The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-29

COmrade Tom Robbins.
0-o-ea9-e-ae-o-ere- oe-e-ee-o-9ee-e-eo 200

crowd still more dense. The sidewalks
at times were nearly impossible and
many people walked IN the roadway
1t was a good natured crowd and didn'
mind the jostling. The veterans were
quite outnumbered by the citizens and
the non-military visitors. and it was
only on the parade days that they
J could really attest to their numerical
strength Then they marched, 1900 Of
them, for two miles between contln-
uous walls of enthusiastic humanity
! In the crowd of sightseers that
pressed particularly hard on the police
lines at a certain down town corner
was boy. He was not a particularly
/ attractive boy in the matter or clothes,
/ His suit was old and faded and good
deal too short, and a battered straw
hat and clumsy shoes completed MS
| outfit But the boys face was clean
and shining and his black eyes were
bright and dancing. He looked ike
; we'll seasoned boy of a dozen years
/ There was a building in process OF
construction at this particular corner
and the steel frame was all IN place
/ The boy, who was quite too snort 10
| see ANYTHING of the parade unless ne
1 saw if from the front roW-and it was
too late for that-looked up at TINS
steel frame He slipped his shoes from
I his feet and, tying the strings together,
| flung them across his arm. Then ne
I
! the sprynesS of a cat, and finding a
! secure point of view in the angle al
/ forded by the first cross-piece, en-
| sconced himself there and calmly re-
sumed his shoes.
Presently a very well dressed youth
happened to look up and spy him.
! Here. YOU cub he called, come
down before you fall on somebody"
The boy looked down on his adviser
/ and smiled.
Don't go away, mister he cried, in
his clear, boyish voice, Il may want
somethin' soft to fall on"
! Whereat the crowd laughed and the
young man buried himself in the jos
! Then a policeman, a very fat police
man, looked up and saw the lad.
Here, you" he cried, come straight
down from there" And he waved his
club at the youngster in a manner that
/ was calculated to be terrifying
And the boy did look frightened.
Don't, mister constable, don't" he
cried I'm so scared and l can't come
down alone. You come up and get me.
And then the crowd roared again
The thought of the fat policeman
climbing up the slender steel support
was too much for their risibles-
The fat policeman himself had TO
smile. He waved his club again at the
lad and called up to him, ''Well, 1 guess
| you'll keep"
.'I'm afraid I won't keep much longer
n over night" cried the boy Don I
forget to come for me in the morning
The fat policeman laughed and the
/ crowd laughed, and just then the mead
/ of the procession came in view 1t was
! a great procession, and the crowd, IN
! Guiding the boy on the steel girder, en-
4 loved every feature of it, 1t was very
| long time in passing, but nobody
seemed to mind that. And the boy on
1 the girder minded it least of all, not
withstanding his hard seat He cheered
and cheered, and waved dlngy niue
flag that looked as if 1t might nave
done duty through some smoky pollt-
/ ical campaign, and he enjoyed II all
after the fashion of boy, and more
particularly a boy who had never seen
a real parade before. For this was a
country lad, and it was his second visit
to the big city. His first visit was IN
connection with a wagon load OF prC1-
uce but on this occasion he had come
for pleasure only. He had risen at 4
O'Clock that morning and walked six
miles and then caught a ride with a
friendly farmer, and finally reached the
great smoky town And it had repaid
him, every bit OF it The great bulld-
fngs and their profuse decorations, the
Square with its wealth of cleaning col
umns, the bands, the crowds, the at
mosphere of excitement and enthuSl-
asTn, thrilled and delighted the country
lad. He almost forgot to be hungry
He had brought with him some pieces
of bread and meat that the farmer
wife had left for him, and there ne aie
I-seated on a bench by the curb-while
! the procession was forming. There were
a few small coins in his pocket that
would either suffice for his supper or
would pay part of his fare back early
Z the next morning on the suburban troll
/ ley line. For he had determined 20 stay
all night. He wanted to see the Alu-
/ limitations and the crowds. and ne
/ wanted to hear the old soldiers talk.
If he couldn't find a better place TO
I sleep, one of the benches that were
! scattered here and there about the town
would do very well.
" passed, the boy from his high out
/ look watched the breakup of the crowd
with amazed delight 1t was quite as
wonderful in its way as the parade
/ The swirling masses that met and min
/ gled. the confused columns that pressed
| this way and that, and finally the or
der that came out of this seeming
/ chaos. impressed the boy nightly de
watched until the multitude had dis
! solved and drifted away, and then he
I descended from his perch and loosened
IN his somewhat stifened limbs by a
brisk walk down the gaily hammered
main street.
THAT evening the headquarters OF a
certain brigade Of veterans was well
filled by delegates and comrades They
were all eastern men, and number OF
/ them were distinguished citizens. Ihere
/ was United states SeHdlOE dtlOAS
/ them. and a well known general, and an
eminent military man who was can
didate for commander in chief of the
! organization, and a famous nghUnS
! colonel. They were all a happy and
well-to-do lot and the fraternal at
mosphere of the encampment seemed to
enwrap them. 1t was an attractive
room. too, with plenty of light, and
4 many comfortable chairs, and large
J table at one side, on which was bOun-
tifuI supply of refreshments.
| They were in the midst of a merry Sc
uuence of "reminiscences when little
( interruption came. It came in the
shape of the small boy who had
watched the parade that morning and
afternoon from the steel girder. The
small boy stood in the center of the
room, his bright eyes wandering about
among the faces that turned to look al
! him.
"Wen. my lad" said the senator,
with a little smile, have you reached
! the place you are looking for"
Eyes, general" replied the boy, and
he made a sweeping bow with ms olngS
hat 81 guess this is where belong
| There vas a little laugh at TINS, and
| everybody turned and looked more
| closely at the lad. He had found a
! badge somewhere and pinned 1t on the
lapel of his shabby coat. A red flower
| glowed in his buttonhole-
NAV l ask the comrade," said the