The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-16
The Children


the Piazza di Triomfo crowd of
drivers and conductors had assem-
bled 1t was noisy, boisterous
crowd of Neapolitans, as lively and
mobile as quicksilver.
Higher than their heads, behind the
garden fence, the glistening jet of a
fountain hung in the air like sword.
The tramway workers were surround
ed by a larger crowd who wanted to
20 by tram car to the various parts of
the town. All these, clerks, artisans,
petty traders, seamstresses, denounced
the strikers in loud and angry tone.
The strikers looked gloomy, and
pressed against each other, hardly re-
spending to the angry shouts Of the
crowd They climbed upon the rail-
ings and cast restless glances into the
streets over the head of the people.
The strikers resembled pack of
wolves surrounded by dogs. 1t was
clear to everybody that these people,
wearing the same uniform, were bound
together by firm resolve not to give
in; and this Infatuated the crowd still
more. There were, however, philoso-
piers in its midst who, while smoking
away at their pipes, tried to pacify
the more violent opponents OF the
strike.
"Eh, Signor! What is to be done If
there is not enough money to buy
mocaroni for the children?"
Wrangling, jeers, reproaches annd
admonition were suddenly cut short;
a new current swept the crowd as If
reconcilng it; the strikers looked
gloomier still, and pressed closer to-
gether. Voices in the crowd called
out:
"Soldiers!"
With light, dancing step from the
Santa Lucia Quay came little gray SOL
diers, stamping their feet regularly,
and mechanically swinging their left
arms. They seemed to be made OF
tin, and as frail as factory-made toys.
The crowd drew back from the cars,
the soldiers, like gray beads, became
scattered alongside the cars; the
strikers remained on the platforms.
The man in the silk hat and some
others who surrounded him swung
their arms wildly and shouted:
"The last time Ultima
Volta! D. you hear?"
The officer twisted his mustache.
his head dropping. A man waved his
silk hat and ran up to him, saying
~,
ficer looked at him askance, standing
erect and gave the word Of command
In loud tone.
The soldiers in twos and threes be-
gan to jump on the platforms OF the
cars. At the same time the drivers
and conductors were pushed on.
This seemed to amuse the onlook-
ers, who broke out into laughter and
whistling, which, however, only lasted
for a moment.
People drew back from the cars.
their faces wearing longer and older
expression and their eyes wide open
with establishment. They all pressed
forward toward the front Of the car.
Within a yard or two of the wheels
a gray.haired driver with the face of
a soldier could be seen, his cap of,
lying on the rails. He lay on his
back, his long mustache shooting up
ward. An adroit youth, with the move
ments OF monkey, laid himself down
by his side; number Of others fol-
lowed their example.
The man in the silk hat cried out
something, the officer looked at him
and shrugged his shoulders. He must
replace the tramway drivers by SOL
diers, but he has no orders to wrestle
with the strikers.
Then the owner of the silk hat, sur.
rounded by people willing to please,
rushed toward the fusiliers. The lat
ter set off, approached those lying on
the rails and attempted to lift them.
A struggle ensued. All the dusty
crowd of spectators made a. lurch and,
bowling, rushed to the rails. The man
in the Panama hat pulled it off his
head, threw it up in the air, and was
the first to lie down by the side Of
striker; he patted him on the back,
and shouted something approvingly
right in his face.
After him some gay, noisy people
who had just come upon the scene
began to throw themselves down upon
the rails. They lay down laughing,
making faces at each other and shout
ing something at the officer who,
waving his gloves above the head of
the man in the silk hat, was telling
him something, shaking his hand
some head.
Others threw themselves down upon
the rails. Women deposited their
baskets and bundles, boys lay down
laughing, doubling themselves up like
dogs trying to keep warm, rolling
over and getting dirty in the dust. =.
Five soldiers looked at the heaps OF:
bodies under the wheels from the plat.
form OF the front car, then laughed
convulsively as they clutched the rail-
ings and threw their heads up in the