Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
Reforming the Star.
[OriginaI.l

yer from copper if he did live in the
east, and the general opinion was that
he was level headed on all other mat
tiers as we'll. He not only shared in this
opinion himself, but he knew that he
was philanthrOpist in his way and
ready to do anything TO make mankind
better, except to increase the scale of
wages mt the Star mine. That couldn't
be done without injustice TO the stock
holders, of whom he was one, but il
was the duty of his fellow beings to be
good on the wages of dollar n day.
The laborers at the mine. according TO
frequent reports from the resident su-
perlntendent. We're not bubbling over
with goodness. They swore and gam
bled and fought and went on strikes. So
did the citizens of Pine Hill; likewise
the cowboys who rode into Pine Hill
| to paint the town red.
The Star superintendent had included
these facts in his reports, and there
finally came day when President
Chrystie took n serious view of the So
cial situation and mentally resolved
that something ought to be done. Had
it been case of African heather, mis-
siOnaries and Bibles would have filed
not Africa. Mr. Chrystie didn't care
for the town, which was mile from the
mine, or for the cowboys who rode
mp from the plains five miles away, but
he did sigh for some better influence
among the shacks and shanties sur
rounding the Star. One day bright
thought came to him, and he rubbed
his hands in glee. The remedy was wo-
man. That's what allied those 200 cuss-
ing miners-the lack of woman'S int1u-
ence.
Among his Sunday acquaintance, SO
to speak, was Il young woman who had
passed her thirtieth birthday without
getting married because she was busy
with a mission" This was to lift
up and better general humanity. She
was interviewed and departed almost
by first train, bearing a letter to the
resident superintendent in which he
was instructed to give her welcome and
afford her every opportunity for fight
ing ''cuss" words and whisky with SEN
timent. 1t is due him to report that,
being practical man. driver and
profane official, he swOre vigorously
and wrote out his resignation and con-
signed Miss Amelia Wright to Jericho.
1t is also due him to add that, being
n man of sense, he finally tore up his
resignation and found as comfortable
quarters as circumstances would per-
NIT for the woman with Il mission.
Her advent at the Star created great
eF excitement than if all the hosting
machinery had suddenly fallen into the
shaft and wages had been raised to So
day. At her home in the east even
Miss Wright's best friends had criti-
cised her nose. mouth. hands and feet
and eyes. but on the slope of Wolf hill
she at once becafnena goddess. Pine
Hill was early on the ground to give
its opinion. The whole town, Chinese
laundrymen and all, marched over, with
banners flying, to size up the new arriv-
al, and the conclusion was that she was
peach" News went down among
the cowboys. and they came up by
skies and dozens to swing their hats
and cheer and declare she was Jim
Dandyess." Taken all around. it was Il
grand welcome. and it seemed to Miss
Wright as if the soil was ready and
waiting for her missionary work. On
the fourth morning when the night
shift came up not man of the day
shift would go down. They were cut
ting and cOmbing their hair, washing
their red shirts and backing their red
boots. and as one of them put it to the
superintendent:
We've got n lady In camp. and dash
our eyes if we don't show her that we
are gentlemen and know how to. be-
have!'
They called upon Miss Wright one
after the other to be introduced, and Z
most Of them promptly proposed for
her hand. When gently refused, they
assured her that they stood ready to
break the lucky fellows neck. Despite
the protests and entreaties of the SUI
perintendent the men persisted in max
ing holiday of it, and there was no
room to doubt that reform had begun.
The Pine Killers, however. returned
home in disgruntled mood. They rec
ognized the fact that they were bad
lot and in need of repairs, and if there
was any reform going on they wanted
to be counted in. 1t would be blur on
the escutcheon of Pine Hill to play
second fiddle to the Star mine. At an
early morning hour there was another
general movement toward the mine,
and on this occasion every man hiu his
gun and determination to conquer or
die. A demand was made upon the
Star for it's goddess that she might
spread her tender influence over the
shacks and shanties of the town on
the crest of the hill. Then followed a
fight that lasted for two days and caus-
ed new graveyard to be surveyed and
opened Everybody on either side was
ready to die for the goddess, and re-
spectacle number of them were duly
accommodated.
The Pine Killers were at length driv-
en- back, with their hopes of reform
rudely shattered, and the Star folks
were binding up their wounds and sing
Ing pRans of victory when the cowboys