeyed would have
made the massacre of children impossi-
BILE. The professional politicians and
spoilsmen continued to hold. their
places and plan for future plumber of
the people. Tommy Randall, boss Of
Ward IS, was winning golden opinions
from the sufferers by his lavish distri-
button of food and clothing and shell
ter. The disaster was godsend to
Tommy. How should the poor, igno-
rant, stolid people of Bowen street
know that the bread and coffee and
beer and clothing and collins that Tom
my Randall distributed with such
cheerfulness and good will were bought
with money which men like Mr.. Marsh
and Mr. Rufus Gordon had paid as
part price for being let alone in their
business metlcS=e
How should the people know that
Tommy Randall touched" the pocket
u every saloon keeper and every keep
q Of a disreputable house and every
prominent criminal in Waterside dis
t1ct to get the sinews of political war?
And what difference if he did, as Miss
Andrews had so often told them?
Wherever the money came from, 1t
bought the things the people needed.
and Tommy was the best friend they
had Flowers at christenings, turkeys
during the holidays, jobs on the street
force, a stand-in with the city hall
why, even Miss Andrews and Hope
House had no such gifts for the people.
To be sure Hope House was a good
thing, and Miss Andrews was all
right, but Tommy Randall was the
peoples friend, and well never go
back on Tommy" was the settled con-
viction of every man in the ward who
owed his job to Tommy. Surely, o
boss of Ward IS, you understand your
business as well as if you were an an
gel of light. Hats off to the ward
boss" says the devil, as his best agents
In corrupting the modern city file by in
the great human review of the Ameri-
can city. The republic may have a
president, but the municipality sup
. ports a king.
When Gordon went up to see Barton
at the end of the most narrowing day
he had ever known, he found his friend
raving with fever. He did not know
Gordon. The nurse was in charge with
Williams, and all Gordon could do was
to drop a tear on BartOn's face as he
kissed the burning forehead and exact
solemn promise from Williams to
send for him at once whenever the end
was near Then back again to three
days experiences that aged him, but
brought out all his reserve force-and
he had vast quantity of it.
Two events in those three days stand
out sharp and distinct in the life of
John Gordon.
The first event was his deepening ac-
ouaintance with Grace Andrews.
! Working together side by side during
! those three days, they rapidly grew to
respect and have confidence in each
| other Grace Andrews amazed Gordon
by her courage, her infinite patience,
1 har. nj U S11ffopinCr IN
| durance under circumstances so terri
| BILE that more than one of the men resi-
| dents in the house tainted away at the
! sight of some of the bodies taken from
1 the ruins. In several instances Gordon
/ felt confident that Miss Andrews loved
the dying back into life. She moved
among them like an angel of God. At
| the most painful examinations, at the
most critical operations, she was pres.
ent, benediction and peace. More
than once during those days Gordon
found himself thinking Of Grace An
drews in a way he had never yet
| thought. He had never given her cred
! It for a sweet hearted tenderness, fas-
ctnating in it's disclosure Of an abso-
fntely pure and gentle nature, feeling
Tor all the woes Of life. He had al
ways admired her steadiness Of pur-
pose, her unterrified patience, her deep
| seriousness Of motive. But he had new.
@ before witnessed her womanly senti.
ment, brought into prominence by this
sudden stroke Of suffering. 1t all;add-
ID to the definition he was making Of
her. 1t all enriched his faith In her
| purpose and her sacrifices. In all this
there was not hint of anything senh-
mental on his own part. The awful
ness Of all those surroundings during
/ that mamorq hIo wpoLr would haUo