The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-12-20
Americas Gigantic
Energy Makes Slaves.
By T. p. o'Conner, N. z.


ay T. p. O'Conner, Mp.
| will never forget the first meal |
took In hotel on the evening OF the
day landed In America as a men,
Der OF the Irish delegation in the In
terests OF home rule.
Imagine q room OF glazing white
marble; imagine a brilliant, nay a
dazzling and binding, electric light
pouring down Its rays oil almost
Port Arthur searchlightintensity on
all this white marble; then imagine
a band playing in this room OF ds1'
cling color and light; and, finally, let
there come into the room from the
outside a tumult and tempest OF
noises which suggest a compound OF
an earthquake and gigantic loco
motive Ia tory, and you have some
idea OF what felt as | sat down to
that meal. Outside there was not
merely single set OF street cars but
apparently, on that particular spot
there we're junctions and paintings,
comminglings, and combinations OF
all the transwsy systems OF New
York. There was changing OF bells,
as though q hundred bslfries were
shouting out their evening su nmons
TO prayers and warnings to sinners:
there was, besides, a cataclysm OF
sound as though the earth were be-
ing tortured Or upll'ted By come
fierce tornado OF force and sound; IN
short, 1t was psndemonium outside;
and inside In this room, heated to
an appalling temperature, the loud
band played, and the electric light
blazsd on the white marble and floor.
EATING QUIETLY AMID GREAT NOISE.
/ looked around with the feeling
that either | was abnormal orevery-
body around me was abnormal.
Either they we're lunatics or l. For
to sis down and eat calmly, as II
nothing we're occurring, 10 the heart
aud core OF this earth shaken tumult
szx..i amid this crash OF elements,
seemed to me about as unexpected
as II, at the worst hour OF San Fra n.
cisco earthquake, you found ayoung
lady and gentleman making eyes al
each other as they passed on the
opposite side Of a street into which
.nppdh.s Ind domes we're topping
and there was a crash OF elem enta
furies. But looked around ut my
fell ow guests In the restaurant, ant
there they were, talking IN the low
soft tones which are 80 characterif
tic OF the American-at least q
no me; eating their food slowly an
era nquilly, and after the sober last
ION 90 characteristic largely {
Americ cans; and, in short, conduc
Ing themselves a. Il the condition
we're normal instead OF being 81
horror, tumult, and chaos whic
they seemed to me to be. lett Il
ell ned to pinch myself as l swallow
ed the oysters that came up on sne
he'd Of suowwhits Ice, and ask m
,ss,i whether it was really true tn
I was seated at dinner table al
eating and drinking quietly
though nothing unusual we're occt
ring when at every second ! felt :
whole building culver under the
vsrberatIons Of she tramwsys Of
side, and when the glare Of the lig
and the marble suggested not I
lie Of every day reality but so
xild end magnificent and frens'
soectacls In 9 great melodrama
perhaps pantomime.
swrrER TIDE OF LIFE IN AMERICA
Aud shis sense Of people living 10
ordinary lives in the midst Of an
viropmsnt that 70 me sugges
earthquake, eclipse, some mig'
dissurbencsoi naturs, ives the isel
6kas 1 carrisd Win ms 10 ~ .i a