Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-09-16
CHAPTER xxx.

| The mass meeting AZ SpringtOWn was
la most important event 1t was held in
the courthouse In the center of the
few struggling houses which made up
the hamlet The entire Bishop fam
lily, including the servants, attended.
Pole Baker brought his wife and alt
the children in a new spring wagon
barley society was represented, as the
Springtown Gazette afterward put It,
Iby the fairest of the fair, Miss Dolly
Barclay, accompanied by her mother
and father
The courthouse yard was alive with
groups Of men, eagerly talking over
the situation. Every individual whose
land was to be touched by the pro-
posed road was on hand to protect his
| rights. Pole Baker was ubiquitous,
trying to ascertain the~lrift Of matters.
He was, however. rather unsuccessful.
| He discovered that many Of the groups
ceased to talk when he enteIcd them.
"Some'n's up" he told Alan and Mil
Ter in the big. bare looking courtroom.
II don't know what 1t Is. but smell
q rat, an II amt no little one nuther."
Opposition" said Miller gloomily.
Il saw that as soon as came. II they
really were in favor of the road they'd
be here talking II over with MS"
| I'm afraid that's IT," said Alan,
Joe Bartell is the most Interested. and
he seems to be n sort of ringleader.
don't like the way he looks. ! saw him
sncer at Wilson when he drove up just
now. | wish Wilson hadn't put on 80
much style-kid gloves, plug hat an!
& negro driver"
NO. that won't go down with this
crowd" agreed Miller. at might in the
slums of Boston. but not with these
lords of the mountains As for Bar
tell. think know what ails him. He's
IEoing to run for the Legislature ard
thinks he can make votes by opposing
us-convincing his constituency that
I've represent moneyed oppression.
Well, he may down us, but it's tough
ON human progress.
AT the hour appointed for the meet
ing to open young man who held the
office of bailiff in the county and
Iopened one OF the windows and shout
ed:
Come in to court. Come In TO
court" and the motley loiterers below
began to clatter up the broad stairs
and fall into the seats. Joe Bartell a
short, thickset man in the neighbour
hood of fifty. with a horid face and a
shOck OF reddish hair led about TWEEN
ty men up the aisle to the jury benches
lat the right Of the stand. They were
1.-THE landowners whose consent to grant
the right of way was asked. Stern OPP
position was clearly written on the
leaders brow and more or less dis
tinctly reflected ON the varying faces
of his followers.
"Ef we needed 1t, It nd he different
matter" Miller overheard him say in
a sudden lull as the big room settlel
down into sudden quiet, but we kin do
without ii. We've got along so fur an
we kin furder. All of us has got good
teams"
Wilson in his crisp, brusque way
made the opening speech. He and his
capital were going to dispel darkness
where 1t had reigned since the dawn Of
civilization. All that was needed, he
fininshed. was the consent of the prop
lerty owners appealed to, who, he felt
confident, would not stand in their own
light.
He had hardly taken his seat when
Joe Bartell stood up. Alan and Miller
exchanged Ominous glances. They had
at once recognized the inappropriate
ness of Wilson's speech ana did not
like the white, twitching sneer on Bar
tells smooth shaver face. II was NJ
If Bartell had been for a long time
seeking just such an opportunity to
make himself felt in the community,
and there was no doubt that Wilson S
almost dictatorial speech had made y
fine opening for him.
Fellow citizens an ladies an gentle
men," he began, I'VE are glad to well
come amongst us Il sort Of second
savior in our Sodom an Gomorry OF
lcrackerdom. What the gentleman with
the plug hat an spike toe shoes amt
Ia-goin to do fer MS the Lord couldn't.
He looks nice an talks nice, an, to use
his words, don't believe he deceives
appearances III bet one Thing, an
that is at he won't deceive us. Ac-
cordin' to him we need i'm every hour,
as. the Sunday school song puts 1t. Yes,
he's a-goin' to hep us powerful an
right off, An, fellow citizens, I'm heer
to propose vot o. thanks He's from
away up in Boston, whar, they tell me,
a Niger sets an eats at the same table
with the whites When his sort come
this away durin' the war, with all Their
up to date implements of slaughter,
they laid waste to everything they
struck, shot us like rabbits in holes an
then went back an said they'd had Il
good hunt, But they've been liyin' high
Iup thar sCnce the war an tne'r tim
Der is a-playin' out, an they want
some more now, an they want It bad.
So they send Their TCDrcsCntatiVes out