The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-05-29
COLLECTING A BIG CROWD.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE THREE
BLACK CROWS" STORY.
A Tall Wan with Long white Hair
ProvolScs an Animated Discussion
Among Many People.

which half-hid his coat collar, stood in
front of one of the large buildings on
lower Broadway at noon the other day.
His face was upturned, and he appeared
to be gazing earnestly at the roof of the
structure. In few minutes he was
joined by another man, and in few
minutes more another, and then another,
until a score of men were gathered to-
gether on the pavement, looking at the
upper stories of the tall structure. AS
the crowd began to swell, busy brokers
stopped to look, messenger boys tlocked
to the spot from all directions, mer-
chants, clerks, pedd lers and idlers stopped
in their journey and gazed at the build
ing rs if they expected some frightful
catastrophe to occur. The throng soon
grew too large for the pavement, and
speedily occupied by several hundred,
elbowing, jostling, impatient and curl
Gus sight-seers.
Il wonder if the wallis a-going to
fall9' observed a speculative spectator on
the outskirts of the throng.
"They say the wall is going to fall,
repeated the man next to him.
'Look out, the building is going to
tumblew shout d the next.
Don't crowd sol" yelled a man in
the center, ''the wall is going to fall"
Look out Look outp shrieked
dozen others, and the men pressed back
ward on each others toes until there was
space enough on the pavement to let a
regiment march through.
II wonder whether it's on fire." OBJ
served another spectator.
"It's on fire!" shouted another.
"See the smoke" yelled third.
"Fire fire" howled score of other
voices, and the crowd surged back to
the pavement as flies gather on lump of
sugar in summer time.
~ hope there are no women or chill
dren in the building" remarked chart
tablv inclined citizen.
There are women and children in
the building getting burned up"
shouted another.
"Three women getting burned upw
yelled another.
"Open the window and rescue them"
piped little man who was observing
the building from under tall mans
coat tails.
"Bring a ladder" yelled a sensible
Ladder. ladder, fetch ladder =
howled dozen others, and number of
boys were dispatched in various direc-
tons for those useful articles.
"Why doesn't someone turn on the
fire alarm" suggested another man.
"Turn on the alarm!n took up the
crowd. 'Call the fire Department. and
several men started simultaneously for
the fire alarm boxes.
"Fifty dollars to the man who saves
their livesm yelled tall man with
Western air and a wide brimmed hat.
Break open the doors and 90 up
stairs ~ howled an enthusiastic man, as
he edged away from the crowd in The
opposite direction from the building.
"Save their lives" yelled another, as
he made break through the crowd for
stone steps, followed by half-hundred
other men.
"Call the police!" said another man.
"Police police POLICE" shouted the
crowd.
Some one will go through the build
ing and rob the Offices" said another on
the outskirts.
"Robbers! robbers! Police! police !
Fire! fire! Save the women Bring a
ladder! Bust in the front doorn howled
the crowd.
whats der row2" growled a police
man on the opposite corner, as he OBJ
served the crowd.
"Some ones getting killed, replied an
imaginative but inaccurate long-r range
spectator.
III rap for help" replied the guard
ian of the peace, sugaciously.
whats der racketm cried another
patrolman, as he came painting around
the corner.
Terrible fight over there" replied the
first; 1.-TWO men being murdered.
More raps. More policemen.
Fire engines heard coming in the dis
lance.
"Let's clear the crowd" said police .
man.
Fire! Murder! Policc." shouted the
crowd.
"Clcar de way" howled the officers.
"Whack, thump, bang" remarked
the policemen's clubs, as the sturdy OIL
GERS reached the edge of the crowd.
"llere comes the police, Clear the
way. Quit hitting me. Ouch Stop
crowding e." shouted the spectators,
as they made way for the policemen and
lodged the fast gathering engines.
whats the matter cried an officer
as he rushed into the building.
'Nothing," replied the janitor.
"What is the row in the streetp
"What's the row out here2" inquired
another officer of one of the spectators
in the crowd.
Nothing is the matter here" replied
that individual. "It's in the building"
''Wheres the firel" shouted tbs fire
marshal.
''No fire here" said the policeman.
Whats the fight about~ inquired
the police sergeant, who appeared on
the scene at the head of the reserve force
mo fight" replied the officer.
where's the dead man." asked the
ambulance driver, as he stopped his
painting horses in front of the building
''No dead man here, said the officer.
"Well" calculated the sergeant.
"Welw echoed the policeman, fire
marshal ianitor and SPECTATORS