The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-29
II SHADOWGRAPHER.

M I1E UItAl lAI1lG
While passing tho corner Of Broadway
and Main streets the other afternoon my
ear caught tho labored and discordant
strains OF Boulanger's march. had heard
the air before somewhere and stopped for a
moment. You know one sometimes forms
an attachment for u tune and NJ other times
an enmity that time cannot DESTROY. There
was a blind woman grinding away at u lit
tie one-horse music box. She was sur
rounded by four children. The other sixteen
were nll too young to be on the street and
we're left at home to take care of the baby.
While Boulanger was marching up the hill
and marching down again l looked at one
of the boys, and it occurred to me that !
had seen him before. He did not appear
like most boys of his age. The lines
of his face we're drawn together
and there was a painful expression
about his eyes. The little ragged scat was
half buttoned, revealing his sunburnedn neck
and shoulders. He had no shoes, and his
bare feet were brown and calloused. Think
of n barefoot boy in a town that proudly
boasts of a millionaire to every sauDre foot
VI kAouAAA AA Az why AthAApS w oUy ASpAsA
about the outside additions. The boys
poverty rather touched me, and / called
him over to the shady side of the walk.
"My boy, your lines are cast in hard
places indeed; but it seems to me that l
have seen you before. Am ! MISTAKEN"
well, l don't recolleck you, but maybe
you seen me. l took dis route las year. l
was leadin' man to old Lazal us, eyes blown
out in a mine; good country for them stars,
yes, sir. De people loosen zip quicker"
"Why," l replied in astonishmsnt, then
that unfortunate yonder is not
your mother. and the little ones around
her are not your brothers and sisters?"
Nav, nav, replied the youth with n
glance Of disgust at the party. Come in
dis stairway and l will tell yer all about de
profeshun, see."
We stepped into a stairway where he pro-
duced a couple of cigarettes, dwelling for a
moment on the rapid deterioration in the
quality of cigarettes within the past year
and explaining that it was owing to the
devilish Mckinley bill. sit beats me why
smokers ever voted for it," he added.
After he had seated himself and had
blown a few preliminary whiffs of smoke
in the air. he said: "Well, yer see, de frs
l ever knew of dis bizness wus like dis. l
live in Denver. One day a year ago las
summe 1 see a piece in a paper when l wus
lookin' for base ball news. Well, here it
is" The young man produced from an old
pocket-book the following scrap:
IATANTED-A bright boy. not over eight years
w of age. to act as travelling companion to a
blind mu ician. Salary good and expenses paid
Nc, previous experience required. apply h6etween
eight and ten a. M, room IL, third tOor w
North Center street.
"'Well, here,' says !. is a job good
enough fer me- You see, l was tinkin' CT
goin' to be a jockey. but I says. here's
somethin' SOFTER Well. de long an short
of it if, I got Il job an have been on the
road since. See?"
"Are you paid by Denver parties?"
"Why, yes. You see, de whole ting's run
by Now what do you call tone of desc
English concerns that gobbles up all kinds
of bizness."
ga syndicate?'
"Yes. Dis syndicate hires us boys ano
girls to go out on de road wild de leaders
OF course, yer see. it amt any man dat cal
be a leader. When de swindicate hears of {
man wild his eyes out or his legs off dey
sends a man to get him, and dey makes hin
an offer and says: Here, yer in hard luck
Now, we furnish de hand organ. Yer go OF
de road. We guarantee expenses, and w
get part of what yer get. SeeT Den de.
says: Besides, we sends a good DO,
along to look after yer, n trows II
two more youngsters to make de people TIM
yer in lard luck and den dey loosen u
quicker, see.' Well, of course, de man Wi
his eyes out or his legs off he'd rather d
dat dan go to the home for the blind
. wouldn't he? Why, of course. Den yo
see dere's always a chance of maxim a goo
stake, tool a star tro Texas las fal
when times wus good, an he clean up seve
hundred in six weeks. We wus booked flo
ten weeks, but dat stake swelled his hea
and he retired from de street till it wa
gone. I knocked down a han mysalt
Good man, he was, right arm an bof eye
gone. Play de accordeen with n han
and de stump and sung"
"Well. what are your duties?"
"Oh l manage dc company. I handle q
funds, keep de books, pay board bills, sa
but board is terrible high In dis here tow
of Helena. Well, besides, / play a pa
myself and look after de babies"
"Don't you sometimes get tired lookin
so sad all the timer"
"Oh, that's nothin' when yer gets used
it. OATS what / call my stage make up.
wish it was seven O'Clock 80 I could get O
desc old duds and dress up and go de var
ETY.. Pretty good show; but, say, we've &C
one bettsrn in Denver. Well, dc cigaret
is gone and I must be goin' back"
George. George! Where is my lit
Georgie?" was the %plaintive cry as '
reached the street.
Fright near You, mamma dear" was IL
sweet reply of a manager-aotor as he r
sumed his air of professional sorrow az
took his seat near the organ.
The Bottom of the Sea.
A new spectacular play of somewhat nov