The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-06-22
A MINERS HORDE.


"What gave a start in business?'
you.
'In 1883 I was a night Waterman.
About 2 o'clock one cold morning in
March the street had become deserted
and I was able to sit down beneath
the tarpaulin shelter and enjoy a pipe
and the warmth from the COX fire
that glowed in the iron basket which
stood against the open side Of the hut.
my occupation called me into var
ious parts of London and the suburbs
where sewerage or other road works
were in progress. 1 was then in Brick
Lane, Spitafields, a locality none of
the sweetest or quietest, n my job
was no easy one, for the inhabitants
were prone to remove, with an eye to
irewood, any loose timber lying about,
and the rougher portion of the COM
munity rather too partial to playing
with the bricks, which they mirthfully
threw at n another'S heads, much to
my wrath and fear.
81 had Just settled down for a quiet
hour or two when man made his ap-
pearance in front of the shelter. He
was perhaps thirty years old, very
hin and pale, with unkempt hair and
beard, and shivering in insufficient
clothing, what little he had being rag
ged and old. His teeth were literally
chattering with the cold. and he had
a frightful hollow, hacking cough, as
he asked me, in a lost, forsaken sort
of way:
"'Will you let me have a warmT
sit was against the contractors
rules to permit any n in the hut,
and if the police found such an out
cast there they would most likely run
him in; but l have a heart, and l
could not but take pity on the poor
shivering fellow before me.
"'Well, it's against the rules, but
you do seem cold, old chap, so l sup
pose l must let you come in
"'Thank YOU said the man, coming
inside. Thank you. l am, indeed,
very cold
"He sat down on the rough plank by
my side, holding out his emaciated
IuuVS io"uIu tlV hC, ohu oItSi " 'e
tie while he evidently felt the benefit
of the warmth and shelter.
Seeing this with satisfaction l set
about heating my can of tea over the
fire. | then took some cheese and
bread and butter from my basket. and
was about to start on my meal when ]
caught sight of the poor fellows eyes
looking longingly at the food.
care you hungry" l asked.
cove had nothing for near upor
four-and-twenty hours was the reply
. $50 | divided my meal with the
stranger.
, "After the repast the man begar
nodding and fell asleep. ! went out
looked around the works and saw tina
the lamps were all right and returned
and settled down again, and my CUES
. did not wake up till the rattle ant
, rumble of traffic for Spitalfelds mar
= ket got very noisy about . O'Clock.
!, 1.-The poor chap shook himself to
= gether and thanked me for my kind
!, ness, and was evidently making of
u but | had beer watching him Will
l he was asleep, and somehow begun t
II take an interest in him. There was
Z strange remnant of better days abou
= the wan. diseased looking face. whic
' showed that he was not of the ord
=, nary tramp class. So | restrained hiI
- from going.
y "'Where are you off tor l askc
him.
It 'The man looked at me as if in won
i, derment at my question.
" ""To the Streets he replied, simpl.
II ri put a few more questions TO mn
showing him l wished to he frlcndl.
and got him to tell me his story.
SHORTY. it was that he had been
clerk in n merchants office. His your
rs wife had died in childbirth. and II
own health had given away so that
had lost his situation and had bee
rs unable to obtain other employment
w He had no relatives or friends. al
~ had gone from bad to worse. till l
~ had become an outcast of the street
III but, as he woefully put it, he had n
~ long to live. so it didn't matter, Il
n in about the last stage of consumptit
now he said. and shall soon be o
II, of my misery
ne Il was a bachelor then. living alon
Us and quickly determined to offer t
tu poor chap a shelter, for Il day or tV
az Mt all events, and as soon as the wor
~ men arrived and | was off duty. II
~ strange companion started OFF with
10 to my lodgings.
we For over six weeks l housed IL
fed George Rankin, for that was L
ok guests name.
Mt "Bit by bit he told me his histo
,ss and struggles. but it is not necessa
.ct for me to mention them. except tn
on his father had been a miser; a mis-
in a small way, no doubt, but a mis-