The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-29
Visit to Some Parts Of City Shows
That the City Eas Some
Picturesque Stun
Districts.
ALL BAD FOR HEALTH
Visiting Nurses Find Many Pathetic
Incidents in the Course of
Their Days
Work.

Change the wording of the old
maxim that not one-half the world does
not know how the other half lives, to
includs cities, and you are stating a
truth which applies in keokuk today.
Not one-half Of the people who live
on the avenue, or in the first ward or
in the seventh ward, even, probably
know that there exists on the river
front settlement in which people OF
all ages and sexes live cooped up In
two room cabin boats. Few people
who know Of the existence of this,
place, know that part of the boats at
least are clustered about the mouth
Of a sewer, and that the people are
exposed daily to typhoid. It Is doubt
full if fifty per cent of Keokuk people
know that not more than four or i've
blocks from Main street, people are
living in old tumble down BRICK
dwellings,, peopling those houses from
insanitary, poorly lighted, badly ven
tilated Easements to the third story
better only because it is above ground
with consumptives and other dis
eese touched persons, thus helping to
swell the totals Of death from tuber-
culosis. And If some of the people on
Nabob highway were to see the spec1-
mems Of unkempt, dirty children, ano
hear of some of the really pitiful in
cidents in these tragedies of child-life,
no doubt they would take step to-
wards bettering such conditions.
You can't believe them unless you
sea them. Keokuk has slum dis
tricts, perhaps not as historic as some
cities, but every bit as picturesque.
Dr.. Kepford, state lecturer on tuber-
culosis saw them, and is probably
telling other cities where he talks,
about them. The visiting nurses see
them every day in their rounds. Some
times many OF us see them at dis
tancs. But the conditions are not
borne home, until you see them first
hand. And then you commence to
wonder how the other half of Keokuk
is living.
What is written here is not done
SO in spirit of mud raking. Destruc-
tive criticism amounts to nothing.
Constructive criticism brings results.
This hasty survey Of conditions was
made in the course of an afternoon
by a Gate City reporter. 1t simply
goes to show that there is another
half to Keokuk and that one half does
not know how the other half exists.
An interesting Spot.
If you want to find something inter
esting, go down along the levee far
below the depot Between the tracks
and on the edge Of the river are a
number of cabin boats. These boats
are boarded up at the bottom with
tar paper or boards, perhaps. There
are usually two rooms. The kitchen
odors mingle in the bed rooms and
the reverse is equally true. People
OF all ages are crowded together in
one sleeping room, or in two small
ones. The windows, the visiting nurse
found in one boat, were nailed down.
The only light is from smoky, smelly
oil lamps.
The surroundings about these
houses are not real sanitary, either.
Several OF them surround the mouth
OF city sew or. The drinking water
is dipped from near at hand. Typhoid
stalks about next door neiShbor to
the cabins. In the summer the flies
are thick hereabouts. carrying and
spreading germs. The cleanlfest OF
the little house boats is not any too
sanitary.
And what of the people themselves.
The environment is considered bad
for growing girls, by most of people
who have seen this district. The
Visiting Nurse association Is fnsis-
tent that something be done to better
conditions here. The school direc-
tors admit they have problem here,
in keeping the children in school. Ask
the teachers and principals OF the
schools where these youngsters at
tend. The children are seldom even
normal, and but one out of several is
above the normal.
Many Pathetic Stories.
And really pathetic stories are told
of the children from such district.
too One Of the girls, bright child
and one above the normal, made a
candle stick in the clay modelling
class which was better than most OF
the work done, and the principal try
ing to win the girl with a bit of kind
ness. suggested that she take the
candle stick home. and burn it. and
then bring it back to be colored with
water colors.
Ths next morning the little girl
bravely made her way to the Office.
She said she had succeeded in burn
ing the cAndlestick. hut that 1t was