The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-02-20


known, because those more power
full than we sent us away from the
things our youth demanded, be-
cause. of the love in our hearts
which bid us sacrifice ourselves for
those dependent upon us. am not
the dream child of a writer's brain:
am real; ] walk among you every
day; work for you. beside you.
ask each one of you out there for
your share OF help. your share
OF understanding. your share of
encouragement TO those who are
fighting cur battles for US"
Realistic Exposition.
The play gives a most realistic
exposition Of methods ,practiced by
white slayers'' to enmesh their vic
Tins, choosing those who are strug.
Cling with frightful Industrial con-
ditlons Of big city to make liv.
ing for themselves and those who
are dependent upon them.
Agnes Berthon is represented as
working night and day in an en-.
deayor to obtain needed medical
treatment for her sister. a child in
the incipient stages OF consumption.
All this is known % a group OF
"slavers," male and female. who at
length succeed, in spite of desper-
ate endeayors on the part of the
girl to resist them or to turn them
from their purpose. in dragging her
down to the depths of debauchery.
After her fall. she is no longer the
modest maiden she was, but true to
the part becomes a gaudily dressed,
sigaret smoking courtesan. Despite
IL all she is profoundly melancholy.
showing plainly that she still pos
sesses some of her old spirit. She
has now but one aim in life, that Of
saving her sister from a similar
life Of degradation. She succeeds
but only by killing the man who
has had the principal part in drag
ging down herself, and who is now
seeking to enmesh her sister in
the same tolls. She is tried for
murder. tells her story and is
acquitted. Friends that have under.
taken to provide for her sister also
offer her a home, but she will not
accept II, declaring that she is no
more fit to be in her sisters CON-
pany, Is a drug fiend and has no
hope of ever being able to leave the
evil ways she had entered.
The play gets on ones nerves"
Rarely does one care to witness II
second time. There Is nothing
in the dramatic situations or the
story that fascinates the spectator.
The brutality CT Il all haunts him.
II is a frightful spectacle and
arouses a desire In the right think
ing person to assist in driving from
the larger cities all the cess-pools of
vice and iniquity and to place be-
hind the bars the traffickers in the
souls Of womankind.
The following letter was received
recently by the Commercial club,
and Is reprinted exactly as written.
The writer is a married lady. living
in Pennsylvania, who is anxious TO
get located in Minnesota:
The Commercial club:
Il have a book sent to me from
st. Paul, Minnesota, commissioner
state board received book June "a,
1911 we are trying TO sell our farm
here in Pennsylvania my husband
and think we would linke to by
a small farm in Blue Earth County
Minnesota near a village would linke
some wood to burn we linke the
west the best TO have a home have
lived in Wisconsin most Of our days
| have known one man and family
a neaghbor n Wisconsin by mans
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. am yankee
my husband Hollender
please tell you terms I am Free
VIII Baptist an willing 10 attend
Methodist Episcopal they are Just
as good church people
II have friend of that church /
think a good deal of as we are both
getting along in years we would
linke a place in Minnesota where no
Doubt we can find true friends
yours very truely when we sell we
want to live in Minnesota lis TO
many stones hard land TO work
here
my husband name is............
....... the may know me in blue
Earth County Minnesota name. &.
''... ...........
From the activity shown BY the
Luce Electric Railway company rep
resentatives in the northeastern
part Of this county and in the
counties to the north, there seems
every probability that Fairmont is
soon to have an electric line direct
&c Minneapolis, via Mankato, says
The Fairmont Sentinel.
Intense interest In the project
has been aroused in Nashville town
ship and there have been numerous
meetings between the farmers Of
that neighborhood and representa-
tives Of the company. Last We'd
pAsday night a mass meeting was
held In which details necessary TO
securing the road were explained
and a movement started for definite