The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-05-14

Beyond, the dim blue hills gradually
shrank to new and wilder beauty. |
Towering mountains Ilo-haunted: with /
perpendicular sides bristling in massed
hemlock. their evergreen needles CULVER
ing ever above the dash and roar or the
narrow. fretted river at their feet.
Then in the n.ght-Erie. AS they |
stumbled along the steep rough streets |
John noticed in both cheek and nostril |
a. strange dank odor.
Howe, IN answer to the remark, How |
damp and bad the air seems" replied:
ITS the lake wind carrying the har- |
Dor odors.''
After an uncomfortable night in a |
cheap hotel they set out for the docks. |
Howe singled cut one from a number |
of white propelIers.
Lucky. there is the one we want"
he exclaimed gleefully. "Old Walsh is |
her first mate"
Passing aboard he crossed to where, |
way bills in hand, q loosely built irish |
man was busily checking off the lading
OF string OF bouncing trucks. steyedore
propelled, passing in endless process
sion before him.
He raised pair Of kindly blue eyes
to Howe as the latter stood before him.
Then followed quick broken CONVEX
sation.
Howe returned to Gray saying: 1T S
all right, they are nearly full. Nail
on to a truck" In few minutes they
We're q part Of the army Of human
ants, units Of the perspiring onslaught
directed against the mountain Of boxes
and barrels piled high on the wharf.
A few hours later they were afioat
on tempestaous Erie. Then the SNUG
beauty of the Detroit river, Detroit.
weird st. Clair, ghostly under moon
lightSthe mighty rush of its river.
then at daylight the Prov cuts straight
into the great Huron. To the Southern
boy, standing over the Prov ever cut
ting through the flashing water
straight north, came Unborn upon the
sharp wind from the ever receding
gray band, where tossing and quiet blue
met. strong, misty, yet half-familiar
sense Of a previous knowledge. an odd
feeling of homecoming. Over the wide
expanse, glistening under the glowing
July sun, came the brooding spirit OF
ever present autumn, Of wide lonely
wastes, Of vast forests as dark as the
grave and chilling in its silence, of
brave deeds forgotten and unrecor1ed,
of tender devotion or fierce revenge:
of the roar Of countless miles of driv-
ing snow and sleet or the smoky quiet
of brief lovely summers, a thing of
gloom and mystery and sorooding 81
lence-the incarnation of the somber
shading resting against the fadeIess
fed Of the Morse blood. A magical
blend Of waters, shy and wild where
sorrowfu1 regret and memory are ever
present, and doubly biest is the rare
few who like our Virginia lad. can look
into the wool c1ear-eyed, without
bruise on heart or a shadow on brain.
Then the froth of the cold water of
Mackinaw rushed in fretted foam along
the vessels white sides. past the
| guardian points lighthouse around
| Skil-lu-gal-lee and Marble shanks-
| Then Lake Michigan, and on the sixth
| day in the early morning they entered
| Chicago'is narrow harbor.
| Frank" said Gray as they stood by
| their lines before the entrance, I've
found out the true meaning OF the term
working your own way. It's a way
I'll take care not to work again in a
| hurry"
| Howe looked upon the rueful face
and answered sympathetically: well,
| I know It's been rather hard on a man
used 70 every nights sleep. but here is
Chicago, and I know there is an empty
chair or two at Nanny SulliYans.
And, by the way" he remarked, "you'd
better crawl out of that gray suit and
frcn1 under that old soft hat. I'll see
you are fixed out in accordance with
your changed condition"
Gray looked over his comfortable
| Ioose-ftting homespun with an air of
decided approval, Tn all right What
do you meant"
Just what said.' rejoined Howe
quickly. your garb was the correct
| thing ten days since. but It Is badly
| out Of place now. You are going
among men to whom every act of your
past life will be in strong contrast to
| what they know and do. You will be
rubbed hard, too hard. on other things
to add the matter of clothing to a vol
| untary sum total. Whilst we are talk
ing Ill give you a few pointers. You
are a green man and as such will be
expected TO receive a f1rst-class hazing
from your elders in service-aH kinds
of games will be put up on you-1ook
out for the engineer who Will try to
send you to the caboose for the misIaid
steam chest key, and the conductor who
| will try to return you with a fifty
| pound drawhead on your shoulders, or the
fiagman who will send you hot-footed
TO the engine TO beg a red oil for his
red lamp, or the engineer who on a
| foggy night Will get you out on the
pilot with broom to sweep the fog
away from the headlight. Look out for
these and a dozen other old gags. but
don't be too wise. Let them jolly you,
but mark the ones who lead in the
pastime. They are generally the best
in the service. Ask them everything
you don't understand. then act upon
! their information. If you don't catch
on TO what is expected of you, run
around anyhow, Better to be ignorant
and ambitious than duh and lazy. Look
out for your fender. We are going into
, dock"
An hour later the companions were In
n Clark street clothing house where an
energetic clerk, calmly Indifferent 10
Howes gibes. was industriously en-
deavoring 10 put a forty-lnch coat over
Gray's forty-six shoulders. After many
frantic gesticulations u suit was found
large enough.