Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-15
CHAPTER VI.
Knight-Errantry a la Mode.

If all good Americans go to Paris when
they die. it may safely be predicted that
all the bad ones will be booked through
to Coney Island.
So much may be inferred from the regu-
larity and zeal with which the toughs.
hoboes. Bowery boys and other fearful
wildfowl of the New York proletariat, &C.
companied. by the corresponding females
of the species. betake themselves every
Sabbath by trolley car o., steamer to
this haunt Of ancient peace (which. by
the way, is not TO all appearances an
island and harbors no cronies>.
Take Margate and Douglas and Black
pool, and pile them into an untidy heap;
throw IN dozen fun cities from Olympia
and half a score Of worlds fairs from the
Agricultural Hall: add some OF the less
reputable features of EarfS Court and
Neuilly fair; include race course OF the
baser sort; case the whole in wood. and
people it with Sailow gentlemen liz striped
jerseys and ladies answering exclusively
to such names as Hattie. Sadie and Ma
mic, reared up. apparently, upon an eX-
elusive diet Of peanuts and clam chowder:
keep the whole multitude duly controlled
and disciplined by a police force, which,
if appearances go for anything. has been
recruited entirely from the criminal
classes, and you will be able family to
realize what Coney Island can do when
1t tries on a fire Sunday in summer.
So thought Hughie Marrable. He had
been wandering round the world for nine
years now; but. not even previous ac'
uuaintance with the devil dancers OF Cey.
lon, the unhallowed revels of Port Said
or the refinements Of central African
witch hunt with full tom-tom accom-
panimenD, had quite prepared him foi
this. Still, it was part and parcel OF life
aud life was what he had left England to
see.
He had arrived in New York from Sar
Francisco two days ago. But let 1t not
be imagined that he had been conveyed
thither by any Grand Trunk Ocean-to-
ocean limited. Or other refinement Of an
effete modernity. His transcontinenta
journey had occupied just three years
Since the day on which he steamed
freighter from Yokohama he had beer
working his way eastward by easy stages
acquiring experience Gas Jimmy Marrable
had djrected) of the manner in which the
other half Of the world lives. Incidental
~ he had mixed cocktails behind Ne
vada bar: learned to fire revolver with
/ out taking it out Of his pocket; accom-
panied a freight train over the Rockies
lin the capacity OF assistant brakeman
his duties being chiefly confined to stand
/ ing by with coupling pin to discourage
1.-THE enterprise of those gentlemen OF the
Iroad who proposed to travel without tick
lets, and once, in a southern state. he had
been privileged to be present at that en-
tnobiing spectacle to which the brightest
nation on earth occasionally treats the
Representatives Of an older civilization
the lynching Of q negro.
/ In q few days Hughie would sail fol-
England on board the mighty Apulia. II
was not often that he travelled in such
DESTINATIONS luxury-the primitive man II
Thin leaned toward something damp and
preca rious on board a sailing ship or .
collier: but he happened to know that the
Apulia intended going for the ocean rec
| ord this trip. and since the third en-
gineer happened to be a friend OF his
Hughie had deeided that four and hal
DAYS and nights down among the hum
ming turbines and the spirits that con
trolied. them would be cheap at the prtcs
OF an expensiseiy upholstered stateroon