Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-22

!
ks--F-,sss Hampstead
gsesSN One was the president of the First
National Bank and owner Of the
Hampstead Electric Street Railway. He sat
with the skirts of his frocccoat drawn over his
Knees, and held his silk hat in one hand, while
with the other he stroked his long brown beard
He was massive man and filed the chair in
which he sat. Nature had made him pay for the
beard in kind, for the top Of his large head was
bald and the skin was glossiy clean. He leaned
slightly forward as he delivered his ultimatum.
The road is losing money every day, but il
we could extend it across Juniper street to the
cemetery through Shantytown we might make it
pay, and that is what must be done You must
fill the creek and run Juniper street through to
Eighth street 1t would be a benefit to the Third
ward 1t should have been done long ago, and
you must do it now You know very well you
could not have carried the city without my nflu-
ence in the First ward and you owe me this
much"
The Mayor tapped his feet on the floor, looked
at his finger nails, and then at Alderman Nc
Gnnis
''Wel, Mac" he said, "what do you say?"
Its all up with me if we do responded the
Alderman. you know the row the boys made
when we tried it before The whole kittle of
'em in Shantytown would go back on me.
l know em. They've made themselves all spe
cal guardeens of Widow O'Leary, an if we touch
her shanty my names Dennis, sure"
/ The President of the street railway arose and
pulled his hat firmly over his brow.
''Well" he said, you can fix it to suit your
selves. If you don't put the street through I'll
have to support some man who will"
When the door closed behind him the two men
were silent for awhile. The Mayor took his pen
knife from his pocket and opened and closed
blade while Alderman McGinnis puffed at his
cigar.
'We, what are you gon to do about t?'
asked McGinnis at length. 'Is it him
loses"
Hes right about the First ward" said the
Mayor slowly.
"That means lose" laughed McGinnis. '1
thought would. I thought so when you sent
for me- You fellows had it all fixed up before,
didn't you?"
The Mayor smiled "You see it's this way,
Mac" he said, laying his hand the Alderman's
knee. 81 can't get along without that First ward
vote, but neither can you carry the Third unless
l pull the Mob Hill votes your way. l don't
want to go against you, but"
but you can get along without me" said Nc
Ginnis good-naturedly. "All right! Looks like
it was up to me, don't it? 1 rather guess the
bloody Third will have new Alderman next
year"
"Unless you can get Widow O'Leary to move."
suggested Fitzgerald
"AIove?" said the Alderman, doubling his fist
and striking his knee you couldn't git her
to move in a hundred years! Remember the last
time we tried?"
The Mayor laughed ct is rather tough
| he Sad coo ubatv Won ca n
do, and I'll go up and see her myself, and maybe
we can persuade her"
The next afternoon the Mayor and Alderman
McGinns called on Widow O'Leary.
She lived in a shack of rough boards on the
edge of the hill overlooking the hollow through
which Connor's Creek ran.
The shanty would have stood in the middle of
Juniper street if the street had not ended there
but when she had preempted the shanty there
had been no thought of putting the street
through, and the dwellers in Shantytown had
made themselves guardians of her home, and as
long as she wished to stay where she was they
upheld her and fought anyone who suggested tear
ing down her shack or extending Juniper street.
And she had no intention of moving. Here
Oh am, an here Oil stay!" she told McGinnis
and the Mayor, and no bribe could affect her
resolution. Having said so much, she closed her
lips over the stem of her black clay pipe and
hobbled around the shanty to her pigsty.
"Its little these pollytishuns care for us" said
Mrs. Mcclure, IAN little sh'u'd we care for
thim It's a cowd worrurld NIissus O'Leary, an
hard wan for us poor widdys. Them that
roides the strates in carrdges thinks little av
him as was vance as good as thin if not better
says o."