Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-10-14
CHAPTER II.
"Work Not Charity"

London in which year or 30
ago he had been numbered
among the spenders.
London, under the visible smoke law.
by which any production Of visible
smoke with or without excuse was
by a fine, had already
ceased to be the somber, smoke dark
ened city Of the Victorian time: 1t had
been, and indeed was, constantly be-
ing rebuilt. and its main streets were
already beginning to take on those
characteristics that distinguished them
the latter half of the
twentieth century. The insanitary
horse and the plebeian bicycle had
been banished from the roadway,
which was now Of resilient, glasslike
surface, spotlessly clean; and the foot
passenger was restricted to narrow
vestige of the ancient footpath on !
either side Of the track and forbidden, |
at the risk Of a fine, II he survived, to |
cross the roadway. People descended
from their automobiles upon this pave
ment and went through the lower
shops to the lifts and stairs to the new
ways for pedestrians. the rows, that
ran along the front Of the houses at
the level of the first story and. being
Joined by frequent bridges, gave the
newer parts Of London curiously
Venetian appearance. In some streets
there were upper and even third story
rows. For most Of the day and all
night the shop windows were lit by
electric light, and many establishments
had made, as 1t were, canals OF public
footpaths through their premises In
order to increase their window space.
Barnet made his way along this night
scene rather apprehensively, since the
police had power to challenge and de-
mand the labor card Of any INDECENT
looking person, and If the record failed
to show he was in employment dismiss
him to the traffic pavement below.
But there was still enough of his for
mer gentility about Barnet's appear
ance and bearing to protect him from
this: the police, too. had other things
to think Of that night and he was per-
m1tted to reach the galleries about
Leicester square-that great focus Of
London life and pleasure.
He gives vivid description Of the
scene that evening. In the center was
a garden raised ON arches lit by fes-
toons of lights and connected with the
rows by eight graceful bridges, be-
meath which hummed the interlacing
streams of motor traffic, pulsating as
the current alternated between east
and west and north and south. Above
rose great frontages Of intricate rather
than beautiful REINFORCED porcelain,
studded with lights. barred by bold, H.
Illuminated advertisements and glowing
with reflections. There were the two
Shakespeare Memorial theater, in
which the municipal players revolved
perpetually through the cycle Of Shake
speare's plays, and four other great
houses of refreshment and entertain
ment, whose pinnacles streamed up
into the blue obscurity of the night.
The south side Of the square was in
dark contrast to the others; it was still
being rebuilt, and lattice Of steel bars
surmounted by the frozen gestures of
monstrous cranes rose over the exca-
waited sites Of vanished Victorian build.
1ngs.
This framework attracted Barnet'a
attention for time to the exclusion of
other interests. 1t was absolutely still;
1t had dead rigidity, stricken mac
ton: no one was at work upon it and
all its machinery was quiet, but the
contractors globes Of vacuum light Oil.
ed its every interstice with Quivertne
green moonshine and showed alert but
motionless-soldier sentinels.
He asked passing stroller and was
told that the men had struck that day
against the use Of an automatic riveter
that would have doubled the individual
efficiency and halved the number OF
steel workers.
shouldn't wonder If they didn't gel
chucking bombs" said Barnets in
formant, who lowered for a moment
and then went on his way to the AL
hambra Music hall.
Barnet became aware of an excite
ment In the newspaper kiosks at th'
corners Of the square. Something yer,
sensational had been flashed upon tn
transparencies. Forgetting for mo
ment his penniless condition, be mad
his way over bridge to buy paper
for In those days the papers, which
were printed upon thin sheets of me
tallic foil, were sold at determinat
points by specially licensed purveyors
Half over he stopped short at chang
in the traffic below and was astonishe
to see that the police signals were re
stricting vehicles to the half roadway
When presently he got within sight Q
the transparencies that had replace
the placards Of Victorian times he rea
of the great march Of the unemploye
that was already in progress throug
the west end, and so without expend
ture he was able to understand whs
was coming.
he watched, and his book describe
this procession which the police ha
considered it unwise to prevent d
which had been sponta neOusly orga1
lied In imitation of the unemploye
professions Of earlier times. He ha
expected a mob, but there was kir
Of sullen discipline about the proce
sion wen at last it arrived. VIII
seemed for time an unending colun
of men marched YEARLY. marched Wi
a kind Of implacable futility. along Il
roadway underneath him. He was
says. moved to join them, but inste'
he remained watching. They were