The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-10-04
THE ONE HUNDREDTH MAN.

YHE ONE NAAAss |
snow see here, my FRIEND" said John
Proctor, his honest eyes looking graveiy
into the tramp's face as he balanced
n dime on the tip of his finger, I'm
not going to read you homily on the
subject OF labor, hut want to present
for your consideration little matter OF
statistics. You know, as well as II
that the Territory is swarming Win
men ri your class. No less than SIX.
begoing for money, have stopped me
on he Streets to day; while down there
at the yard''-indicating with his hand
a row of tall lumber piles surrounding
a small building in the distance-"we
haven't had three applications for work
in month.
.nc Won imagine YOU would work If
mi, hal the chauceP have had lit
tie experience with fellows OF your soI,;
Won have such remarkable appetites:
He addressed him genericaliv' As INC
representative of a race. "fou work
half an hour then come around WIN
B the plea that you can't LABOR on an
empty stomach, draw an advance Oh
half dollar on your wages ana tna' Is
the last we ever see OF you.
The man retorted so sharply that one
could almost have fancied the poor
remnant of spirit still abiding in him
stirred to something resembling WRATH
"That's always the way ne NUT
tered. Say we won't work; tnen
won't give us show. know were a
nretty low down lot, but some OF us
start out square enough. If man
once gets down, there's no getting up
There was something almost pathetit
in his very sullenness as he shufnee
away, his rags Tapping in the breeze
and ill-mated shoes Gathering an &C
compartment to his gait.
"Come back here, will your"
John Proctor voice was stern an.
decisive. The tramp halted, hesltated
~ looked away, then shuffled back again
Come down to the yard this after
noon and I'll give you a job. But tax
the half dollar first and get filled u
first"
He had exchanged the. dime for
larger coin and held it in his on
stretched palm. The man did not IN
mediately extend his hand to take
In the moment or two that elapsed Il
Young lumberman thought that he d
fected a trace of something allied
resentful pride in his bearing. But u
illusion vanished rs grimy hal
closed greedily upon the silver. and
fellow disappeared without even trou
ling himself to make any formal G
expression of his gratitude.
John Proctor looked after him w
n ouizzical smile. Five minutes la
he 'knew his own name would be
toast of drunken crowd OF loaters
the saloon around the corner. 1t v
not his first experience OF the kind.
be sure it would help to advance . G
tain Ouixotic reputation which had
tached itself to him since his first
vent in this little New Mexican to,
But he had steadily adhered to
creed: Granted that ninety-nine
of hundred of this floating populat
were thieves and mendicants, he
wont to saw, he preferred to be vict
lied by the ninety and nine, raj
than miss that hundredth man.
Arrived at the Park, a strip OF
running through the heart OF the pl
the title to which was adispute betw
the railroad company. a handful OF
termined squatters and the Gov
ment, John brought down the :
fence this noon with one vigorous
Kicking down this wire fence was
of the legitimate pastimes OF the In
itants, who could not afford to make
tour of a mile or more 10 reach
places of business, nor vet hazard
n,ents by scaling it. These encrt
aaents on the part OF the citizens
once been resisted with warlike de-
strations, but now as Proctor ste
through the gap a patient-loo
round shouldered little man adva'
tundling a wheelbarrow laden
huge coil of barb wire, and, pc
greeting the trespasser, set abo,
Pairing the fence. Parsons was
employ of the road and scrupul
oheyed his instructions, but gle
humor in his eve told that he sy
thized with the transgressors.
As John Proctor took his way
through the Park in tho direction
Office he seemed to throw OF Il
pleasant reflections which had be-
moving him, with one shrug
rowerful shoulders. The young
ave fell cheerily upon the somcwl
congruous array Of buildings
Constituted the town. He glor
the homely little edihces. squatse
the ground in varions directions.
not every foot of lumber been su
from his own yard, and did nc
avalanche of trade mean
Nothing could be mean or poor
brought these weary years Of '
IN an end. He was . practica
little given to enthusiasm OF an
but for her sake he looked WITH
ing vision upon the turreted me
sos,. n tha djstance. with .their