The Red Cloud chief., 1888-08-03

I'M 1t. Found il in the dirt bsgrimed re
Sion Of Ironvale, where q thousand me,
with dependent families earned their brea,
by the sweat Of their brows-nen VIII,
worked like horses six days each week ant
ioafed away their Sundays-men who sait
50 much that was black and dirty aud un
pleasant that most OF them came very nesl
forgetting that they were men. And that
by the way. was one thing which Arthur
May never proposed to overlook. He haI
started out to do his life-wOrk as a preache,
and teacher, bu: he never intended to forge,
that he was also q man.
Arthur May made his first public bow e
the l%ronvale population under rather favor
able, II risky. circumstances. While IL
JOhnstown he had heard Of the place, and
sauntered over (amatter Of . ten-mile walk
one day in the fall. The more of dirt
squalor, misery and degradation he beheld
IN the streets and homes. the more he be
came convinced that il was the very place
for practical Christian work-a place where
. few simple sanitary and hyGienic lessons
would be more to the point than hypothetical
discussions on such questions as conditional
immortality and the personality OF the
devil. So he decided to stay. and estaD-
lished his headquarters at the none too
sweet and clean hostelry dlxniied BY the
name of tho Ironworkers' Exchange.
Opposite to the hotel WAS . thrce-story
frame building. apparently rented out in
fats. On the first night Of his advent to
IronvaIe. Arthur May was about to retire
when he noticed smoke entering his own
half-oPen window. He peered out into the
night and beheld small flame slowly spread
;nD 1&-olf % cha fp,pt - Ola l-.u~
ment house across the street. Without
waiting TO don his coat and vest, he hastily
ran down stairs and gave the alarm. All
the inmates of h tenement were soOn in
the street. but Is there was not even the
pretcnce Of q fire department in ~Ironvale.
the meager furniture Of the house was
and the building itself was soon
in flames. Suddenly 4 small,
figure in a white night-dress ap-
peared at a window on the top-story. It
was apparently = little girl Of seven or eight
years, and, although not . word that she
said could be heard in the crowd. it was
easy 70 see that she was greatly terrified and
for help.
''Great Gol!" said a woman, sits Tim
Doolan's little En-! She's all alone. poor
young'un-her mother dead three weeks
ago, M Jim. the night Waterman, over to
the sheet iron mill"
Other women in the crowd screamed and
their hands; some Of the mea be-
moanej the lack Of a hook and ladder. while
with hands in pockets and gaping
watched with lazy %unconcern or
idle curiosity the fate of the helpless child.
But while the crowd talked. cried and
CAPPED. Arthur May hastily ~endeavOred to
comprehend the plan Of the burning house
and its stairways. Then. needless Of the
scorching heat. the binding and suiocatinx
smoke. and deaf to the warning cries Of the
men, he rushed into the Inflated building.
With great difficulty he found the child and
wrapped her in an old shawl which he saw
lying in b room. Then. dashing again
through the smoke and flames. ne emerged
Once more on To tho street. where he WAS
with a loud hurrah and almost deaf
hand-ciappirg. Arthur gave up the
girl TO some of the women and
returned TO MS lodgings. But sew
rral OF the ronvale people followed him.
in the ONCE of the hotel-his sleeves
rolled up. his hair and mustache singei. and
his face. hands and arms biackened by the
May held quite a reception,
the course of which he took occasion to
Introduce himself and explain his object in
,omiag 70 Irouvale. When ne said he was
4 preacher and wanted the men to CONE and
him talk to them next Sunday, they all
promised to be ol hand. for they thought
, man who wasn't afraid - risk his life. as
had done. was worthy "a hearing,
he might have to say. One thing
a>sured-Arthur's popularity with the
.onc folk: n that WAS a great thing in
as indeed il is in any community.
Another method was necessary in Iron
ale 10 secure the lasting regard and esteem
# the men. and the opportunity to bid for
he respect of the %Ironvais masculine popu-
alton came in Ar.hur's way on the first
in the smoky town.
There was no church in IrOnva!e: there
vas not even Il hall, 50 On Sunday afternoon
Arthur took up a position Just outside OF the
zig mills belonging To SprigSs and Company.
somehow or other ne had managed to make
{ pretty well known that he was going to
and quite = crowd assembled to hear
no young fellow who had 30 calamity
,escued s.Jim Doolan's little En-"
Arthur was a fascinating speaker. and be-
ng a good judge Of human nature and pos
essad of his full share OF common sense.
10 made himself more than interesting to
hese rough men. who gave him 4 respect
al hearing. There was one man il the
rowd. however. who objected 20 the preach
ng. This was Jerry Burke. a big loafing
who worked very little and drank u
,rcaf deal. He was q chronic Rrumbler and
specially objected. on gen .ral principles. to
nv thing like An innovation likely to better
moral condition Of things in i%rolvale.
., - Be-. ahnRs~ thosO -, Hhn
ide Of Spriggs and Company. who only toler-
rated the fellow about their works, fearful
4 possible mischief which he might per-
should they discharge him. Physic-
lly, Burke was q powerful fellow, stand
NJ six feet high and tipping the scale at
wo hundred pounds. He was never salts
led with either the wages or the hours OF
york, though a. . matter OF fact he hal
mail cause for being ~disconten'ed. In
sort he Vas . bully, q sneak, anA unccs-