Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-04

49, .SJ
He told instance after instance of
sickness and death all resulting from
the terrible conditions inn this n
tenement. until a delicate. refined
looking woman down in the audience
who had dropped in with her husband
for a few minutes on the way to sona,
other gathering, drew her soft la
tie about her shoulders with a shiver
and whispered: Really, Charles, 1t
can't be healthy to have UGH a ter
rible state-of things in the city where
We live. / should think germs would
get out and float around to US. Some
low creatures out of a decent COM
munity. Do let's go now. I don't
feel as if !. could listen to another
word. l shan't be able to enjoy the
reception"
But the husband a frowning and
listening to the end of the speech,
vouchsafing to her whisper only the
single growl: ,s, 49,
I Don't Be q fool, selina!" g
On and on Michael went, literally
taking his audience with him, through
room after roono Of 'his" tenement,
showing them horrors they had never
/ dreamed; giving them now and again
glimmer of light when he told of a
%curtained window with fifteen minutes
of sun every morning, where a little
cripple sat to watch for her sunbeam
and push her plot Of geraniums along
the sill that it might have the entire
benefit Of its brief shining. He put
the audience into peals of laughter
Z over the wit of some poor creatures
lin certain trying situations. showing
that a sense of humor is not lacking
sin ssthn t4fhar holf.p md Il $hA~ cot
them weeping yer a little baby's flu
neral.
, He told them forcibly how hard the
workers were trying to clean out and
improve this terrible state of things.
How cruelty slow the owner Of this
particular %tenenYent was even to cut
windows into dark air shafts; how SO
far it had been impossible to discover
the name of the true owner of the
building, because he had for years
successfully hidden behind agents
who held the building in trust.
/ The speech closed in Q mighty APP
peal to the people Of New York to
rise, up In a mass n wipe out this
curse of the tenements. and build in
their places light, airy, clean, whole
some dwellings, where people might
live and work and learn the lessons of
life Alright, and where sin could find
no dark hole in which to hatch her
loathsome Offspring.
As Michael sat down amid q burst
Of applause such as is given to few
speakers, another nan stepped to the
front Of the platform; and the cheers
paOf commend tion were hushed some
what. only to swell and break forth
again; for this man was one Sof the
city's great minds, and always vel
come on any platform. He had been
asked to make the final appeal for
funds for the Fairgrounds. It had
been considered q great stroke OF
luck on the parthof the committee ID
secure him.
my friends" said he when the
hush came at last and he could be
heard. II appreciate your feelings. ]
would like to spend the remainder ol
has just finished speaking"
"a The clamor showed signs Outbreak.
Ing forth again:
"This ma has spoken well be
cause he has spoken fror1 his heart
And he has told us that he know,
( whereof he speaks, for he has livef
In those tenement rooms himself. ont
of the little cfdldren like those fql
whom he pleads. I am told that III
has given almost every evening fol
four years out Of . busy life which Il
Just Opening into great prolpise. t
help these people OF his. I I'M re
nAnded . have been listening Il
him OF LAniers wonderful poem. 'Tht
Marstass of Glynn; Do you recall 81
s.Ye sbreaA ana span ike ii,
Catholic u who fath mighty
TII+dGE WVu SHFgt.r1as