The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-07

been in the convention all the morning;
1t was an hour past their regular lunch
con time. and they were tired and hum
cry. The dining room doors were locked
and no one could open them. 1t appeared
that the walters had gone on a strike.
and refused to serve the luncheon. The
resident ladies were frantic. They be-
sought the proprietor to let them serve
the luncheon.
"'Oh, let US wait on the tables said
they; we can wait on the tables.
The proprietor mopped his forehead
with his handkerchief.
"'I dasn't, l dasnt,' said he; the union
would blow me up. sure
The BARRIERS fate was fresh in his
mind.
Things got worse and worse. Some
OF the guests were grumbling. Some of
them were leaving. Some of the hos
tesses were weeping. as they went about
among the visitors. beseeching them not
to so. as the matter would surely be
fixed up. Meanwhile the walters stood
about and surveyed us. grinning. We were
finally rescued by the walking delegate.
He saved our lives at the point Of a
gun. The proprietor had sent for him,
and he was apparently impressed with
the enormity Of the situation. He came
in tiOurishing u revolver.
Look here said he to the walters,
you are under contract to serve this
luncheon. and you've got to serve it or
I'll know the reason why. You are going
too far. You'll have public opinion
against this strike il you refuse to serve
these ladies. You'll have all the women
in town down on you. and lose us this
strike. Get to work there, every one
OF YOU
'They got to work, but with q very
bad grace. They were sulky. and worked
as slowly as they could. 1t was nearly
o'clock when we were finally seated
at the table. The walters ought to have
had prize for the way they had set
those tables. Down one side Of the one
at which I was seated was a row of
knives and forks, and down the other
side row of spoons. Nobody had both.
1t had been extensively advertised in
advance as course luncheon. The first
course was oyster stew. perfectly cold,
and the oysters entirely uncooked.
think they had just been thrown into
the cold milk Then platters of cold
meat We're passed up and down the table,
with bread and butter. Then came black
coffee. in after-dinner coffee cups. A
number of tho ladies. supposing this was
the end of the feast, rose to go.
oh. don't CO. cried the hostesses.
there's ice cream
The ice cream then followed the cof-
fee, but only half of US had spoons to
eat it with. Some of the spoonless ones.
having grown a little wild in the prog
ress Of events, tried to seize the spoons
of the more fortunate. But the latter
all held their spoons firmly in their hands
While awaiting the cream. Some of the
rest of us tried to eat our cream with
our forks.
10 cap 1t there We're high glass dishes
or oranges sitting at either end of the
table. The hostesses went to these dishes
ana sent the oranges rolling down tho
table like billiard balls. It was a game
OF catch-as- catch-can. And when we got
them those who had spoons, but no
knives, had no way Of peeling the or
anges. Some. driven by starvation, dug
out little holes in the skin and shame
lessly sucked the juice When it got to
the time for toasts it was found that
most OF the women who were to have
responded. feeling too hungry and worn
out to make after-dinner speeches, had
stolen quietly away to hunt a restaurant
and get something to eat.
so it was decided not to hava anv
hostesses were heartbroken, and said
mat the visiting ladies who had run
away from their toasts were lust too
mean for anything
when l boarded the train that night
my brain was in whirl. Visions of raw
oysters In milk. walking delegates with
guns, flying BARRIERS shops and propri-
etors Wringing their hands and saving.
They'll blow me up, sure,' chased each
other through my mind in a nightmare
succession.
Mary said I finally to my friend.
WHAT'S the need of you women having
clubs out here? Why don't you all ioin
the union? 1t would be ever so much
more exciting
Oh, l don't know said she desper-
ateiy. don't speak to me about it.
please
Il was merciful and didn't But I
have decided not to seek for any further
mental expansion In centers of Western
trades unionism. New York Times.