The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-27
Select MisfeHany.
The Hundredth Man.

"Now see here, my FRIEND" said John
Proctor, his honest eyes looking gravely
into the tramp's face as he balanced q
dime on the tip of his finger, I'm not
going to read you homily on the subject
Of labor, but want to present for your
consideration o little matter of statistics.
You know, as we'll as l, that the territory
is swarming with men of your class. No
less than six, begging for money, have
stopped me on the streets to-day, while
down there at the yard "-indicating with
his hand row of tall lumber piles sur
rounding a small building in the distance
-" we haven't had three applications for
work in month";"
"Try me-"
"Do you imagine you would work if
you had the chance? have had little
experience with fellows of your sort.
You have such remarkable appetites."
He addressed him generically, as the
representative of race. "You work
half an hour, then come around with the
plea that you can't labor on an empty
stomach, draw an advance of half dol
lar on your wages, and that is the last we
ever see of you"
The man retorted so sharply that one
could almost have fancied the poor rem.
nant of spirit still abiding in him stirred
to something resembling wrath.
"That's always the way" he muttered.
"Say we won't work then won't give us
show. know we are pretty low.down
lot, but some of us start out square
enough. If a man once gets down, there's
no getting up again"
There was something almost pathetic
in his very sullenness as he Snuff I'D away,
his rags Tapping in the breeze, and ill
mated shoes Gathering an accompaniment
to his gait.
"Come back here, will you "
John Proctor's voice was stern and de.
cisive. The tramp halted, hesitated,
looked away, then Snuff ID back again.
"Come down to the yard this afternoon
and I'll give you job. But take the
half dollar and get filled up first"
He had exchanged the dime for
larger coin and held it in his outstretched
palm. The man did not Immediately
extend his hand to take it. In the nc
ment or two that elapsed the young
lumberman thought that he detected a
trace of something allied to resentful
pride in his bearing. But the illusion
vanished as grimy hand closed greedily
upon the silver, and the fellow disappeared
without even troubling himself to make
any formal expression of his gratitude.
John Proctor looked after him with
quizzical smile. Five minutes later he
knew his own name would be the toast of
drunken crowd of loafers in the saloon
around the corner. 1t was not his first
experience of the kind. To be sure it
wouldn't help to advance certain
Quixotic reputation which had attached
itself to him since his first advent in this
little New Mexican town. But he had
steadily adhered to his creed Granted
that ninety-nine out of hundred of this
floating population were thieves and men.
dicants, he was wont to say he preferred
to be victimized by the ninety and nine,
rather than miss that hundredth man.
Arrived at the park, strip of land
running through the heart of the place,
the title to which was in dispute between
the railroad company, handful of de-
termined squatters, and the government,
John brought down the wire fence this
noon with one vigorous kick. Kicking
down this wire fence was one of the le-
gitimate pastimes of the inhabitants Is,
who could not afford to make detour of
mile or more to reach their places of
business, nor yet hazard garments by
scaling it. These encroachments on the
part of the citizens had once been re-
sisted with warlike demonstrations, but
now as Proctor stepped through the gap,
patient looking, round-shouldered little
man advanced, trundling wheelbarrow
1odan NTH huo 81 kor
politely greeting the trespasser, set about
repairing the fence. Parsons was in the
employ of the road and scrupulously
obeyed his instructions, but a CLEAN of
humor in his eye told that he sympathized
with the transgressors.
As John Proctor took his way down
through the park in the direction of his
office, he seemed to throw off the unpleas-
ant reflections which had been annoying
him with one shrug of his powerful
shoulders. The young mans eyes fell
cheerily upon the somewhat incongruous
array of buildings which constituted the
town. He gloried in the homely little
edifices, squatting over the ground in va
rious directions. Had not every foot of
lumber been supplied from his own yard,
and did not this avalanche of trade mean
Annie Nothing could be mean or
poor which brought these weary years of
waiting to an end. He was a practical
man, little given to enthusiasm of any
sort, but for her sake he looked with
glowing vision upon the turreted noun.
tain tops in the distance, with their
purple shadows and golden lights. How
she would rejoice over them, that quiet
little denizen of western prairies who had
lived among the monotonous levels OF
central Illinois all her life.
The thought lent cheerful energy to his
voice as he entered the yard and gave
some directions to Maxon, his hard
worked book-keeper and general factotum
Proctor was deeply engrossed in making
out an order for several carloads of finish
ing lumber, when a shadow darkened the
door, and the tramp stood before him
He could not repress an exclamation OF
surprise. The vagabond observed it
and his face lowered as he asserted him
self defantly.
eyes, I've come" he said. Wha
are you going to give me to do 2"
John Proctor put on his hat and wen
with him into the yard, where an empty
car was waiting to be filed on an orde
from neighboring town. He showed
the man small slip of paper tackled upor
the end, and was about to explain wher,
he would find the material designated