The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-01-25
THE END OF THE WORLD
BY WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE
Copyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowles)

and again he beat them of. 1 watched
him.
| l don't know what happened. Every
thing was red before my eyes. Twas
conscious only that something fell
with thud to the mountaineering
that the crowd trampled under foot,
and that the tiremen were attaching
the hose-and that had done it.
Blood! Blood" cried in a
wild frenzy, breaking away from the
crowd and running up the street,
Blood"
AS ran a great number of police
officers passed me, on their way to
the riot. Their eyes were wild and
bloodshot.
l staggered on until / reached Won
Minden's house. He had got there
before me-
''Von Minden!" cried, beating
the door frantically.
He came out, and started back in
surprise. Won Minden it was, but he
was completely encased, from the
waist up, in metal cylinder that
surrounded his body. 1t was full Of
holes and emitted white vapor that
almost completely enveloped him.
He laughed. "Steam!" he cried.
Its the only thing-the only anti
dote for the madness. Waltz" He
opened small valve, and out came
a flood of steam. Instantly the blood
left my brain. For the first time
in hours felt like a rational being.
Then he produced another portable
generator and attached it to my per.
son.
1--WE must go, Anson," he explained,
lin the cause of humanity"
We then proceeded to the two
leading newspaper offices and dictated
notices for their bulletins, directing
everybody to keep their windows
shut, to keep indoors, and to keep
their kettles steaming. Won Minden
and myself as we went through the
streets, cried: Steam! Steam!" to
all whom we met.
The sun rose the next morning-as
red sun as last nights moon had
been-and wherever shone the sun
that day, it shone down upon ruin and
disaster. The whole world woke to
find itself gone mad.
The next day every state In the
union was clamoring for one man
Won Minden-the federal government
most of all. A special session of
congress was called. Committees had
experimental with Won Minden's
steam generators. They sent for me-
chanlcs and engineers from every
state, and called Won Minden in. In
side of 48 hours Won Minden's ap-
paratus was being manufactured and
| distributed all over the country.
In a week, however, the officials
and Won Minden with them-began to
wake up to the fact that, while steam
was the great remedy, it was a rem
edy that the masses didn't want. TO
| them madness was intoxication-
| they preferred it to sanity.
1t was independence day, July 4th,
that the crisis came. On that day,
| from every town and city in the
United States, by prearrangement,
men by thousands and tens of thou
sands, started out, mad as they were,
yet with semblance of order. bound
for one common destination.
They were bound for Washington.
They had become anarchists. They
had determined to wipe out the
United States government-the presi-
dent, congress, and every depart
| ment.
On July Is, that fateful day, I
stood with Won Minden on top Of the
| Washington monument.
| The mob had surrounded the city.
The entire government had left It..
and was speeding west by separate
routes.
At preconcerted signal the mob
entered. Nothing could have kept
them out, and no attempt was made
to do so. Won Minden sat at my
side with his finger on a button. He
was ready at an instants notice to
loose upon the mass of humanity DOW.
ertul jets OF steam that would either
Kill or cure. For awhile there was
no disorder. The great army entered.
rank upon rank, and filled every
street and every park. They were
there to destroy, but to destroy when
the time came. Suddenly we heard
Misunderstanding was wrong.
Then wild yell of rage, growing
stronger as the time went on. burst
from the Threats of a million men
They had been thwarted.
At that moment Won Minden pressed
the button. I looked out. Nothine
happened. Something was wrong
Look, look!" I cried. Below"
It is quite unnecessary for. me to
describe it. The mass of citizens be-
low, in it's frenzy and disappointment
had become uncomfortable had
become Wild of rage, they threw
themselves, not upon the city. moi
against the public buildings, but upon
one another. All day long that fierce
battle ragged within the streets 81
the city.
Won Minden covered his eyes with
his hands. my God," he moaned
We threw ourselves 1,non thu g.