Aunt Janes Nieces Out West | Page 5

so I kept
away from the picture theatres."
"Educational pictures," said Mr. Werner, musingly, "have proved a
failure, as I hinted, except when liberally interspersed with scenes of
action and human interest. The only financial failures among the host
of motion picture theatres, so far as I have observed, are those that have
attempted to run travel scenes and educational films exclusively. There
are so few people with your--eh--culture and--and--elevated tastes, you
see, when compared with the masses."
"But tell us about our picture," pleaded Patsy. "What lesson can that
falling wall possibly convey?"
"I'll be glad to explain that," he eagerly replied, "for I am quite proud of
it, I assure you. There are many buildings throughout our larger cities
that were erected as cheaply as possible and without a single thought
for the safety of their tenants. So many disasters have resulted from this
that of late years building inspectors have been appointed in every
locality to insist on proper materials and mechanical efficiency in the
erection of all classes of buildings. These inspectors, however, cannot
tear the old buildings down to see if they are safe, and paint and plaster
cover a multitude of sins of unscrupulous builders. Usually the landlord
or owner knows well the condition of his property and in many cases
refuses to put it into such shape as to insure the safety of his tenants.
Greed, false economy and heartless indifference to the welfare of others
are unfortunately too prevalent among the wealthy class. No ordinary

argument could induce owners to expend money in strengthening or
rebuilding their income-producing properties. But I get after them in
my picture with a prod that ought to rouse them to action.
"The picture opens with a scene in the interior of a factory. Men, girls
and boys are employed. The foreman observes a warning crack in the
wall and calls the proprietor's attention to it. In this case the
manufacturer is the owner of the building, but he refuses to make
repairs. His argument is that the wall has stood for many years and so is
likely to stand for many more; it would be a waste of money to repair
the old shell. Next day the foreman shows him that the crack has spread
and extended along the wall in an alarming manner but still the owner
will not act. The workmen counsel together seriously. They dare not
desert their jobs, for they must have money to live. They send a petition
to the owner, who becomes angry and swears he won't be driven to a
useless expense by his own employees. In the next scene the
manufacturer's daughter--his only child--having heard that the building
was unsafe, comes to her father's office to plead with him to change his
mind and make the needed repairs. Although he loves this daughter
next to his money he resents her interference in a business matter, and
refuses. Her words, however, impress him so strongly that he calls her
back from the door to kiss her and say that he will give the matter
further thought, for her sake.
"As she leaves the office there is a cry of terror from the factory and the
working people come rushing out of the now tottering building. That
was when you two young ladies came walking up the street and were
dragged out of danger by the foreman of the shop--in other words, by
myself. The owner's daughter, bewildered by the confusion, hesitates
what to do or which way to turn, and as she stands upon the sidewalk
she is crushed by the falling wall, together with several of her father's
employees."
"How dreadful!" exclaimed Patsy.
"Of course no one was actually hurt," he hastened to say; "for we used
dummy figures for the wall to fall upon. In the final scene the bereaved
father suddenly realizes that he has been working and accumulating

only for this beloved child--the child whose life he has sacrificed by his
miserly refusal to protect his workmen. His grief is so intense that no
one who follows the story of this picture will ever hesitate to repair a
building promptly, if he learns it is unsafe. Do you now understand the
lesson taught, young ladies?"
Mr. Werner's dramatic recital had strongly impressed the two girls,
while Uncle John was visibly affected.
"I'm very glad," said the little man fervently, "that none of my money is
in factories or other buildings that might prove unsafe. It would make
my life miserable if I thought I was in any way responsible for such a
catastrophe as you have pictured."
"It seems to me," observed Patsy, "that your story is unnecessarily cruel,
Mr. Werner."
"Then you do not understand human nature," he retorted; "or, at least,
that phase of human