Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-30

A'AnS SuIens the BRUSH working
man. When the latter is not at his
work he is to be found at home. Nor
10 seek the former need we 20 far.
Hyde park on Sunday afternoon and
the public-house during the rest of the
week appear TO be his permanent adj
| dresses. OF the British working man
| there was no sign at this meeting. but
mat that amiable representative of
sweet reasonableness, the lorg-suffer-
Ing, toil-exhausted, tyrant-opwessed
British workman, was present could
be both seen and smelt.
The entrance of the chairman TN.
strike committee, and the delegates
was hailed with tumultuous applause
which rose to a frenzy when. at n
sign from Number Two, the care-taker
Oh the hall pulled a string that com
municated with what looked like =
| bundle OF dirty linen that was screwed
up close to the roof over the chair
| mans head, but when loosened re-
solved itself into the respective fags
Oh germany and England intertwined.
AGAIN and again the building re-
echoed with patriotic cheers. varied by
Rule, Britannia" and the inspiring
| strains of realistic limitations of n
German band playing slightly out of
tune, this last being no doubt intend
cd as delicate compliment to the
great nation which supplies the soul
less Englishman with music, and on
| this occasion, and for one night only"
as they put it in the theatrical profess
sion. had supplied him also with
money.
Then the serious business of the
| evening commenced.
Seldom since our race was Gre
| ated," said the chairman. had the
inhabitants of this planet gathered to-
| gether on an occasion which marked
sc great an epoch in the history of
| mankind and did such honor to the
human heart" CVociferous cheers and
cries of Good old hearth Person
ally he was proud to think that no
bad lived to see this day-this glorious
| day, this Observation-Disclosures day
when two great nations had combined
to unfurl the flag of the brotherhood
of man, and had planted it on the
watchtower of civilization for all the
world TO see" "a voice: Never
mind the flag, old chap. Have you got
| the money there? That's what we
want to see.'D
YES" responded the chairman.
with an indulgent smile, as if saying
to himself. with Pecksniffan phil
| osophy: LET us humor these good
| creatures, these dear creatures. It is
| natural that they should wish TO as
sure themselves, by a sight Of the
gift that has come from Germany.
that their dream of brotherhood is in
deed realized"
Eyes, the money is here safe
enough, my friends" he said. ut is in
| that satchel which is now held by my
/ honore3 co-laborer and colleague. Mr..
Richardson Hall. and which he will
soon have the honor of presenting on
| behalf of the people Of Germany, and
of accepting ON behalf of the people
| of England"
This statement was followed by a
scene of the widest enthusiasm and
uproar, each member of the audience
expressing his approval in his own
way. When order. or something like
| order, was restored. other speakers
| followed the chairman, some exulting
| in rapidly approaching millennium.
some speaking less inhatedly. and some
with sound common sense. but all
more or less pointing to the fact that
| the combination of the working classes
or two great nations was an assurance
that the day was not far distant when
the working men of all nations would
| follow the splendid example which had
been set by the working men of Ger
many in coming to the rescue of their
| oppressed fellow-workers in England.
| AS Number Two was now on ais
legs, and the moment for turning OF
the lights would soon be arriving. !
edged my way out and watched the
rest of the performance through tho
| couple of tiny oval-shaped windows
| which were set, like a pair of eve
| glasses shining out from an express
sionless countenance, high up on the
face Of the swing doors. | saw him
hand over the satchel to the chair
man, who worked up his audience e
a state approaching delirium by open
ing 1t and waving a bundle of crisr
bank notes over his head. Next he
plunged fist in. and bringing up 6
handful Of gold, he let the yellow
discs slide back again-a cascade Of
shining coins-into the bag, which he
closed with snap and replaced upor
the table. Then Number Two gave tn,
signal, and in another instant haG
done my part and turned off the lights
A friend who was present told me
afterwards that the scene inside-if 6
scene it can be called when there was
no light by which TO see-was indie
scribable. He said he could liken II
to hell on a busy night-with the
fire out"
Almost Immediately afterwards the
lights were turned on-by whom dc
not know-and my friend, who is
economical of speech, described the
scene then presented as HELL on 8
busy night-with the fire on" Worse
was to follow. Number Two, white
with passion or with face powder. ]
cannot say which, was seen to lear
upon the table with one hand pointinp