Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-08-15
Little Stories
from the
Underworld
sy w. I. Richardson.

Today the man, we will call him
Charles p. Roberts, for that is not his
name. is superintendent OF one of the
largest Wholesale grocery houses in
| Chicago. Three years ago THE same
man was. in the terse terms OF the UNI
! derworld. a barroom heggar. His re-
formation WIS effected by one little
kind act at the hands OF a bartender
in a little saloon near the lake front.
Many OF the MANS business associ-
afes have an inkling OF the life that
he followed for several Years. But
these men never talk. More frequent
Nv the men who know him today would
always a clean moral life. But Roberts
alone knows The depths to which he
sunk and the struggle to rise once
more 70 the plane of respeerabiiiIy and
power.
Three years since I found the man
first in a little Darroonl on the north
side in Chicago. He was leaning
against the wall with a fOrloru aspect
| thar marked him n man fallen. Traces
Of former respectaoilifN had entirely
disappeared. His face was dirty and
hands begrimed. Fills clothing was old
md worn. and spotted
[ watched him carefully. At times
a s,eei-Iike CLINT beamed in his aver
that evinced power and determination
in former days. He skunk tn himself,
stunning all companions. His face,
oloAted and puffed, WAS f~orbidIing.
AS [ watched him he noticed me and
resented my inspection. L turned
away and walked down To the lower
end OF the bar. leaving my glass half
filed. When [ turned again the man
was eagerly emptying the remainder
Auf the beverage. That finished he
skunk back to the lunch counter and
helped himself to n generous feed bA-
fore the approach Of the bartender
drove him hack into the corner again.
A week later I saw him in the same
place. The proprietor told me that ha
had made that his loafing place for
several weeks and would be elected
some day. 1t would be up to him to
seek II new stand then. The newt
able happened and the man was missed
from the little saloon.
Four months later 1 saw him again
in the loop. This time he was in the
Workingynan's Exchange, better known
as Hinky pink He was still a bum.
Passing by there on the way to the
office, { saw him almost daily for sew
eral months. always the same dirty
specimen he had been at first meeting.
Then came the refarmation. From
this point Mr.. Roberts takes up the
thread Of narrative thar winds around
his life. Back Of that important date,
he never talks.
AS L doxed one evening III d bar
room. a dream of suicide came to me-.
It seemed the only open avenue that
would save me further disgrace. God
knows, I had suffered enough! [ arose
and out onto the street. 1t
was about 8 o'clock and very cool. For
IT was then September"
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 tiieir ligfrf. I stumbled on,
my mind on the one thought OF thar
fatal plunge into The Waters-then all
would have been over"
A faint perceptibIe shud1er grasped
the mans frame as he spoke. But he
braeed himself and continued.
Ahead of me I saw a faint light
shining out from "A lone window I
made directly for the light. 1t proved
to come from q saloon. L stopped in
front of the door. In my pocket I had
70 cents, six nickels, given me by u
I hal stopped ON the street
ana begged for the price. of food. What
good would this money do nie~fn he
I reasoned. None, was my con-
clusion.s
II resolved to spend nay >last minutes
a few glasses Of beer. Once in
the saloon I called for a glass of beer.
Inc place was deserted but for my
presence. The bartender. q MIDDLE
aged German. set down my mug of
Dsee. In a few minutes he came back
a8Ain with q INA plate OF fresh fish.
4 looked up in~auiringly. You look
hnngry. my man, he said as he ar
rangsd the faad In front OF me. eat
this and - more cheerful l ate thank
Lui1y and ordered more h>er, The bar-
tender and ! drifted into q conyersa-
tSon. He hold ne OF the fight that he
tnat ne had worked At that place Jus.
TIVE weeks
u took an, interest in his STORY. In
many WAyH hix cNae WaA. similar 10
mime, he told ne how he q required
mis- present position and how he ex-
pesssI y cave A. SOON AZ be could
- - sssss ga position, I asyeleped that
mercantile establishment hafore the
nard times struck Chicago ana forced
him oat
The more he talked the more hopa
= e9e to see In life. Ny thaughts
wefs Tar AwaN FROM the Contemplated
suAcads. resolved IA take another
spsctahlaNy. 7
When I left that saloon 1 ratraesd
nv fQoeSaeps 70 the loop. YAe Is cents
enA1 remained Of roy own money had
eeets incrsased by Is cents that the
had gtveA ms. sought !
49, 80 "A = hotel on state street {
'ut ~ .eek wQ1k.
s VS. wtaaaAg to % ANYTHING to get
a5sare Along toward eVeninK saw
Z naslner "A AreStaWNnt Windnw CALI
- Ar PofteR. I secured the posi-