Evening journal., 1898-11-26
"a LONG BElAT.

~ A@OaN0 DIl3hls
Seven square miles of Chicago's ter
rtory are under the protection OF one
lone patroiman. Officer James Malone
is the policeman who has the distinc-
tion-not eagerly sought, by the way
Of walking the longest, and probably
dreariest, beat in the city. He walks
at night, and covers a r3ute when
Is three and ole-ha1 miles long Uy
two mixes wide. That is, these would
be the dimensions II the route marked
a parallelogram.
Malone is monarch over some $500
acres Of good, rich, Chicago soil, to say
nothing OF the numerous houses which.
dot the landscape. Yet he can very
we'll be a lonly man out there an
Brighton Park, travelling over that
long and devious beat. His journey,
as described by metes and bounds, ac-
cording to the streets Of the city, is as
follows:
Bounded on the north by Chicago
river, east by California avenue, south
by Forty-seyenth street and west by
West Forty-eighth avenue.
When Malone reports to his lieuten-
ant and prepares to go on watch he
carefully gets together his baggage like
a soldier going out for field duty. Then
he makes the rounds of the station and
bids his comrades a cheerful good-by,
Tor it will be some time before he sees
them again. Being wise man, he is
prepared for any kind OF weather.
Once on his travels, he has scant op-
.p1rtunity to get near enough to the sta.
ton to secure poncho. if perchance, It
rains, so he takes it with him.
He sets out from near the Bridewell
farm, and slowly and methodically
.cI1isgs across the drainage channel,
railway tracks and vacant lots down
On California avenue. He starts from
the river and goes south to Forty-sev-
enth street. There he turns his face
to the setting sun, and marches out to
the extreme western city limits. He
has travelled better than two miles
when he starts west. He makes half a
mile more than three wh,n he reaches
the limit Of his jurisdiction in this di-
rection. Then he goes north until he
reaches the river once more. He ambles
along the south bank until he arrives
at the point of beginning. He has trav-
eled about six TO seven miles in maxi
ing that trip.
If Malone travels at the ordinary
gait of the policeman-some two miles
an hour or under-he would, commence
ing at G D. m, reach his starting point
about o'clock. He walks eight
hours; hence he is able to cover his
beat two and two-thirds times during
his watch. Seven square miles Of land
are his. He is the sole and only guard
ian Of the peace in that enormous dis
trict while on duty. He must pull the
boxes with regularity, and keep NOV
ing on all the time.
Part OF his district is well inhabited
and part is as lonesome as a Kansas
prairie. Houses in the western portion
are few and scattered, but this makes
it all the easier for him, as he has
fewer things TO watch and can see a
crook making speed to evade pursuit.
But if he should happen to want the
wagon to bring in a prisoner, he would
be forced to wait half an hour for 1t
to arrive, unless he happened to be in
the northeastern portion OF his district.
1t is not the most desirable beat on
earth, but it has few Of the dangers
if it lacks the excitement of walk in
the heart Of the city.-Chicago Chroni-
Gle.