The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-05-26
JACOB RIIS DIES
TO DAY AFTER
LmONGlILLNESS
Noted Author and Social
Worker Made Himself
Known as New York's
Most Useful Citizen"
ny Icnscd Wire to Evening Herald

hy Leased Ntrn tO Evening Herald
BART. Mass. May 2G-Jacob a.
Rils. author and social worker. died
at his SUMMER home here today after
"a lung Illness.
Mia ltlis and u son were "a Mr.
rms bedside Nheu the end came. MI.
Rils was brought here about two
wceSs agu from "a sluiturium at lat
Tie creek. Mich. where hc bad been
a patient for sc, ernl months taxing
treatment Tor heart trouble Of long
standing.
Jacob August Riis became. througb
his WORK in behalf ot the poorer peo-
pie IN New YORK.. the most useful cit
zen of the metropolis according 90
a tribute one paid 60 him by Theo-
dVrr Roosevelt, his Intimate friend.
IS On almost pcnniiess Immigrant
b., ootaincd knowledge ~ the slurls
at first hand and found conditions
there so repeilant that be consecrated
his whole life to warfare aeninst
w~rctchedness.
Riis was tho thirteenth child Of a
Ia:in teacher IN Rlbc. Jutiunu, Dem
marx he was born in ista. Protest
ing at the literary career which his
father had cut % FOR him. young
Rlis decided Go work with his hands
and became q carpenters apprentice.
The vocation he had chosen did not
prevent him. however. frun falling m
love with Elizabeth Nelson. Daughter
Of one OF The richest men in his ma
tive town. But SHE refused him. AMI
whom Rlis was ~ years old, having
learned his trade, he embarked for
New York with only $40 in mis-
pocket. lie spent half the sum ior 10
heavy navy pistol as soon as he laun-
ed TO fight Indians "a dcsperadocs
Ris led "a varied career during the
following six years. He built miners
huts In "A Pennsylvania construction
camp. mined coal made bricks, dro, e
a team D peddied ilat irons ~
books. At 20 he spent his last cent
in reaching New YORK. hoping 60 en-
list through the French consul Ia the
French army against Germany for
The Fganco-prussian war but his ser
Vices were refused, and Itiis wls
forced to accept q beginners place
Tor "a New York news bureau. At the
yefs FIRST he mad his most c%onspicu-
Gus success IN the study Of conditions
on the East side Of New YORK..
with only SIS capital and notes Cor
1915 he succeeded in buying the
south Brooklyn News. which was
on the verge Of bankruptcy and made
such "a success with the property that
he was able 20 sell n as "a considerable
Front "a feB years later. lie returned
90 Denmark and married the glrl VINO
had refused him when he was q cay
I pcntcr's apprentice. This first wife
died In 1895 and two years later Ris
married Mary Phillip of ~ Louis.
As "a reporter on the New YORK.
Tribune and later ON the New HotK
sun. Ris took up his real work m
Stun fighting. while attending 20
routine duty as "a police reporter, he
worked day and night 60 arouse the
people Ia the need OF improved Nv
INK conditions. one of tho nrst Of his
campalgns was against the impurity
at The city water. and II was his hght
which finally led To the purchase ot
the Croton Watershed 20 assure safe
drinking water for New York
He brought sunlight Ia the tene-
ment districts by forcing the destruc-
lion OF rear tonements He entirely
cleared Mulberry Bend, ~ OF the
worst tenement sections In TIE city.
and replaced the squalid homes ny
shady parks.
Theodore Roosevelt was police
commissioner of New YORK when Ris
attacked the evils Of police station
lodging houses, lie won his point,
aud incidentally a strong ally In Mr..
J Roosevelt. Riis drove haKe-shops out
Of tenement Easements; he fought Tor
laws a%boilshing child mbor, and was
largely Instrumental In getting the
passage OF the briefest. wisest, and
best statute on the hooks of New
York. laying down the principle that
hereafter "No school shall be Quit
without adequate playground
After twenty seven years as "A re-