The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-05-22
Began as Reporter.

R'is is the thirteenth child Of a Latin
teacher in Ribe, Jutland, Denmark. He
was born in lS40. Protesting at the
literary career which his father had
cut out for him, young Riis decided TO
work with his hands and became car
penter's apprentice. The vocation he
Lad chosen did not prevent him, how
ever, from falling in love with Ell "a
beth Nelson, daughter Of one Of the
richest men in his native town. But
she refused him, and when Riis was
twenty.one years old, having learned
his trade, he embarked for New York
with only $40 in his pocket. He spent
half tho sum for n heavy navy pistol
as soon as he landed, "to fight Indians
and desperadoes. az at
Riis led varied career during the
following six years. He built miners
huts in Pennsylvania construction
camp, mined coal, made bricks, drove
a team and peddled flatirons and books.
At twenty-seven he spent his last cent
in reaching New York, hoping to enl 81,
through the French consul, in the
French army against Germany for the
Franeo-Prussian war, but his services
were refused. and Riis was forced 10
accept a beginners place as reporter
for a New York news bureau. At the
very first he made his most conspicu-
Gus success in the study of conditions
on the East Side Of New York.
# Revives Dead Romance.
With only $75 capital and notes for
1915, he succeeded in buying the South
Brooklyn News, which was on the verge
of bankruptcy, and made such success
of the property that he was al lie to cell
1T at a considerable profit a few years
later. He returned to Denmark aud
married the girl who had refused him
when he was carpenters apprentice.
This first wife died in 1905, and two
years later Ris married Mary Philip
of st. Louis. Eifsa tl..
As reporter on the New York Trib.
upe and later on the New York sun,
Riis took mp. his real work in Stun,
fighting. While attending to routine
duty as police reporter, he worked
day and night TO arouse the people to
the need of improved living conditions.
One of the first Of his campaigns was
against the impurity of the city water,
and il was his fight which finally led
to the purchase of the Croton watershed
to assure safe drinking water for New
York. 49,. Y v. III asssa u
lie brought Sunlight to the, tenement
districts by forcing the destruction of
rear tenements. He entirely cleared
Mulberry Bend, one Of the worst tene-
ment sections in the city, and replaced
the squalid homes by shady parks,
a." Roosevelt His Ally. n
Theodore Roosevelt was police COM
missioner of New York when Riis at
tackled the evils of police station lodg-
ing houses. He won his point, and in.
cidentally a strong ally in Mr. Roose-
welt. Riis drove bake shops out of tehe,
ment basements; he fought for laws
abolishing child labor; and was largely
instrumental in getting the passage of
. the briefest, wisest and best statute
on the books Of New York, laying down
the principle that hereafter mo school
shall be built without an adequate play,
gronnd.'P' G . Si
After twenty-seYen years as a, re.
porter, Riis resigned to continue his
fight by writing and leeturing. Among
the products, OF his pen are How the
Other Half LIVES "The Children OF
the Poor, 'fThe Making Of an Ameri.
can" (his autobiography, 1.-THE Bat.
tie With the Stun, - Children Of the
Tenements, "The Old Town, ,'H'Theo
dore Roosevelt, the Citizen, and
{ III 49,. n.Ia. H.. a. ~. NIL,