Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-26

finger I'm not going to read you homily on the
subject of labor, but want to present Tor your
consideration a little matter of statistics You
know, as we'll l, that the territory is swarmlng
with of your class. No less than six, beg
ging for money, have stopped me on the streets
today; while down there at the yard"-indicating
with his hand row of tall lumber piles sur
rounding small building in the distance-"we
haven't had three applications for work in a
month"
do you imagine you would work if you had
the chance? l have had little experience with
fellows of your sort. You have such remarkable
appetitesi" He addressed him generically, as the
representative of "You work half an hour
then come around with the plea that you can't
labor on empty stomach draw an advance OF
half dollar on your wages, and that is the last
we ever see of YOU.
The man retorted so sharply that one could
almost have fancied the poor remnant of spirit
still abiding in him stirred to something resemb
ling wrath.
That's always the way" he muttered, Say
we won't work; then won't give show.
know we're pretty low-down lot, but some of us
start out square enough. If a man once gets
down, there's not getting up again.
There was something almost pathetic in his very
sullenness as he shuffled away, his rags Tapping
in the breeze, and ill-maed shoes gathering an ac-
compartment to his gait.
Come back here will you!'
John Proctor's voice was stern and decisive. The
tramp halted hesitated, looked away, then shut
fled back again.
give you job. But take the half dollar first and
get filled up first"
He had exchanged the dime for larger coin
and held it in his outstretched palm. The man
did not Immediately extend his hand to take It,
In the moment two that elapsed the young
lumberman thought that he detected trace OF
something allied to resentful pride in his bearing
But the illusion vanished as grlmy hand closed
greedily upon the silver, and the fellow disap
peared without even troubling himself to make
any formal expression of his gratitude
John Proctor looked after him with quizzica
smile Five minutes later he knew his own name
would be the toast of drunken crowd of loafers
in the saloon around the corner. 1t was not his
first experience of the kind. To be sure 1t would
help to advance a certain Qu1Xot1c reputation
which had attached itself to him since his first
advent in this little New Mexican town. But he
had steadily adhered to his creed Granted that
ninety-nine out of hundred of this floating popu-
lation thieves and mendicants. he was wont
to say he preferred to be vctimized by the ninety
and nine, rather than miss that hundredth man.
Arrived at the Park strip OF land runnln9
through the heart of the place, the title to whieA
was in dispute between the railroad company, a
handful of determined squatters, and the Govern
ment John brought down the wire fence this noon
with one vigorous kick. Kicking down this wire
fence one of the legitimate pastlmes OF the
inhabitants, who could not afford to make de-
tour of mile more to reach their places or
business, yet hazard garments by sealing IT,
These encroachments the part of the citizens
had been resisted with warlike demonstra-
tions, but as Proctor stepped through the gap,
a patient looking, round-shouldered little man ad-
vanced trundling a wheelbarrow laden with a
huge coil of barb WIRE and, politely greeting the
trespasser set about repairing the fence. Parsons
was in the employ of the road and scrupulously
obeyed his instructions, but CLEAN of humor in
his eye told that he sympathized with the trans
greSsors.
AS John Proctor took his way down through the
Park in the direction of his office, he seemed to
throw off the unpleasant reflections which had been
annoying him, with shrug of his powerful should
ers The young mans eyes fell cheery upon the