The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-08-02
What the Expression Signifies to a
Man Without a Home,
/ Means Walking the Streets all Night When You Haven't
Money Enough 10 Pay for a Bed,

TO be young man not more than twenty
two or twenty three years of age. He wore
particularly shabby looking suit of some
thin and cheap material, a very much dis
colored flannel shirt, a twenty-five cent
hat and his shoes were cracked and thor
oughly soaked. He had turned up, saucy
looking nose, a good humored mouth and
very bright hazel eyes-altogether a rather
prepossessing face, although the cheeks
were hollow and the complexion very pallid.
What do you mean by carrying the ban
ner?" asked the old resident. He had
, been rather favorably impressed by the
young man addressing him as sir. In all
his previous experience men of his appear
ance had called him boss.
why, don't you know, sir?" exclaimed
the possessor of the cockney accent in a
bright and breezy manner that proved his
spirits had not been affected to any appre
cable extent by the damp and depressing
weather; 1T means when a fellow does not
have the price of a bed and has to walk
the streets all night"
And do you expect to carry the banner
tonight9"
II carried it last night, and I'll have to
do it again tonight unless some angel
comes along"
"Angel-what does that mean?"
Why n fellow who will give you the
price of bed is an angel. | thought you'd
know that, sir?" and the young mans
manner indicated that he did not have
very high opinion of his companions gen.
eral intelligence
The old resident felt such was the case,
and it was, as he afterward admitted, one
of the reasons that induced him to say.
We'll, come along Pll 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 a 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 a standstill under Il
lamp on which in illuminated letters was
the announcement, Rooms for Men Only,
Twenty and Twenty-Five Cents a Night"
: There were yellow curtains on the lower
portion of the windows and the door, and
dim light was burning inside
{ On entering the angel and his companion
found themselves in Il tolerably large room
with white hard finished walls and cell.
= ings. Implanted chairs of hard wood,
stacked against the walls, an implanted
9 wooden table, about dozen heavy earth
enware and iron cuspidors, a mOnstrous
stove of the cannon ball pattern and loud
7 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
e could be seen shelves loaded with paper
. parcels, grpsacks 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 a blue ground
A proprietor will not be responsible fol
= anything left in Closets" probably &C
+ counted for the collection of bundles anC
: coats in the Office and which served to Civ,
l. it so much the appearance of a pawnshop
The two men walked up to the office anC
e found the night clerk seated in an arm
s chair He was Il tall, thin man and rount
:, shouldered, but evidently very muscular
s His long sandy beard was thickly sprin
d killed. with gray, and his complexion was O
V the hue which can only be obtained in per
II lection by sitting up all night, sleepin!
r during the day time and avoiding all opel
e air exercise He had small, shifty lookin.
It eyes, a rasping, belligerent voice, and wa
evidently surly misanthropic Irishman
IS Let this man have room-a twenty
d five cent ROOM" said the old resident, still
z maintaining his character as an angel.
d The night clerk asked the young man
d name, and after recording it in his ledge
W handed him key through the brass graf
e ing. Attached to the key was a metal tag
he bearing the number of the room he was t
" occupy.
n BY this time the old resident began t
N take quite an interest in his part, and de
o. termined to show the man with the tur
N up nose and the cockney accent what a
% angel-and II Brooklyn angel at that-wa
Of capable of doing when thoroughly warme
le up, AS a climax, therefore, and in orde
ID that he might make his exit in an Apr,
S pirate manner he handed "A quarter of
rs dollar to the young man and was tellin
is him to make good use of it, when the nigl
clerk came from behind the brass gratin!
brandishing club of about the same siz
as a policemans night stick. At the san
e. Instant the Waterman, who had been seate
y near the foot of the staircase, rushed TO
IL ward, and both men exclaimed: NO
ct none of that; no talking allowed in tt
"a reading room after II o'clock. Go to be
Il or get out"
ey The old resident Immediately realize
e. that he was no longer regarded as an ange
ra He had, however, gained seventy. five cent
Id worth OF experience and on reaching
IN home in an up town street sat down
smoke and think and if possible NAL
ne some use of his newly acquired knowledg
w The phase of life of which he had o
ey tanned merely passing glimpse was e
&, tirely new to him. He had seen Brook,
ct grow from a large village to city wi
ey close on to million inhabitants. and uni
er that night had never heard of the ange
IT. who came to the relief of those who we
er obliged to carry the banner Brook,
OF Eagle.
ne The Secret of Fishing Success.
IN Angler-How is it, Sandy, that they <
bigger fish at the far end of the loch2