Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-06

n with Orde. They set out up the
lons reach of Water street tbei1
steel cails biting deep into the pitted
board walks.
For nearlT mile the street was
fanked solely by lumber yards. small
mills and factories. Then came a strip
Of unimproved land. followed imme-
hiately by the wooden. ramshackls
structures of Hell's Half Mile
AS yet the season was too early for
much JOY along Hells Half Mile Orde's
little crew and the forty or fifty men
of the drive that had preceded him
constituted the rank and file at that
moment in town. A little later. when
all the drives on the river should be in
and those of its tributaries and the
men still lingering at the woods camps,
at least 500 woods weary men would
be turned loose Then Hers Half
Mile would awaken in earnest from
its Information. The lights would
blaze from day to day. From its
open windows would biare the music,
the cries Of men and women. the shut
fe of feet. the noise Of fighting. the
shrieks Of wild laughter, curses deep
and frank and unashamed. songs bro
ken and interrupted. Crews of men.
arms locked. would surge up and down
the narrow sidewalks. their little felt
hats cooked one side. their heads back.
their fearless eyes challenging the
devil and all his works-and getting
the challenge accepted. Girls would
fit across the lit windows like shad
ows before flames or stand in the door
ways hailing the men jovially by name.
Tonight, however, the street was
comparatively quiet. The saloons were
of modified illumination. The bar
keepers were istlessly wtping the bars.
The pretty waiter girls" gossiped
with each other and yawned behind
their hands.
In the middle Of the third block
Orde wheeled sharp to the left down
dark and dangerous looking alley.
Another turn to the right brought him
into very narrow street where stood
three story wooden structure into
which LED a high arched entrance.
This was McNeill's.
A figure detached itself from the
shadow. Orde uttered an exclama-
ton.
You here. Newmark o. he cried.
YES" replied that young man. II
want to see this through"
With those clothes" marveled
Orde. Its a wonder some Of these
thugs haven't held you up long ago.
It's dangerous. You're likely to get
slugged."
81 can stand it if you can." returned
Newmark.
McNeill's lower story was given over
entirely to drinking. The second fool
was theater and the third a dance
hall. Beneath the building were still
viler depths. From this basement the
riyerman and the shanty boy generally
graduated penniless and perhaps IN
conscious to the street. Now, you
iumberjack did not customarily arrive
at this stage without lively doings er
route: therefore McNeill's maintained
a force of fighters. They were burly
sodden men. but strong in their ex
perience and their discipline. To b,
sure, they might not last quite cs loni
as their antagonists could. but the.
always lasted plenty long enough
Sand bags and brass knuckles helped
some and team worak finished the toh
L, Orde and his men entered the lowe
hall as though sauntering In withou
definite aim The river boss wandered
about with the rest, wide. good ma
, tnred smile on bis face.
Presently he. found himself at tn