The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-04-16
FREEDOM RESTORED.
A Young California Farmers Kindness to

that came along stopped elmer 10
make inquiries or elbowed in toward
the window to see what the attrac-
ton was Inside was magnificent
white headed eagle There was a
chain from its right foot to huge
piece Of iron, some water IN pan,
an untouched piece of fish, few
sods and a large card with the words
"For Sale''
The big bird s wings dropped on
either side to it's feet. It's eyes were
glazed and dim looking. 1t opened
and shut them now and then, but
never once turned them to the JOS
Ting, noisy crowd that stood just
outside the glass. There were no
marks of violence to be seen, but the
dull, pathetic eyes, the dropping
wings, the soiled white about the
head and the ruff1ed feathers over
the body showed that the captive
had been in chains much longer
than it had been in the window.
One Of the crowd in the street
was a sturdy young farmer who had
come into town early that morning.
He had pushed his way to the front
and stood looking in silence for
long time at the great, helpless bird.
He was sure he had seen it before.
It had been captured, he learned
from what some of the crowd said,
in the country from which he had
come. That settled it. It was the
same bird.
He had seen it on the mountain
where he sometimes had hunted for
a stray sheep He knew the big pine
in the top Of which it had it's nest.
He had noted it soar majestically
and free about him as he worked in
the valley and had seen it sit mo-
tionless for hours on the top of some
tall, distant ranpike. Now and then
he had had a suspicion that it had
carried off an occasional lamb and
had more than once tried to shoot
the bird, but had never succeeded in
getting near enough:
The young farmer elbowed his
way along the window to the door
of the store. Then he went in.
"What dye want for that birdf"
he said. "I'd like to buy i'm"
"Two dollars was the reply.
Every well, I'll take 'im."
He paid over the money, and the
bird was handed out to him.
The crowd at the window watched
eagerly as the farmer came out with
the big eagle under his arm and
went straight across the street to
where a ladder leaned against bill
board that was some 10 or ~ feet
high. At the foot of the ladder he
stopped and took the chain from the
birds leg. Then he went slowly up
and placed his old friend-or enemy,
he was not sure which, but no diff
ference on the top Of the billboard
and came down.
The great bird had been a prison.
er SO long that it seemed for a time
to have forgotten how to be free. It
sat for awhile as it had sat in the
window, but gradually it came to it.
self. It lifted first one dropping wing
and tucked it closely to it's side, then
the other. It raised itself slowly to
it's full height and stretched out it's
great head toward the sky. The
dullness went out of the eyes and a
fierce new light flashed in; then,
nervously stretching out its huge
pinions on either side and taking a
step or two forward, it rose with a
hoarse scream and swept out toward
the sun.
A burst of applause from the
crowd met the farmer as he recross-
ed the street.
II had seen him on the noun
tain," he said, IAN I couldn't bear
to see him there He pointed to
the window, then in moment he
was gone.-The Whittier.
yearn to be a poet, and I'm trying mighty
hard
To be a top notch dreamer and real sky
scraping bard. a.,
I sheer at wealth and worldly things and call
them empty trash,
And say, 'sThe gods forbid that I should ever
write for CASH.
I'm doing everything can to tune my classic
So that the muses. whispers shall be all the
sounds hear,
And yet there come those moments when
earth's sweetest song, think,
Is the bewitching jingle of pocket full OF
chink.
Of course find it pleasant just to soar around
The brow of fair Olympus where poetic themes
abound.
But, oh, to budding poets it would prove
precious boon
If old olymp would open up good free lunch
For while feel that poetry is splendid in its
way,
find I'm really more in need Of three square
meals a day.
I'd trade thousand muses. for my fill OF meat
and drink
long to hear the jingle of pocket full OF
chinl<