Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1909-12-23

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Well. lets eat-in here. Keep your
hat on"
They entered a Bowery restaurant
near Chatham square. battered place
seen through two dusty windows At
long tables were silent. shifty eyed
men who seemed to sit as far apart
as possible. And they all kept their
hats on aud their coat collars turned
up. while hard faced walters moved
among them bawling out orders.
Not bad. that pie" declared Haggle-
ton as they came out Now I'm ready
for anything Won can show me. the
worst you can show me-"
Philips tace was set. This man
wanted 10 see poverty and misery.
Very we'll
Il know an old lady on Roosevelt
street" he said. who is dying of con-
sumption. Wen go there first
On the way he spoke briefly of the
case. The old lady had no one in the
world to care for her but little grand
daughter eight years old. The child
went to school. so the sick woman was
absolutely alone for hours every day.
And she was SO feeble she could
scarcely lift herself from the bed.
Philip turned into dark hallway
with greasy green walls; they climbed
four flights of stairs to a tiny room
at the back. The floor was bare Of
covering. and the only furniture was
cot bed. two chairs and 4 little stove.
There was one window. and the walls
were painted red.
The dying woman lay propped
against pillow. and her thin face
Frightened as she saw Philip. No.
she wasn't lonely. and. anyway, Ella
mustn't miss her school. Oh. yes, they
were comfortable enough. Ella didn't
mind sleeping on blanket-over there
IN the corner. The rent? why, 81 a
month. 1t was nice room. only she
wished the sun could shine In. She
loved the sun. There were few
weeks In June when the sun did shine
In, but June was long way or. She
closed her eyes YEARLY and lay still.
"Well?" asked Philip.
There's nothing to say" replied
Haggieton. she's going to die. We're
all going to de-
"But that child-only eight years
old?
cts life" said Haggieton.
The next case was farther down the
street-an Irish longshoreman, about
thirty-nve. who also was nearing his
end-consumption and cancer OF the
-hroat. He had been in the hospital,
but had come home for his last days.
a Vr.n nj I'd <SS 10 A1&A vulR
the kidd little fellow Of five, playing
about, barefoot. on the cold floor.
The sick man lay In a foul back
room where there was no window. He
knew that he was dying, but he was
happy to be home again near the wife
and the kid. He was In no pain.
Haggleton beckoned the woman into
the front room and questioned her.
1t was exposure to bad weather that
had caused his sickness. not drinking.
Did she work herself? Yes; she did
cleaning.
AS they came away Haggleton dis
cussed this case. What could you ex-
pect? There must have been some
faint in him. A sound man doesn't get
cancer and consumption. He didn't;
Philip didn't. This lrishman was evil
IDENTITY unsound.
Haven't you any pity for an un-
sound MANI" protested Philip.
whats the use of pity. An I'M
sound man is unsound. He's sure to
perish; better he should. The way TO
improve the race is to prune away the
weak and unworthy. That's what pow
erty does.''
And the weak ought to perish-you
really mean that?'
Certainly. whether they're weak In
body or mind"
my God" exclaimed Philip THAT'S
| the most brutal talk ever heard"
Brutal, yes, but-think it over.
say the weak and the unworthy ought
to perish. It's true when you grow
| fruits. when you breed animals. isn't
It? Then why isn't 1t true If you want
to build up race Of men?"
Because" = Philip hesitated = "be-
cause the greatest authority In the
world is against YOU"
what authority is thatg'
1.-THE authority that says. Inasmuch
as We udNe OOuc II unto tue least OF
these my brethren. We have done II
unto me-"
HIN" grunted Haggleton and fell
into silence.
They had come to a block Of better
looking tenements and made their way
to four room fat with signs of rel
alive prosperity II not of cleanliness.
This was the home of strong Italian
woman who supported her family by
taking In washing. The mother ex-
planned that her husband had tempo
rarily abandoned her. SO she had taken
two lady boarders.
The two lady boarders presently ap-
peared. one showing "A hand bulkily
bandaged and the other very queer
face. 1t was the girl with the band.
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