Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. [Illustration: "The MM Co."] [Illustration: Jacob A. Riis] THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN BY JACOB A. RIIS AUTHOR OF "HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES," "A TEN YEARS' WAR," "OUT OF MULBERRY STREET," ETC. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS To LAMMET TO THE READER The papers which form this autobiography were originally published in _The Outlook_, the chapter telling of my going "home to mother" in _The Churchman_, and parts of one or two others in _The Century Magazine_. To those who have been asking if they are made-up stories, let me say here that they are not. And I am mighty glad they are not. I would not have missed being in it all for anything. J. A. R. RICHMOND HILL, N.Y., October, 1901. CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE MEETING ON THE LONG BRIDGE CHAPTER II I LAND IN NEW YORK AND TAKE A HAND IN THE GAME CHAPTER III I GO TO WAR AT LAST, AND SOW THE SEED OF FUTURE CAMPAIGNS CHAPTER IV WORKING AND WANDERING CHAPTER V I GO INTO BUSINESS, HEADLONG CHAPTER VI IN WHICH I BECOME AN EDITOR AND RECEIVE MY FlRST LOVE LETTER CHAPTER VII ELIZABETH TELLS HER STORY CHAPTER VIII EARLY MARRIED LIFE; I BECOME AN ADVERTISING BUREAU; ON THE "TRIBUNE" CHAPTER IX LIFE IN MULBERRY STREET CHAPTER X MY DOG IS AVENGED CHAPTER XI THE BEND IS LAID BY THE HEELS CHAPTER XII I BECOME AN AUTHOR AND RESUME MY INTERRUPTED CAREER AS A LECTURER CHAPTER XIII ROOSEVELT COMES--MULBERRY STREET'S GOLDEN AGE CHAPTER XIV I TRY TO GO TO THE WAR FOR THE THIRD AND LAST TlME CHAPTER XV WHEN I WENT HOME TO MOTHER CHAPTER XVI THE AMERICAN MADE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Jacob A. Riis Our Stork The Meeting on the Long Bridge Ribe, from the Castle Hill The View the Stork got of the Old Town The Domkirke Within the Domkirke Mother The Deserted Quay Downstream, where Ships sailed once A Cobblestone-paved Alley Father My Childhood's Home Down by her Garden, on the River Nibs The Picture her Mother gave me Brady's Bend as I knew it "I found the valley deserted and dead" "The dead were much better company" Lunching at Delmonico's The Fight on the Police Station Steps "There I set my traps" Our Old Pastor When I worked in the Buffalo Ship-yard "One end of the town was burning while I was canvassing the other" "I went to hear Horace Greeley address an open-air meeting" "The wide world seemed suddenly a cold and far-off place" "Hard Times" Brother Simmons (_the Rev. Ichabod Simmons_) The Letter Elizabeth's Mother Elizabeth's Home--"The Castle" Elizabeth as I found her again "I was face to face with my father" Bringing the "Loved-up" Flowers "Out into the open country, into the wide world,--our life's journey had begun" Mulberry Street _Tribune_ Police Bureau "In which lay dying a French nobleman of proud and ancient name" Our Office--my Partner, Mr. Ensign, at the Desk, I in the Corner "About that interview, now," he drawled "The carriage went on" "The General said never a word"