The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-25
pr orAvE THAxET.

The street car was armored against the
missiles OF the lighter and clumsier brand
By heavily woven strips Of wire. The
platform had two policemen, the car only
three passengers, all men, whose eyes
were all ever the street and whose heads
waGged portentouziy when. after slow
lureh around corner. the huge yellow
car body gave senuent quiyer, settled
back, and stopped.
In for IL nowr' from one OF the pas
| sengers expressed the universal feeling.
I he commercial traveller. a large man.
who perspired freely, took a precautions
reconnaissance and announced that the
track was blocked.
Damn strikes," groaned the stouter
oE The TIVE poicemen, 'tt'll take half sn
hour 10 get that truck of the track
" TaIn't our business 10 move II. any
how" replied his companion. Let the
scabs wrestle with their own toh.''
Meanwhile the conductor and motor
ran were consulting. They did not mus
ter an entire Uniform between them, one
showing only a blue coat and the other a
| blue cap; but their bronzed faces and the
air of habit in their motions revealed that
| they were not noviees in their work. The
conductor was tall man with a big mus
tache, the motorman was a little, nim-
| Die, undersized fellow of sandy hair and
| reddish freckles. They stood together on
the platform and studied the Pile of iron
| sirders, boards, shutters, and rubbish
blocking the rails. The sidewalks of the
mean street through which they were
passing had not q foot of plank TO be
seen, for the swarm OF men, women, and
children that was wriggling upon them.
Most of the crowd were women ard boys.
There was only a sprinkling Of sullen-
faced men. The crowd jeered and hooted
! and screamed "scab." their voices swell
| ing with each second of delay. Out of
the narrow windows of the thin brick
houses with their peaked roofs, heads
and menacing fists emerged. The crowd
surged up closer to the passive car.
''They killed man here yesterday"
said the stout commercial traveller in the
corner of the car, mopping his not face.
land they nearly killed woman-tore her
clothes to bits 1 wonder why the devil
I couldn't have waited for wagon, if l
did lose my train"
| Look at those women" the thin man
| in the black alpaca coat with a book
blging his pocket muttered to his neigh
| boz. "Doz't they make you think of Car
| Iyle's furies of the French revolution?
| Urr. Hai - thatr'
The ye o the crowd was venomous.
1t was siliI with women's voices and the
| .ligh pipe Of children. "Scabl Kill the
scabs. Stone eml Stone 'em! Tear 'em
| off the cars! They amt no right there,
the dirty, numbering scabs!' screamed the
crowd.
I Guess we'll have to get off and tackle
| that pile Of truck" said the motorman.
"You fellers got 20 stand by u.s." said
! the conductor, wheeling on the police
men.
The legal defenders Of order exchanged
glances; there was no relish for the job
in either face. Say, you got to- reiter-
ated the conductor.
''well, git off ard tackle It, then" grum-
bled the cider of the policemen: stand
i off. men; We got TO keep order here. You
kid up there, drop your rock; see you.
Stand back, lady; can't allow no swip-
| ing"
| The lady was robust news dealer in a
| battered bonnet and ragged gown; she
| had gathered a handful of mud and threw
| Il straight in the conductors face. The
other women shrieked with laughter. The
| children piped in the chorus. and man
| beloved, That's what you git, you -
- traitor"
The two policemen lifted gentle hands
! of remonstrance I'VE don't want to use
you rough. but you'll make u.s." expos
! tuIated tho older man. And the crowd
beloved defiance and abuse and surged
| closer to the track.
"Now'n come the rocks" said the young
man Of the passengers. He was a bright
eyed. clean-shaven youngster in white