Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-09-27

Publishing Coz
In the softer light OF late afternoon
the lines of Nalny HarbOT assumed the
only softness they ever acquired. The
gaunt skeletons of the giant dredge;
blurred against the yellow-brown hills
of the shore line. the hard blue OF the
water shaded OFF into more delicate
tints-even the corrugated-iron roofs
of the long strings of empty ware
houses lost something OF their mid
day harshness.
But the coming OF the Christening
soft lights did not decrease the grave
yard quiet Of the great harbor. The
distant rattle of a drosky as il bumped
ard iolted over the ruts and hOllows
OF the road TO the city sounded clearly,
and the clicking of Bacon's heels as
he pounded them mOrOsely against the
concrete side of a milliOn-dOllar pier,
echoed loudly over the still water.
BacOn's eyes rOyed from the silent
dredges TO the silent hills, and back to
the empty piers and the empty ware
houses. owe wriggled the muscles OF
his back uncomfortably beneath the
expressing dome of silence.
Lord" he muttered in a dull, mo-
notonous tone. Lord, What a place!
A troop of cavalry clattered past the
end of the wharf. and, before the dust
of their passage had settled, a squad
Of infantry. their white jackets and
fat, white hats standing out sharply
plodded by. marched aimlessly from
one point to another by a bored.
Los no hAF
for a moment and then got slowly TO
his feet and stretched himself with
tremendous yawn. He knocked the
ashes from his pipe and started re-
filing 1t thoughtfully. His fingers
felt the lean sides OF the pouch
anXiously.
It's five thousand miles to any more
Of that tobacco" he mourned. only
five thousand little. insignificant
miles!"
He walked slowly along the great
pier, the smoke from his pipe swirling
and eddying behind him. He felt
grateful for the movement of half
iozen dirty coolies near one Of the
warehouses. and stopped to watch
them. When they disappeared he
sighed and walked on across the dreary,
two-mile stretch Of emptiness to the
city proper Here, because there were
more places built for human habita-
ton than at the harbor, and no more
people to fill them, the silence was
even more oppressive. Bacon passed
between the long rows Of barrack-like
buildings, each exactly Ike the one
next TO il, from whose doors sleepy
apathetlc Japanese or Manchu shop
keepers stared at him without interest.
Dogs, sleeping in the street, did not
raise their heads as he passed.
IF anything should happen here"
unused Bacon. really happen. the
town would die1just plain die, build
ings and ALL"
He came out into gaunt, bare
stretch. labelled somewhere on the
grandiloqueut plans of the city as
square" Beyond il stretched the
"oficially-built" section of the city
where some architect had been given
carte blanche and had tumbled 10
gether all the different styles OF archi.
lecture of which mankind has dreamed
Bacon threaded the empty streets until
he came to a squat. sturdy building, on
whose stumpy faGpole an American
flag dropped in the MINDLESS air.
wiZened clerk, a dry pen sticking
through the thin hair behind his ears.
stood leaning languidly against the
door-iamb. He inclined his body rustily
as Bacon passed him. without remov.
ing his vacant stare from the distance
Bacon walked TO the little desk and
paved over the sparse pile OF enve.
lopes. smiling at the superScription
FREDERICK Bacon, American Consul
Valny." He dropped into the chair
and his straigh, figure dropped. For
moment he sat looking at the clerks
hack. then his eye travelled around the
walls of the room, resting finally upon
a framed parchment, in which his
name appeared in old English letters
surrounded by much Latin. AT the
bottom OF the diploma was the green
seal Of Bacon's university.
Jones" said the young man sud.
denly. come here and sit down.
The clerl-a strange looking man
with features which might belong
either to Orient or Occident-trailed
across the room and perched on
stool. taking the pen from behind his
ear and nibbling the point.
lhpTC Deell-. Nblllli!'h-VA III
clerk. but Bacon silenced him with q
look and a gesture.
I'm in no mood" he said, TO be
told of the number Of MUngol traders
who have been here trying to claim
immunity as American citizens
must talk myself out 20 someone
Jones. and you're the only human
being in sight. tried it Oh that Lretty
French girl al the restaurant. AID
after | finished, she asked me il it was
true that the Indians il America had
feathers on their heads instead OF
hair"
Jones sat perfectly still on his stool
his leather-like face rs fat as mask.
Bacon leaned back in his chair and
put his feet on the desk Lefo-e him;
where did you first hear OF the
service?" demanded Bacon.
Jones shook his head.
az don't know" he confessed.
We'll" continued Bacon, I've heard
of Il since | was old enough to read. /
wanted to be in It; it's been my one
great. consuming ambition-and now
I'm in, Before | got oIt here.
ZONES. I knew exactly what diplomat
was. He was a hawk-nosed, lnscrut-
able man with a black moustache. lie
oI,oost ALWAYS wore evening clothes,