Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-04-24

solves. It now becomes necessary 10
move the action forward to the point
where the moneyed interests took
hand in the game.
That was brought about in some
what more than fifty hours.
In the meantime the facts as to vi
brations were published in all the
papers; the dispatches and the rela-
tions between Mccarthy and Monsieur
X exclusively in the Despatch-to that
organs vast satisfaction and credit;
and the possibilities of tragedy in none.
This latter fact was greatly to the
credit of a maligned class of men. 1t
is common belief that no cause Is too
sacred or no consequence too grave
to give pause to the editorial rapacity
for news. The present instance dis
proved that supposition. No journal.
yellow or otherwise, contained a line
Of suggestion that anything beyond
annoyance was to be feared from these
queer manifestations.
The consequences on a mixed popu-
lation like that of New York were
very peculiar. The people naturally
| divided themselves into three classes.
In the first were those who had re-
ceived their warning from logic,
friends, or the outside world; and
who either promptly left town or. be-
ing unable to do SO, lived in fear. In
the second were all that numerous
body who. neurasthenically unbal-
anced or near the overbalance. shut
instinctively the eyes of their reason
and glowed with a devasting and ia
natical religious zeal. Among these.
| SO extraordinarily are we constituted.
almost Immediately grew up various
sects, uniting only in the belief that
the wrath OF God was upon an iniQui-
tous people.
By far the largest class of all, COM
prising the everyday busy bulk of the
people. were those who accepted the
thing at its face value. read its own
papers, went about its business. and
| spared time to laugh at the absurdi-
! ties or growl at the inconveniences of
adaptability. 1t speedily accustomed
itself to both the expectation OF, and
the coping with, unusual conditions.
1t went forth about its daily affairs:
it started for home little early in
order to get there in season; 1t es-
chewed subways and theaters; 1t learn
ed to wait patiently. when one of the
three blights struck its world. as a
man waits patiently for a shower to
pass.
This class, as has been said, was
preponderantly In the majority. but its
mass was being constantly diminished
as little knowledge of danger seeped
into its substance. News of the pos
sible catastrophe passed from mouth
TO mouth; world outside. waiting
aghast at such faulty. began to get
in its messages. Street-corner alarm
lists talked to such as would listen.
Thousands upon thousands left the
city. Hundreds of thousands more,
tied hard and fast by the strings OF
necessity, waited in an hourly growing
dread.
THE sign" had been sent promptly
at six o'clock. as promised. II proved
Darrow's prediction by turning out to
be a stoppage of the electrical sys-
TENS. This time 1t lasted only half
an hour-long enough to throw the
traffic and transportation into confu-
sion. 1t was followed at short inter-
walls by demonstrations in light and
sound; none was of long duration.
After the first few. their occurrence
came freakishly. in flashes. as though
the hidden antagonist delighted in con-
fusing his immense audience. The
messages he sent over the wireless in
the Atlas Building grew more and
more threatening and grandiose. They
demanded invariably that Mccarthy
should be sought out and delivered up
to rather vaguely described ven
geance: and threatened with dire ca
lamities all the inhabitants of Man
haitian If the Unknown's desires were
not fulfilled. These threats grew more
definite In character as time went on.
The effect of all this in the long
run was, of course. confusion and in
stability. People laughed or cursed:
but they also listened and reasoned.
Gradually. throughout the city, dread
was extending the blackness of its ter
ror. A knowledge that would have
caused tremendous panic II it had
been divulged suddenly now gave
birth to a deep-seated uneasiness.
Where the panic would have torn
men up by the roots and flung them
l& &@g8s haG