Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-13
CHApTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII
Draunt and Marsten passed from the dim
ness uf Rose Garden court into the brill
lian,y Of Llght street, which on certain
nights In the week was like one prolonged
fair each side being lined with hcapel-uP
costcr5' barrows, radiant with haring gaso-
line. Incense was being burned -evl-smell-
ing irceu9e--to the God OF Cholpness. Hordes
OF women, down at the heel, were bargaining
with equally impccunious veuders-meetins
and chaflorlug on the common level of
poverty
Turning irto a side street and then into
narrower lare. the two men came TO a huge
building where the Salvation Army held its
sesvces-a building let temporarily to the
employees OF Monkton & Hope for the discus
sion Of their grievances. The place was
crowded to the doors, and the latest coiuers
had some difficulty IN making their way
along one side of the walls, nearer the front
platform. where they at last found room
half way between the doors and the speak
oIs.
Scimmins vas in the chair, looking very
uneasy and out of place, not knowing eX-
acty what was expected of him, smiling
wan depreCatory smile occasionally as some
of his pals in the crowd made audible re-
marks about his elevation, and the native
dignity he brought to bear on his Office.
Oae gave it as his opinion cif you awsked
him'D that Scimmins would have looked
more natural with pint pot in his right
hand instead Of the mallet with which he
was supposed to keep order.
on n row Of chairs at the back of the
platform sat the members of the committee,
looking, most Of them, quite as unCOmforta-
bic as the chairman. Several reporters
were writing at a table provided for them
Sometimes one whispered a question ti the
chairman or a member OF the committee,
and received the almost invariablc answer,
"Blcst II / know, arsk Gibbons
Gibbons was quite paipably the man of the
hour lie was on MS feet by virtue OF his
position as chairman OF the committee ana
Eecre'ary to the union, ana was Just hniSh-
ing the reading OF the committees report as
h'duht anu MarS'sh iouhd stahulhs room
at 'he SUI VI lIie nan
NIlu Hhal'S your % %CoHiiiILIee Deg" lea'e
~ IePo't ~ th"I 'lr' 9'It"''i' having reJecteu
an oySrtuIIs rom youF Coiiln,I'!ee' refusing
10 confer win u eltner thFouSh us chairman
of as pouy, 1t was reserved tnat TINS re-
PoIU ue uIaWh up anu presented 20 you III
UFuer o. 'HaI uehhite actloh may De taken upon
IT,
Gibbons when he had finished reading the
uocuhCht' Plueeu II upon the reporters
taDle lor tneir closer inspection tie hal
uIn"u up the IopoIt hiilse!l anu was natu-
raliy rather PROUD oi the wording, ana he
tpp,u tI 10 see ~ IL printed III tne ntMspaPers
re turned 10 MS audience after saIutlng tht
chairman.
Now, gentlemen, you have heard the re-
port me committee appointed by YOU EN-
powered by YOU acting tor you vested in
your authority, mas done all IN its power to
DrlnG thls matter 10 an amlcaOIe conclusion
IL mas lelt NO stone uhtufhed shfunk IRON
no honorable means spared no trouble, to
Drlhs about an understanding fair alike to
employer ana employe' But gentlemen
your committee has been met at the very
threshold with dlihculiy which 1t could not
surmount; a dlhlculty that has rendered all
lts eHortS aDortlNe' Inc hrm OF Monkton
Hope refers the committee to Mr., Sart-
wen, the manager ana Mr. Sartweii aoso-
lutely refuses TO see the committee ana dis
cuss ahythlng win II. rms man, VINO was