Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-07-13

genius and virllity Of the American
people-New York, with its congested
polyglot population and teeming mil
lions, is assuredly one of the busiest, as
it Is one of the most strenuous and
most noisy places on earth. Yet, de-
spite its swarmlng streets and crowd
ed shops. ceaselessly thronged with
men and women eagerly hurrying here
and there in the pursuit of business or
elusive pleasure, all chattering, laugh
ing, shouting amid the deafening, null
tisonous roar OF traffic incidental to
Gotham's daily life, there is one part
of the great metropolis where there is
no hustle, no noise, no crowd, where
the streets are empty even in daytime,
where a passerby Is curiosity and
child a phenomenon. This deserted
village IN the very heart of the big
town Is the millionaires' district. the
boundaries Of which are marked by
Carnegie hill on the north, Fiftieth
street ON the south, and by Fifth and
Madison avenues respectively on the
west and east. There is nothing more
mournful than the outward aspect of
these princely residences which, aban-
doned and empty for three-quarters of
the year, stand in stately loneliness, as
II ashamed Of their isolation and utter
uselessness. Their blinds drawn, af-
fording no hint of life within, envel-
oped the greater part of the time in
the stiffness and silence Of the tomb,
they appear to be under the spell Of
some baneful curse. No merry voiced
children romp In their carefully rallied
Off gardens, no sounds of conversation
or laughter come from their hermetic-
ally closed windows, not soul goes
In or out: at most, at rare intervals,
does one catch glimpse of gorge
ously arrayed servant gliding about in
ghostly fashion, supercilious and suspi-
cious and addressing the CHARGE visitor
In awed whispers as though he were
the guardian of house OF affiiction.
1t is, indeed. like city Of the dead.
/, So 1t appeared to Jefferson as he
walked up Fifth avenue, bound for the
Ryder residence, the day following his
arrival from Europe. Although he still
lived at his fathers house, for at no
time had there been an open rupture,
he often slept III his studio, finding it
more convenient for his work, and
there he had gone straight from the
ship. He felt, however, thattt was his
duty to see his mother as soon as pos
sible; besides he was anxious to fulfill
his promise to Shirley and find what
his father could 10 to help Judge Ross
more. He had talked about the case
with several men the previous evening
at the club, and the general impression
seemed to be that, guilty or innocent.
the judge would be driven of the
bench.
Europe, thought Jefferson as he
strobe quickly along. pointed with en-
Wy to Americas unparalleled prosper
tty, spoke with bated breath of her
great fortunes. Rather should they
say her gigantic robberieS. her colossal
frauds! As a nation we were not
proud Of our mnltimillionaires. How
many OF them would bear the search
light OF Investigation? Would his own
father? How many millions could ono
man make by honest methods? Amer
lea was enjoying unprecedented pros
perity not because of her millionaires,
but In spite of them. The United
States owed its high rank in the family
of nations to the country's vast natural
resources, its inexhaustible vitality, its
great wheatfelds. the industrial and
mechanical genius Of its people. 1t
was the plain American citizen who
had made the greatness of America:
not the millionaires who, forming a
class by themselves Of INSCRIPTIONS
capitalists, had created an arrogant
oligarchy which sought to rule the
country by corrupting the legislature
and the judiciary The plutocrats--
these were the leeches, the sores In the
body polite. An organized band Of
robbers, they had succeeded in domi-
mating legislation and in securing con-
troll of every branch Of the nations in
dustry, crushing mercilessly and lille
gally all competition.
Jefferson turned abruptly and went
up the wide steps Of an imposing white
marble edifice which took up the space
OF half a city block. A fine example
OF French renaissance architecture,
with spire roofs. round turrets and
mullioned windows dominating the
neighboring houses. this magnificent
home OF the plutocrat, with Its fur
nishings and art treasures, had cost
John Burkett Ryder nearly $4,000. 900.
It was one OF the show places Of the
town, and when the ''rubberneck"
wagons approached the Ryder man.
sion and the guides through their meg
aphones expatiated in awestricken
tones on its external and hidden beau
ties, there was q general craning Of
vertebrate among the seeing New
Workers" to catch glimpse OF the
abode OF the richest man In the world.
Only a few privileged ones were ever
permitted to penetrate to the interior
Of this $10.oO00Do home. Ryder was
not fond OF company; he avoided
strangers and lived In continual appre-
tension OF the subpoena server. Not