The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-06-13

elect. On that dreadful Thursday
night. when all San Francisco was fee.
ing before a oyerfiowing hell of fire,
he swung upon his perch In a cage set
atop a wheelbarrow load OF Junk.
trundled by an anxious refugee. All
around was fearful anxiety, despair
and hysteria. But the parrot kept the
nonchalance Of his kind-the large.
free-and-easy, devil-may- manner
which gets into the bearing of every
living creature hereabout. Presently
he let slip from the cells of memory n
phrase taught him in lighter times.
"a hot timer he screamed.
Somebody laughed; then some other
body looked 1t up, setting the words to
their tocund melody; and then from
the common throat and the common
soul it sweled and swelled till It rose
as splendid chorus a full mile across.
an anthem of absolute undismay. Most
likely the people felt better after that.
This l saw with my own spectacles:
Out on California street, in the heart
OF what used to be the abiding place
OF aristocracy, a spick-and-span old
gentleman stood daintlly in the midst
of one of the worst of the refuse piles.
pokinS with his sllver-headed cane
amongst the ashes.
This used to be my home" he ex-
planned TO the crowd of lookers-on.
L had quite bit of money in a cab.
met beside the fireplace in my rooms.
l thought might find little SCRAP OF
coin-a dollar or two, or a half-dollar:
even quarter would look mighty good
to me just now. But l don't seem TO
see IT,"
There was a grimy, ten-year-old boy
amongst the spectators. From his
jacket pocket he fished up a tin toy
bank, and the bank gave out cheer.
full Jingle as he shook it over the flag
stone pavement. When he had done
shaking he held ten pennies and a
nickel in his speckled fist.
Here" he said, "you can have this.
l don't want it."
The old gentleman held out his
gloved hand and accepted the coins
with a manner of grave decorum.
THANK YOU" he said. "That will
help lot. Now If you will kindly give
me your address"
"Awl' the youngster retorted. "I
amt got no address. I got Jared
loose from it last Wednesday. It's all
right; I'll meet up with you some time
when I'm broke myself"
This, too, l saw: In one of the by.
streets well out toward Golden Gate
Park slender, delcately nurtured
woman sat upon the curbstone in tears,
In her lap a babe of a few months.
Inc babe, too, was crying; the cry OF
sharp hunger, half pain and half an
ger-you've heard it. Enter a mother
ly, mlddle-aged Irishwoman, wide of
beam, wholesome of countenance, and
with a robust youngling borne astride
her ample hip. These have been no
days for the ceremony of contrasted
conditions in life, and the big woman
paused beside the other.
What's the matter wild ye?" she
asked.
This dreadful excitement has been
too much for me-" the little woman
told her, "and l can't feed my baby"
The broad-gauge one laughed a big,
rich, rolling laugh. "Is that all! Give
me the little dear, then" And the
hungry mite hungered no longer.
At time, ten days ago, when the
question of supplying the needs of the
little children was at its gravest point,
lucky father was hurrying through
one of the crowded camps to his own
family tent, carrying in his hand
bottle of one OF the prepared milk
foods. Another father espled and
hailed him.
I'm give you dollar for that" he
called.
But the first shook his head and Of
'ared to pass on. 81.
wait minuter' the bidder urged.
In give you five. Well. then, I'll
give you ten. Look here, man; I've
hunted everywhere for some of that
stuff. I've got baby here that needs
II bad"
The answer was prompt. "I'll give
you half Of It, but you couldn't buy It
all for million"
Nobody seemed to want 1t all. am
waiting for my first sight of a dis
gruntled man, woman or child. For all
that anyone is permitted to see in out.
ward signs the social order has simply
been shaken down, resolved back into
its elements. AS 1t was In the begin
ming, so 1t is now, ready for fresh
start, and apparently hllariously hap
py In facing again a wide field full OF
big, untamed, unbrdled opportunities.
San Francisco has done it once; she
can do 1t again. There is the Joy of It.
The satisfaction of achievement is a
good deal matter of lenses. To have
achieved and to have put aside the
tools carries degree of heartache.
Hope, even though 1t must subsist on
short. commons, is lot better than
overfed attainment. The lust of the
hight is lot better than the weary,
half-sad safety Of victory. Put 1t any
way you like; that's the principle. They
say a successful, self.made man will
think longingly, now and then, of the
good, homely, satisfying days when
he used to eat his plain fare from
the kitchen table. That seems to me to
be San Francisco's feeling just now.
The other day happened upon one
Of the victims OF the fire sitting near
the site Of his old home, his hat pulled
over his eyes, ioaflns and looking down