New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1910-02-02

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steel calks biting deep into the pitted
board walks.
For nearly mile the street was
fanked solely by lumber yards, small
mills and factories. Then came a strip
Of unimproved land, followed imme-
diately by the wooden, ramshackle
structures of Hells Half Mile.
AS yet the season was too early for
much joy along Hell's 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, it's tributaries and the
men still lingering at the woods camps,
at least 500 woods weary men would
be turned loose. Then HelYs Half
Mile would awaken in earnest from
its Information. The lights would
blaze from day to day. From it's
open windows would blare 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 listlessly wiping 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 a very narrow street where stood
three story wooden structure into
which led high arched entrance
This was McNeill's.
A figure detached itself from the
shadow. Orde uttered an exclama-
ton III. 49,.
"You here, Newmark?' he cried.
EYES," replied that young man. 81
want to see this through
with those clothes?'' maryeled
Orde. cts a wonder some of these
thugs haven't held you up long ago.
10 +o
slugged." ..zs 49,
II can stand it if you CAM returned
Newmark. 81.
McNeilfs lower story was given over
entirely to drinking. The second floor
was a 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 un-
conscious to the street. Now, your
lumberjack did not customarily arrive
at this stage without lively doings en-
route; therefore McNeills maintained
force Of fighters. They were burly,
sodden men, but strong in their ex-
perience and their discipline. To be
sure, they might not last quite as long
as their antagonists could, but they
always lasted plenty long enough.
Sand bags and brass knuckles helped
some and team work finished the job
Orde and his men entered the lower
hall as though sauntering in without
definite aim. The river boss wandered
about with the rest, wide, good ma
tured smile on his face
Presently he found himself at the
table Of the three card monte men.
The rest of his party gravitated in his
direction.
"Do you think you could pick out
the jack when I throw these out like
this?" asked the dealer.
''Sure! She's that one"
"Well,'' exclaimed the gambler,
"danged if you didn't! I bet you S.
you can't do it again.
Again Orde was permitted to pick
up the jack.
you've got the best eye that's been
in this place since I got here" e1-
claimed the dealer. Here, Dennis y
said he to his partner. you try him.
Dennis obligingly took the cards and
lost. By this time the men, augmented
by the idlers, had drawn close.
Whether it was that the gamblers
sensed the fact that Orde might be led
to plunge or whether they were using
him to draw the crowd into their game
1t would be difficult to say, but twice
more they permitted him to win.
NeWmark plucked his sleeve.
you're $40 ahead he muttered.
"Quit it,
what limit do you put on this game
anyway asked Orde.
s'HoW much do you want to betg'
seWould you stand for s50o?. asked
orde.
The gambler pretended to deliberate,
his cool, shifty eyes running over the
group before him. A small door i'm
mediately behind him swung slowly
aiar an incl, or SO