Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-08-11
AN ODD EXPRESSION.
WHAT CARRYING THE BANNER MEANS
ro A MAN WITHOUT A HOME.

ro A MAN WITHOUT a HOME.
n mssn@ walking the streets All Night
when voa fsssesr Money Ereash Ia Pay
for Bed A Lesssn IN Cheap Meals and
Cheap Lodgings In . Bss city.
On a certain wet and clustering night an
old resident Of brooklyn crossed the bridge
from New York. and. while standing under
cover as the Sands street entrance, heard
some person say. with a very pronounced
cockney accent:
-lt's a bad night 70 carry the banner.
SIR
The owner Of the cockney accent proved
TO he young man mot more than twenty
two or twenty three years Of age. He wore
particularly shabby looking suit Of some
thin and cheap material, very much dis
colored flannel shirt. twenty-five cent
hat, aud his shoes were cracked and thor
oughly soaked. He had turned up, saucy
looking nose, good humored mouth and
very bright hazel eyes-aitogether rather
prepos<cssing face, although the cheeks
were hollow and the complexion very paliid.
What do you mean bv carrying the ban
uerf" askcd the old resident He bad
been rather favorsbiy impressed by the
young man addressing him ss sir. In all
his previous experience men Of his appear
ance had called him bows
why. don't you know. sirf" exclaimed
the possensor OF the cockney accent In
bright and brcexy manner that proved bis
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 70 carry the banner
tonightr
II carried II last night. and IN have to
do IL again tonight unless some angel
comes along"
"Angel-what does that meanr'
why. q fellow who will give You the
price OF . bed h m angel. thought you'd
know that, sirf" and the young mans
manner indicated that he did not have
very high opinion OF bis compauion's gen
eral intelligence
The old resident felt such was the case,
and Il was. as he afterwarti admitted. one
OF the reasons that induced him TO say,
We'll. come along ri be an angel to
night"
A they walked along toward Fulton
street the angel learned that the young
Isondoner had not eaten anything during
the day. with the exceptien OF plate OF
beans purchased for a cent at the Sc. 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 piece Of cocoa
nut pie and . cup OF coffee. satisfied the
young mans appetite and cost this angel
. ekau - q
hot and steamy saloon into the street.
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 d
lamp on 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
adm light was burning inside.
On entering the angel and his companion
found themselves In toiernbiy large room
with white hard finished walls and cell.
ings. Unpainted chairs Of hard wood,
stacked against the walls. an unpainted
wooden table, about dozen heavy earth
enware and iron cnspidors. 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
ticulariy steep stairway. leading to the
upper floors and facing the entrance. and
very nearly twenty Ave feet away was the
Office II was lighted with an oil lamp,
and through the brass grating In front
could be seen shelves loaded with paper
parcels, gripsacks and cheap vaiises and
the hooks round thu Office supported over
coats OF all sorts and sizes. and all alike,
shabby looking and threadbare. The mo-
tice In white letters on a blue ground.
Proprietor win not be Responsible for
anything left In CLOSETS" probably &C.
counted for the collection Of bundles and
coats in the Office. and which served TO give
Il 20 much the appearance Of pawnshop.
found the night clerk seated IN an arm
chair. He was tall, thin man and round
shoaldered. but evidently very muscular
Hts long sandy beard was thickiy sprin-
kied with gray. and his complexion was cl
the hue which can only be obtained in par
lection by sitting mp all night. sleeping
during the day time and avoiding all open
air exercise He had small. shifty looking
eyes. a rasping, beiligerent voice. and was
evidently surIy. mixnnthropic Irishman
LET this man have a room-a twenty.
| Ave cent ROOM" said the old resident, still
maintaining his character a. an angel
The night clerk asked the young man's
name. and after recording Il IN his Ieiges
handed him hey thraaRh the hraza graf
| ing Attached 20 tho key was metal tar.
bearing the number Of the room be was g
| occupy.
| BY this time the old resident began q
take quite m interest In his part, and de.
| termined TO show the man with the turn
| mp nose and the cockney accent Whist an
| angei-end Brooklyn angel at thnt--wax
| capable Of doing when thoroughly warmed
| up. Aaa climax. therefore. and la order
| that he might make bis exit In an appro
/ pirate manner he handed q quarter Of .
dollar 20 the young man and wss tsllins
| him 10 make good use Of II. when the night
clerk came from behind the brass grating
brandishinE a club OF about the same xixs
~ polIceman's night stick. Al the sams
instant the watchman. who had been seated
| near the foot of the staircase. rushed for
| ward, and both men exclaimed: -Nou
noue oe that. no talking allowed Ia tbs
reading room after II o'clock. Go 70 bed
or get out
The old resident Immediately rcalixed
that be was no longer regarded - an angel
He had, however. galned seventy i've cents
worth OF experience. and on reaching hil
home IN an up town street xaf down q
i n sI1 4 4. Il. 4