The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1894-09-15
AN ODD EXPRESSION.
WHAT CARRYING THE BANNER MEANS
70 A MAN WITHOUT A HOME.


for BED A Lesson In Cheap Meals and
Cheap Lodgings In n Big city
On a certain wet and clustering nighta an
old resident Of Brooklyn crossed the bridge
from New York. and. while standing under
cover at the Sands street entrance. heard
some person say. with very pronounced
cockney accent
IT'S a bad night to carry the banner
sir"
The owner Of the cockney accent proved
10 be a young man not more than twenty
two or twenty three years Of age lie wore
a particularly shabby looking suit OF some
thin and cheap material. a very much dis
colored flannel shirt, twenty-five cent
hat. and his shoes were cracked and thor
oughly soaked He had "A turned up, saucy
looking nose. good humored mouth ana
very bright hazel eyes-altogether rather
prepossessing face, although the cheeks
were hollow and the complexion very pallid.
What do you mean by carrying the ban.
nerf" asked the old resident He had
been rather favorably impressed by the
young man addressing him as sir In all
ance had called him boss.
why don't you know, siri" exclaimed
the possessor of the cockney accent in a
bright and breezy manner that proved MS
spirits had not been affected to any appre
ciable extent by the damp and depressing
weather. lit means when fellow does not
have the price Of bed and has TO walk
the streets all night"
And do you expect to carry the banner
tonightY
II carried it last night. and I'll have to
do il again tonight unless some angel
comes along
Angel what does that meanY
why, fellow who will give you the
price Of a bed is an angel | thought you'd
know that. siri" and the young mans
manner indicated that he did not have a
very high opinion Of his companions gen
eral intelligence.
The old resident felt such was the case
and II was, as he afterward admitted. one
Of the reasons that induced him to say,
Well come along I'll be an angel to
night"
As they walked along toward Fulton
street the angel learned that the young
l.ondoner had not eaten anything during
the day, with the exception Of a plate Of
beans purchased for cent at the St. An
drew's coffee booth where the newsboys
and bootblacks who gather around the
bridge entrance usually take their meals.
A beef stew. followed by a piece Of cocoa
nut pie and cup Of coffee, satisfied the
young mans appetite and cost the angel
twenty cents. Then they went out Of the
hot and steamy saloon into the street.
where the rain was falling and water was
dripping from the elevated railroad
Following the directions Of his compan-
ion. the man who was masquerading as an
angel and had already paid twenty cents
for the privilege, walked down Fulton
street. They came to standstil under a
lamp OIL which in illuminated letters was
the announcement Rooms for Men Only.
Twenty and Twenty five Cents Night"
| There were yellow curtains on the lower
portion Of the windows and the door, and
a dim light was burning inside.
On entering the angel and his companion
found themselves in n tolerably large room
with white hard finished walls and cell
ings Implanted chairs Of hard wood,
stacked against the walls, an implanted
wooden table about dozen heavy earth
enware and iron cuspidors, a monstrous
stove of the cannon ball pattern and a loud
ticking clock comprised the furnishings OF
the reading room. On the right was par.
ticularly steep stairway, leading to the
upper floors and facing the entrance. and
very nearly twenty-five feet away was the
Office. 1t was lighted with an oil lamp
and through the brass grating in front
could be seen shelves loaded with paper
parcels, gripsacks and cheap valises, and
the hooks round the Office supported over
coats Of all sorts and sizes, and all alike
shabby looking and threadbare. The no
tice in white letters ON blue ground
Proprietor will not be responsible foi
anything left in closets" probably ac
counted for the collection Of bundles ane
coats in the Office. and which served to civ,
II so much the appearance Of pawnshop
The two men walked up to the office ant
found the night clerk seated in an arm
chair. He was a tall. thin man and rom,
shouldered. but evidently very muscular
His long sandy beard was thickly sprin
killed. with gray, and his complexion was O
the hue which can only be obtained in per
lection by sitting up all night. sleepin,
during the day time and avoiding all one,
air exercise. He had small. shifty lookin,
eyes, rasping, belligerent voice. and wa
evidently surly. misanthropic freshman
Let this man have room-a twenty
five cent room" said the old resident still
maintaining his character as an angel
The night clerk asked the young man
name, and after recording il in his ledge
handed him a key through the brass graf
ing. Attached to the key was metal tao
bearing the number Of the room he was I.
occupy.
by this time the old resident began p
take quite an interest in his part, and de
termined to show the man with the tnr,
up nose and the cockney accent what n,
angel-and Brooklyn angel at that-wa
capable Of doing when thoroughly warme,
up. As a climax. therefore. and in orde
that he might make his exit in an apprc
pirate manner he handed quarter of
dollar to the young man and was tellin,
him to make good use of it. when the nigb
clerk came from behind the brass rratine
brandishing "A club Of about the same 10
as policeman's night stick. At the sam
instant the Waterman. who had been seata
near the foot Of the staircase. rushed n,
ward. and both men exclaimed. NO,
none Of that; no talking allowed in m
reading room after II o'clock Go to be
or get out.
The old resident immediateiv -s,i;..
that he was no longer regarded AS An sn.-e
lie had, however, gained seventy five cent,
worth OF experience, and on reaching nj
home in an up town street sat down /,
smoke and think and II possible mai