The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-08-07
Little Stories
from the
Underworld
REFORMATION.
BY W. !. Richardson.

Today the man, we will call him
Charles P. Roberts, for that is not his
largest wholesale grocery houses In
Chicago. Three years ago the same
man was, In h terse terms or the UNI
derworld, q barroom beggar. His re-
formation was effected by one little
kind act at b hands of a bartender
in a little saloon near the lake front.
Many of the mans business associ-
ates nave an inkling Of the life that
he followed for several years. But
these men neve talk. More frequent
Ely the men who know him today would
not hesitate to say that he has lived
always a clean mora life. But Roberts
alone knows the depths to which h 10
sunk and the struggle to rise once
more to the plane OF respectability and
power.
Three years since I found the man
first In a little barroom on the north
side in Chicago. He was leaning
against the wall with q forlorn aspect
that marked him a nan fallen. Traces
oil former responsibility had entirely
disappeared. His face was dirty and
hands begrimed. His clothing was old
and worm. and spotted.
I watched him carefully. At times
a steeI-like CLINT beamed in his yes
that evinced power nj determination
in former days. He skunk to himself.
summing all q I1lBt u IdCGp
bloated and pulled, was ~forbiddfng.
AS I watched him he noticed me and
resented my inspection. turned
away and walked down to the lower
end OF tbs bar, leaving my glass half
filed. When ] turned again the man
was eagerly emprying the remainder
of the beverage. That finished he
skunk back to the lunch counter and
helped himself to generous feed be-
fore the approach OF the bartender
drove him back into the corner again.
A week later I saw him in the same
place. The proprietor told me that he
had made hat his loafing place for
several weeks and would be elected
some day. 1t would be up to- him to
seek a new stand then. The newt
able happened and the man was missed
from the little saloon.
-Four months later I saw him again,
in the loop. This time he was In the
Workingman's Exchange, better known
as Hinky Drinks. He was stHl a bum.
Passing by there On the way to the
office, l saw him almost daily for sew
eral months, always the same dirty
specimen he had been at first meeting.
Then came the reformation. From
this point Mr.. Roberts takes up the
thread of narrative that winds around
his life. Back of that important date,
he never talks.
tAs l dozed one evening in a bar
room, a dream of suicide came to me.
It seemed the only open avenue that
would save me further disgrace. God
knows, / had suffered enough! / arose
and wandered out onto the street. IT
was about 9 o'clock and very q o For
1t was then September" &f"
my wanderings led me down to-
ward the pier on the lake front, past
the coal yards and lumber yards. The
path was growing dark and no street
lamps shed their light. i stumbled on,
my mind on the one thought OF that
fatal plunge into the waters--then all
would nave been over"
A faint perceptible shudder grasped
the mans frame as he spoke. But he
braced himself and continued.
Ahead of me I saw a faint light
shining out from a lone window. I
made directly for the Hight. 1t proved
to come from a saloon, I stopped in
front Of the door. In my pocket / had
80 cents. six nickels. given me by a
stranger. / had stopped on the street
and begged for the price Of food. What
good would this money do me. in the
lakeT / reasoned. None, was my con-
clusion.'
IT resolves to spend my last minutes
owe a few glasses Of beer. Once in
the saloon I called for q glass of beer.
The place vas deserted but for my
presence. The bartender, q middle
aS6u E SCEIlldnt set 0OWI lily Anuk Ok
beer. In a few minutes he came back
again with a. small plate of fresh fish.
II looked up inquiringly. You look
hungry, my man. he said as he ar
ranged the food In front OF me. eat
this and be more cheerful i ate thank
fully and ordered more beer. The bar
tender and / drifted into a CONVERSE
ton He told me of the fight that he
was having to make a living, adding
that he had worked at that place Just
two weeks.
II ook an interest in his story. In
many ways his case was similar to
mine. He told me how he a secured
his present position and how he ex-
pe2ted to leave as Don as he could
get a better position. 1t developed that
the man had been a bookkeeper in a
mercantile establishment before the
hard times struck Chicago and forced
him out. ~.
THE more he talked the more hope
I began to see in life. My thoughts
suicide. / resolved TO take another
fling at fortune, not a weak effort but
a strong manly attempt to regain re-
s~pectability.
When / left that saloon I retraced
my footsteps to the loop. The Is cents
that remained of my own money had
been increased by rs cents that the
bdblSHucI ndu gwen mS. 4 HOuBHt y
cheap bed in a hotel on State street
for the night. In the morning I started
out TO seek work. .
II was willing to do anything to get
a start, Along toward evening / saw
a banner in a restaurant window call
ing for a porter. / secured the posi-
ton. That was my start, I saved my
money and bettered my appearance,
buying a good, ~serviceable suit of cloth
ing, new shoes and q hat.
From the restaurant i went to a po-
sition n a wholesale grocery house as
checker. / was soon promoted to the
office and devoted all my time to a
study OF the business. For I had for
merly worked as the head of a grocery
company in this city. That was before
misfortune and drink drove me down
ward. Today / am superintendent OF
that house"