Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-03-12
CHAPTER TX. continued.)

They cheered, they yelled, they roared.
Tipsy men embraced each other, maud
lin tears trickled down their cheeks;
women laughed Historically and wrung
Que anothers hands. Staid citizens
slapped one another upon the back,
and swore it was the best thing they
ever heard. Such a hubbub had never
been heard in Babylon; such sight
lad never been witnessed in the sleepy
little town.
Just as the uproar was at its height,
hatless, coatless young man-his sus-
penders broken, his face smeared with
blood-rushed into the jam, ebowed
people right and left, and mounting the
hotel steps shouted in voice that rose
loud and clear above the tumult:
"The Democrats are trying to spike
our cannon! Come, a lot of you fell
lows, and help us!"
The light from a swinging lantern
fell full upon his blood-stained fea-
lures, as he stood there painting and
gesticulating. At the sight women
caught their breaths gaspingly; and
children screamed.
The young man did not tarry; but
bound, set off for the scene of conflict,
closely followed by score or two of
lusty comrades.
The leader Of the Foxtown Glee club
began the third stanza of his song His
voice quieted the din-but not for long.
For rising above all other sounds,
come the rich, resonant notes of a
steamboat whistle.
There she comes! The boat-the
boat! To the river" were the cries
that greeted the welcome blast.
And forgetting their erstwhile idols,
the natives hurried off to greet the
stranger gods that were approaching
their shores.
Let's drive around to the livery sta
bic and put up our team" said the
leader OF the Glee club, smiling pessi-
mistically. They'll have no further
use for US till the procession breaks
ranks and the speech is ready to begin.
In the meantime, we'll see II we can't
hnd something to wet our whistles"
The driver cracked his whip; and
the chariot rolled around the corner
into cross street. Tramp, tramp"
went the hundreds of feet, down the
grade toward the wharf.
II hear her puffin'!" a youngster
YELLED Justify.
AN I see 'er light dancin' in the
water" trumphantly announced an
other, himself dancing up and down on
the extreme outer edge Of the wooden
dock.
mo, you DON'T" sneered his compan-
ion. Then lights is shinin' from the
back winders in Gridley's store. She
hain't tourned the bend yit."
Eyes, she has. There-there! See
that? That light was the fireman open
In and shutltn the furnace doors,
Here she comes! Hurrah!"
He was right, too
Ding! ding! ding" changed the
great bell upon the hurricane deck.
Then the sharp, vicious hlses of
rocket was heard; and an arc Of fire cut
athwart the blaclIness overhanging the
approaching steamer. Another rocket
and another quickly followed the first,
penetrating the enveloplng fog in all
directions and checkering the heavens
with their flaming trails. The excited
multitude upon the shore howled their
delight. Answering cheers came from
the boat.
The steady strokes Of her engines
be distinctly heard.
"Why don't our fellows shoot off the
tannon?" was TIE question raised by
some one.
That's it-why don't they?" said an
other.
Wouldn't wonder the Democrats had
-" third began.
But he stopped suddenly in the mid
die of the sentence and capped his
Ealms to his benumbed organs of hear
ing. The old brass cannon had spoken
It's welcoming TO the visiting host; and
had done It in voice that left no doubt
Of its sincerity The hoarse, thunder
Gus roar shook earth and air. ratified
the glass in the windows. and stirred
the placid ocean Of fog into tumbling
pillows.
There! She's spoke her little piecel"
followed a bull-necked countryman. as
soon as the rumbllng echoes had died
away AN she's spoke in favor o.
sound money an prtection, too"
That's IT, You bet!" laughed those
IN MS lumeuldle Vicinity.
"Tisn't so-'tisn't SOL" an ardently
partisan schoolmistress screamed in re-
ply. "The old lannon's blmetallist-
It's made Of tin and copper. It belongs
to US Democrats anyhow; you Repub-
Hcans had to borrow II. Hurrah for
Bryan and free silver!"
And frantically waving her plaid
zap and tossing her jetty curls, she
gave three cheers for her hero.
At that moment the boat, ploughine
her way through the dense fog, doomed
up suddenly near at hand. The grating
OF the swinging Rangplank came 10 the
ears Of all. Then the band on the fore
castle struck up the "Star Spangled
Banner" And amid the clash and blarC
OF brazen instruments, the hiss of rock.
cts and the pop and sputter OF Roman
candles, the fare OF torches and thu
glare OF furnace fires, the steamer
rounded to and approached the land
ing.